Dodge Sprinter 2006 Manual page 1944

23 - 6 BODY
Wh en bon din g pla st ic pa n els, F ollow r epa ir m a t e-
r ia l m a n u fa ct u r er s r ecom m en da t ion s. Be su r e t h a t
en ou gh a dh esive h a s been a pplied t o a llow squ eeze
ou t a n d t o fill t h e fu ll bon d lin e. On ce t h e pieces
h a ve been br ou gh t t oget h er, do n ot m ove t h em u n t il
t h e a dh esive is cu r ed. Th e a ssem bly ca n be h eld
t oget h er wit h cla m ps, r ivet s, et c. A fa st er cu r e ca n be
obt a in ed by h ea t in g wit h a h ea t la m p or h ea t gu n .
Aft er t h e pa r t s h a ve been bon ded a n d h a ve h a d t im e
t o cu r e, r ou gh sa n d t h e sea m a n d a pply t h e fin a l
a dh esive filler t o t h e a r ea bein g r epa ir ed. Sm oot h t h e
filler wit h a spr ea der, wooden t on gu e depr essor, or
squ eegee. F or fin e t ext u r in g, a sm a ll a m ou n t of
wa t er ca n be a pplied t o t h e filler su r fa ce wh ile
sm oot h in g. Th e cu r ed filler ca n be sa n ded a s n eces-
sa r y a n d, a s a fin a l st ep, clea n u p ca n be don e wit h
soa py wa t er. Wipe t h e su r fa ce clea n wit h a dr y clot h
a llowin g t im e for t h e pa n el t o dr y befor e m ovin g on
wit h t h e r epa ir.
PANEL REINFORCEMENT
St r u ct u r a l r epa ir pr ocedu r es for r igid pa n els wit h
la r ge cr a cks a n d h oles will r equ ir e a r ein for cem en t
ba ckin g. Rein for cem en t s ca n be m a de wit h sever a l
a pplica t ion s of gla ss clot h sa t u r a t ed wit h st r u ct u r a l
a dh esive. Sem i-r igid or flexible r epa ir m a t er ia ls
sh ou ld be u sed for sem i-r igid or flexible ba ckin g r ein -
for cem en t (F ig. 2) a n d (F ig. 3). Open m esh ed fiber-
gla ss dr y wa ll t a pe ca n
r ein for cem en t . Th e dr y wa ll t a pe a llows t h e r esin t o
pen et r a t e t h r ou gh a n d m a ke a good bon d bet ween
t h e pa n el a n d t h e a dh esive. St r u ct u r a lly, t h e m or e
dr y wa ll t a pe u sed, t h e st r on ger t h e r epa ir.
An ot h er kin d of r epa ir t h a t ca n be don e t o r epa ir
la r ge cr a cks a n d h oles is t o u se a scr a p piece of sim -
ila r pla st ic a n d bon d wit h st r u ct u r a l a dh esive. Th e
r ein for cem en t sh ou ld cover t h e en t ir e br ea k a n d
sh ou ld h a ve a gen er ou s a m ou n t of over la p on eit h er
side of t h e cr a cked or br oken a r ea .
Wh en r epa ir in g pla st ic, t h e da m a ged a r ea is fir st
"V'd" ou t , or beveled. La r ge bon din g a r ea s a r e desir-
a ble wh en r epa ir in g pla st ic beca u se sm a ll r epa ir s a r e
less likely t o h old per m a n en t ly. Bevelin g t h e a r ea
a r ou n d a cr a ck a t a 20 degr ee a n gle will in cr ea se t h e
bon din g su r fa ce for a r epa ir (F ig. 4). It is r ecom -
m en ded t h a t sh a r p edges be a voided beca u se t h e
join t m a y sh ow t h r ou gh a ft er t h e pa n el is r efin ish ed.
be u sed t o for m a
Fig. 2 SOFTENED EDGES
1 - SOFTENED EDGES
2 - PANEL ADHESIVE
3 - BONDING STRIP
Fig. 3 PANEL REINFORCEMENT
1 - PANEL ADHESIVE
2 - REINFORCEMENT
Fig. 4 BEVELING ANGLE - 20 DEGREE
• P a n el r epa ir for bot h flexible a n d r igid pa n els
a r e ba sica lly t h e sa m e. Th e pr im a r y differ en ce
bet ween flexible pa n el r epa ir a n d r igid pa n el r epa ir
is in t h e a dh esive m a t er ia ls u sed (F ig. 5).
• Th e t ech n icia n sh ou ld fir st decide wh a t n eeds t o
be don e wh en wor kin g on a n y t ype of body pa n el.
On e sh ou ld det er m in e if it is possible t o r et u r n t h e
da m a ge pa r t t o it s or igin a l st r en gt h a n d a ppea r a n ce
wit h ou t exceedin g t h e va lu e of t h e r epla cem en t pa r t .
• Wh en pla st ic r epa ir s a r e r equ ir ed, it is r ecom -
m en ded t h a t t h e pa r t be left on t h e veh icle wh en
ever y possible. Th a t will sa ve t im e, a n d t h e pa n el
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