Herculiner Experience

[Jim-ME]

Has anyone had experience with Herculiner roll on paint from a sealing anti-rust standpoint? I just purchased a rebuilt bulkhead and am thinking of using it in the footwells both inside and out plus the center panel. Although I'd really like to, I simply can't afford to galvanize it.
Jim

[vkjar]

I used it on the inside of a tub of an old Jeep I had, the main reasons were to get rid of the nasty interor carpet, and to try and solve the rust prone foot wells. Make sure you have absolutly zero rust on the fire wall. If it was me I would clean it then prime it with an epoxy primer then use the liner. When I did my jeep I stripped the footwell paint and rust, used a rust converter, then rust inhibitor paint, then Auto paint, then the liner. some how I must of missed some rust and some how water did get through the liner, with in a year I had rust staining comming though the liner indicating rust was formign under the liner. Now it's someone elses problem:D

I know of jeep guys who will coat the entire underside of a jeep tub/fenders/etc plus the inside of the tub with bed liner, protects against rocks and sound proofs some.

Cheers

[greenmeanie]

I've seen it discussed before and IIRC the answer was that it is not a good idea on otherwise unprotected metal. It can form voids which trap moisture against the metal as opposed to protecting it.

I'd usea good paint on the outside followed by either one of the Dinitrol or Waxoyl hardwax products. On the inside of the footwell I'd just use a good paint and keep it maintained as it wears.

[Jim-ME]

Green,
Would POR-15 applied as you are supposed to on the bare metal followed by etch primer and then top coated be a better solution? I remember seeing what Ike Goss did with the interior of Pabst Blue Rover although that was Line-ex it seemed like the cat's behind. A hot spray on liner might achieve a better seal.
Jim

[greenmeanie]

The level of protection you require depends on your environment. For me in AZ a galvy chassis is just plain overkill. If you are in the salt bath in the NE then I can only say that anything less than galvy seems to be a false economy. Then again I don't live there and it is not my truck or money.

I won't advocate any particular paint. I used POR15 on my 109 chassis and, despite their advertising, you really need to get the surface clean, degrease the hell out of it and use their metal ready for it to work properly. Once you've gone through the whole skiddle with it it is still prone to chipping as it is in the wheel well. That is why you want something on top of it to help repel stones and also to corrosion proof any chips. Having said that there are a lot of trucks out there that have used it successfully.

You should also think about pickling the cavities inside the bulkhead with anti corrosion potion. This is a lot easier to do with the bulkhead off so you can rotate it around to make sure it gets everywhere.

Oh, and by the time you've done the full treatment you're most likely not going to be too far off the cost of galvy assuming you do your own prep and don't have to ship it.

IIRC Ike's Rover has a galvy bulkhead under the liner material which mitigates the problems identified above.

[Jim-ME]

The problem is shipping. When you live in Maine with the closest galvanizing facility located in southern NE 350 miles away things get expensive. With the crap they spread up here to melt snow I'd still want to use Waxoyl even with galvanizing. I do have access to a complete set of applicator guns and plan to use the wand to get as far into the inside of the bulkhead as I can. With that said by the time I pay to have it painted after buying the POR and more etching primer I'll bet you are right about the total cost. Thanks,
Jim