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MG MGA - Panel seperation tools?

There seems to be rust everywhere! I am to the point where I want to remove both the ineer and outer sills to replace the flat sheet metal that is next to the chasis. There is a 1/4 inch lip consisting of the flat panel edge, the outer rocker panel lip and the sill plate lip. It runs along the bottom of the door opening. (3 pieces welded together)

My question is this; If a buy an air chisle to seperate these 3 pieces of sheet metal, will it work?

Thanks, Tom
Thomas McNamara

Yes it will, but the parts will probably not be re-useable. Better to identify the spot welds and drill them out using the proper SW drill.
Art Pearse

Thomas, most likely the outer two panels will need to be replaced anyway as was the case on my car. I just used a grinder to carefully grind away the outer two layers and leave the sill plate intact to weld the inner sill panel to when the time came, then add the outer rocker over that. Helped maintain alignment of the new panels as well and no distortion. I did drill out a couple of spot welds where I couldn't reach with the grinder. It's not difficult, just start thinning down the metal and soon the areas where the spot welds are will start looking darker than the surrounding metal and you can then concentrate on those until the spot welds are smooth and the panels are seperated. I found it easier to just cut away the outer sill panel leaving just the flange with a saw and cut off wheel then attack the flange with the grinder. In the photo all that's remaining is the shiny lip of the sill plate flange, the inner and outer sill and rocker panels are removed.

Bill Young

I drilled out the spot welds and then used an air chisel (carefully) for the ones that were stubborn. An air chisel is cheap to buy, and they make panel skinning chisels that allow you to be somewhat neat. I banged them back into shape after and filled the holes I drilled in order to reuse the part - voila! Another thing that might help is an air powered body saw.

JIM in NH
AJ Mail

I use one of these:

http://www.tptools.com/p/2574,217_TP-Tools%C2%AE-ProLine-Air-Spot-Weld-Cutter.html
Del Rawlins

Del,
Now that is a "cool tool". I haven't seen it before. I use the small spot weld cutters. They look like a small hole saw. Drill a 1/8th inch hole in the center of the spot weld and put the guide into the hole. Drill until you see "rust dust". That usually means you are through to the next panel. Repeat for each spot weld. If needed, separate panels with a chisel or screwdriver.
Cheers,
GTF
G T Foster

I tried one of those hole saw like spot weld cutters, and the teeth wore down on the first couple of welds I tried to cut. Maybe I just got a bad one, but the air cutter works much better than anything else I have tried. The cut depth is adjustable, and when used properly there is very little grinding required afterward to get a smooth surface on the inner panel.
Del Rawlins

I got my cutter from Eastwood and it has cut many spot welds and I am still on the first cutter. It does not drill a pilot hole but I use a centerpunch to mark the spot center and the cutter has a spring loaded center that aligns with my punch mark and works very well. I think they only cost around $15 or so. Have a good day!

John
John Progess

I've got one of the spotweld cutters also I believe I bought it from "Snap On" and the best way I found to use it is by drilling a #40 hole in the center of the spotweld then cutting until "Rust Dust" appears indicating the first layer of metal is cut. I then use a 1 1/2" wide 1/8th" thick piece of 1/2 hard stainless steel sharpened to a wedge about 1 foot long as a chisel and tap it down throught the seam. It separates the pieces with virtually no distortion and if you do want to reuse both parts they are easily roset welded back together.
Hope this helps.
John Nelson
Burnsville MN
J E NELSON

This thread was discussed between 20/01/2010 and 25/01/2010

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