ianmayco68 Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 Hi all , looking for help suggestions or pics what people have done that have come across this problem , if anyone has . So this is my project 90 300tdi which is nearly finished , and yesterday I fitted the bonnet so today I set about adjusting the catch which is when I hit my problem . When pushing the bonnet down the slam panel started bending , as you can see the strengthening bars from the front have been removed due to the long slim auto box oil cooler sitting in the way . Now on my 200tdi 110 I did the same when I fitted the front mount intercooler and I've had no problems at all so I think that the slam panel on the 90 is thinner than the 110 one and thinking about it now the one of the 110 felt more solid . I have had one idea of welding a piece of 10mm flat across the back where it comes up against the rad frame but before I went gung ho and did it I thought I'd ask if anyone has encountered this problem and what they did to get round it . Pic of the panel , you can see on the back plate where the paint has cracked off where in bent /folded . Cheers for any help Ian . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellaghost Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 I would go for some covert bracing as you said with a heavier strip alternatively make a new slam panel out of 2 / 3 mm steel which will be easy with your skill level although more time consuming than you probably want at the moment regards Stephen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sigi_H Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 My bonnet rests on both sides on plastic, but not in the middle. The slam panel is not bent for this reason. Use rubber blocks on both sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Litch Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 Quite possibly you are correct and it is made of thinner steel? I have also removed the diagonal bracing bars to fit the autobox oilcooler but I have no problems with the strength of the slam panel on my 1986 model (I had it galvanised a few years ago and it came back perfectly straight / undistorted by the heat). Maybe source an earlier one? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmayco68 Posted December 6, 2020 Author Share Posted December 6, 2020 37 minutes ago, Sigi_H said: My bonnet rests on both sides on plastic, but not in the middle. The slam panel is not bent for this reason. Use rubber blocks on both sides. It's bending where the striker hits the slam panel when you push the bonnet down to lock it , if you look at the slam panel pic where the striker receiver fits the square hole behind that it bent on the return where the paint cracked , but saying that the screws with the rubber on that fit the ends to stop it coming down to far aren't fitted so that might not be helping , and the parts have been lying around for a while so might be stiff . but I think some strengthening behind the return would be the easiest . It seems very weak at the front where the striker receiver fits . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 I'd just add a rib to the underside of it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmayco68 Posted December 6, 2020 Author Share Posted December 6, 2020 I’ve looked at some used later ones on eBay and they have a panel riveted to the front of the panel . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 Would my old used late 89 slam panel be of use as a strengthening plate, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Hunter Posted December 7, 2020 Share Posted December 7, 2020 That sounds like a magic wand, snake oil to me. It probably cures piston slap, cracked rings, and all sorts of other problems!!! I think that this might be a little over-weight for what is required. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelE Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 I have just in this past week put my front end together after painting. It too has the oil cooler like yours. By a previous owner, the diagonal braces had been spaced out at the bottom attachments. Three nuts had been used as spacers over a long bolt and when it came to putting it back together I replaced the nuts with tube. The braces had been rubbing against the oil cooler, just a little but enough to warrant attention. I taped some neoprene tube around the braces at the two contact points. The spacer tubes are something like an inch long, maybe a bit more. You can't make them too long as it prevents the front panel from going fully on. It's a balance between the braces not being too hard up against the oil cooler and being able to get the front panel on. My braces with the neoprene touch the oil cooler but not too hard. As for that front panel, mine had a couple or more of attachment holes turned in to slots so I slotted all of them. I don't know what the original config was. This made it easier to fit. As it is I don't think the front panel is fully home but it may just be a mm forward and not noticeable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelE Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Further to the above I forgot to mention that the diagonal braces have been bent backwards, ever so slightly, to help clear the oil cooler and give the lower attachments a better angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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