Date:         Mon, 30 Sep 2002 00:48:56 EDT
Reply-To:     FrankGRUN@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Frank Grunthaner <FrankGRUN@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: [FIX] Instrument Housing Repair
Comments: To: wilden1@JUNO.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 9/29/02 7:55:12 PM, wilden1@JUNO.COM writes:

<< I've repaired a bunch of these housings.
I use JB Weld.
Remove all instruments, build little dams from clear packaging tape
around broken out corners (inside and out) , or on the flat mount to the
dash area that previously had a screw hole in it.
You are in effect casting new material onto the existing housing.
About the only trick is to get the instrument housing very clean and
roughen the areas to be repaired with sandpaper to get a good bond.
Using a toothpick you can see through the package sealing tape and push
the JB Weld mix down into every crevasses, don't be shy about extra build
on the outside corners. >>

I too have done many of these with JB Weld including reworking Vanagon
instrument clusters to more closely resemble Jetta GL units for the addition
of the Multifunction Display. But one more tip to add. I've never had to
drill holes and I always use machine screws for tying down instruments,
clocks and foil. I just coat the screws with WD40 before screwing them into
the epoxy filled screw holes. When the epoxy has set, they are readily
removed as the WD40 acts as a release agent keeping the epoxy from bonding to
the metal surface.

Frank Grunthaner