Metal to plastic glue

[olley]

hi due to an argument with a French toll booth I scraped the rear light cluster, after having it re-spayed I noticed the metalwork inside has corroded and come lose, I have cleaned and painted the metalwork, but what glue do I use to restick it?? I thought of using epoxy but not sure whether this will stick to plastic, anybody know what winnie used originally?

Thanks Olley

[olley]

hi due to an argument with a French toll booth I scraped the rear light cluster, after having it re-spayed I noticed the metalwork inside has corroded and come lose, I have cleaned and painted the metalwork, but what glue do I use to restick it?? I thought of using epoxy but not sure whether this will stick to plastic, anybody know what winnie used originally?

Thanks Olley

[Hikerdogs]

Here's part of the MSDS sheet for the stuff I used last year to bond the headlight bracket to the inside of the grille. It's meant to be used by body shops for securing plastic panels to metal frames.

It's not cheap at about $45.00 for a 7 oz. tube. It's a 2 part adhesive that gets mixed as it flows through the special end that fits on the tube pack. They sell a gun for dispensing it but you can easily modify a standard caulking gun to do the job. We've put over 15,000 miles on the coach since the repair and there haven't been any problems.

TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
WBA TDS
10/06
Description
39537 WELD-BOND ADHESIVE is a non-sag, two component methacrylate adhesive system formulated to bond metal surfaces without the use of an external primer. 39537 provides long working times (45-60 minutes) allowing body shops to correctly position parts for proper alignment. This adhesive contains glass beads to insure adequate bond line control. 39537 is an easy to use 1:1 adhesive that forms resilient bonds and maintains its strength over a wide range of temperatures. 39537 is suitable for bonding a variety of substrates especially automotive grade cold rolled steel. Recommended substrates include steel, galvanized steel, e-coat, aluminum and stainless steel.

[AFChap]

When I asked about my '03, I was told the adhesive used on engine/generator doors and other areas that are glued is Plexus Methacrylate Adhesive ...a 2 part adhesive used to weld hinge attachments, etc to front and rear fiberglass caps. The mating surfaces must be clean (no paint) and dry.

When I had my loose generator door re-glued, the dealership used SMC DURAMIX 4050 (2-part adhesive).

[skigramp]

I have had some difficulty with metal brackets separating from the fiberglass front and rear caps ...

Someone told me to drill several holes in the metal bracket before re-glueing ... this allows the adhesive to flow through the hole and provide extra holding power ... ( I think I used a 1/4 or 5/16 inch bit)

[AFChap]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Someone told me to drill several holes in the metal bracket before re-glueing </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
That makes WAY too much sense!!! Great idea!!!!!

[C Zimm]

My local dealership drilled holes for the fix, the factory did not. The holes have got to be superior. I will now need to fix the rear engine panel as it has separated on the lower half of each hinge.
I love the coach but some things should not happen, this is one such item.

[Sammie]

I'm not sure if they sell it in the UK but there is an epoxy sold in auto parts stores or hardware stores called JB Weld. I'ts a two part epoxy that should work well for what you are doing. Not very expensive and is strong as steel when dry. Drilling holes would also increase the strength of the bond.

[Wizard]

One of my front fender panels came loose from a square metal tube, looks like it was on with 2-sided tape, I cleaned both sides real good and used J-B Weld. The fiberglass to metal has been down many rough roads since and is still stuck. I'm sold on the stuff. Good luck with your repair.
PS, nice toes in picture

[olley]

Hi thanks for all the replys, I went down the local hardware store this morning and found a special 2 pack epoxy designed to glue plastic, have tried it and it appears to be successful.

Drilling holes in the steel sounds like a good idea, pity I didn't read that before I glued it up.

Why don't winnebago galvanise these parts? the glue only failed because the steel rusted beneath it.

Olley

[Hikerdogs]

I don't think this is a situation where galvanizing would do much good. While it might keep the steel from rusting it would also diminish the strength of the bond. The instructions for the weld bond adhesive say to be sure to remove any coating from the steel to insure a good bond.

On our coach almost every steel bracket that is bonded to the fiberglass has drilled holes to improve the bond. The adhesive was applied to the fiberglass then the steel piece was pressed into the adhesive. The adhesive flows through the holes and forms a locking bead on the opposite side.

[olley]

Hi Hikerdogs, you may well be right about galvanising causing a reduced bond strength, I just feel its asking for trouble to fit thin steel without more protection but a thin coat of paint.

The light clusters are not fiberglass, but a black plastic of some sort, looks the same as the material used for the fuel flap, and most glues state that they are not suitable for all plastics. Hence my concern to use the right stuff.

Olley