So here we go. I've finally learned how to embed photos after all this time. All I had to do is read the instructions that were written here years ago and it worked like a charm! Or I guess we shall see how it works. In the earlier threads on this post, I already showed the sorry state of my battery tray with most of one side just hanging in the air and most of the rest of it was a heavily rusted, thinned and holed piece of metal trying desperately to hold my heavy battery up. As my 2nd photo (above in the earlier part of the thread) showed the very swollen/warped pressboard some previous owner rammed in there many years ago.
So I got to use my oxy-acetylene torch (woo-hoo!) and cut out most of the old base but I purposely left around 1/4" to 1/2" around the edge where I could to help sit the replacement tray onto and give me more metal to weld to and generally keep it all as strong as possible. Not the straightest cuts but not a lot of maneuvering space either:
I had to trim my new piece a little to make it fit, it was clearly too long by 1/2 - 3/4 inch. Then I pre-drilled holes along the edge of the new tray so I could plug-weld down into the 1/2" old edge I'd left behind inside the battery compartment (I ground that edge inside there to make it nice and flat after oxy cutting it out). Here is the new piece trimmed and drilled:
It was still a tight fit and you have to put the front down in place first so it does not get jammed into the large connector going to the ECU (I coulda taken it off, I suppose). I banged it down nice and tight with a ball-peen hammer. This photo is after I got a few of the plug welds done and it was on the home stretch now!
This is where I suppose I'll get some criticism-feedback. I painted everything on the tray and up the sides a few inches with black rust paint. I did do light sanding first.
After that paint cured I then sprayed over it all with an orange rust paint and wayyy up the sides mostly just to make it match the orange colour a little. The black stuff you see around the edges is a water-proofing automotive seam-sealer. Not the prettiest but darned hard working in that small space and the main thing was to keep water from gathering in the seams and/or coming up through from below. It's not perfect but it should last longer than doing nothing, I hope. And it is as solid as a rock! Later on I'll add some seam-sealer to underneath as well when I'm back working underneath the bus.
Now I'll let it cure and harden for a few days before dragging my battery back in there. Need to pickup the threaded battery clamp thingie as well since the new base provides a handy connection point for it. I imagine I'll get better and prettier at doing these as I have 3 more buses that need the same thing but heck now that I've finally done one, it seems far less intimidating.