Replacing Floor Pans, help, advice and prayers

[Ol'Blue]

Decided to tackle for floor pans since they are not in too bad of shape and have read that its fairly easy. Mostly rusted in the front edges and some on the rear corners. Everything else seams very solid including the tunnel, kick panels, rockers and floor supports. Read a bunch of threads and thought I would start my own for help and maybe help others. I have never tackled any body work, but thought this would be the best place to start since I can cover it up with carpet.

I remove the everything in the way, gas pedal, e-brake, clutch rod and fuel selector valve. Hopefully the heater box can stay? Laid the pans over the existing floors, passenger side fits nice, but the driver side has at least a half inch gap on the upper left side (see pic). Im hoping when I cut out the old floor, the fit will be better but I just cant see how. I'm thinking I will have to leave about an inch of the existing floor in place, fold the return section flat on the new pan and weld them flat together instead of welding the return section to the kick panel. Thoughts?

When removing the floor along the rocker, do I cut down horizontal edge of the floor and just leave vertical section in place where the door seal mounts? (see pic)

What do I do with the piece of the new floor pan that returns downword at the floor support? Notch that piece out so it can lay down over the cross floor support?

Any other advice on removing the old pans is appreciated. Ive got a lot of cut off wheels, spot weld drill bits and lots of beer and band aids.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Tonyduc]

Good decision on getting a spot weld drill like https://www.blairequipment.com/spotweld-cutters. I started using a power chisel and it just distorts the metal underneath- you want the 2 metal pieces you are going to weld as flat as possible or the spot weld will just pop off. Fortunately I learned this quickly and did most of the rest with the cutter. I got better spot weld results when the ground is attached to the metal underneath in addition to the top which has the 5/16" hole. Also, spray the inside of the overlapping pieces with weld thru primer to prevent rust. If you have a OEM replacement floor pan like the ones I bought from Bronco Hut, just remove the spot welds that attach the originals on the side. For the ends (front by heater area and back by the seat), I cut them with a wheel (sometimes metal shears) leaving about 3/4" for overlap with the new pan. While I was at it, since the body-frame bushings are more accessible with the pans off, I replaced them. I think in your post the "new floor pan that returns downword at the floor support" is for the bushings and should not be cut out.

 

[Mar1ne]

I had the same problem with that pan on my '66. I cut off all the extra flanges to make it appear more stock and to allow some extra movement to close up that gap. You can see the pan is at a slight angle in the second picture, lower right spot weld holes, in order to get that front section to close up on the kick panel. It still left a 1/8" gap along the interior, but sheet metal screws closed up the bottom to allow for welding. Seam sealer filled everything in just fine.

 

[Ol'Blue]

Great info Mar1ine, exactly the input I need and nice work, very clean. Hope mine turns out half as good. I think I will follow and cut the flange off at the rockers and tuck it under the existing flange as you did, but I think I'm going to flatten the flange toward the top to fill in the gap up near the parking brake. On the tunnel side my rust goes up the tunnel slightly so will have to leave that flange in place. Thanks for the help!

 

[Mar1ne]

No problem and thanks! Weld that parking brake bracket on there good, mine unfortunately popped a corner the first time I used it.

 

[Ol'Blue]

Its getting serious now. Got the driver side pan out and went pretty well. That spot weld drill bit does wonders. The tough part was finding some of the spot welds through the rust and paint. Will move to the passenger side tonight.

 

[bronkenn]

The tough part was finding some of the spot welds through the rust and paint.

I use a small sanding disc, 2 inch, and scuff over the weld and that usually highlights them pretty well. Then put a dot in the middle with a sharpie. My old eyes need some extra help.

 

[rjrobin2002]

Get it where you want it and sheetmetal screw it in a bunch of places, then once you start welding remove screw a few at a time till good.

Then enlarge the hole from the sheetmetal screw hole in the new panel only with a 1/2" bit and use your welder to create a 1/2" spot weld there.

This is a f100 pan I did the other day, then you seam seal from the underside and inside. I have done a bunch of Broncos the same way.

 

[Ol'Blue]

Thanks for all the advice. Removal was time consuming and challenging in the 95* garage, but taking my time and its going pretty well. Scuffing up the welds helps to locate them but on a few, I had to locate them from the under side, drill a pilot hole all the way through and use the dill bit to pop the weld from the top side.

Also, the rear kick panel on the driver side was rusty in the corner so that had to go. Made a new piece out of 14 gauge and turned out nice.

I have both sides all primed with weld through primer and just about ready to screw everything together.

What size tech screws and any particular brand of seam sealer?

Will keep at it and thanks again.

 

[rjrobin2002]

Get some 3m seal sealer, it's about $20 a tube and most auto parts store carry it in the autobody section, or you can use Amazon.

Any self tap sheet metal screw will work, I use them all the time, something around 1/8" by 1 1/2 inch long. I prefer the ones you use a small socket with, not Phillip's head.

 

[Ol'Blue]

Got the pans screwed in and they fit nice. Found a little bit of rust in the rear section of the passenger side so replaced that one as well.

Time to weld in place.