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Repairing rust on front lip of hood

spoulson

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2003
Messages
2,908
Location
Worton, MD
The years of driving without an upper manifold heat shield has finally taken its toll on my car. Now it's really time I fix it.

Anyway, I noticed that the underside of the hood lip has been damaged by expanding seal sealer and rust about 30% along the front edge. It seems that the manifold heat baked it, it expanded, let in moisture, and rusted. It may be early enough that I can still repair it to keep the rust from eating through.

Do any body guys have any tips on how to go about this? I'm thinking:

- start by prying down the rolled lip
- remove all sealer
- brush out all rust
- carefully bend back with hammer/dolly
- reseal
- prime/paint

It's an inconspicuous place, so I'm not too concerned about maintaining an automotive shine on the underside of the hood, but I don't want to have to replace whole thing by not fixing it.

Any tips?
 

iceman69510

Turn Right Racing
Staff member
Joined
Mar 5, 2001
Messages
10,964
Location
Michigan
Shawn,

The procedure you suggest is basically what I did on a hood I bought from a junkyard. It was very mild when I got it. I pried it down like you said, cleaned it out and and painted it with Zero Rust (like POR-15). then I sprayed it with black rustoleum (It is a black hood, so use appropriate color /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. Folded it back down and sealed the lip, then painted again. Looks good after 4-5 years so far.

I have come to the conclusion from the many hoods I looked at, that Mitsubishi's hood hemming die had a problem or was already worn by the time the US cars were made. Because the metal was not folded over completely, the sealer bead (robotically applied) did not actually seal the edge and it became a perfect place for water accumulation, spreading inside over the years.
 

spoulson

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2003
Messages
2,908
Location
Worton, MD
Good tips, thanks. Yes, I did notice the sealer doesn't actually cover the side edges of the roll. I guess everyone should check this spot for rust.
 

fivestardsm

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Messages
1,699
Location
Middle, Michigan
The biggest issue you will have is the rust re-apearing. The reason most of the time, is because after you remove the sealer and factory paint, the area is not preped properly. You need to have a metal etch to get through the rust. Just because you do not see it anymore after you sand or brush it all of, does not mean it is not there. Once you sand it away and paint over it, the rust is activated again as soon as it goes through a tempreture change.

My suggestion is to check out POR15.com and look at the products they have. You would want to atleast use the metal ready, and the POR15 sealer if you do not want the rust to return for as long as you, and most likely the next owner or 2, would have the car.

The stuff works!!!!!!!

If you don't use it, then just make sure you prep it properly with some acid to remove the rust from the pores that you do not see.

Just so you know, I worked in a few body shops, and we had a lady bring here car to us once to fix the rust on it. She asked the owner if there was any "guarantee" for rust repair. The owner said "Of course there is!! Its Guranteed to rust back out!"

On another note, I spoke to another Body shop a few years back, and he was telling me about the POR15, and he said that the city brings all of thier salt trucks to them to do the body work. When they fix the rust, they paint everything with the POR. He said they rarely ever have to fix them again after that.
 

spoulson

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2003
Messages
2,908
Location
Worton, MD
Good idea on the etching. I've heard a lot of good things about POR-15.

Looks like their starter kit is exactly what I need.
SSK_SuperKit_300.jpg
 
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