How to approach brazed joints

[BoostedOne]

So apparantly Volkswagen loved brazed joints in a handful of spots in the 1980s to sweat in a couple of panels. Normally I have been able to work around it, but it looks like now I am having to hit it head on..

So as I am hoping can be seen, there is a few panels that are flowed together with braze, and I need to get in there to do some obvious rust repair.

Im wondering if I should cut out what I need to and then try to burn the remaining braze out with a torch then just reweld everything? But I am not so confident the braze will just wash off.

 

[chevman]

Paint won't stick to brass, they used silicon bronze, and I think you will find the seam spot welded with the silicon bronze added just to seal the joint. You will have to remove the silicon bronze completely or cut the metal away any where you want to weld.

 

[BoostedOne]

Yeah, I remember that from my high school body shop class that paint wont stick to braze. If we brazed something we were instructed to sand blast it after the braze was final ground prior to applying that good old lacquer primer.. Ahh the good ole days. Dupont 131S..haha

I understand that the braze has to be removed completely. But wondering whats the best approach. I am assuming its flowed under the joints, I am not looking to seperate every panel there but I also don't want it screwing up the welds I need to do for these patches.

Its been probably 20 years since I brazed anything, so I honestly don't remember exactly how it behaves. Can I just melt it and it will flow away on its own? Wipe it away with a cloth?

 

[Bob Hollinshead]

I've removed panels that were brazed on by heating with a torch and blasting the melted brass out with air but it is very dangerous. Suit up well if you plan to try it.

 

[BoostedOne]

THanks Bob.
I havent taken any after pics yet but I got it done.. Atleast one of the areas. I wound up alternating between the cutoff wheel and the roloc discs and was able to get the panel seperated and the braze removed from the area needing the patch. I then used the TIG so I could control exactly where I put the heat.