bulkhead replacement

Take the steering box off complete with column . If you are removing bulkhead the box can I believe be removed complete with the bracket that fastens to chassis.

bugger, i was hoping not to have to fiddle with taking the drop arm off, oh well thx, that should keep me quiet tomorrow

Just to fill in the gaps for you mate, the track rod end in the drop arm is a lot easier to get off than the drop arm, wind the steering full lock in whichever direction to point the joint where you can access it. If you haven't got a balljoint splitter, place your heaviest hammer against one side of the eye on the drop arm and hit the opposite side of the eye with another hammer as smartly as you can and it should pop out.

You can't get the column out just by removing the clamp bolt, but you can if you remove the four little bolts that hold that flange onto the steering box, you can unwind the whole column from the box and remove it, as long as the upper bracket is removed. IMPORTANT keep the steering wheel fully on if you do this or the ball bearings will all fall out in the steering box and everywhere else. Also, the top of the steering box will be open to dirt getting in etc so leave this till the bulkhead is off (if you even needed to). The steering box is quite simple inside by the way and is worth opening up to inspect the screw and bearings.

If I was where you're at now I would be disconnecting track rod, then bulkhead brackets, at top or bottom, probably bottom, then removing (if nothing else left). Then looking at removing steering box when it's off the truck.

thx for the info rattlegun, guess it would be a good idea to look in the box whilst i am there, will have a look at the track rod end, i just ordered that special puller tool 600000 for the drop arm just after my last post.

i wish the bulkhead just lifted out as easily as the bonnet

well i have two things to be thankful for today apart from the freezing weather, firstly the po/mechanic/git that welded one of the door hinges to the bulkhead, and whoever designed the steering whell lock casing with the sheared off bolts, if there is an easy way to get them off i don't know it so i stuck an electric hacksaw between both halves and went thru them that way .

and its off



had to leave the steering bit in situ for now, thanks once again to mr r sole that worked on it previously and managed to stick a repair panel over the heads of some of the nuts holding the steering bracket to the bulkhead.


that was a top tip of yours rattlegun to take the track rod end off and leave teh drop arm attached to the box, a lot easier to get it off.

now it should be easier to get at those bolts now the head is off.

Excellent progress. The pillars look to be quite solid - just the footwells?
I'm trying to figure why there is a chunk missing on the top rail above drives vent? Have you cut out a rotten section there?

the pillars look ok from the front but they are shot all round the hinges, i was worried i was going to leave the drivers door in the road as i went along


the passenger footwell isn't bad at all, a skilled welder could sort that in no time, drivers footwell would need replacing its got patches welded on , patches rivetted on over those and all sorts of bodges. not sure its worth trying to save it overall, might see if i can do one of those exchange deals for a galvo.

had to treat myself to some new hinges and bolts, its almost impossible to tell bolt from nut with the ones on there now, in places they have been welded to the bulkhead too.

i cut the section out because i was fed up it was taking so long to get it off and i just wanted it off and didn't want to fart around with the wiring so i just flipped it out.

the replacement bulkhead i have has no flyscreens so it looks like i can slip the instruments thru the ventholes then unplug a wire at a time, feed it thru the other hole and put it back on where it cam from. that way i should be able to get the wiriing back on the inside without having to label, cut or forget anything

Is your replacement bulkhead already refurbished? I'd be tempted to get it galvanised if repaired and very solid.

I took the opportunity to get the sill U channels replaced when mine was done with some galv ones from yrm metal. My old ones were rusty and I knew it would be more difficult to replace them at a later stage.

i did think about getting it galved but its too close to mot time i just want to get it on and the car moving again, have done the surface rust bits with fertan, going to paint it and cover the water trap areas with a clear wax like mil-spec.

Looks great! Might be the picture angle but the bonnet hinges look a different height.
Worth checking before you paint.

eek i hope not, will check once it stops raining, rain all week forecast here

i think it might just be the curly bit on one of them is bent upwards, there are a couple of areas that are slightly out of shape from poor transit and storage.

the chap that had the bh before me bought it to put one one but sold the car in the end so its been lying around various places for a few years.

yes it just looks like one or both of the curly bits needs beinding back into the right position, the bits that are welded to the bulkhead seem to be in the same position

does it matter which way round the big bulkhead bolts go? when i took them off the threaded end was pointing forwards, i prefer the look of them pointing backwards so the bolt head is in the wing bay.

Pointing forwards is standard, to ensure the threads get maximum exposure to road grit etc I can't see why it matters though.

backwards it is then

backwards and covered in grease !

it doesnt matter but they are easier to knock out with nut at the front

the grease is on tons of it , gave the bolts a coat of fertan too first.

I might swap them round again though, that knocking out the bolts tip makes a lot of sense.

I do hope i won't be doing this excercise again though.

ere honnolulujoe

what plans have you got for yer old bulkhead ??