Safety Fast Feb 1998 - Deworming a Midget

Rust

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Extract from February's MGCC publication - Safety Fast

Deworming a Midget

Over the period of years I have survived running a Midget I have come across a number of well designed rust pockets that are home for the dreaded rust worm and not immediately obvious. I hope it will be of use to identify where they are and what I have done to treat them to at least slow down the in evitable process. I have identified them as sides and 'back', but as I am sure this is nor a comprehensive list please write in if you know of any others (all letters to GS-address in front of Safety fast! please). Of course don't forget the ongoing preventative work of hosing out all the normal nooks and crannies, particularly in the wheel arches.

For "Rust Treatment" I use Waxoyl sprayed with their hand gun and either a short rigid nozzle for external surfaces, or the long flexible tube for internal surfaces. (For best results leave the Waxoyl standing in warm water before and whilst you are spraying to make it nice and "runny") Each job below should, I reckon, take less that a hour, unless painting is involved in which case drying time has to be allowed for.

Front End

	*Location*	*Treatment*
1	Top hat section spot welded onto back of bottom edge of the apron - often open at both ends before wing/apron flange joint/cell	Spray along the inside with Waxoyl
2	End of chassis rails where the bumper mounting brackets are bolted on	Remove bumper and supporting iron works as one unit (2nuts). Remove two bolts on end of each chassis rail holding bumper support brackets on. Remove both bumper support brackets. Clean or Replace support brackets and protect with paint/underseal. Clean up end of chassis rails, derust as necessary and paint. Drill small hole in end of chassis rail and spray waxyol inside. This access hole can enable you to spray insides of chassis rail to under the seats.
3	Internal surfaces of bonnet leading edge	From underside spray rust treatment into the cavities formed along the front edge either side of the bonnet latch. If aluminium trim along the front has created rust from outside, remove by drilling out the poprivets, treat area and replace.
4	Cavity between the vertical face of the wheel arch which gets filled with mud thrown off the wheels and the slopping panel that either is under the pedals in the drivers footwell, or is the surface you rest your feet on in the passengers footwell.	There is rubber grommet on the underside of the floor which give access to this space. Remove and spray inside with rust treatment.
5	Space between the inner and outer wings, easily accessible from inside the bonnet over the top of inner wings. Outer wing is spaced away from inner wing with a small horizontal strap which is perfect for rubbish to sit on and encourage rust.	Removal of front wing is the most comprehensive way, but on the assumption this is always tomorrows job, todays job is spraying the space out of sight between the inner and outer wings. Excess treatment will come out below the wing and down the side of the sill.
6	Within the coil springs is a pressing with the rubber bump stop screwed into it.	Drill small hole in the metal bump stop to get waxyol inside

Sides

1 Panel between doors and front wings, sill up to windscreen Spray inside then, up and down to the sill. Best done by drilling a hole in the panel that the door hinges are bolted to, such that the spray tube can be fed up to the windscreen and down to the sill.

2 Inside of doors, along bottom, up the sides, either side of the glass slot, the underside of the quarterlight and around the lock Remove door trim and spray all the area mentioned ensuring drain holes on lower edge of door are clean. If door lock is loose and panel rusted around it, worth removing lock, treating and repainting the panel without look in place. I have used a small kit that locates the lock more rigidly by the use of a washer with grub screws in it.

3 sills Remove all jacking point bungs and spray inside with waxyol. Important to ensure treatment is comprehensive, reaching to wheel arches. There should be drain hole on underside of sill at each end- if not there make one and use to insert treatment.

4 Box section across the floor pan, just ahead of seat, in line with jacking point. Via jacking point, spray insides of box section

5 Top of sill by rear wheel arch, over the arch itself to the dirt trap behind the rear wheel below the bumper. Also the seam along top of the wing from rear lights to hood Remove the trim behind the door. Spray treatment onto top of sill and crevice where wings meet wheel arch-latter also accessed from within boot as regards the dirt trap behind the rear wheel below the bumper, clear out mud as best possible before spraying liberally. If rot to far advanced repair panel available allowing repair without wing removal. Top seam can be treated by spray or brush application.

6 Spring hanger mounting plate behind seats Best treated by dropping spring hanger, giving good access to space to clean and treat area. If time not available clean out mud as comprehensively as possible and treat. With car support properly treat hanger itself and the reinforcing box section forward of spring. Later is prime rot territory and can be accessed through holes in lower structure-treat well and frequently. Spring hangar in boot can also give trouble and can be worth treating via small hole drilled directly above.

Back End

1 Chassis rail inside boot and over back axle Treat inside box section from behind bumper in the boot to over the back axle via small holes as necessary

2 Boot floor panel joint to rear panel Clean out thoroughly and treat across full width of boot

3 Top of and seams in petrol tank Spray rust treatment onto top of tank and also onto seam all around the tank

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1	Panel between doors and front wings, sill up to windscreen	Spray inside then, up and down to the sill. Best done by drilling a hole in the panel that the door hinges are bolted to, such that the spray tube can be fed up to the windscreen and down to the sill.
2	Inside of doors, along bottom, up the sides, either side of the glass slot, the underside of the quarterlight and around the lock	Remove door trim and spray all the area mentioned ensuring drain holes on lower edge of door are clean. If door lock is loose and panel rusted around it, worth removing lock, treating and repainting the panel without look in place. I have used a small kit that locates the lock more rigidly by the use of a washer with grub screws in it.
3	sills	Remove all jacking point bungs and spray inside with waxyol. Important to ensure treatment is comprehensive, reaching to wheel arches. There should be drain hole on underside of sill at each end- if not there make one and use to insert treatment.
4	Box section across the floor pan, just ahead of seat, in line with jacking point.	Via jacking point, spray insides of box section
5	Top of sill by rear wheel arch, over the arch itself to the dirt trap behind the rear wheel below the bumper. Also the seam along top of the wing from rear lights to hood	Remove the trim behind the door. Spray treatment onto top of sill and crevice where wings meet wheel arch-latter also accessed from within boot as regards the dirt trap behind the rear wheel below the bumper, clear out mud as best possible before spraying liberally. If rot to far advanced repair panel available allowing repair without wing removal. Top seam can be treated by spray or brush application.
6	Spring hanger mounting plate behind seats	Best treated by dropping spring hanger, giving good access to space to clean and treat area. If time not available clean out mud as comprehensively as possible and treat. With car support properly treat hanger itself and the reinforcing box section forward of spring. Later is prime rot territory and can be accessed through holes in lower structure-treat well and frequently. Spring hangar in boot can also give trouble and can be worth treating via small hole drilled directly above.

1	Chassis rail inside boot and over back axle	Treat inside box section from behind bumper in the boot to over the back axle via small holes as necessary
2	Boot floor panel joint to rear panel	Clean out thoroughly and treat across full width of boot
3	Top of and seams in petrol tank	Spray rust treatment onto top of tank and also onto seam all around the tank

Rust

Deworming a Midget

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