Mean Green

So my 200tdi rebuild continues and I have moved on to body work. I am starting to refurbish and replace the panels on the rear tub. Should I fit a bulkhead removal bar while I am at it? Can anyone post pictures of a fitted bar please (I think it will probably be a YRM piece that I use). Does it make much of a difference to space in the cab - I am 6'4 and although I have always found the cab 'cosy' I would not say I was cramped. Are there any other positives or negatives to consider? Cheers

Has anyone successfully replumbed the fuel tank on a 200tdi 90 to fit newer style wings with the fuel filler at the rear rather than at the drivers door? Where do you run the filler pipes?

Thanks guys. I knew there must be something missing - it was starting to drive me mad. Looks like I need to get someone to re-fabricate the flanges on the janspeed exhaust then.

I am a little confused. I have had a Janspeed Stainless exhaust on my 90 for 15+ years (probably nearer 20) - but it is now leaking at the flanges - which are corroded and obviously only mild steel. I have a standard mild steel exhaust in the garage and have fitted that - but I cannot work out where the mount should be for the back box. The front pipe is fine with the gearbox mount and crossmember mount and the tail pipe mount is fine on the crossmember, but there is another hanger on the back box which is currently hitting the chassis. Where should the hanger be? It is a new Shielder chassis and I am wondering if there is something missing?

There is a little rust on my bulkhead, esp around the hinges and along the top under the windscreen seal. I have given it a good prod with a scraper and screw driver and the metal is sound only one area which i would describe as a little deeper than surface rust. What is the best thing to treat the rust with before painting. I have used Kurust in the past with mixed results, but in fairness I didnt really take the time to prepare the sufaces and just slapped it on. Any recommendations? I will also spray the inside of the bulkhead with waxoil or dinatrol when I put it back together and hopefully slow the rot from the inside. (I should have sprayed it 15 years ago when I changed the bulkhead - but hey ho, hindsight is a great thing)

Thanks folks. The hole does not look to be corroded but I might try can run a 14mm drill through the hole. I currently have the rod in place with a couple of m12 bolts in as locating pins, but I will pull the rod back off and try the bolts through the bushes just to be sure.

My lockdown rebuild is continuing painfully slowly, but it is getting there. Refitting all the steering components and am confusd by the Pan Hard rod bolts. I had cut the old ones off as they had seized, so I cannot check the sizes. However, according to Microcat and every other reference I can find it says the bolts are M14 x 80 (part number BH114617 - with the alternative being an M16 from chassis 2A onward) I was planning to order nice new SS ones from YRM, but working about in the garage today I came across a couple of M14 x 100 and thought I would see if they would do the job. The bolts do not fit through the bracket on the chassis or steering box - it is very close but will not go. Is there another version of the Pan Hard Rod bolt? 13mm or I suppose 1/2 ?? If so does anyone have a part number? It is a 1993 200tdi 90.

The filler plugs on both swivel hubs are rusted solid and are at a real risk of rounding. I have tried soaking with both WD40 and plus Gas but it is not helping. Can I fill the hubs through the top swivel pin?

What are people using to isolate different metals to reduce corrosion of dissimilar metals? My reading suggests PVC tape - does it need to be anything more than Electrical insulation tape or even gaffer tape?? Or should it be more specialist??

Success. Caliper bolt is out! Drilled out at 0.5mm increments until 10.5mm. I could then see threads so used the tap and cleared it out. All ready to rebuild the hub.... except one of the brake disk bolts snapped in the hub (typically the last one). Front swivel hub to axle bolts on passenger side were no problem, all came away with no trouble. Drivers side was a different story - 6 out of 7 heads rounded. Decided best way to get to them was to cut the swivel ball off. I started off with a 9 inch grinder and cutting disk, but heat from a grinder and grease in the swivel did not mix well. Once the smoke cleared I finished it by hand with a hacksaw. Knocked a 13mm socket on the the heads and they came away fine, with the help of a 2 foot breaker bar. So a little more progress.

Thanks for all the replies - it is a very late 1993 with disc brakes, so part number FTC3375. Which is M12x35x1.25 - so i need to source an M12 x1.25 tap.

It appears to be FTC3375

So another update.. mixed success. The rear caliper with the rounded head is now off - I drilled out an M12 nut to 13mm, knocked it over the rounded head and welded it on. After a few attempts and a few broken welds (novice welder) it came off. Both front calipers came off with a lot less hassle than I thought- combination of 1/2 and 12mm sockets knocked over the bolts and a good dose of plus gas and they came away. The problem is the snapped bolt - I have drilled out out as far as I dare - I am up to 10mm drill, I believe it is a 12 mm thread - and I was expecting it to give up a some point, but no it is hanging on in there. As I need to get this right first time can anyone confirm the exact spec of the thread for caliper bolts? I need to buy a tap to a. clean out the rest of the threads and b. re-tap the rear hole. if my reading is correct is it 'M12 fine' but what is the spec? google gives me M12 x 1, M12 x1.25, M12 x 1.5 - all claiming to be 'M12 fine' ???

So - as an update.... 2 x rear caliper bolts are still holding up the entire rebuild. So far I have spent almost £150 trying to remove bolts that cost 27p each!! As an aside - it looks like the front bolts are in a similar condition and are going to be just as much of a PITA!! I am waiting for a friend to come along with his welder and will weld some new nuts on to the broken/rounded bolts and hopefully they will get me back on track ASAP. I had hoped to have the rolling chassis mobile and stopping under its own steam during the lockdown furlough - but it looks like I will be back to work next week.

Sounds like I need to invest in some Irwin grips then. After wasting most of the day yesterday and a couple of hours this morning, I threw a tantrum and gave up on the rear axle. (I might sneak up on it when it is not expecting it and surprise the bolts into submission! 😛 ). So started on the front axle - nice new swivel hubs for both sides. I couldn't remember the size of socket/spanner for swivel to axle bolts, so held up a 15mm against the first bolt and it crumbled to dust - nothing on the head to grip with spanner. (I didn't even try to slacken the nut just put the spanner up to it to check the size!). looking at the rest it looks like they are all going to do the same (both sides). So it doesn't look like there is room to get Irwin grips onto these bolt heads. Since the hubs are trash anyway I was thinking about cutting the heads off all the bolts to allow the swivel to come off and then get nuts welded onto what is left of each stud to wind them out?? - Any flaws to that plan??

Good - that confirms my thinking. What about the snapped stud??

It was all going too well! Like many others I have been using my time 'off' on furlough to rebuild my 1993 90 onto a galv chassis. Until now it has been easier than I expected. I am now on the rebuild stage and tackling the brakes. I am replacing the entire rear system as the calipers are badly rusted. First caliper bolt dissolved as soon as I put a spanner on it - I didnt even get a change to put any sort of pressure on it before it rounded. I knocked a smaller size socket onto it and it got a good hold but would not budge, until it slipped and rounded the head. Bolts 2 and 3 were very tight but came out with a long bar (and extension). The last bolt snapped as soon as I put the socket on - I didnt even get the chance to put the long bar on it. So I now have 1 caliper off, the hub stripped down to access the bolt hole and a bolt snapped inside the hole. The second caliper cannot come off as the head is rounded. Help!! I have drilled out about a 6mm or so hole in the snapped bolt and tried stud extractors and a bit of heat (I didn't have the heat when I snapped them). It wont budge and I am scared the stud extractor breaks. I have not attempted anything on the rounded head yet. Any suggestions or experiences to draw on?? Cheers

I decided to use the lockdown and time off work to my advantage and took the plunge to order a Shielder chassis via Terraintech. I could not justify the additional extra spend in a Marsland or Richards chassis. Given the economic climate who knows how the jobs market will be in a few months so it is the age old time vs money issue. You never seem to have both at the same time. So far I have not been disappointed. The quality is great. All the tapped holes are clear and run free, a couple of the other holes have needed a drill run through them to clear them, but not entirely unexpected. I am just in the early stages of putting it back together and so far so good, however, I am not far enough on to confirm allignment etc. I cant comment on bulkheads.

More D2s!! I sold my 2 on Christmas eve!

Surely the deciding factor is the colour.... will it fit in the with rest of the fleet!?

Reb - i would be interested to hear what they have to say - would be ideal if you managed to see them all side by side.

I am after a 200tdi 90 chassis - a quick look round show Shielder £1880 inc vat (from terrain Tech). Richards at £2100 inc Vat, XD also £2100, , Marsland just over £2500 . i have not looked at delivery costs yet but assume they will be in the same ballpark.

Very soon it will be time to bite the bullet and go for a galv chassis for my 200 tdi 90. Having a look around Shielder Chassis are a good wedge cheaper than the others - which would leave some cash for other new parts. A bit of googling and forum searches finds a few comments about mis-alignment and poor quality particularly with bulkheads but also chassis, but these comments seem to be several months old. Does anyone have any recent experience? Have Shielder got their act together? I don't have an issue with clearing holes of galv swarf etc, but dont really want to have to start drilling a galv chassis or making up new mounting brackets etc. But the extra cash for a Richards/Marsland etc means more saving ££ and more price increases.

I heard of someone with an Audi A6 allroad - which uses the same compressor and IIRC air srings - he was aware of a popping noise coming from the car every few minutes. He had a look and apparently there are some stitches holding the different parts of the air spring together - the noise were the stitches breaking one by one. He bid a hastie retreat and about 20 mins later there was an almighty bang as the spring exploded. That car was parked up at the time too - maybe it is deterioration of the rubber springs.

Thanks for the input guys. Kind of supports my thoughts. There is a very good local place that I would trust to do the job. Just not sure if I can justify the expense though.