Al2O3 · Aug 24, 2015

Been on hols camping for a couple weeks, so things have been on hold. Weather forecast for today was rain all day, so I agreed to go to town shopping with the mrs. Got up this morning and it was a great day, so I stayed at home

Started investigating fitting the new sill rails as I wasn't sure how they went on - the corners of my tub were so rotten! Started a thread and got that sorted, but I think I'll wait until I fit the doors and get the bulkhead bolted in the correct orientation.
Spent an hour or so cleaning the alpine window seals. Not sure what was in them, powder that had set in to a film or a thin layer of silicone.

The seals seem to be in good condition, but I think I'll still run some sealant in the joints. Any thoughts on that anyone?
Took the glass out then spent ages cleaning the sunroof glass and seal. I wanted to get this back in cos every time it rains (which is quite often up here) the water collects on the tarp in the sunroof hole.

Years ago, when I put a lot of Waxoyl inside the doors to try and save them I cracked the corner of the door card when I was levering it off. It was only really held on by the vinyl layer on the front.They are hellish expensive so I araldited a patch over it.

Then I fitted the strike plate support brackets. I'd cut rotten sections out of the bulkhead where the old bolts holes were and bonded on new ali panels front and back. This meant I had to mark it out to drill new holes. Easy on the passenger side, harder on the drivers side as the fuel filler recess is there and so you can't get a drill in from under the wing.

Although it's a bit blurry, I like this shot as it shows a direct comparison to my avitar picture. A before and after

I've managed to get the holes drilled in the drivers side of the bulkhead. But, up inside the wheel arch, there is only about a 5mm gap (between back of the bulkhead and fuel filler recess) to get a bolt or bolt plate in to fix through to the bracket. I haven't managed that yet! I've got some bolt plates that came off these brackets, but I can't get one in there.

aaronmorris · Aug 24, 2015

Wow, stunning. It's all coming together nicely now mate

Al2O3 · Aug 24, 2015

Cheers, Aaron. That's very much appreciated from you. I get frustrated at how little I get done at a given time. I know it's a combination of doing this for the first time (lack of experience) and worrying about getting things right (not a bad thing I suppose) and this makes me take three times longer to do stuff than it should.
As you say, it;s coming along though.

Al2O3 · Aug 26, 2015

Well, a bit more progress.
Got the sill rails partly fitted.

I say partly because I've just drilled the one hole in the bottom of the tub where it bolts on to. That's because I know I have the seat box end to fit to it as well. Also, I don't yet know what the width at the bottom of the door needs to be yet.

Hung a door on to see how it roughly fits.

On the whole it looks good, with one issue to start with.

The step actually looks worse in real life. I haven't tried to adjust the door yet as it was late on when I fitted it. It looks too much to remove by adjusting the bulkhead, but you never know. I think the hinge bolts will move a bit in the door pillar too, giving some adjustment. No idea what the gap should be on the shut lines around the door. I know it's a Defender, but there must be an approximate gap size to aim for

If someone would be kind enough to have a look at their door gap for me that would be appreciated.

gse1986 · Aug 27, 2015

Mines completely apart now so can't help on the gap, however remember you've got the seal to go in. I know before I took mine apart I could see the seal when the door was closed. Not sure if it's supposed to be that way....

Al2O3 · Aug 27, 2015

Cheers, mate. Yes, I can remember seeing the seal in the gap on mine too. I'm going to try and set the door, with the correct(ish) gap around and flush with the body work, before I put the seal in. My thinking being it be even harder work with the seal in the way and if the door is flush with the outer body work the seal should fit anyway! Ha, ha, famous last words! You've got to have a plan to start with anyway!

Al2O3 · Aug 28, 2015

Spent all day today faffing about fitting the doors and bolting the bulkhead down. They're not perfect by any means, but I'm pretty happy with them.
The passenger side started off with the top right hand corner of the door actually overlapping the body work.
Took the weight of the bulkhead on the jack and put 2 washers in, which equates to about 4-5mm

Spent an hour or so playing about with that, but eventually went to three washers.

Adjusted the tension on the footwell bracket to pull the top half of the bulkhead forward.

I've ended up with a gap of just under 880mm on both sides for the doors to fit in to.
The passenger door now fits well. The gap on the latch side at the top is narrower than at the bottom, but it closes sweetly and is flush with the body all around.

The drivers side also hits the latch perfectly, but the bottom corner of the door is turned in. You can see it in this picture.

I'm hoping another packing piece in the top hinge on the door will push it out

Just to give myself a boost I lay the seat box and the floor plates in.

It's taken a day and a half to set the bulkhead and doors up, but a big hurdle out of the way I reckon.

I'm hoping that using three washers to set the doors up doesn't cause me hassle with the wings lining up at the front !

Brown · Aug 29, 2015

The panel fit probably wasn't that neat when it left the factory so I wouldn't worry about it too much, If you look at the new ones carefully it is still a bit approximate on models that have come off the production line in 2014 or 2015. So you've done pretty well to get it as good as this.

Looking great.

GATSO · Aug 29, 2015

wow 2 days till end august told you it would be done by august ...lol wow tho she looks ace ,,great work ,

Al2O3 · Aug 29, 2015

Brown said:
The panel fit probably wasn't that neat when it left the factory so I wouldn't worry about it too much, If you look at the new ones carefully it is still a bit approximate on models that have come off the production line in 2014 or 2015. So you've done pretty well to get it as good as this.

Looking great.

I really appreciate the positive comment and reference to new Defenders. I'm sure we're all the same trying to get stuff put back together spot on, but as you say new ones usually aren't. I do take too long over these things. My son came back from work yesterday with pictures on his phone of a newish Defender, just to show me the shut lines around the door! Same message as yours, they weren't that great. Cheers, mate

GATSO said:
wow 2 days till end august told you it would be done by august ...lol wow tho she looks ace ,,great work ,

Ha, ha the done by August deadline

If I had done one before I reckon I could have made it

But, the combination of lack of experience and so having to think things through, the how to's and what if's etc and faffing on too much meant I was never going to make it. My target is to get it done before it gets too cold and wet up here to work outside any more. So getting it done ready for the winter.
Having said that, it's not in the forecast, but it's raining steadily here so haven't got out today yet

Thanks for your supportive comments, at 17 months in they're needed.

Al2O3 · Aug 29, 2015

Rain eased off after lunch time so got out to do a few odd jobs and try to come up with the plan for the next move.

Fitted the door check straps so they don't get blown right around by the wind.

They look terrible so they'll have to come off in the future and get cleaned up. The pivot pins no longer fit, probably due to the doors being plastic coated, so I had to put some M5 bolts in for now.
I've just opened my vent seal packet to find the seals are different to what I had before!

Does anyone know how these are meant to fit? They must be series ones. Mines a 1996 300Tdi and mine had a self adhesive, rubber/foam strip stuck to the flap not the body work. I've ended up with a 200Tdi bulkhead and they don't seem to fit that either, unless someone knows how they fit. Fingers crossed!

I can't see how the seals between the tub and the side window panel are going to keep water out either! I must be doing something wrong

There's only one bracket between the rear corner bolt and the bolt at the middle bulkhead. I've forced it right down, but it wasn't like that before and still doesn't seal. I haven't got the windows in yet, but can't imagine that will create a lot of downward force.
Tried the inner wings on to get an idea of what fits where around the inner and outer wing and the engine bay.

The drivers side is fine, but there is a small 'L' shaped bracket on the chassis which is stopping the wing from sitting correctly on the passenger side.

I'm hoping that for some reason there is a spacer, or something, that moves the wing towards the wheel and that bracket ends up behind the inner wing. If not I may have the wrong inner wings. I bought them off ebay as 300Tdi ones, but you never know. It'll pain me to have to cut a bit out. My dismantling pictures don't show this clearly

GATSO · Aug 29, 2015

that looks as tho it may be a jig bracket left on by Richards before galve and forgotten ,,tho i may be wrong

gse1986 · Aug 29, 2015

OK just checked photos, and my new galv chassis has the same there (200tdi)..

I don't have a photo of the old chassis in that place, so will be Wed before I can check

Al2O3 · Aug 29, 2015

GATSO said:
that looks as tho it may be a jig bracket left on by Richards before galve and forgotten ,,tho i may be wrong

gse1986 said:
OK just checked photos, and my new galv chassis has the same there (200tdi)..

I don't have a photo of the old chassis in that place, so will be Wed before I can check

Thanks gents. I've already checked my old chassis pictures and there it is.

I've no idea what it's for though!

XRIZLAX · Aug 29, 2015

Your vent seals are the older type and glue on. i had same thing, bought the rubber ones, thought glueing would be a right pain to glue on so bought the later foam type which you just peel off the backing and stick in place.

Al2O3 · Aug 30, 2015

Glue on! Cheers, XRIZLAX. Wouldn't have guessed.
Waterproof glue needed.

I know what you are saying, the stick on would be far less hassle but I've paid for them now and I've spent a lot of money so I need to give them a go. They're very thick though!
Decent waterproof glue anyone?

Brown · Aug 30, 2015

I think that must be the bracket that the brake pipe fits to - you know, metal pipe on one side and flexi on the other. Looks like they've fitted it a bit high on the new chassis. As I said before, a lot of the measurements on these things are a bit approximate. if I was you I'd just notch the inner wing so it can come down a little lower.

No, hold on, I can see the brake pipe bracket behind the spring bracket. So I don't know what it's for either!

Al2O3 · Aug 30, 2015

Cheers, Brown. I did think that for a moment myself. Had a drive to the next village where my mate lives to have a look at his 60 plate. I realised that when the outer and inner wing are bolted together the outer wing has a double walled arrangement to the left of the headlight. This moves the wing of the chassis and so so the inner wing misses that bracket. I still don't know what it is for, though it may be to bolt a small bracket to that supports a power steering fluid pipe? Not sure!

It explains why the bolt in the foreground is 50mm long - to go through the double wall bit of the wing.
Got the new battery box riveted in and the seat box end panels riveted back in.

Had to put it in and out of the Landy, bolting it in place, to reference where to drill the front of the tub and line it up with the sill rail upstand bracket.

Got it all loosely bolted in and it looks good.

Popped the under seat black panels and the floor plates in, just to see how it looks.

Having been to see my mates work Landy late this afternoon, I got home and fitted the inner wing and tried it on. Fitted well and looked good, so I wedged the eyebrow in with a spanner to give me a glimpse of what it would look like.

When I was lining up the doors and the bulkhead I was a bit brassed off because of the step between the bottom corner of the door and the bottom corner of the tub. I was thinking that's going to look terrible with the sill in place.
Mates is just the same. Proving Brown right, once again.

And that shut gap got narrower towards the top of the door.

Ade90 · Aug 30, 2015

The small bracket might be a left over from the old style air filters fitted to 2.5 petrol and diesels?

If I could upload pictures from my ancient iPad I could show you the air filter fitted to my old chassis using the bracket. The new chassis i had from Marsland is 200Tdi spec and includes the bracket.

gse1986 · Aug 30, 2015

Remember that this bracket is going into the wheel arch. So any fluid pipes or air filters wouldn't be there, as they're in the engine bay!

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