HOOD
I had decided to avoid arranging for the hood to be washed and reproofed due to the fear of shrinkage. Alternatively I will wash down and proof in situ. Safer that way. Ordered 2.5 litres of Fabsil tent proofer via E*ay for £20 delivered. Should be here this week. and as I am actually working from the office for the next couple of weeks I can get this done.... by chance the weather looks good too!
All the assorted tilt frame bits and bobs arrived from LR Series and Trakkers/Exmoor Trim so now the whole frame can be clamped in position once.......
WINDSCREEN
....the windscreen was in place! This turned out to be more of an problem due to setting the screen so the door gaps were good. We managed it in the end though...or at least the best it is ever going to be anyway? One piece Defender door seals fitted to try and prevent some of the inevitable drafts. The odd frame gap filled with grey/silver RTV ;)
Now I mentioned in previously a few posts back that the clearance from the screen base edge to the wiper shafts was close. Well this is the same screen and early IIA bulkhead that a PO had modded to fit a later single motor wiper drive instead of the original twin seperate screen mounted motors so I thought I must be going nuts? Anyway after adjusting everything up, there is just enough clearance so everything will still work. I will post a pic when it is light enough for me to get one.
DOOR TOPS
I gave these a quick once over with the orbital sander followed by two coats of DBG enamel. Then a single coat of brushed Containergard was applied once they were fitted in position along with injected cavity wax inside the bottom rail. During the prep I also bored out the drain ports to let any moisture out after all that's where the rust seems to get deep seated? One of the tops seems a lot older than the other but both are the late IIA/S3 type with the sliding window lock and in good con.
Here we go.....
DINITROL
Well I found out why I only managed to get through one litre of cavity wax the other week. I had set the Dinitrol gun head wrong. Tweaked it this weekend to treat the door tops and now it goes great guns. After doing the doors the sun came out and the heat caused streams of melted wax to drip out of the doors and the now re-injected bulkhead :)
Only point of note. The Dinitrol gun has a pressure relief port on the top to vent excess pressure if the outlet port becomes blocked. Mmmm. I accidentally bent the outlet pipe when trying to access a difficult piece of bulkhead....then found this out - wax shot up 15ft and landed both inside and outside the hood and also sprayed around the interior! Shoot! At least those spots should avoid rust and leakage eh. Duuuugh.
INTERIOR
A few bits are now painted and re-installed. Battery is now fitted in place with the correct claps, brackets etc. and there is room for another matching batt behind the current one. So may split charge later.
Floors plates and seat box lids now cleaned up and treated to two coats of DBG and are ready to go back in. Trans tunnel cover treated likewise and is now back in place.
Next job (along with hood proofing) will now be the front brakes.
I have been trying to get these to bleed properly but have the usual 109 twin piston issues so I have decided to take the back plates off and raise the vent above the rest of the brake system. Doable. I just need to take a few things apart ;) So as I will be doing that I might as well do the job properly?
Back in the early days I replaced one piston which had failed seals and just fitted new shoes and drums. Looking at both hubs I have two 'monkey' cast (steel?) pistons on one side and one pattern alloy on the other mated with one Girling. I have decided to dump the lot and fit new 4x Girling on the front axle, plus new adjusters! Might as well?
