Denso tape, good idea?
Discussion
A Taimar I looked at before buying the one I did had had the square section chassis members that run sideways across the car above the back axle wrapped in Denso tape as a corrosion inhibitor.
I've seen this stuff used on industrial pipe work and after many years its still "gooey and sticky" (it doesn't dry out) and pipework inside is like new, so a good idea?
Can I expect a noticeable difference in cabin noise if I leave out the foam packing between those chassis members and the body? I believe their main function other than trapping water and gunge to rot the chassis is to cut down drumming or viabration noises from the body?
Surely even closed cell foam, while it won't hold water will still trap and hold water between it and the chassis?
My car had been done with that semi rigid pipe lagging stuff,cut in half lengthways so a "C" section sat on a flat chassis member leaving a perfect "hidey hole" for crud and damp!
I have some better quality "Armaflex" lagging which is far more flexible, maybe I'll use that complete, the round section will squash down between body and chassis. And combined with the Denso tape anything that does squeeze in between won't get at the chassis
My car had been done with that semi rigid pipe lagging stuff,cut in half lengthways so a "C" section sat on a flat chassis member leaving a perfect "hidey hole" for crud and damp!
I have some better quality "Armaflex" lagging which is far more flexible, maybe I'll use that complete, the round section will squash down between body and chassis. And combined with the Denso tape anything that does squeeze in between won't get at the chassis
Mike ...My thoughts are that pipe lagging is far better than the OE felt..which has killed M series chassis's over the years...It is after all only to stop the drumming of the rear panel, as long as the car is air dried (do not hide it in a garage to dry if you get caught in the rain) the lagging can be blown down of any crud.
Adrian@
Adrian@
Denso tape is brilliant. Ferrous metals will only corrode if exposed to oxygen and water so we paint it to protect it. Works i'n theory but under the back of a car i'n practice it doesn't. If you add road salt to water you make Hydrochloric Acid which massively accelerates the process. Denso is self amalgamating so forms a very effective and longterm barrier by forming an airtight and water/acid proof barrier.
Contrary to popular myth the chassis were not wrapped i'n carpet underlay to reduce drumming, M series cars did not drum, nor did pre M series cars. I actually drove these early cars and what some of them did but not all was the body rubbed on the top rear chassis rails especially i'n lifting off after hard acceleration and squeaked. TVR, s answer was to wrap the top rail of the chassis with what they had available, under carpet soundproofing. Early M,s were sold as kits( pre 1st April 1973 introduction it VAT) and I helped a few friends build them. 2 of them didn,t like the idea of a water trap and actually soaked the sound deadening i'n oil. Many years later when other chassis were rotting these 2 cars were still perfect. Denso has a similar but better effect.
closed cell foam will not soak up salty water but will still allow it to be trapped between the chassis and itself, probably pointless.
Contrary to popular myth the chassis were not wrapped i'n carpet underlay to reduce drumming, M series cars did not drum, nor did pre M series cars. I actually drove these early cars and what some of them did but not all was the body rubbed on the top rear chassis rails especially i'n lifting off after hard acceleration and squeaked. TVR, s answer was to wrap the top rail of the chassis with what they had available, under carpet soundproofing. Early M,s were sold as kits( pre 1st April 1973 introduction it VAT) and I helped a few friends build them. 2 of them didn,t like the idea of a water trap and actually soaked the sound deadening i'n oil. Many years later when other chassis were rotting these 2 cars were still perfect. Denso has a similar but better effect.
closed cell foam will not soak up salty water but will still allow it to be trapped between the chassis and itself, probably pointless.
Edited by thegamekeeper on Wednesday 12th October 12:56
Adrian@ said:
Mike...SO, what's the chassis like?
Adrian@
Well, contrary to my ramblings about water trap etc. its not too bad. lots of surface rust, precious little paint/powder coat left but no holes!Adrian@
However I'd put this down to the previously mentioned diff oil leak and the whole chassis dripping in some sort of oily gunge, bit like Waxoyl mixed with old engine oil and underseal, when I bought it.
Mike.
I did loan a garage MY diff flange tool (at Jon's request just before he sold it), to do the diff seal, and ran through how to do the job, as they were fitting a seal I had supplied ( he was states-ide working at the time I think). I stopped using powder coating on my chassis in 1991, BUT from memory that chassis had been previously replaced and I lifted the body to replace the carpet sound deadening (thanks Steve) with the foam having black chassis painted and then black waxoyled the top rails of the chassis...that not to bad then.
Adrian@
I did loan a garage MY diff flange tool (at Jon's request just before he sold it), to do the diff seal, and ran through how to do the job, as they were fitting a seal I had supplied ( he was states-ide working at the time I think). I stopped using powder coating on my chassis in 1991, BUT from memory that chassis had been previously replaced and I lifted the body to replace the carpet sound deadening (thanks Steve) with the foam having black chassis painted and then black waxoyled the top rails of the chassis...that not to bad then.
Adrian@
Let me assure you, while not nice to bathe in, Denso Tape is as good as it gets. I've worked in the energy sector for 35years and British Gas/National Grid has used it forever to wrap buried ferrous metals. If there'd been a better alternative, they had the money to have found it. If you can be bothered to get hold of it the paint rig legs are covered in is pretty failproof. They sit in a saline solution for years.
Colin.
Colin.
Gassing Station | TVR Classics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff