New Ford Truck Aluminum Hoods 2013-2015

M

moparmusclecars

Is there anything special with painting these? I know you need to watch for cross contaimination and breaking through the e-coat, but anything else. I usually use epoxy on them after properly prepping them out. I have been looking at oem procedures, just wanted to ask what you guys know, if anything.
 
If all ecoat is there, just scuff with 320 and shoot a couple coats of epoxy.
If bare aluminum clean with 700 only and remember get epoxy on it within an hour of sanding, do not sand and let set.
 
I thought the ecoat would have just been on the overseas reproduction stuff, but aluminum oxidizes so quickly it makes sense it is on there too. invisible rust hiding as white dust.

Did Ford spec out the SPI epoxy for the repair shops Barry. I dont remember if it was specified or you were just trying.
 
anotheridiot;n80890 said:
I thought the ecoat would have just been on the overseas reproduction stuff, but aluminum oxidizes so quickly it makes sense it is on there too. invisible rust hiding as white dust.

Did Ford spec out the SPI epoxy for the repair shops Barry. I dont remember if it was specified or you were just trying.
Click to expand...


They don't spec anything unless you pay for it. Just a fact.
All the approved base system and adheisive recommendations are real money makers for them.
 
I figured it was something like that, or supply the factory the epoxy for free or next to nothing and we will tell people they need to use it.
 
No free goods wanted, when it started 20 years ago send sample of your base and clear and $250,000, have no clue what it is today but bet its in the mils.

Oh, you renew every year! Not a onetime fee.
 
I'm not comprehending this. For instance, If a metal shaper builds a car out of aluminum, it' going to sit in aluminum for a long time, perhaps years, why does there need to be such a rush to get it in epoxy with these newer panels?

​I'm also hearing of all of this new equipment that is through the roof in pricing. 10k for a welder to be able to put a bed side on???? can't we just tig weld them with the welder we already have??
I guess I'm just not understanding the sense in all of this.
 
Chad.S;n80912 said:
I'm not comprehending this. For instance, If a metal shaper builds a car out of aluminum, it' going to sit in aluminum for a long time, perhaps years, why does there need to be such a rush to get it in epoxy with these newer panels?

​I'm also hearing of all of this new equipment that is through the roof in pricing. 10k for a welder to be able to put a bed side on???? can't we just tig weld them with the welder we already have??
I guess I'm just not understanding the sense in all of this.
Click to expand...


Yep I-Car states that only the multi thousand $$$ migs are I-Car certified so if you want to be a cert. shop you must pay the piper and buy all new hand tools also and they are to be used on alum. only and you must have a dedicated room separate from the rest of the shop equipped with fresh filtered air with a water collection exhaust and all techs must have fresh air respirators for dust and welding fumes. Total cost to be Ford cert.? $75K not counting the techs new tool set he had to buy.

Oh and the tig issue is the high freq. starts, they say you will damage the electronics in the vehicles. With a mig you must remove the computer if you are close to it welding or you could smoke it because of the EMI/EMF it puts out. Gotta love the new stuff.
 
When I was younger ( 61 now ) working in my uncle's frame/body shop one of his body men who was straight from Italy worked aluminum like metal hand built panels and trailers welded painted almost every day.But In todays world would not be certified for the INS. co to repair these new trucks for there cheap estimate!
 
Chad.S;n80912 said:
I'm not comprehending this. For instance, If a metal shaper builds a car out of aluminum, it' going to sit in aluminum for a long time, perhaps years, why does there need to be such a rush to get it in epoxy with these newer panels?

​I'm also hearing of all of this new equipment that is through the roof in pricing. 10k for a welder to be able to put a bed side on???? can't we just tig weld them with the welder we already have??
I guess I'm just not understanding the sense in all of this.
Click to expand...


Don't matter how long it sets, just sand same day you epoxy.
When you scuff aluminum it starts rusting faster then metal, you just can't see it.
No big deal, we been doing aluminum hoods, doors and deck lids on SL 280's, 350's and 450's since the 60's.
BUT making it more complicated, means more money for a lot of people.
 
you need to go out and look at industrial switch gear and meter boxes. Most of those are unfinished aluminum. Its that white haze that builds up over years that starts immediately. I anodize and chromate aluminum, I pretty much call it aluminums natural defense system. Its an oxide, its a rust, but it forms to protect the aluminum.

Anyway, a driver bought a new 150, got a fancy hood on it, first hail storm he found out it was aluminum. They gave him a 1000 estimate to remove the three or four dents. He knew the guy at the body shop at ford and he did it for 500 with glue and suction cups. He wanted no part of removing the paint.
 
DATEC said:
Chad.S;n80912 said:
I'm not comprehending this. For instance, If a metal shaper builds a car out of aluminum, it' going to sit in aluminum for a long time, perhaps years, why does there need to be such a rush to get it in epoxy with these newer panels?

​I'm also hearing of all of this new equipment that is through the roof in pricing. 10k for a welder to be able to put a bed side on???? can't we just tig weld them with the welder we already have??
I guess I'm just not understanding the sense in all of this.
Click to expand...


Yep I-Car states that only the multi thousand $$$ migs are I-Car certified so if you want to be a cert. shop you must pay the piper and buy all new hand tools also and they are to be used on alum. only and you must have a dedicated room separate from the rest of the shop equipped with fresh filtered air with a water collection exhaust and all techs must have fresh air respirators for dust and welding fumes. Total cost to be Ford cert.? $75K not counting the techs new tool set he had to buy.

Oh and the tig issue is the high freq. starts, they say you will damage the electronics in the vehicles. With a mig you must remove the computer if you are close to it welding or you could smoke it because of the EMI/EMF it puts out. Gotta love the new stuff.
Click to expand...
WOW, this is way overboard!! When building this stuff they need to realize that there is a need to have things be repairable. And affordable to repair or people are not going to want the vehicles that are in this market place. At some point a vehicle that would be typically easily repairable will start totaling these vehicles.. That is not right by any means.
 
Chris_Hamilton said:
We got a 2015 that needs a bedside in the shop now. Going through the hassle of trying to educate the owner of the shop on what we need to be able to work on this sh^t. My prediction is there are going to be a ton of botched repairs on the F150's in the next few years.

Here is the list of approved tools required by Ford.
https://rotunda.service-solutions.c...nts/Global/Home/en-US/RotundaAlumToolList.pdf
Click to expand...
To be honest I would probably pull the computer and Tig it. but I would want to do some research on it before attempting, however. that would be if it were on my own which I will never buy knowing the little that I do know. It wouldn't be worth the hassle to do a job that requires all of this extra work just to do the job..
 
Barry said:
Chad.S;n80912 said:
I'm not comprehending this. For instance, If a metal shaper builds a car out of aluminum, it' going to sit in aluminum for a long time, perhaps years, why does there need to be such a rush to get it in epoxy with these newer panels?

​I'm also hearing of all of this new equipment that is through the roof in pricing. 10k for a welder to be able to put a bed side on???? can't we just tig weld them with the welder we already have??
I guess I'm just not understanding the sense in all of this.
Click to expand...


Don't matter how long it sets, just sand same day you epoxy.
When you scuff aluminum it starts rusting faster then metal, you just can't see it.
No big deal, we been doing aluminum hoods, doors and deck lids on SL 280's, 350's and 450's since the 60's.
BUT making it more complicated, means more money for a lot of people.
Click to expand...
Makes sense, I didn't realize aluminum corroded so fast.

Especially for the manufactures as they total them much faster.
 
DATEC said:
http://aluminumcollisiontools.com/products/aluminum-self-piercing-rivet-gun

Don't forget you will need one of these. Even doing a doorskin will require this investment. Chrysler is coming out with an all alum. Jeep next year yahoo can't wait :mad:. I would seriously pass on the bedside especially if your not ready.
Click to expand...
I told him to pass on it and I was informed that the reason he was successful and I was not was that he never turned anything down. Seriously.
 
It's amazing that they can overcharge that much for the tools right now. I'm going to add the capability, but not as an early adopter. The prices are flat out insane.
 
Outlaw;n80928 said:
is chromate the same as chroming?
Click to expand...

no, chromate is a thin film, might be measured to the millionth of an inch of oxide that keeps the aluminum from oxidizing itself. Mostly used as a pretreatment for paint, any masked areas will retain their conductivity that would be lost if it was untreated and the natural oxide or aluminum started to build. Mostly done with Hexavalent chrome, now the big push is to remove the hex chrome in leiu of "safer" materials in non chrome versions. So it will be getting a more fitting common name of chemical conversion coating.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top