Best method to patch floor holes?

defrome

New member
Well I started the build on my 2008 Sprinter today by removing ~800lbs of stainless steel shelves, toolboxes, and whatnot left behind by the locksmith I bought it from.

Turns out whichever numbnuts bolted in all the shelves did so by drilling holes straight through the sub-floor, floor, and sheet metal of the van and bolted it together from under the van. I can't make this up. So now I have about 15 roughly 1/4 in holes in my floor that I need to patch before I can start the build.

Good news is that none of them showed signs of rust, but I want to make sure I do the patch right in order to avoid any future issues.

What's the best method to patch these holes? I should mention that welding is not in my repertoire.

Btw they said that they had everything installed at the dealership... :idunno:
 

mikesprints

Active member
You wouldn't want to weld the underbody any way as you'd lose all that corrosion protection and have to re prime and paint etc. Just clean those holes up and install some body plugs, preferably from below. That way you can remove/replace later. Measure the diameter so you can get a good fit. If your not sure use the shank side of a drill bit to gauge. Here's an assortment that has some 1/4" plugs in it that are not so common. I'd bet the holes are slightly larger if they did use 1/4" bolts but the flange should cover a hole 5/16" or slightly more.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sheet-Metal...ment-Fender-Plugs-1-4-to-7-8-36-/201088190852
 

mugget

Member
mikesprints suggestion sounds good. For smaller sheet metal screw holes I've just used appropriate Sikaflex sealant. I also painted over it all since I was installing Raptor Liner on the floor anyway.

And FYI that's no "numbnuts" who installed those shelves. That is the correct way to install a heavy load. What else can they do for 800lbs worth of shelves? Bolt it to the plywood floor panel?? If you're looking to do a custom fitout you've got to get used to the idea of drilling holes in your Sprinter - whether it's to install rivnuts for additional wall/ceiling fixing points or drilling straight down through the floor so you can bolt heavy loads safely and securely.
 

defrome

New member
Going with the Eternabond tape patching method. The floor is getting ripped up this weekend for sound deadening and the start of insulation.

Also, the Eternabond will come in handy when I install my Fantastic Fan.
 

OrioN

2008 2500 170" EXT
Well I started the build on my 2008 Sprinter today by removing ~800lbs of stainless steel shelves, toolboxes, and whatnot left behind by the locksmith I bought it from.

Turns out whichever numbnuts bolted in all the shelves did so by drilling holes straight through the sub-floor, floor, and sheet metal of the van and bolted it together from under the van. I can't make this up. So now I have about 15 roughly 1/4 in holes in my floor that I need to patch before I can start the build.

Good news is that none of them showed signs of rust, but I want to make sure I do the patch right in order to avoid any future issues.

What's the best method to patch these holes? I should mention that welding is not in my repertoire.

Btw they said that they had everything installed at the dealership... :idunno:
<<<<<< NEWS FLASH >>>>>>

Drilling through a floor and bolting is a PREFERRED method of attaching heavy up-fits.





.
 

defrome

New member
Orion - Yes, thank you, I know that now. New to all this but stoked to be building out my adventure van.
 

Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
I did both, and pressed them together in the middle. I would say if doing one side, top is best, as the top is easier to clean before application.
 

220629

Well-known member
Another quick method for small hole sealing is aluminum tape. Clean the surface(s) and it will stick and last.

My preference is the heavy duty aluminum tape without any backer. One layer of that tape is enough. The typical home box store thinner aluminum duct tape with peel cover is ok, but I would recommend more than one layer thick when using it.

:cheers: vic
 

sparkplug

Well-known member
Interestingly I had the same issue.

I cleaned up the holes and painted any exposed metal with a couple of coats of red oxide paint, then filled them with automotive seam sealer from the underside first and then again from the top so that when it hardened it should form into a single lump which can't vibrate loose and fall out of the hole. If it's good enough to hold body panels together...

I also put some foil tape on the inside for no good reason really - I just had some to hand and figured it wouldn't hurt.
 

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