Ser III Lower Dash Rust Prevention

[TJR]

The following thread remined me of a question I've been wanting to post for some time.

http://www.roversnorth.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7130

Unknow to me until I pulled it apart, my Series III lower dash has some pretty good rust inside it. As many of you proably know, the Ser III LR heater vent design is to use the entire lower dash inner cavity as an air distrubution box for the heater. Not a bad interms of usable space etc, but if fails miserably since the steel inner structure is not treated to handle all the moistrure that is blown in there and then trapped. This causes perfect rust out conditions. My dash is probably saveable, but I was lucky enought to find a nearly perfect one from another LR owner. So.. I wanted to prevent the newer one from rotting out. I thought I could POR 15 it? I thought I could fiberglass it in. I thought maybe I could run actual ducting to the vents. But now I'm thinking Waxyol may be the best and easiest choice? Would the hardwax hold up to the temperatrure output of my Mt Mansfield heater (82 deg C T'stat) ? or would it melt away and make a mess? Thanks for looking.... Talbot, Southern Maine

[jac04]

I'm not sure about the hardwax, so I'll leave that answer up to people who do.

Fiberglass is not necessarily that great if you plan to use the normal fiberglass resin. Eventually, it will tend to disbond from the steel. If you want to do something like that, then use West System epoxy with the fiberglass cloth.

I've never used POR15, but I hear that preparation is critical or the coating will come off. For something a little easier to use, I have had excellent results with Eastwood Rust Converter (to treat any rust spots) and Rust Encapsulator (to seal everything up).

Really, your best bet would be to galvanize the bulkhead. Since you are in southern Maine, you may want to contact Overland Engineering in Eliot to see what can be done

[mechman]

It might not be a bad idea to etch prime and epoxy paint the inside of the dash, then coat it in herculiner. I can't imagine it rusting then, at least not in your lifetime.

I do like the idea of running tubes inside the dash, but you'll have to do some creative engineering to make it all fit and work. It's been a few years since I've had one of them down, but as I recall there are no built-in flanges to attach hoses to. I'd take careful measurements then spend an afternoon in the junkyard checking out vehicles with stripped dashes for air tubes and fittings of the correct diameter. You might get lucky!

[TJR]

Really, your best bet would be to galvanize the bulkhead.

It's not the bulkhead that is rusted out.. Though If I could pull it off that would be a good idea anyway.

Here are the pics of the lower dash


http://picasaweb.google.com/88seriesiii/SeriesIIILowerDashAssembly?authkey=Gv1sRgCMn-nJCKm9LXwgE#

...Talbot

[thixon]

TJR,

my first rover was an SIII, with the same issues. I ended up fixing the rust and just painting it. I had no issue over the next 6 or 7 years with just rattle can paint. If you epoxy prime it, and paint it with a good automotive quality paint, I'd bet it would outlast you. Not sure I'd go with a heavy coating though (herculiner). You might end up with some rust you don't see, until it gets really bad. Plus the coating would be a bear to remove from the inside of the dash.

Not that Im trying to talk you out of the ductwork idea. Sounds like a cool project.:D

[Leslie]

When I had the dash off my SIII (I did have the bulkhead galvanized), I used POR15 for the rust, and then kitty-hair to fill the holes that were there, thinking that it (kitty hair) wouldn't rust back out.

[crankin]

The hose is a pretty neat idea. However, you would need to engineer a way to split the air to the upper and lower dash for the “defrost” to work...and then allow enough clearance for the air flaps to move correctly on the lower dash. I think that it could just be a hassle…

POR-15 is a great option. However, you would need to degrease it and metal prep it for the POR-15 to really adhere. This all needs to be washed out with a hose and allowed to dry completely before you paint it with POR-15…I would worry about the vinyl getting messed up.

But honestly, I have used POR-15 for a lot of projects on this truck of mine…and for the price and hassle of using it…I would just rattle can the dash with about five coats of rustoleum. If that still doesn’t tickle your fancy… coat it with cold galvanizing spray paint and worry about it in 15-20 years.