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Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Defender TDCi - which bits rust? (about to galvanise)
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Gasket



Member Since: 30 May 2020
Location: Manchester
Posts: 629

Defender TDCi - which bits rust? (about to galvanise)
Hi everyone.

I usually restore my own land rovers (my 7th Series project is in the garage now) and I'm about to outsource some work on my daily driver Puma 90 given that I don't have the space (or a lift) to do it myself - basically doing the steps that LR should have done from the factory to ensure that my very nice, solid 90 stays that way for decades to come.

Its fine right now - persistent surface rust on the chassis and axle casings, but nothing that wouldn't brush off - wax has just about got me through the last 12-months but I've since decided to keep the thing for life and, rather than waiting until I have to strip it down, I'm taking the unusual step in having some fairly substantial preemptive work work done now so that it never needs to be restored in the future.

She's going into a restorer I trust where the body will be removed in one and the factory chassis (which needs no welding) will be acid dipped, checked/vented then galvanised, checked on the jig and painted prior to reassembly.

While this is going on there are a number of parts I've asked to be either blasted or dipped and repainted prior to reassembly:

Front shock turrets (will be either galvanised or zinc sprayed prior to paint)
Brake backplates (will be either galvanised or zinc sprayed prior to paint)
Front and rear radius arms (blast and paint)
A-frame (blast and paint)
Axle casings (acid dipped and paint - no risk of rogue grit)
Damper brackets (blast and paint)

The tank guard and front clip steel parts were blasted and painted last year.

While they will use judgement on any other steel parts, can I ask the forum if there are any other vulnerable steel parts I should specify to be blasted and painted before I sign on the bottom line - i.e. any that need particular attention? Thinking any thin bracketry and the like.

The body is being removed as one, so inner wings/bulkhead/tub supports/etc are out of scope (they're all solid and heavily waxed anyway) - we're just looking at things that would be left attached to the rolling chassis.

Appreciate any tips - as mentioned, I've done a lot of work on Series builds, including building one where every bit of steelwork was galvanised, but my knowledge of Defenders is still growing. And for the purposes of the work I'm outsourcing, the more things I specify to be done at the offset, the less likely the price will creep while its with the restorer.

Oh and if there's any work recommended to be done while its in bits, then please let me know - though the obvious ones: clutch and output shaft have already been done. I have toyed with having some sort of reinforcement added to the rear crossmember to allow a simple recovery point to be added (my big bugbear with later Defenders), but can't see a way of adequately bracing it around the fuel tank, so I'm probably going to be stuck with a NAS step.
Post #905786 31st May 2021 1:37am
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Dinnu



Member Since: 24 Dec 2019
Location: Lija
Posts: 3140

Malta 2012 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 CSW Santorini Black
About any bracket on the chassis rust. In particular the rear cross member to tub bracket.
Fuel filter guard.
All the small brackets for fuel lines.
Etc.

But from the body I would do the brackets around the radiator and the seat belt brackets.
I never owned a brand new Defender, but I suspect that JLR leave the seat belt brackets bare. If only the brackets rust, then no big deal, but the galvanic corrosion they induce on the tub is very alarming.

During assembly try to isolate the aluminium from steel as much as possible.

Would be nice to see pictures of your progress. 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing
2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black
Post #905790 31st May 2021 6:11am
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Oldowner



Member Since: 26 Dec 2018
Location: South west
Posts: 597

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Aintree Green
I rebuilt my Puma 90 on new Richards chassis and genuine bulkhead.

The air box mounting bracket had disintegrated to nothing and had to be replaced with new. It sits under the air box unchecked.
Your inner wings will be plastic.

Change the rear tub mounting rail for a pattern one. These only contact where the tub bolts to it, not all the way along the tub as the original which then promotes galvanic corrosion.

A lot of parts it was cheaper to buy new than refurb - I bought new galvanised tub side and wing supports from Landybits, new galvanised turrets, spring seats etc from paddocks, galvanised seatbelt brackets, exhaust brackets and slam panel parts from YRM etc.
Post #905799 31st May 2021 7:12am
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Gasket



Member Since: 30 May 2020
Location: Manchester
Posts: 629

Thanks very much guys - that’s really helpful, I’ll add them to the list.

Of course I’ll be happy to post pictures. I have about 20 small jobs on the go for the build (an OEM-plus spec) so the plan is to crack on with these for the next few months and then post the build and all the pictures in a single thread.

Kicking myself re: the inner wings. I had no idea they’d switched to plastic - nice happy bit of learning there.
Post #905916 1st Jun 2021 1:02am
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kenzle8a



Member Since: 12 Feb 2020
Location: None
Posts: 1074

 
Don’t bother cleaning or reusing the oe top shock mounts. Get the Gywn Lewis ones.
Post #905921 1st Jun 2021 6:15am
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LandRoverAnorak



Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11240

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Orkney Grey
^^^ This, plus galv spring seats and clamps. These parts are readily available and far easier than trying to use or re-use LR parts.

Whilst you've got it apart, you might also like to consider adding isolators to the top of each spring. At the front, use Discovery 2 items, which have a built in turret securing ring, and at the rear use those from Discovery 1. They're not exactly a silver bullet but they do take the edge off the harshness.


Click image to enlarge
 Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia
Post #905933 1st Jun 2021 7:58am
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Gasket



Member Since: 30 May 2020
Location: Manchester
Posts: 629

More great tips thank you! Cars booked in for 9 weeks time so I have plenty of time to prep parts.
Post #906240 3rd Jun 2021 12:08am
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SJM2018



Member Since: 06 Jul 2018
Location: Bristol
Posts: 295

United Kingdom 2011 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Aintree Green
Check out some of Nige's early videos on his defender rebuilt: given the age of his truck, the low mileage and how well he appears to look after things, they make for some depressing viewing.

He coats the rusted parts in a fibre reinforced paint if memory serves (corroless or something) rather than galvanising.

&t=58s

Despite regular dinitrol treatments, parts of my chassis and crossmember are starting to rust. I don't have the time or the space to rebuilt, but was instead thinking of paying for buzzweld to do the work:

https://www.buzzweld.co.uk/classic-defender-90-rustproofing.html

The platinum treatment is proper expensive, but hopefully it should last and is cheaper than a chassis swap! 2011 CSW XS 90
Post #906286 3rd Jun 2021 9:31am
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Gasket



Member Since: 30 May 2020
Location: Manchester
Posts: 629

Thank you - I’ll have a look.
Post #906288 3rd Jun 2021 9:34am
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Gasket



Member Since: 30 May 2020
Location: Manchester
Posts: 629

Edit: just started watching the videos - absolutely superb to see the nuances of a TDCI. Helps me learn, coming from a Series background.

Is Nigel a member here?
Post #906294 3rd Jun 2021 9:50am
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SJM2018



Member Since: 06 Jul 2018
Location: Bristol
Posts: 295

United Kingdom 2011 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Aintree Green
Yea he's Gloucesternige

I find his videos fascinating and he's going to end up with probably the most fastidiously built defender around. 2011 CSW XS 90
Post #906305 3rd Jun 2021 11:23am
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