Stainless Steel Rivets + Panel Adhesive?
- Thread starter Yoda
- Start date
i dont doubt it, but will it hurt anything ? will it waste any time or sealer, a tiny bit ? will it help any, YES.
Next time you are bored and want to learn something about dissimilar metals touching and why that doesn't matter as much as folks make it out to be, go lift the hood on your TJ and stare at the engine a bit. After you identify at least 20 instances of dissimilar metal contact, come back and let's have a chat about that importance.
Aluminum to iron head at the intake.
Steel bolts into the iron head onto the aluminum intake.
Stainless steel to cast iron exhaust manifold with steel bolts.
Aluminum alternator housing with steel bearings bolted to an iron block with copper.
Aluminum bellhousing bolted to an iron block with steel bolts.
Get the gist yet?
I won't take that bet. 
Even if there was no bare metal on any body panel....heck even if everything was powder coated the clamping force of the rivet would probably clamp through whatever paint and force metal to metal contact.
I don't mind pre-coating all the surfaces including the rivet for extra insurance to prevent moisture ever making it to the metal to metal contact point. Is it a potential waste? Maybe, maybe not. Will it hurt? No.
Even if there was no bare metal on any body panel....heck even if everything was powder coated the clamping force of the rivet would probably clamp through whatever paint and force metal to metal contact.I don't mind pre-coating all the surfaces including the rivet for extra insurance to prevent moisture ever making it to the metal to metal contact point. Is it a potential waste? Maybe, maybe not. Will it hurt? No.
Touching is touching and if they are touching enough to create continuity, it is a full and complete waste of time.
As long as you understand why it won't work, then do what you like. Just don't operate under the false premise that you are preventing contact because you aren't and the seam sealer carefully brushed over everything after you are done is far more effective.I won't take that bet.
I don't mind pre-coating all the surfaces including the rivet for extra insurance to prevent moisture ever making it to the metal to metal contact point. Is it a potential waste? Maybe, maybe not. Will it hurt? No.
whatever buddy, you trying to argue with me on fastening pieces of metal together is like me arguing with you on brakes ! it was my job for over 32 yrs !
I know lots of folks who have done stuff far longer that still don't understand why they do something. Just take the bet or say it really doesn't matter.
I'm not trying to prevent metal to metal contact, I'm trying to seal any potential path to the metal to metal contact point. Galvanic corrosion needs an electrolyte (water in this case) to induce corrosion between the two metals. The panel adhesive would seal the rivet cavity and underneath the rivet head. The seam sealer would coat the outside of the rivet and prevent water from finding its way in that way.
It's just overkill and if I am right there and have the panel adhesive anyway it is just extra insurance.
It's just overkill and if I am right there and have the panel adhesive anyway it is just extra insurance.
exactly ! your not going to prevent 100% of it and honestly it aint going to the moon, but it will take 1 second to dip the fastener before you pull it .
If I can do a better job than the factory did I'll consider it a win. This will be a daily driver and will see plenty of salt in the winter. After about 10 years of the OEM treatment rust/rot started to occur. If I can do better than that I'll be happy.
I'll admit that I do appreciate your brutal honestly.
I'm not a metal worker, body man or material scientist. I have a hard time just being told something won't work without a good explanation why. Someone saying "just because.....you're wrong, I'm right" just doesn't cut it for me.Can you explain the details as to why it is unnecessary and a waste of time? And perhaps explain why we are off base with our understanding of how seam sealer works?
Otherwise...if I follow your advice I am just doing it because some guy on the internet says so, without understanding why.
Coming from an autobody background I would weld...rivets and seam sealer are hack.
If I were paying a professional to do this I agree, welding would probably be best. But for a non-professional I worry that my welds would suck and I'd end up with more corrosion because between the panels wouldn't be sealed.
It seems to me that the best step against corrosion is panel adhesive, rivets, then seam sealer.
What's the best way to seal between panels when welding?
Vtx531
TJ Addict
It is my understanding that the fasteners and parts have some sort of conversion coating on them, not bare metal?
Start with the obvious. Panel adhesive doesn't have enough body to not get displaced when the rivet is set nor can it prevent metal to metal contact. Therefore any dipping of the rivet is a waste of time since it won't actually do what you are trying to accomplish. You can seal the ends of the rivets with a good medium body urethane seam sealer. The stuff is brutal if you find and use what the factory did around the base of the roll bar where it bolts to the floor. That means if you do it correctly, there is zero chance of moisture incursion on the bottom side since you are going to coat beyond the lab joint edge on both sides.I'll admit that I do appreciate your brutal honestly.
Can you explain the details as to why it is unnecessary and a waste of time? And perhaps explain why we are off base with our understanding of how seam sealer works?
Otherwise...if I follow your advice I am just doing it because some guy on the internet says so, without understanding why.
The same is true for the interior. Seal the heads of the rivets and make sure you do that well and you will have a waterproof answer there.
That and I promise you after mucking up the end of the rivet tool with panel adhesive after about the 4th rivet you'll be going "who the fuck thought this was a good idea?"
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