FST FJ40 Tailgate Repair DUN Better

[Rock40]

Benefits of a good chunk of aluminum under where you’re applying heat. It pulls heat away so fast it reduces warping dramatically. I just did the last pass, aluminum is barely warm, top of the gate slightly warm

 

[Shep59]

Excellent work, well documented. Congrats for sticking with it.

Suggestion: when the gate is all done and completely painted and cured, I'd squirt some rustproofing (of any sort - aerosol Lithium grease is one my favorites for hard-to-access areas), or squirt some 90wt gear oil in the trapped area and tilt the gate back and forth, letting the 90wt dribble out the ends. Sit the gate on newspaper for a couple days and drain the excess. What is left is a thin film of oil that will soak into any old rust, and just sit there stopping rust. There are many online recipes for rustproofing, and ATF mixed with heated paraffin is a good one, too. You just want to be sure you use a non-hardening product, so never any 'spray tar' crap sold as 'rustproofing' at auto parts stores.

I've been using "Fluid Film" with the extended hose that has a nozzle on the end that sprays in a circular motion for these hidden places...

 

[Rock40]

Nice, good to know