JayHoe's '72 2.25 88" rebuild

[JayHoe]

Before taking a chisel to the final bumper fixing, I had one more try. I gently tapped the open ended spanner on to it and wahey, it stayed on and undid. Perhaps I just needed the rest - LOL

So, bumper off, winch freed and off. The only thing out front was the steering guard. I was prepared for a fight with the spring mount nuts... but they were no problem at all. Right, the guard is off and nuts put back on.

I then removed the pipes to the heater box and the lower two mounts. Why do bolt heads have to be so close to the fixed item that you can't get a socket or ring on them? Had to plod thru with open ended - ho hum.

The top two fixings are bolts into some captive nut or other and came out sweetly. I took the box outside and gave it and the rad a good flush. The rad was virtually clear anyway, and the heater only had some momentary mucky water come out.

1. Excellent condition galv bumper

2. Heater box showing matrix

3. Steering guard

4. Locations of heater matrix and blower

5. Overall view

6. Fairey winch

7. Underside view of winch showing shaft with UJ (and original starter dog)

8. Close up of original dog now on front of winch to allow hand cranking

9. Fairey winch dog on engine (these usually get left on engines when sold and so parted from the winches.

[matt d]

I'll have your winch. At least then you wont have to worry about re-fitting it

[JayHoe]

Had a play this afternoon - but couldn't get too dirty as I am working a while this evening. I detached the speedo, heater cable & choke and carefully studied the loom as it enters the engine bay. Obviously the lights are already free, I detached the loom to the rear and to the engine. I also tinkered and detached the cabling for a rev counter a PO put in. I found several extra cables that went nowhere - so now they are in the bin

Once free, I undid the indicator stalk and the ignition and together with the loom removed it - yay! I guess I am committed to a rebuild now - LOL (or perhaps should BE committed!)

Thats it for today - for me a big step as the electrics are what have worried me the most. Now I have seen more of the loom it is a bit less worrisome. I managed to keep the ignition, indicator stalk and fusebox all connected up to the loom and binnacle. Hopefully this will help when installing new. I have also taken numerous photos showing where things go.

Question: How do I remove the steering wheel boss? There is a big nut under the centre but of course if you move it the wheels move... !


1. Bulkhead without a mess of wires

2. Somethings missing...?

3. Ahh! There it is. Now tucked away in a box to be forgotten about for a few months

[series3100]

Question: How do I remove the steering wheel boss? There is a big nut under the centre but of course if you move it the wheels move... !

I had that problem, bolt the sterring wheel back on and hold on to it while turning the nut, you have to shock the nut to get it to move.

Brian

[JayHoe]

Doh!

Thanks Brian LOL

[JayHoe]

Good call Brian. I just popped out there and got it off in no time. Thanks.

[series3100]

Good good,
couldn't resist going out and giving it a quick go could you!
Your getting there now, whats next? steering colomb off then bulkhead off??

Brian

[biosbill]

Ahh nice way of removing the loom! I would have done something similar, but mine wasnt original anyway. Interesting to see that it comes out as one though, as I always wonder how the loom I bought is all in one peice with the dash still, as ive always just taken off all the wires.

Hope all goes well,

biosbill

[JayHoe]

LOL Brian, of course I couldn't resist! Hopefully today I will get the lower dash out, and then look at removing the pedals. I need a ball joint splitter for the steering, but a neighbour used to have his own garage and has lots of handy tools to borrow

Thanks Bill. I originally thought I would have to undo all the connections from the fuse box, but they wires didn't go thru a hole but a 3/4 cutout... so I could just lift it. The ignition lock and indicator stalk just clamp round the column, easy to remove.
I must have spent more time looking at it and drinking coffee than doing - but it paid off. Thanks for the good wishes!

[JayHoe]

Today I didn't have time for much. I got the lower dash out - not difficult but the upper bolts holding it are a very fine thread and tight against the dash - so they took a while. The dash is quite bad at the drivers end, as was the bhead top rail. Obviously this is the side that water sat. The heater flaps appear to not actuate properly - I think they are corroded. Hard to tell until I get to opening the dash up.

As for the bulkhead, as you can see it is painted silver behind, obviously a POs attempts at preservation. However, I could also spot one or two bits of green beneath the sandstone or silver.

I undid the wiper mounts and was about to remove the motor when the mechanic friend popped round. We spent some time talking about the bulkhead conversion and talking through various ideas and some of my plans.

One thing he mentioned was the painting of the body panels. He said that there is no point getting all the paint (which is sound) back to bare ally and then etch priming - he said just flat the paint to give a key. The priming is to get the paint to stick to ally, and my paint does that fine so utilise it.

What do others think?? When it comes to it, I will also speak to a paint specialist, but he seemed convinced it is the way to go.

1. Lower dash removed, lots of silver paint

2. Lower dash passenger end - the black thing is melted gunk used by the PO to try and seal round the heater pipe.

3. Lower dash drivers end

4. close up of corrosion at the drivers end

[biosbill]

Hmm all looks rather similar to the two ive recently removed for my swap.

I notice in picture 2 is the heater pipe just sort of melted through? I always thought this was a PO bodge on mine (like all the tin foil they wrapped round the brake lines to stop them rubbing on the bulkhead !) But maybe its an "official landrover bodge"!

Those bolts that hold it on, are a really pain arnt they! On both the ones I took of the rivet nut just ended up turning, so it was another 10mins with the hacksaw, interestingly exactly the same bolt on each bulkhead even with 10yrs between them!

Cu,

Biosbill

[JayHoe]

LOL, I didn't even have a proper spanner to fit it... but the spanner for my angle grinder has a built in notch to tighten/loosen its guard and that fit a treat

Hope to do a little more today and I will update later.

[justMike]

nice progress John... FWIW, when I changed my dash panels, both the bulkhead support bolts have been cut flush with the captive nut and were siezed solid causing the nut to spin...

nothing else for it but drill / pound em out and replace with larger ones... made damn sre the bolts were slathered with grease when they went back in...

what is it with Landrover and painted steel?? my old lower dash was so ripe I was able to crush parts of it with my hands.. Kinda worrying given the panel's spent its days in a reasonably dry, salt free environment...

[JayHoe]

Thanks Mike. I'm not fast, but I hope to regularly plod on

OK, today I planned to tackle the wiper motor and 'rod' followed by the steering column.

I had to grind the bolts from the wiper motor as they weren't gonna budge. Hey ho. Anyway, with the new bulk head I am gonna have to drill two mount holes for the motor, and rehash, drill whatever the central mounting just under the window lip to allow the wipe rod to pass thru. At this stage, it looks like that is all that will need to be done, so not too bad!

Then to the steering column. I initially removed the battery box surround thing together with the air filter holder, horn and some electrical gizmo - what is it? picture below. Using the hammer method, I easily split both ball joints on the main steering rod running forward... but there was no room to remove it. The drop arm wasn't going to shift off it's splines and there was no room to jiggle things to try to get a dfifferent angle.

OK, lets take of the pedal boxes... no dice, NONE of the nuts would budge.

Plan two... I unbolted the vertical mount from the chassis, 3 long bolts. I detached the angled box mouont at the top of it... two bolts to the steering box, and two through the mounts. One on a tab at the top, and through the two mounts 6 bolts to the footwell (4 were captive thank goodness!). Next was the two bolts into captive nuts holding the column to the bulkhead, and two more holding a clamp around the column. As things freed up, 3 plates, 2 with two slots, and one with two slots and two holes dropped out from behind the angled box mount to footwell. What are they? Spreaders? Shims?

At last, after an evening of faffing around as every fixing was a different size nut/bolt head and having to work both in the f/well and the bay at the same time(!!!) I finally was able to manouver the column, box and mounts out. I then reassembled the whole lot finger tight so I have a model to follow in two years when I put it together again - ha!!!

1. Battery base surround with horn and air filter holder

2. Electrical thing on the back of the batt base. Had an earth wire to the engine plus a couple of wires from the loom. Can someone tell me what it is please?

3. Steering drop arm, ball joint cracked and large nut (with lock washer) freed. Do I need a puller to get it off the splines?

4. Column and mounting brackets removed and finger tight reassembled

5. Engine side view of the same. Shows drop arm, mount to chassis bolts at the bottom and 6 fastenings to footwell

6. Another bare bit of bulkhead!

7. Wider view of OSF

Next will be the pedal boxes, but not tomorrow, I got a day off! I removed one on my 110 years back, but nothing wants to budge on these ones. Any suggestions?

Til next time...

[justMike]

Electrical thing on the back of the batt base. Had an earth wire to the engine plus a couple of wires from the loom. Can someone tell me what it is please?

<cough>solenoid<cough>