bulkhead swapout -- and fear...

[ccray]

for a 66 siia -- i have my spare bulkhead back from the
galvanizers -- it sure looks good. and i have quite a few
other parts that attach to the bulkhead (in spares) galvanized
too.

my question is -- can you swap out bulkheads over a long
weekend if you focus on the swapout. i have this fear
of taking the vehicle down and it not coming back for a couple
of months. i have done it before.

tips from those who have done it would be appreciated...

ccray

[jp-]

I'm sure it can be done with a friend. I would plan on longer (alot longer) if doing it alone. Also, the real time question for anything done on any car, is how much of a perfectionist are you? If you can't sleep til it's right (me), then you're not going to get it done in one weekend.

You should measure the bulkhead spacing to the outrigger very carefully before removing your old one. Some bulkheads have a spacer washer in there and others don't it can be a real pain to take the bulkhead back loose to add a washer. You may also need a small bottle jack. Both of my bulkheads "shrunk" (closed in about 1/2") after being galvanized. I had to bolt one side in, and jack the other side out enough to fit the main bolt (jacking against the frame).

You will also want to measure your old bulhead distance to the rear door line. This distance is adjusted by spacers behind the two main bulkhead frame bracket supports. These can be adjusted later without removing the bulkhead, but you can make it easier by measuring first and using the correct amount of spacers.

These two things are going to be most critical in getting the doors to fit and hang correctly. Again, if you are a perfectionist, expect it to take much longer. And then there is paint, wiring, gauges, fenders, steering box. On second thought, better plan on a week...

[I Leak Oil]

........and if it hasn't been apart in the last two decades then you can plan on lots of rusty fasteners that will strip, break or have to be ground off.
Jason T.

[siii8873]

to do this on a weekend would be very ambitious. The problem I would run into is the while I'm at it mind set. While you have all the misc parts removed this would be the time to tidy them up. This all adds considerable time but ends up with a good result.

[4flattires]

AKA...shipwright's disease (while I'm at it mindset)

I hear ya SIII....

Goes something like this:

Sailor owns boat.
Boat has burned out light in galley.
Sailor decides to change bulb.
Sailor notices socket is corroded, decides to change socket.
Sailor notices wiring frayed while trying to change socket.
Sailor decides to change wiring.
Sailor notices galley ceiling slats are rotted while changing the wire.
Sailor decides galley ceiling slats need changing.
Sailor notices ...

this goes on and on and on and on and pretty soon, Sailor is undertaking a
major renovation of his boat because of a burned out lightbulb.

Jeff

[jp-]

I hear ya SIII....

Goes something like this:

Sailor owns boat.
Boat has burned out light in galley.
Sailor decides to change bulb.
Sailor notices socket is corroded, decides to change socket.
Sailor notices wiring frayed while trying to change socket.
Sailor decides to change wiring.
Sailor notices galley ceiling slats are rotted while changing the wire.
Sailor decides galley ceiling slats need changing.
Sailor notices ...

this goes on and on and on and on and pretty soon, Sailor is undertaking a
major renovation of his boat because of a burned out lightbulb.

Jeff

This reminds me that my taillight is out on the Series!

Back in a minute.

[JayGoss]

If you haven't deciphered wiring diagrams before I'd suggest studying the wiring diagram and getting comfortable with that before you dive into it. That way you won't waste your time educating yourself during the time you could be wrenching. If you can afford to do so it might save you some time if you were to purchase a new wiring harness and transfer the gauges and as much stuff as you can to the new bulkhead on the evenings of the week prior to the swap. If you choose to use the old harness make sure you have plenty of bullet connectors and their corresponding female connections as you might strip some off disassembling the old harness. It's also smart to begin spraying any rusted nuts with a penetrating oil such as PB Blaster- do this everyday for a few days prior to disassembly and you may be able to reuse some of the old hardware if you're on a tight budget. (although for safety reasons you may want to go with new bolts/nuts/washers that fasten the bulkhead to the chassis) I'd get new gaskets for the windscreen to bulkhead/windscreen to roof and the one that surrounds the steering column. Good luck with your project and let us know how it turns out.

ps: Like JP says, hot dip galvanizing can often distort and alter the measurements of bulkheads- so before doing anything make sure it measures up- if not, it's easier to make any necessary "tweaks" while it's bare.

[greenmeanie]

If you haven't deciphered wiring diagrams before I'd suggest studying the wiring diagram and getting comfortable with that before you dive into it.

I deciphered the wiring diagram for the NADA 6 cyl before I got it. I then started delving into the truck and realised that the red wire went here, there and... well everywhere. She's currently a wireless land rover.

I definitely pays to label wires as you remove them and I also found it good to photgraph the connections on any gauge etc. I second the replacement wiring harness comment. Lots of people forget that this ages too.

Cheers
Gregor

[Momo]

cc, don't be too concerned about getting it done in just one weekend. There are too many little things to get right and you will be glad you took pains to do it properly rather than have to go back and fix things.

JP's advice on making the doors fit is some of the best I've seen on this forum. Properly hung series doors should click shut with little effort, but if that bulkhead is off you will fight them every time and you will have gaps that leak and look like crap.

[Willard]

Just hope your Bulkhead bolts do not look like this one. I was junking the frame and bulkhead anyways so cutting mine did not matter.


Also what are you doing with your old bulkhead. i am looking for this piece, i need this for my build (any old series II, IIA bulkhead will work). (less the gauges and gauge panel of course.)


All in all i think it took me better part of a day to take everything off and label everything on my Series III (more junk than a IIa), so figure that long on disassemble and and longer on assembly. If you are set on a weekend, i would try this over a long weekend.