Replacing Metal Floor?

jmccoola · 05-17-2018, 12:13 PM

I spent the weekend tearing up the wood floor of my bus and got it down to the metal below (which was a pain in the tush as most of the screws holding the plywood down were rusted and I had to tear up the wood around the screws). I then used a grinder to remove most of the rusty screws (although I couldn't get many of them out- I just ended up grinding them down to be level with the floor).

I am now left with a bunch of screw holes, a few holes of larger size that I assume were from pre-existing hoses, and some rather large rust holes (pics below). I was originally planning on patching these holes with epoxy or welding patches but I am wondering if anyone has messed around with just replacing the metal floor altogether? Or should I just grind the heck out of the rusty spots and patch?

It seems like with the amount of welding I would be doing to patch, it might be easier to just order some sheet and just weld the perimeter. It would end up being an area of 15' x 7.5'.

Thoughts?

Twigg · 05-17-2018, 05:20 PM

You could add a second skin, but unless you can fully seal it you are begging for water to get between the two layers and rust out.

You don't have to grind the hell out of it. Just knock off the flaky stuff and treat with Ospho, then patch as normal. Prime with Rustoleum primer and call it done.

Yukon Cornelius · 05-18-2018, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twigg

You could add a second skin, but unless you can fully seal it you are begging for water to get between the two layers and rust out.

You don't have to grind the hell out of it. Just knock off the flaky stuff and treat with Ospho, then patch as normal. Prime with Rustoleum primer and call it done.

This

ComfortEagle · 05-18-2018, 09:28 AM

FWIW I used this POR-15 Floor Pan restoration kit on the son's Jeep Cherokee. In my experience POR-15 makes fantastic rust treatment products and I found this kit to be no exception. It seems like this could be a great all on one solution for your rusty floor.

EastCoastCB · 05-18-2018, 11:41 AM

I just wire wheel the rust then use this-

Its easy and its the BEST rust converter I've ever tried.

ComfortEagle · 05-18-2018, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Its easy and its the BEST rust converter I've ever tried.

Rust converter isn't going to close those big rust holes...

EastCoastCB · 05-18-2018, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ComfortEagle

Rust converter isn't going to close those big rust holes...

I never said it would.
I was offering an alternative to the costly multi-step process of using por15.

ComfortEagle · 05-18-2018, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I never said it would.
I was offering an alternative to the costly multi-step process of using por15.

I never said you said it would, so there...

weboughtabus · 05-18-2018, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I never said it would.
I was offering an alternative to the costly multi-step process of using por15.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ComfortEagle

I never said you said it would, so there...

Well I never said anything on the matter, so THERE! Either way, both products work well. The Por-15 Kit simplifies things by including everything needed, but it's certainly possible (and likely, based on the affected area) that it'd be cheaper to buy other products in large quantities. Get a gallon of Simple Green, a gallon of Rustoleum, a sealant, some primer and some sheet metal and you're good to go.

jmccoola · 05-18-2018, 01:49 PM

Awesome- thanks for the help everyone!

The Rustoleum looks like a great option after brushing and I'll patch from there.

ComfortEagle · 05-18-2018, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmccoola

Awesome- thanks for the help everyone!

The Rustoleum looks like a great option after brushing and I'll patch from there.

FWIW, the reason I recommended the POR-15 kit is that it has everything to treat the rust and close the holes. It's not free, but it works well.

Pics from the Cherokee project:
Passenger front before

Passenger front after

Driver front before

Driver side after

Driver side rear before

Driver side rear after

Not trying to start fights, just trying to help.

jmccoola · 05-18-2018, 02:47 PM

Dang that looks pretty dang fantastic! I was a bit skeptical about the size holes you could repair with epoxy style patches but that looks great. I'll look into that.

jjhwick119 · 05-18-2018, 04:47 PM

If you have the money to spend, it definitely looks like a great route to go from those pictures, and what I've read on this forum. Good job on that jeep!

Yukon Cornelius · 05-18-2018, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ComfortEagle

FWIW, the reason I recommended the POR-15 kit is that it has everything to treat the rust and close the holes. It's not free, but it works well.

Not trying to start fights, just trying to help.

wicked looking work. I wish there stuff wasn't soo pricey in Canada, the land of taxes and getting hosed pricewise for everything

appalachiadriving · 08-22-2021, 06:02 PM

Hi! I'm tacking on on this question...
I'm looking at a terrific bus with super low mileage, excellent engine, well maintained bus etc. The floor has already been pulled and there are two rust holes, not bigger than an apple (not a giant apple) and the first step is no longer as rust took it out. Otherwise, is this a deal breaker or can I work with a floor with that extent of rust. Floor hasn't been cleaned up at all so maybe I'm just being extra cautious but want to be sure before investing...!
Thanks!

musigenesis · 08-22-2021, 07:54 PM

As I posted in your other thread, this is what my floor looked like, and this is what I had to do to repair it. Your floor doesn't sound bad at all.

However, it is still possible to find buses that have zero rust, and there's absolutely no question that a rust-free bus can be dealt with.

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