Fixing hole in car floor

[wagonist]

Some previous owner tool of my car had previously installed a bolt that was way too long into the bracket that holds the centre bearing on my tailshaft.

This has then punched through the floor of the car.

It will be hidden by carpet later, but I'm not a great fan of giving dust, etc an invited entrance into my car.
The bolt was a big bugger 10mm.
I've hammered the metal back down again, but should I get it welded up again (remembering that the sound proofing, etc are still intact?

[LeeRoy]

The cheaper and probably easier option would be to buy some metal putty of some sort which should be available at most automotive shops or hardware places and stick that in there. Theres a thread on plugging injector holes in tech that uses a putty like what you could use. If you do do that just clean the hole up and get any grime/gease or whatever off then get working. Id probably also give it a coat of the tar or whatever it has again to stop it rusting too.

You could also weld it but you would probably have to do this under the car if you didnt want to remove that carpet to prevent fires and then just plug the hole from the inside.

[clubagreenie]

Rubber grommet? 6 months after you permanently repair it you'll find a use for the hole. Grippy Rubber Products on Victoria Rd Ermington (just over the rail bridge) on right heading to the city have thousands to choose from and you'll buy something else while you're there. Cheaper than clark rubber too (they sell to them!)

[30psi 4agte]

good suggestion there /\/\/\/\

Id weld it ..... but thats just me .I have a welder so its no biggie.

I like the idea of a rubber bung. Id drill the hole out so that it is a nice clean hole ..IE no torn metal that could further tear and put a plug in there.

like clubagreenie says .... you never know you may need that hole in the future.

[The Real Roadrunner]

like clubagreenie says .... you never know you may need that hole in the future.

thats why you let women down gently

[30psi 4agte]

lol .... Ill pay that one.

He did say the hole was only 10mm.....bit small for me ill leave that one for you linden

[The Real Roadrunner]

no comment

[wagonist]

Feeling a bit lonely out there boys?

As the hole is directly above a bracket that's welded on from underneath anyway, welding from that side is out. Not even Linden is that good
To weld from the top would require cleaning off the sound insulation I'm guessing.

Likewise, the rubber grommet wouldn't work as I'd need to then drill another hole.
When the bolt holding the tailshaft up is in, the hole isn't really exposed to the outside, though I'm sure how well bolts seal against captive nuts thread.

[clubagreenie]

You cant drill it from inside? Bring it to me

[wagonist]

I'm trying to fix the damn hole, not make another one!!

How many people are going to find a use for a hole in the floor, right at the bottom, next to the trans tunnel. It's just waiting to have something caught on it!

[stradlater]

Actually mate....

THink of it this way.

When your center bearing nut that the bolt goes in to that's attached to the car gets worn out, you'll probably need to drill a hole through the floor to put a bolt up through and bolt the center bearing to the floor. This is EXACTLY what I've had to do with my gearbox mount because both nuts on one side of the gearbox have stripped and I had to drill two holes through the floor and bolt the gearbox to the floor.

[clubagreenie]

Drive shaft mounted speed sensor?

[wagonist]

Speedo sensor's on the cluster.

I've also only heard of one guy that stripped the thread on this nut.
And to fix that, I'd cut the entire bracket off (it's spot welded on from factory), go down the wreckers & cut the floor out of another car & weld it in. Same as when I converted my first car from fwd to 4wd.

where can one get the metal putty mentioned earlier?

[horse]

bursons, repco, supercheap etc should have it

[love ke70]

silicon. no ones ever gonna know