Can of rusty worms

[Glenwood]

Some good tips here...thanks guys!

 

[miller]

I was thinking of drilling 3/8 holes because 1/4" might fill in to quick before melting into the thick frame. Maybe a test piece is in order?

I used 1/4" holes, thinking about the same size as the original spot welds. But, for each spot weld, I drilled a 1/8" pilot hole centered on each weld, for the spot weld cutter I used. Probably past that on your's. Also wanted the holes to use as a guide, to mark on the new pan, and drilled those locations.
I had a 1" overlap, front and rear, for those welds, using factory type seam sealer inside and out.

 

[Glenwood]

Good idea to drill through the spot welds first Miller. I chose to separate the pan via air chisel. Wasn't easy but seemed easier than drilling out all those spot welds with these crappy cutters. Also prevented cutting or scoring the metal below as I sometime do. Did you put seam sealer in between before welding the overlap? I was hoping sealer above and below would suffice.

 

[miller]

Yeah, I'll bet the air chisel was loads of fun!

I worked mine, considering how the floor pan was welded in, was part of the structure...unibody thing.

Welded mine straight up, bare steel to steel, so the welds were solid. With spot welds, almost impossible to keep it all totally flat, but real close.
Seam sealer I used was the same 3M brushable type factory used, brushing a coat on both sides, forcing into any gaps between the sheets, and a coat about 2" wide.

My beast had sat in a corn field for 7 years, windows down! Even so, when I got to it, was surprised with clean steel, where most of the seam sealer, and undercoat was. If it worked for them, gonna work for me. Though, I only added a thin coat of undercoat on mine, after painting it ALL.

 

[Glenwood]

A little patchwork then some POR treatment.

Better not forget to place these. I have to use the old ones as the new pan came with one single bracket that wouldn't work on this car.

The top plate on the right frame rail wasn't placed in the recess properly and is holding the pan up a bit. I'll trim this off.

 

[Glenwood]

Cleaned off and primed the spots to be welded. Drilled about 150+ holes with a 5/16" bit.

A few fitment issues.
The AMD pan lays pretty flat on the frame but the center hump has about a 1/4" gap.

About a 1/4-1/2" gap at the firewall. I lifted the rear which helped a little but makes the center gap worse.

My first incline was to tighten the firewall gap but after searching for more tips I found an interesting post on FABO that had similar issues. AMD sent the OP of that post an email telling him to leave the firewall until last. They said the firewall moves when separated from the original floor and should be pulled down after the center is secured. So that's what I did...
First I released the torsion bar tension and applied some upward pressure on the center of the cross member. This reduced the gap to about 1/8". Using #10 self drilling screws and clecos, the pan snugged down pretty good.

 

[Glenwood]

Staring at the center and working outwards along each side of the frame, the welding went well.

Door gaps still looking good.

Snugging down the rockers. It was a treat welding these while laying down. PITA! lol

Now for the firewall. It wasn't too bad pulling the pan and firewall together. Note to self...better to decide to do the pan before installing the front suspension! Wasn't much room to squeeze in there and weld. Live & learn!

 

[Superfreak]

looking very nice.

 

[the mississippi madman]

Nice work

 

[miller]

Good as new! Looks solid.

 

[Glenwood]

Good as new! Looks solid.

much more solid now! Finished welding the rear pan and the firewall to the new pan yesterday. Have a few brackets to weld on for the E-brake cable and the seatbelt nut plates and the welding is done! Although I also have a couple of small brackets that came with the pan. Nigel up at National Moparts said they are for the speedo cable but I have no idea where they would go. Mine probably rusted off lol. I'll have to find some pics of these or just locate them later. I'm also wondering if there is supposed to be a support plate for the gas pedal mount. The holes are pre-punched but seems kind of flimsy without a plate under it.

Lot's of grinding ahead to clean up a few hundred spot welds. I was thinking of spraying epoxy on the floor, but I guess I'll need to sand the whole floor down first to rough it up for good adhesion.

 

[miller]

Although I also have a couple of small brackets that came with the pan. Nigel up at National Moparts said they are for the speedo cable but I have no idea where they would go. Mine probably rusted off lol.

Yeah, on the brackets. Might be able to look at the bottom side of the old floor pan, up front near the hump. Should go on at an angle.
If the same one I'm thinking of, both the speedo cable, and parking brake cable are clamped there.

 

[Glenwood]

Yeah unfortunately, the old floor was missing this section. I managed to find a couple of pics from a member's 64 convertible that should help. I'll have to fab up the plate that goes under the gas pedal as the pan didn't come with one. Just have to get a sense of the size. I'll probably use a piece of 16ga for it and keep it as a bolt on, rather than weld it on since the pedal bolts through it anyway.

I'm wondering if these will serve the shift and park cables as well as the speedo and e brake cables. They all sort of travel to this area but I haven't seen any photos of cable routing.

 

[threewood]

Here are a few pics I took of my 62 to help you out...it is 1 3/4" wide.

 

[Glenwood]

That is so helpful threewood, thanks so much!
Which cables are passing through? Looks like the e-brake and park cables

 

[threewood]

That is so helpful threewood, thanks so much!
Which cables are passing through? Looks like the e-brake and park cables

Yep, e brake and parking cable. I honestly cannot remember if that plate is spot welded or not but I think it would fine without welding.

 

[miller]

Err, ahh...can I claim brain freeze! Realized it later that morning...support plate for gas pedal, and the tabs are all one part.
Though mine is not like the one pictured. If needed, I'll charge up the camera, and get you a pic.
My 64, Sport Fury, auto trans, but console shift...the plate is squared about 6", holes for the gas pedal, but two opposite corners bent 90 degrees to make the two 'tabs'. Tabs have screw holes for small clamps for the park brake cable, and speedo cable. Don't remember for shift cables, or I left it off, since wasn't going to use 'em.
Yeah, my plate, original and put on new floor pan, spot welded from the top, and set at angle to line the tabs how the cables run.

 

[Glenwood]

Thanks Miller. Mark's photo and measurement is perfect to help me fab something up. I'm curious what yours looks like though as it sounds different. My PB727 is still at my buddy's shop so I can't place it in there to check cable routing.
I'd like to finish welding the clips so I can spray epoxy but now I'm considering to install frame connectors first. I'm not sure what setting and mig wire to use on the connectors. I think they are 12ga, so I'm assuming I will have to crank up the welder to near max. to weld them.

 

[miller]

You bet! I'll break out the camera (like me, old and slow).
Changes on mine, though, went with a 67 model 727, so no shift cables. But, that plate I mentioned, I cut off the original floor, and drilled spotting holes in new floor. Simply used bolt/nuts to hold the plate in place, and spotted it in. That's if I remember right!

 

[miller]

Forgot about the two pan-head screws, run into the welded nuts...been a handful of years, since I've done mine. But, here's what it looks like...