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Series Bulkheads


daslandroverman

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Thought my current project might generate a bit of interest here...

Everything begins with a rusty bulkhead from a IIB Forward Control. It could have been repaired, but to my mind by the time I'd done so it would have been 90% new metal by the time it was done properly.

A bit more thinking left me with the notion that it wasn't going to be much more difficult to build a new one from scratch. So, tape measure out, lots of measuring done, drawings made, and I ended up with a stack of sheet metal in various interesting shapes.

Some work with a large press and other sheet metal forming devices started to make them look more like Land Rover bits.

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And with a bit more fettling they started to look even more like Land Rover bits.

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Then after drilling some holes and adding some weld it got closer still.

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Until something resembling a complete new unit had come into existence.

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Said unit has proved some of the drawings were spot on, others not so, and has also contributed some to getting the assembly sequence sorted.

A few mistakes and other updates required mean that this unit will be cut up shortly, and rebuilt again (more completely) using updated components.

However -and you are reading this right- complete Series II/IIA bulkheads will be available at a reasonable price quite soon.

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Congratulations for persevering with this project.

Am I reading this correctly, you started to design and build a replacement FC bulkhead, but having 'cracked' the processes involved, you are now moving on to take advantage of the bigger market by making complete Series II/IIA bulkheads?

Don't take me wrong, it's a good idea, and perhaps I've made a wrong assumption, that an FC bulkhead is different to a Series II/IIA bulkhead.

I am not going to split hairs about the detailed differences that I'm assured occurred during the lifetime of the bonneted Series II/IIA. Within context I am absolutely certain that there is a strong market for a middle of the road 'generic' Series II/IIA bulkhead.

I'll leave the arguments about detailed differences to the nit-pickers present on the Series 2 Club Forum :-)

Regards.

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Congratulations for persevering with this project.

Am I reading this correctly, you started to design and build a replacement FC bulkhead, but having 'cracked' the processes involved, you are now moving on to take advantage of the bigger market by making complete Series II/IIA bulkheads?

Don't take me wrong, it's a good idea, and perhaps I've made a wrong assumption, that an FC bulkhead is different to a Series II/IIA bulkhead.

I am not going to split hairs about the detailed differences that I'm assured occurred during the lifetime of the bonneted Series II/IIA. Within context I am absolutely certain that there is a strong market for a middle of the road 'generic' Series II/IIA bulkhead.

I'll leave the arguments about detailed differences to the nit-pickers present on the Series 2 Club Forum :-)

Regards.

Correct. I've sussed it.

The FC bulkhead is different in details to the standard II\IIA bulkhead, but the basic structure is the same from 1958-1972. It's not intended to be a concours accurate replica depending on chassis suffix or model year, but a relatively accurate unit that's un-noticable to 90% of people, and still agreeable to those who know the details they're looking at.

General reception from the Series 2 Club is also positive, especially from those who've seen the first build.

would you be looking at doing defender bulkhead aswell?

if at what cost?

It wasn't something I'd yet considered, but as a Series III unit is likely on the cards -SWMBO's SWB needs one- then a Defender type unit isn't a huge leap further forward.

As it's still possible to buy decent ones for £5-600 I'm going to concentrate on Series stuff for the immediate future.

And Lightweight vent panels?

They make big money!

G.

Have you been reading my notebook? Yes, they are also in development.

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Well done! I've seen many attempts at this over the years. I remember someone in Bolivia with a metal brake making his own. This has always been one of the most brilliant things about these cars, that so many parts can be made without a huge workshop.

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  • 4 months later...

So, since I last posted there's been quite a bit going on in the workshop. 

First off, I can now do SWB truck cab filler plates, having gotten my hands on a genuine parts one to copy. 

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A lot of reworking, testing and altering has gone on, learning lessons from the original build.

Most parts have had some sort of alteration, but it's pretty much there now.

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Then lots of clamping, welding, measuring, adjusting, measuring and tickling with hammers.

Then it was fitted into the jig to get built up fully.

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And with the inner panel sat in to test the fit.

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The footwells look like they'll fit rather well also.

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As an added bonus I've sold a few full width top section repair panels. The blanked off vent holes will be a production option should you wish it.

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For more regular updates you can find my page on Facebooks if you search for Westlakes All Wheel Drive.

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So, we're nearly there with it, so here's a quick update with a few photos I've yet to post here. 

 

At the end of the last post I was ready to attach the footwells, here we see the Drivers side welded in to the door pillar, foot and stiffeners further up.

 

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Spot the important extra.

 

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Very few photos taken whilst I was glueing the passenger footwell in, but here we see it welded in, along with the centre section, and the rear panel for the dashboard also welded in.

 

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Then I added the transmission tunnel flange...

 

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Looking at the other side of the structure we have the stiffener which goes between the footwells. Starting with a flat piece of steel cut to shape I formed it up using a 2lb hammer, the bench vice and the edge of the steel bench. 

My metal forming skills are improving. 

 

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Seen installed between the footwells.

 

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And starting to assemble the dashboard.

 

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By this stage my phone had run out of battery, so there's no photos of the nearly finished product. 

As it sits the wiper spindle/washer jets holes need drilling out to the correct size, along with adding bonnet and vent flaps hinges, the drip rail and the tabs for the heater vents. 

More holes will need to be added for some of the fittings and fixtures when it's dressed up for use on a vehicle, but we're very nearly there. 

 

As it's coming with me to the 'Brass Monkeys at the Station' event at the Northern part of the NRM the last job of the day was to give it a blast over with a coat of Buzzweld primer to prettify it some before it goes on display.

 

Expect some photos of it tomorrow.

 

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That is great work.  It's amazing how quickly the steel suffers even in the workshop, isn't it?  Are you going to acid dip it once completed?  I think e-coating the completed units would be preferable to galvanising, as it guarantees an even coating, even inside the seam welds, without distortion, blocking bolt holes or vent flap hinge furlings, or giving a rough finish.  It'd be simpler for painting, too.  I don't know the comparative prices.

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So, after a trip out in the wild -where it attracted a lot of positive attention- it's 95% finished with a few little additions to make before final paint and dressing.

 

I managed to forget to take any pictures of it at the 'Locomotion' museum, but I did get this one of it on the trailer in daylight. 

 

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Whilst I've also tried it on the chassis it's intended for, and it fits beautifully. 

 

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Sucess with the bulkhead has however been tempered some by the sudden expirey of the gearbox in my 110 this morning. 

It's timing could have been better, but such is life. 

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On Sun Jan 22 2017 at 9:27 AM, Snagger said:

That is great work.  It's amazing how quickly the steel suffers even in the workshop, isn't it?  Are you going to acid dip it once completed?  I think e-coating the completed units would be preferable to galvanising, as it guarantees an even coating, even inside the seam welds, without distortion, blocking bolt holes or vent flap hinge furlings, or giving a rough finish.  It'd be simpler for painting, too.  I don't know the comparative prices.

E-coating would be an ideal solution, but getting them done locally may be a bit awkward.  

For now they're being painted in Buzzweld coatings which are a good compromise between the two. I'm of the opinion that galvanising isn't the ideal thing for bulkheads.

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15 hours ago, daslandroverman said:

E-coating would be an ideal solution, but getting them done locally may be a bit awkward.  

For now they're being painted in Buzzweld coatings which are a good compromise between the two. I'm of the opinion that galvanising isn't the ideal thing for bulkheads.

Are you acid dipping them before paint, though?

I think e-coating would be worthwhile if you can take them in batches; you'd get a dozen or more in a Transit van.  Otherwise, they'll suffer internal corrosion like the originals.  It's the overlaps of the spot welded joints that is the problem.  If you can prime the completed units externally and then carefully internally spray them with thin cavity wax, then hopefully it'll have enough penetration to get into those joints and protect them.  It'd just be a terrible shame for them to start rotting out, and the photos show just how fast it starts.

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What of Zintec sheet ? It welds/spotwelds fine . I'm not so sure electroplating would work with the hollow section's , but zintec base material and a zinc rich primer - dipped for the hollow sections should last well for decades .

Again , really fine fab work , and looking forward to the FC rebuild thread too

cheers

 

Steveb

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It is an electrically charged dip painting system that ensures a completely even coat of the charged primer particles, including strong attraction in tight corners, cavities and between spot welded joints.  It is what the majority of luxury manufacturers now use on their chassis and panels so effectively to prevent any chance of rust without mechanical damage first breaching the protection.  As the bulk of a dipped item becomes covered by the particles, it becomes electrically insulated, so the remaining free particles will be attracted specifically to areas with thinner coating or still uncovered, so penetration is much much greater than capilary action of conventional paints, waxes and so on, while being perfectly even and ripple free.

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