Boot floor removal

[Lotus Boy]

I've done A LOT of searching on this topic but can't quite find the answer, hopefully someone can help.

 

I have some fuel smells from the back of the car, I actually wonder if it is the fuel pump gasket as I have dampness on the bottom chassis rail and it looks a bit dirty direcly under the face, but of course it could also be cracked fuel lines or fuel sender gasket.

 

I am trying to remove the boot floor but it won't budge. I have removed all self tappers (running along the ali strip and two at the rear under the brace for the spare wheel bolt) and it refuses to jiggle or even hint that it might move.

Is there a posibility it has been bonded in with silicone?

 

If so, anyone got any ideas for next steps to get the thing out?

 

Thanks

David

[Silver Machine]

Mine comes out once you remove the self tappers. Some cars have a cover over the fuel filler that is also self tapped to the boot floor. If you can get under the car the underside of the boot floor can be seen and perhaps any signs of silicon.

 

What about trying something like a filleting knife (long, flexible, sharp) from the underside. The boot floor lies on flat unpainted aluminium sections so the knife wont damage any paint or powder coating.

 

Perhaps a gentle tap from the underside using a rubber mallet might also assist.

[MarcusH]

Mine was silconed in addition to the self tappers. The silicone (lots of it) was quite obvious though. This is in a factory built 2004 ex-Academy car.

[Lotus Boy]

Silver Machine - yes I have removed the plastic filler neck shroud. Will have a look from underneath.

 

Marcus - Is yours visible from above or only from under the car? Have you removed your boot floor - if so how did you approach it and how did it go?

 

I have sinced phoned Caterham and they said that the race cars were more than likely to have silicone sealed floors but mine is purely road car and they couldn't give any more help than that though sadly. Essentially saying all injection cars come supplied with the tank and floor installed on kit builds and 'who knows' how the assembly guys decided to put it together.

 

Should add that the car is a '94 HPC (injection model) with the ali honeycomb floor sections split by the ali strip.

 

Thanks

David

[MarcusH]

The Silicone was clearly visible from above - I cut through it with a Stanley knife, and cleaned as much off it as I could. That allowed by to lift it as far as I needed to feed a cable through for a third brake light. I have seen other who have cut a slot where the fuel filler is which makes future removal much easier without having to disconnect the fuel filler.

[PhilK]

My boot floor lifted straight out when the screws were removed - but thats on a 2006 SV.

I had fuel dripping off the DeDion after the rubber return pipe joining the pipe running along under the floor (from the injection) to the tank had split in many places.

 

I have also had the strong smell of fuel after filling the car up for a day or so unless going on a long run to lower the fuel level - that turned out to be the rubber pipe that went from the filler neck to the tank - again loads of hairline splits in the pipe allowing vapour out.

 

Good luck lifting the floor.

 

Phil

[Lotus Boy]

Thanks guys.

 

Got home last night and had another go. Eventually the boot freed itself, it must have just 'welded' itself to the rubber strips it sits on. No silicone thankfully.

2 minutes later it was out, without needing to remove the fuel filer pipes too which was a result.

 

On inspection I can see dampness around the bottom of the tank. I will start another more appropriately named post (with photos) to get views on what the problem might be.

 

Thanks again.

 

Cheers

David