Scotts90 Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 That's how I braced mine, you can see the bow in the once straight angle...but they may have lifted it in the middle and bent it. You can also see the slight distortion on the lower footwells. Personally very little twisted and worth it for the extra protection it gives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastycrimper Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 Well here's is my opinion the matter, bearing in mind that I am doing a complete rebuild and want everything galvanised. I was looking at used, treated galvanised bulkheads on e-bay. I got two warnings from friends, that unless you saw exactly the condition, post acid bathing then you can get seriously let down in the not so distant future. Both friend's bulkheads started rotting from the inside out in the square section while the rest of the bulkhead was fine. The trouble is the square section you just can't know how clean the surface is prior to galving. The rest may well end up looking all shiny but once the structural uprights rot out you are back to square one. So I looked for a new 300TDI bulkhead ungalavnised - ridiculously expensive now as they aren't made any more (quoted more than my galvanised chassis!). So I made the sarifice and purchased a brand new Puma bulkhead which alas doesn't have the vent flaps but was around £400. The next problem, as mentioned, is finding a galvaniser. My local galvaniser didn't fill me with confidence - they do farm stuff and large structural stuff. They said it would likely warp. I then, by luck more than anything else, was visited an independant LR garage in Penryn who happened to have brand new Puma bulkheads which they got galvanised in Cardiff - I went this route (I forget the precise address of the firm but I can find it when I get back from sea). Really happy with what I got back. It seems like an expensive route but given the second hand ones on ebay were £700, at least I now know I have a brand new bulkhead galvanised properly. I reckon it cost me around this anyway so I think it's a better option. I examined my original bulkhead and decided no matter how much I could try and clean it up there was always a risk of the galv not adhering properly on the internal sections.But as you are findng, trying to recondition an old one can end up costing a lot anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 The rust in the overlapped joints is one of my concerns and why I'm wanting mine acid dipped before it gets galvanised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skauldy Posted May 8, 2016 Author Share Posted May 8, 2016 Guys, The fella who blasted my bulkhead couldn't get the sealer out from under the overlapping panels. He says I should try and get it out before galvanising as this will bubble and burst giving a carp treatment. Is this true cos it looks a right pain in the ars to get it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 The acid dip should sort that out. If the galvaniser isn't acid dipping everything brought to them by every customer, then find another one - they don't know what they're doing! The acid dip isn't just to remove rust from the outside , bit also paint, grease and rust from the inside. If they're not dipping, then not only is the inside of anything the dip untreated, the bonding weak and the rust still present, continuing at a slower rate, but additionally the zinc will be heavily contaminated by all the dirty items dipped in it, which will not only give a bad zinc finish but could play havoc with priming and painting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cackshifter Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Scotts90, how did you attach the bracing without causing the galv to miss a bit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Galvanising doesn't need to cover every spot - it acts electrolytically, so a bare patch of steel will dull but shouldn't rust as the zinc will oxidise instead. That is how ships hulls last so long - they have large billets of zinc bolted inside, which are replaced as they gradually dissolve sacrificially. So, areas like the ends of the bulkhead feet bolt tubes will be well protected with a dollop of grease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Will the acid dip get rid of seam sealer? Pretty tough stuff.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 It might take a little while, but I'd be surprised if seam sealer was immune to sulphuric acid. Best if the bulk can be scraped off first to allow easy penetration between the steel plates to get any sealer that has managed to get between them, but in my experience, seam sealer usually sits over the lapped joints, not inside them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skauldy Posted May 9, 2016 Author Share Posted May 9, 2016 Thanks guys, I left the sealer on as it was a right PITA to scrap off and brought the bulkhead to a company who sends the parts away for galvanising. The chap took one look at it and said its gonna come back like a banana I had it braced just like Scots90. I showed him the seam sealer and he said the galvanise will come back dull and sorta like powder. I asked him if it was his bulkhead what would he do. He said he agrees the galvanise would be best but the risk of it coming back warped or damaged by the crowd in Belfast he wouldn't chance it. I left with the bulkhead. He said there a company in Dublin who do electro plating so I might look them up and see but he said they were expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stobbie Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 We always burned out all sealers with the blow torch. But nowadays we have bulkheads put in a pyrolyse oven. This should burn away all paint, sealers and waxoil. After that we have it sandblasted again, but when the bulkhead is in good condition this isnt necessary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotts90 Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 I used a heat gun and blowtorch to melt/burn any sealer that I couldn't scrape out. Tried to be as thorough as possible as I wanted it to last...the whole point of the exercise. I did this prior to sending it to the blasters, the fact that I had "opened" the seams allowed them to get right in and clear the small bits I'd left or couldn't scrape out. I used a long bolt out through the mounts to attach the brace, this meant the only missed area was the contact between the brace and mount which being a thick steel tube didn't bother me much. Acid dipping is fine if following up with a galvanising process but I wouldn't go for chemical stripping/acid dipping otherwise. It's nigh on impossible to fully cleanse or neutralise the solution in the seams and will begin to rot the seams from within. There's numerous horror stories on classic restoration sites relating to this as I found whilst researching this exact topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gruntus Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 Hi, An old post on my galving experience and hopefully some info that may help.http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=38064&hl=%2Bgalvanised+%2Bbulkhead Cheers G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skauldy Posted May 17, 2016 Author Share Posted May 17, 2016 Thanks gruntus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skauldy Posted May 19, 2016 Author Share Posted May 19, 2016 Bit the bullet and dropped the bulkhead off. The chapped smiled and asked did I want to take a photo . Tuesday is make or break day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Good luck ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenstream Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Have any of you tried aquacoating? Its a thin product that doesnt need much heat. Its used on some marine products like radars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skauldy Posted May 24, 2016 Author Share Posted May 24, 2016 Today was make or break for my project. The bulkhead returned from galvanisers. Drum roll please.thanks for all the replies and advice. Bulkhead in very good condition. Now just to start drilling out the excess galv and re tap some nuts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 This is very reassuring. Mines going to be done on Thursday. Did you brace across the bottom? (Edit - scrap that, I can see you did in the photo now I look closer!) Did they need any extra holes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skauldy Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 Just used a length of 50mm angle. I was going to drill more holes in the part where the loom goes through but forgot in the rush and when I inspected everywhere is covered so there would have been no need. I specified that I did not want it quenched and to let it air cool outside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skauldy Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 Sorry make sure also you have all the sealer out as I missed some and you can see where it bubbled out from under neath the panel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 How does it look? Nice and straight still? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Looks a good job, you must be pleased Photo of the squished sealer might be handy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skauldy Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 How does it look? Nice and straight still? Couldn't believe it, just like someone sprayed it silver. Looks a good job, you must be pleased Photo of the squished sealer might be handy? Delighted Bowie. As this would have been the end of the project. Couldn't afford a new one. Also peace of mind not having to worry about its condition in a few years Working on it tonight. I'll get a few photos of the sealer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Well, mines gone off today, so fingers crossed it comes out as well as yours looks it has! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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