Best "quality" budget seam sealer

J

JustBlaze

Hey Guys,

I know there are a few other posts on the subject but this is my first restoration
and I'm pretty paranoid about buying junk seam sealer and having it crack down the road.

The seam sealers I'm looking at are

-3M Urethane Seam Sealer in a Caulk Tube
http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/3m-urethane-seam-sealer-p-19154.aspx

-The 3M UltraPro Urethane in the foil packs (Will have to buy the $20 Astro gun)

-The Fusor 803ez urethane (Someone said it cracked on them)

-Upol Tiger Seal Urethane


I appreciate your opinions in advance guys.

Also if I get my cab in epoxy can I scuff say a week down the road, seam seal? Then have that all scuffed and spray a sealer coat of epoxy when I eventually paint it?

Forgot to mention the project is a 77' F150 4x4 and I'm working on the cab right now.

Thanks in advance
-Justin
 
I've been using both the 3m ultra pro in the sausage foil pack and the fusor 800ez for years. Never had any problems with them. IMO they are of the best 1 part urethane sealers out there.

I like the fusor a bit better for detail because it uses a standard caulking gun (buy a good one) and is a bit cleaner to change out when empty. The 3m sausage packs are good, as I have an air gun that dispenses them and I use it for floor pans, trunk pans and such.

It is best to seam seal 30-45 minutes before you shoot sealer and base. Problem some guys have is they try to prime, excessively, over the seam sealer. Eventually the primer is going to crack and that is what most people see and assume it is the seamsealer cracking.
 
Lord Fusor 803 is some great stuff and can be used in a regular caulking gun.
Never had it crack on me so I would guess they applied it over something that caused an adhesion problem.
 
I like the Ultrapro urethane, the copies by fusor, transtar, and rubberseal also work but 3M's original is still the best IMO. Buy the gun. Make sure you apply it over primer-epoxy within the recoat window is best-JMO
 
It looks like I'm probably going to order the Fusor unless there's a downside to it versus the ultrapro. I'm sealing floor pans and possibly some rear window seam work, haven't figured out if I use fiberglass to fill the little pinholes and gaps after welding or if I use seam sealer.

Also I'm going to be ordering off auto body toolmart like I have in the past and I'm wondering if there's anything else I should think of. I already have my gray spi epoxy, spi wax and grease remover (water and solvent) and raptor bed liner.

Thanks
-Justin
 
I'm not sure if that gun is all plastic or metal, but the plastic ones i've used in the past for the 3m ultrapro did not last very long. It might be fine for you and this project, but for those that plan to get some longer term use out of it, should go with the 3m metal type gun. It lists as 80 bucks on that site. I went through 2 of the plastic jobs then forked the money for the 3m one and haven't looked back.
 
jeremyb;17446 said:
I'm not sure if that gun is all plastic or metal, but the plastic ones i've used in the past for the 3m ultrapro did not last very long. It might be fine for you and this project, but for those that plan to get some longer term use out of it, should go with the 3m metal type gun. It lists as 80 bucks on that site. I went through 2 of the plastic jobs then forked the money for the 3m one and haven't looked back.
Click to expand...
Jeremy, do you have any experiance with the powered units? thx.
 
I assume you mean battery powered? Wasn't aware they had them for the sausage type packs. I do have experience with the air unit though. It is less of a strain when you are doing floorpans and wheel wells and such. Lays it pretty thick with ease for these old cars. I might look into the powered units though...sometimes the air hose can be a drag.

A friend of mine runs a glass shop (next door to me) and I borrow his battery powered unit all the time for windshield urethane adhesive. It works great. I think you have a bit more control over the handheld unit for seam sealer, though. I always warm the tubes up a little bit before use.
 
3M sometimes offers a free gun if you buy a case of the seam sealer, my gun is probably 12 years old and still works fine. I've had the fusor sealer crack twice-shrinkage, both times on small seams but I think it may have been a fluke or a badly mixed batch because It never happened again. I do think the 3M is better though as it is more flexible after full cure. For the brushed seams I can duplicate any factory look with the 3M MSP Ultrapro but it is a little less durable that the regular urethane. The MSP is available in the sausages/chubs and also regular caulking gun tube-also for use in the spray applicator.
 
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