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Fiberglass For Trans Floorpan Cover?

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by FinoCJ, Nov 2, 2022.

  1. Nov 2, 2022
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    Anyone tried using fiberglass to make a transmission hump/floorpan cover? I am really struggling with trying to fabricate one from sheetmetal give all the different and intersecting curves and bends. Plus it would make a nice smooth flange around the outer edge for mounting. Any concerns using a fiberglass cover with sheetmetal everywhere else?
     
    Ol Fogie likes this.
  2. Nov 2, 2022
    sterlclan

    sterlclan Member 2022 Sponsor

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    if you can make a nice form for the fiberglass I see no trouble.put a few stiffening ribs on the bottom side.
     
  3. Nov 2, 2022
    scott milliner

    scott milliner Master Fabricator

    Seattle Wa.
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    Have you thought about using an oil pan, or transmission pan?
     
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  4. Nov 2, 2022
    Jw60

    Jw60 Sitting up n buckled down. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sedalia MO.
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    Can you sketch what you need?
    I don't see an issue with fiberglass, it's just bulkier when finished.
     
    Last edited: Nov 2, 2022
  5. Nov 2, 2022
    jeep peep69

    jeep peep69 Member

    redding ca.
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    It’s fairly easy to do. Get some stiff screen material like the kind they make small animal cages with 1/4” holes and form it to the shape you want cover it with fiber mat and Jel coat one side let dry and do the same on opposite side do several layers and sand smooth. Don’t wear good clothes and use in a well ventilated area also put newspaper or plastic down on your work area it is very messy and sticky
     
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  6. Nov 3, 2022
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    metal ribs?

    was thinking chicken wire would be about right...

    that is not good - that is one of the issues I have - space is very tight....every 1/8" counts

    yup...cut up a number of them so far...
     
  7. Nov 4, 2022
    Norcal69

    Norcal69 Out of the box thinker 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Northern California
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    I know it's easier said than done, but have you tried mocking up a cover with heavy paper or thin cardboard? Beer boxes work great for making templates.
    I'm assuming that this is for the wagon?
    Here is how I went about making my transmission cover for my jeep. Start with the top of the cover where the shift boot will mount, work your way down to the floor.

    [​IMG]
     
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  8. Nov 4, 2022
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    That's what I've been trying...but my skills with cardboard are better than with metal. The biggest problem is all the curved features of the wagon floor board as compared to the flat angular CJs. Adding to the challenge is the most difficult corner is also complicated by the tight clearance issue with the pedals.
     
  9. Nov 4, 2022
    SoCalNickG

    SoCalNickG Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Whittier, CA.
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    Years ago in a magazine, I saw that some one used a cheap wheel barrow to get some compound curves for a transmision cover/ firewall.
     
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  10. Nov 4, 2022
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    yup...cut up some curved stuff like small helium tanks and kegs (not that I drink a lot of beer) and prefabbed things with rounded corners and hybrid shapes...so far nothing really works that I can then weld to another piece that fits somewhere else. One of the big challenges of using pre-shaped items is how symmetrical they are, as compared to how asymmetric the cover I am trying to make. I currently have a couple pieces that fit different aspects or areas/corners, but no decent way to combine them together with the very mismatched curves/shapes.
     
  11. Nov 4, 2022
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
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    Is his what you're trying to replicate?

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  12. Nov 4, 2022
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    Not really....
     
  13. Nov 4, 2022
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    this is what I am trying to cover and still have room to get my foot on the gas pedal....
    [​IMG]

    this was my best attempt so far, but while it seemed like a good start, the subtlety of lots of small flat pieces still needed to finish it off and make a decent flange around the base kind of defeated me. Also the left rear corner is much more problematic than the picture shows, and gas pedal foot space was not encouraging:
    [​IMG]

    So now I am trying to build the 'flange' around the base first and see if I can extend up to the top shell/cover which is easier to make...
    The reality is even if I can get something to work, the pedal/foot space is probably never going to be functional. I've already cut and moved the brake pedal pad over 1-2" on the pedal shaft, but next step is to cut the inside edge of the circle flat to get another inch....i also made a spacer bracket that moves the pedal down closer to the floorboard and raises it out toward the driver (away from the toe board) to make it easier to access with just ones toes/front of the shoe instead of full footed - and it helps provide more 'throw' on it before it bottoms against the toe board, otherwise I cannot get enough throttle movement to open the secondaries. As you see it without a cover, I can't really drive it with bulky boots, just light tennis shoes. I am going to loose some room just getting any cover in there and starting to wonder if its all a waste of time an energy. I've spent some time trying to determine if hanging pedals would truly help...the can of worms and subsequent dominoes that creates is not encouraging.
     
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  14. Nov 4, 2022
    jeep peep69

    jeep peep69 Member

    redding ca.
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    It is a large can of worms your working with kind of like a clowns scarf just keep pulling and it keeps coming out the sleeve. Hanging pedals would give you more room to work with if your willing to do that much work. Or I would try to cut a piece just big enough to fill the gap on the piece you’ve already made with just enough of a flange to seal to the floor board like a 1/2” wide. On weird angles like you’re working with on the left side sometimes it is easier to get a thin strip of sheet metal and form it to the shape of the floor and use a couple screws to hold it down. then make a card board template of the side then cut out the side piece and tack weld it to the thin strip screwed down to make a flange that way.
     
  15. Nov 4, 2022
    Twin2

    Twin2 not him 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    I think you got a good start there
    bottom side . I would make a bunch of 1" wide sheet metal L's
    might be easier to follow the shape . don't be afraid what it looks like
    welder and grinder makes it look like . it belong there
     
  16. Nov 5, 2022
    sterlclan

    sterlclan Member 2022 Sponsor

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    with that odd of a shape id say continue fitting and beating sheetmetal to the floor. you can bend a 90 in a long piece and cut slits along the flanges to make it bend to follow the curves. a thin layer of fiberglass to fill the open slits and gaps where the metal isnt tight.
     
  17. Nov 6, 2022
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    Before trying to go full fiberflass cover....giving one more sheetmetal attempt. Started with thin sheetmetal that is a bit easier to bend (but hard to weld) and made a bunch of strips and a small brake to make the various pieces to fit around the hole as the base flange - can then build the sides and top up from these flanges. Sheetmetal screws to hold and force things into place, then tack weld in place. Upon removal, its all staying together....will try to clean up a couple spots and reinforce a couple of the welds before putting it back in and cutting carboard to make the various panels. Using very thin 22g sheet so the panels can hopefully be more easily encouraged to fit etc (and it was all I could find other than 16g) - just need to make sure I create good overlap so its easier to weld. I no longer care if looks good or not, and a skim of body filler could always been used. With a little luck, I'll be done before next summer.....
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
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  18. Nov 6, 2022
    Jw60

    Jw60 Sitting up n buckled down. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sedalia MO.
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    That looks great, toss the top from earlier on, fill the voids, add cup holders to make the lump have meaning, then call it done.
     
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  19. Nov 6, 2022
    Ol Fogie

    Ol Fogie 74 cj5 304, 1943 mb

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    Looks like you have a very good start there. Been sitting here looking at it. This may most likely be a dumb suggestion but, trying to think outside the box so to speak. Is there any way you could lower the trans assy down even 1/2 inch might give enough room to push your new cover farther away from your gas peddle. Also would it help to possibly remove some more of the original floor board across the top and fab your new cover lowering it closer to the bell housing, maybe it might give a little more foot room for the gas peddle. Hard to tell much when looking at photos, look at it with the mindset'' what am I overlooking'' pull up a lawn chair and a cold brew and just sit and look at it a while more than likely you will develop a new plan. My motto is there is nothing than cannot be fixed, as someone here said ''difficult things just take awhile, impossible things just a little longer''.
     
  20. Nov 10, 2022
    melvinm

    melvinm Member

    Arvada Co. 80003
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    Just A thought I have seen where Leather has been used to cover the transmission Tunnel ?
     
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