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Technical Bodywork: 'Oil-canning' panel

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by blowby, Aug 16, 2017.

  1. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    I fixed a dented pickup quarter, blocked and primed, not much mud. Was loading something, leaned against it and it popped in. Pulled the tail light (double wall bed), reached in and popped it back. I don't really want to strip and shrink it again, it's a work truck. Thinking about some expandable foam between the walls, would that hold up? Too cobby?
     
  2. LostBoy
    Joined: Mar 16, 2016
    Posts: 217

    LostBoy

    I am an expanding foam master. I use that shit like some people use duct tape. I say go for it. Worst case scenario you rip it out if it doesn't work.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
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  3. seb fontana
    Joined: Sep 1, 2005
    Posts: 8,442

    seb fontana
    Member
    from ct

    Sounds ok to me..Suggest low expanding and it doesn't have to fill the area just try coating the oil canning area first.
     
    loudbang likes this.
  4. belair
    Joined: Jul 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,013

    belair
    Member

    I have heard that it will trap moisture and cause problems. I am interested in this, so I hope others will post.
     

  5. Boondoggle
    Joined: Jul 1, 2017
    Posts: 29

    Boondoggle
    Member

    Can you heat the area up and then quickly cool it with a wet rag?
     
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  6. No comment.
    The Wizzard
     
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  7. john walker
    Joined: Sep 11, 2008
    Posts: 1,137

    john walker
    Member

    Don't lean on it.
     
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  8. As mentioned it will trap moisture. I know that to be a fact from personal experience.
    Vic
     
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  9. shivasdad
    Joined: May 27, 2007
    Posts: 584

    shivasdad
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Texas

    I fixed a 1970 Chrysler 300 convertible that someone had tried to seal cowl leaking problem by filling the a pillar with expanding foam. It was hellaciously tedious to get all that shit out so I could start making little patches. It trapped water and had rust inside and out through the whole thing. I would have scrapped that car but my customer thought it was rare and valuable. I hated getting that stuff out though, and it was the cause of a lot of extra rust.
     
  10. Gerrys
    Joined: May 1, 2009
    Posts: 327

    Gerrys
    Member

    Could you try gluing a brace on the inside to support the area?
     
  11. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    Yep, just occurred to me too. Thanks for the replies.
     
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  12. cavman
    Joined: Mar 23, 2005
    Posts: 669

    cavman
    Member

    I can't remember what it was, but years ago I cut a rusty 1/4 panel off an old car and found 2 or 3 paint sticks dura-glassed on the back side. Someone smeared a coat on, then stuck them into it, and smeared another layer on. It is amazing what some body-men (?) did.
     
  13. Kiwi 4d
    Joined: Sep 16, 2006
    Posts: 3,564

    Kiwi 4d
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    This sounds like the guy that put new skins on his 32 roadster doors and wanted them solid and quiet . So filled them with expanding foam brilliant. But the foam forgot to stop growing then he had new steel doors with a lovely big convex curve!!. Beware
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2017
  14. The op mentioned strip and shrink it. How exactly does a shrinking disk work and would an 'oil canning' spot be made better by this method?
     
  15. mikhett
    Joined: Jan 22, 2005
    Posts: 1,516

    mikhett
    Member
    from jackson nj

     
  16. mikhett
    Joined: Jan 22, 2005
    Posts: 1,516

    mikhett
    Member
    from jackson nj

    They were not "Body men",But HACKERS!Oil cans must be shrunk!I like a shrinking disc!
     
  17. Foam in a body panel is why every 2000-ish Dodge truck on the road has rotted out rear wheel arches.
     
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  18. lewk
    Joined: Apr 8, 2011
    Posts: 1,008

    lewk
    Member
    from Mt

    I have a '63 Impala SS that apparently tried to patch little rust holes in the floor by filling the void in the body braces with fist sized boogers of Bondo sometime in the 80's. Now it needs all the braces and inner rockers too because things couldn't drain. It isn't overly rusty other than that. If you're going to run your work truck into the ground over the next few years and then recycle it, foam away. If anyone is ever going to care about it in the future, maybe do it the right way.
     
  19. TVC
    Joined: Jun 21, 2017
    Posts: 68

    TVC
    Member

    After doing the repairs on a pair of doors, both were "oil canning" badly. I removed the black thick tar board backing/sound deadener from a second pair of door and adhered it to the inside of the doors that I'd just finished straightening.

    Worked beautifully. Might work for you as well and much more of a factory solution than expanding foam or paint sticks. for sure.

    I put down a single layer of fiberglass mat on another pair of aluminum skin doors earlier, this method worked just as well, I'm using these doors on my current project.
     
  20. Boondoggle
    Joined: Jul 1, 2017
    Posts: 29

    Boondoggle
    Member

    Get it hot by grinding it with the shrinking disc and then quickly cool it down with a wet rag or spray bottle. The heating and cooling will shrink it
     
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  21. Far as I know only 2 things cause an Oil Can. On dolly hammer work where it shouldn't have been done or a pressure point where it don't belong. Shrinking the dimple don't fix the issue. It just moves it to another spot. If it's just a work horse I say put a large knee pad band-aid right in the middle of it and use it like a Truck.
    The Wizzard
     
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  22. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,657

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    We used to have the same problem on pickup truck box repairs, warranty work for Toyota. The fix was to find a handy piece of styrofoam and stuff it in after cutting it to size. Never had a complaint, never had one come back.
     
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  23. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,670

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

    How big of an oil can? Possibly the dry ice method is worth a shot?
     
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  24. LostBoy
    Joined: Mar 16, 2016
    Posts: 217

    LostBoy

    It's probably important to note that there are several different types of spray foam. If it's an area that won't see moisture, how would it trap moisture? I'm not a body guy so don't take my word for it.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
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  25. BJR
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 9,814

    BJR
    Member

    Since it is already for paint and you don't want to start over why not do this; pop it out, and with the new panel adhesive glue a piece of metal shaped correctly to the inside of the panel. When the adhesive has set spray with some undercoating and done.
     
  26. G-son
    Joined: Dec 19, 2012
    Posts: 1,275

    G-son
    Member
    from Sweden

    There's moisture in the air, so anything that has contact with air has contact with moisture.
     
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  27. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    Yes, that sounds good, or fiberglass or similar as others have suggested.

    I probably wouldn't have fixed it at all except I am the dentee by sideswiping my car trailer while backing out of the driveway. Got tired of seeing it and calling myself an idiot. At least for that.
     
  28. Now that you described it, you may be able to fix it without a hammer or any of the other mentioned nonsense. If you had a horozontal line that pushed the panel in it did 2 things. Moved the panel in as well as up. Most home body guys miss dealing with the Up part. Try pulling down on panel edge while the Oil Can is out where it sorta belongs. Lot's of ways to do that without any fancy equipment. It won't take much, just don't over do it.
    The Wizzard
     
  29. I agree.
    Most (if not all) expanding foam forms a waterproof skin, so its not the foam holding moisture. Its the fact that if the parts are not sealed water gets trapped between the foam and the metal. But if the parts are treated against rust (paint) before contacting with foam and then sealed. No way it should cause rust.

    In the south everything rusts, so expecting expanding foam to protect bare metal is insane.
     
  30. Kerrynzl
    Joined: Jun 20, 2010
    Posts: 2,905

    Kerrynzl
    Member

    He doesn't want to re-do his "high dollar primer" paint job ,hence using the new high tech industry standard foam [vs the old method of packing with newspaper and cardboard]:D
     
    LostBoy likes this.

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