My Dad worked in parts! Very small world indeed.
ih8mud inspired build (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Dagha Boy
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- #142
The leopard didn't get me, but reality intruded and I had to get a whole bunch of litigation paperwork to Cape Town and the courts are rather fussy about due dates. That's done now. Living in the bush wrenching on a cruiser is soooo much better than pushing paper in "civilization".
The only cruiser work I got done was to spray - and I use the word with very, very loosely - into and onto the sandblasted doors. The wind was blowing. The gun wasn't working properly. The operator was flustered, grumpy and in one of those kack-handed days when one should not do anything but drink beer. But I had to get some paint on. Runs all over the place.
Sandblast revealed very little rust. One door has no rust on it at all, the other minimal amount.
ON THE OUTSIDE.
INSIDE.
THE RESULTANT MESS. (THE OTHER SIDE DOESN'T LOOK MUCH BETTER)
But at least they have a good layer of paint in every nook and crannie and won't rust between now and when I can get them done. Difficult job and I couldn't get in everywhere with the normal spray gun, especially with the wind. I ended up using an "engine cleaning gun" with a long nozzle on it that I could stick right in there. Not pretty but it got the paint on where I wanted it and everywhere else.
Most important job now is to get the nice new suspension bushes into the Green Jeep, so I can stop scaring myself and everybody else with random directional changes. Got some heavy duty Rubicon brand ones this time. We'll see how those go.
The petrolhead giraffe is back eating the MWFD's shrubs over the fence. (That's a 10' fence he's leaning over.) He looks none the worse from his fight apart from a gash across his nose.
PETROLHEAD TAKING OUT A BOHENIA SHRUB.
HIS THREE WIVES. (THEY'RE A BIT SHY AND DON'T COME UP REAL CLOSE.)
We are totally in-the-bush here. Nice.
I can feel the hangover all the way here! That Stone Brewing stuff is great. The MWFD brought me a bottle oftheir "Delicious IPA" a few weeks ago when she came back from a trip to the States. Loved it. Castaway is on the list for March/April.
I'm very fortunate that the main FJ45 guy in the country is so close. The guys who used to be the biggest are 600km away, but the business is apparently not doing well. I had a great time getting into all the stuff he has. Nice young guy and a true enthusiast. I'm working on him to get his inventory on computer and get an on line shop going. He has lots of stuff but only he knows where it might be or where he is sure he once saw one. You can't turn over inventory efficiently like that.
Post a pic and I'll have a look for it when next I'm down there. Not many FJ40's here, but they may have them somewhere else in the 45's. Kobus has a 40 and it is unlikely that he will retain his if it still has it. There is also a LHD 40 in town that may have and that I may be able to get.
The only cruiser work I got done was to spray - and I use the word with very, very loosely - into and onto the sandblasted doors. The wind was blowing. The gun wasn't working properly. The operator was flustered, grumpy and in one of those kack-handed days when one should not do anything but drink beer. But I had to get some paint on. Runs all over the place.
Sandblast revealed very little rust. One door has no rust on it at all, the other minimal amount.
ON THE OUTSIDE.
INSIDE.
THE RESULTANT MESS. (THE OTHER SIDE DOESN'T LOOK MUCH BETTER)
But at least they have a good layer of paint in every nook and crannie and won't rust between now and when I can get them done. Difficult job and I couldn't get in everywhere with the normal spray gun, especially with the wind. I ended up using an "engine cleaning gun" with a long nozzle on it that I could stick right in there. Not pretty but it got the paint on where I wanted it and everywhere else.
Most important job now is to get the nice new suspension bushes into the Green Jeep, so I can stop scaring myself and everybody else with random directional changes. Got some heavy duty Rubicon brand ones this time. We'll see how those go.
The petrolhead giraffe is back eating the MWFD's shrubs over the fence. (That's a 10' fence he's leaning over.) He looks none the worse from his fight apart from a gash across his nose.
PETROLHEAD TAKING OUT A BOHENIA SHRUB.
HIS THREE WIVES. (THEY'RE A BIT SHY AND DON'T COME UP REAL CLOSE.)
We are totally in-the-bush here. Nice.
I can feel the hangover all the way here! That Stone Brewing stuff is great. The MWFD brought me a bottle oftheir "Delicious IPA" a few weeks ago when she came back from a trip to the States. Loved it. Castaway is on the list for March/April.
I'm very fortunate that the main FJ45 guy in the country is so close. The guys who used to be the biggest are 600km away, but the business is apparently not doing well. I had a great time getting into all the stuff he has. Nice young guy and a true enthusiast. I'm working on him to get his inventory on computer and get an on line shop going. He has lots of stuff but only he knows where it might be or where he is sure he once saw one. You can't turn over inventory efficiently like that.
Post a pic and I'll have a look for it when next I'm down there. Not many FJ40's here, but they may have them somewhere else in the 45's. Kobus has a 40 and it is unlikely that he will retain his if it still has it. There is also a LHD 40 in town that may have and that I may be able to get.
- Thread starter
- #143
Looking at the Landy (Can't see the plates though) I suspect you're an ex neighbour from the north? The fact that you're wearing socks mitigates against that conclusion though. If you are one of Mad Bobs lost children, I'm sure the pic below will resonate with you...
SUPPLY RUN. (ALL DRESSED UP FOR TOWN.)
Ja, not an unusual sight. This was outside La Bamba - real traditional Portuguese run general dealer in Hoedspruit. I chatted to the guy. A real bush man. 3 hrs to get to town. Has had the vehicle for about 20 years and has no other. Travels all over Southern Africa with it.
What's an air hammer??? (Just joking!)
We love living among the animals. It is very dry at the moment and we are a little green oasis, which brings them in and because they are so hungry and thirsty they lose much of their natural fear of humans. Added to that the MWFD makes like USAID and feeds them treats. (Mineral lick and game pellets) (All us Africans know about the benefits USAID brings us. No need to work and a full belly on your taxes!!!)
We don't have squirrels as nice as yours. I go nuts over them when I'm there and everybody thinks I'm a nut case for liking them. We have the monkeys here for that irritation and our visitors can never understand why we hate the "cute little monkeys."
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Rhodesian by birth.. Still name some family up there. My folks left in the mid 60s. I get back there for a few weeks every year. The Portuguese make some good peri peri up that way. My people are mostly PHs in the Zambezi valley or down Limpopo way.
Your wife got it right. If I we're a young man with a do-over, I'd be there now, but I would have also been a teenager during the bush war ass my cousins are/were. As couple didn't make it, Zimbo's make a plan, and they will never leave.
On a side note, I drove the Garden Route in SA last fall. Bloody nice country. Cheers, keep us posted! Sub'd
Your wife got it right. If I we're a young man with a do-over, I'd be there now, but I would have also been a teenager during the bush war ass my cousins are/were. As couple didn't make it, Zimbo's make a plan, and they will never leave.
On a side note, I drove the Garden Route in SA last fall. Bloody nice country. Cheers, keep us posted! Sub'd
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BTW, this Mukiwa wears his shorts too long and his socks too high.
Neat Landy, but I must admit I was a bit shocked that you'd have a Heep.... I thought you had better taste 
I actually verified "Heep" - my wife's Heep had to go to the dealership for a leaking thermostat housing (21,000 miles), and I got a ride back with their company driver. He (the driver) is an immigrant from the south, and as we were talking I referred to her car as a heap. He started giving me grief, so I said "okay, how do you say Jesus?" "Heysus", "they why" I asked "isn't Jeep Heep?" he had nothing - though he thought it quite funny.
I actually verified "Heep" - my wife's Heep had to go to the dealership for a leaking thermostat housing (21,000 miles), and I got a ride back with their company driver. He (the driver) is an immigrant from the south, and as we were talking I referred to her car as a heap. He started giving me grief, so I said "okay, how do you say Jesus?" "Heysus", "they why" I asked "isn't Jeep Heep?" he had nothing - though he thought it quite funny.
- Thread starter
- #147
Ja, but there's no mistaking. The shorts are indeed too long and there should be no socks and shoes only on very special occasions.
The bush war time was the best and the worst of times even down here. With the way our crime is now it was certainly safer here then, even at the height of our troubles, than it is now. I never thought we'd go the way of Zim, but we are and rapidly. I have been fortunate to live here at the time I did. But it's going. Very sad really. But, as you know and say, once you're an African nowhere else is good enough. We hang in.
Neat Landy, but I must admit I was a bit shocked that you'd have a Heep.... I thought you had better taste
I actually verified "Heep" - my wife's Heep had to go to the dealership for a leaking thermostat housing (21,000 miles), and I got a ride back with their company driver. He (the driver) is an immigrant from the south, and as we were talking I referred to her car as a heap. He started giving me grief, so I said "okay, how do you say Jesus?" "Heysus", "they why" I asked "isn't Jeep Heep?" he had nothing - though he thought it quite funny.
I have been a Jeep fanatic since i was a little boy and have owned a number of them. My all time favourite is the "Green Jeep" (2000 WJ GC with 3.1td VM engine.) It has been all over Africa. Serious off roading at times. The only problems I have had in 600 000km were as a direct result of shoddy work by the dealerships. The comfort for long 14hr days of hard driving over bad roads is unsurpassed. I love it and keep it going, but engine spares are no longer available and all other spares here cost a fortune. Only major problem was the turbo that packed up at about 450 000km. I use it for everything including as a general farm truck.
Yesterday's control arm bushes saga is a prime example. I ordered bushes from Quadratec in the USA. $99 in total plus $123 for shipping. Only 8 days to get here. Only problem, the front lower control arm bushes were wrong, despite Quadratec confirming before order which the correct part numbers were. So I was forced to order two complete arms locally. $129 each plus freight $20. It will take 2 weeks to get them here if I'm lucky.
The MFWD felt it was getting too old, so I bought a WK GC 3.0 CRD. (Mercedes Turbo'd 3.0 engine) "the Grey Jeep" at the beginning of the year. Now that's a heap. Uncomfortable. Hard seats, even harder suspension, poor ground clearance. Not suitable for gravel roads let alone off roading. It's a real girly car. I'm thinking of replacing it with the new Ford Ranger double cab early next year.
Land Rover is of course another story. They look the part - all rugged overlanding macho etc. But with a Landy you can never go further from home than you're prepared to walk back. We do have a 1960's series 2 game viewer we use on the farm - now that, is bad taste.
There are some differences in those clips - some of the later 45 series were incorporated into the jack extension rod storage clips , sort of an all-in-one type . The ones for a 40 and some 45's are affixed with two screws - those are the ones I'm after .
The biggest thing to look for is the two screw holes that hold the clip to the body or in the above jack mount - there are 3 in total .
One of the most unobtanium parts out there for sure ...
Sarge
The best thing that happened to Jeep was Hummer - it forced them to get their act together. Now that they're owned by yet another brand whose quality is crap... it doesn't bode well for them.
So true about Landies - Toyota bought the motor from GM and stole the axles/design from Land Rover, and the suspension from Jeep. What amazes me, though, is rather then saying "hmm, that's a better way of doing things" the Americansl simply kept making worse vehicles... the arrogance of that is pretty amazing. Of course, the English, not be be outdone by the Americans, looked at what the Japanese were doing and said "we can do worse then that." And they did.
In any case, enough of my rambling, carry on good sir.
So true about Landies - Toyota bought the motor from GM and stole the axles/design from Land Rover, and the suspension from Jeep. What amazes me, though, is rather then saying "hmm, that's a better way of doing things" the Americansl simply kept making worse vehicles... the arrogance of that is pretty amazing. Of course, the English, not be be outdone by the Americans, looked at what the Japanese were doing and said "we can do worse then that." And they did.
In any case, enough of my rambling, carry on good sir.
Subscribed. Dagha Boy just a word of advice on the Ford.
Ford is only outselling the Hilux because the new shape Hilux is going to be released soon. I live in East London, There was a farmer here who took his Ranger back to the dealer and walked back to his farm. Getting the press and social media involved on how crap the truck is.
He demanded his money back.
Get yourself a Prado 150 you will never look back. For where you live get the T.X.
Ford is only outselling the Hilux because the new shape Hilux is going to be released soon. I live in East London, There was a farmer here who took his Ranger back to the dealer and walked back to his farm. Getting the press and social media involved on how crap the truck is.
He demanded his money back.
Get yourself a Prado 150 you will never look back. For where you live get the T.X.
- Thread starter
- #151
Hey Sarge
You'll probably want to kick my arse, but I cut those off mine because I'm going to mount the stuff on the back of the passenger seat. On the vehicles here that I have seen, mine included, they are rivetted to the back wall of the tub. I had to grind the heads off the rivets to get them off... I'll dig in the garbage bag and rescue them for you and bring them over in April. Steve has a couple of really scrap tubs lying at his shop and I'll see if I can collect some more there. I've never seen a jack holder like that. I will certainly now keep an eye out. What year models had those?
Mine had brackets on the left front of the firewall in the engine bay for the jack. I moved that inside as I think a jack stowed there is an easy steal. I don't know that they were there originally or whether this one had been moved there by an earlier PO.
SPG.
Ja, unfortunately the 2005 onwards GCs with the German influenced "Mercedes" seats and rock hard "Porche" suspension are in my opinion a wrong turn. Also all the totally unnecessary gadgetry for the sake of gadgetry irritates the hell out of me every time I have to drive it. May as well just get an ML, or an Evoque or some other mall crawler.
Something that I found striking is the far greater ruggedness of the LC frame and suspension compared to the CJ Jeeps. I rebuilt a '77 CJ7 4 years ago and it was really flimsy compared to the Dagha Boy. Granted the 45 is built as a load carrier but the 40 which is more comparable to the CJ is built with exactly the same ruggedness.
THE BLUE JEEP. (BEFORE)
AFTER. (LOOK MA, NO ROLL BAR)
Howzit Grant. Slummies! My old home town in the 60s and 70s. Some seriously lekker off roading there on your doorstep. Ja, I have heard some mutterings about the Ranger. I don't buy easily and tend to be brand loyal. Jeep is out now after 15 years I'm afraid. The Prado is definitely a consideration and I agree the TX is close to ideal for my purposes.
You'll probably want to kick my arse, but I cut those off mine because I'm going to mount the stuff on the back of the passenger seat. On the vehicles here that I have seen, mine included, they are rivetted to the back wall of the tub. I had to grind the heads off the rivets to get them off... I'll dig in the garbage bag and rescue them for you and bring them over in April. Steve has a couple of really scrap tubs lying at his shop and I'll see if I can collect some more there. I've never seen a jack holder like that. I will certainly now keep an eye out. What year models had those?
Mine had brackets on the left front of the firewall in the engine bay for the jack. I moved that inside as I think a jack stowed there is an easy steal. I don't know that they were there originally or whether this one had been moved there by an earlier PO.
SPG.
Ja, unfortunately the 2005 onwards GCs with the German influenced "Mercedes" seats and rock hard "Porche" suspension are in my opinion a wrong turn. Also all the totally unnecessary gadgetry for the sake of gadgetry irritates the hell out of me every time I have to drive it. May as well just get an ML, or an Evoque or some other mall crawler.
Something that I found striking is the far greater ruggedness of the LC frame and suspension compared to the CJ Jeeps. I rebuilt a '77 CJ7 4 years ago and it was really flimsy compared to the Dagha Boy. Granted the 45 is built as a load carrier but the 40 which is more comparable to the CJ is built with exactly the same ruggedness.
THE BLUE JEEP. (BEFORE)
AFTER. (LOOK MA, NO ROLL BAR)
Howzit Grant. Slummies! My old home town in the 60s and 70s. Some seriously lekker off roading there on your doorstep. Ja, I have heard some mutterings about the Ranger. I don't buy easily and tend to be brand loyal. Jeep is out now after 15 years I'm afraid. The Prado is definitely a consideration and I agree the TX is close to ideal for my purposes.
- Thread starter
- #152
Yesterday I decided to patch up the hack job on the "new" transmission cover so that I could determine how to cut the old one to patch the new one. Unfortunately I did not take a picture before I started the job. The metal that had been cut had been bent away and quite tightly folded in on itself by who ever had done the hacking.
Any way, I started off by roughly bending it back and then found I had to tack it in a few places to get it to stay put to work with.
ROUGHLY BENT BACK INTO SHAPE
Got the Chinaman out and once I started tacking I decided to practice welding a bit and proceeded to put a bit more care and effort into it, getting it all nicely lined up etc.
RESULT OF THE PRACTISING.
It came out so nicely that I've decided not to cut up the old cover but to rather keep it intact in case somebody else is prepared to do its edges that are all rusted. I think the Chinaman and I can get this one fixed OK. That's today's job. I'm learning how to go at the metal work a bit at a time. It was not possible to get it all perfectly aligned in one go and then weld it. I discovered that I had to bend it quite far out of alignment at one end in order to get the other end where it should be, then tack it there, align another bit,, tack that etc and then I could line it up bit by bit to near perfect and tack the other end, then take the hammer and dolly to it and get it very close to what I want it to be It amazes me how the metal stretches and deforms where one does not expected it to have done so and that once bent out of shape it is not just a simple matter of bending it back. Bending it back seems to create its own changes and deformation.
Any way, I started off by roughly bending it back and then found I had to tack it in a few places to get it to stay put to work with.
ROUGHLY BENT BACK INTO SHAPE
Got the Chinaman out and once I started tacking I decided to practice welding a bit and proceeded to put a bit more care and effort into it, getting it all nicely lined up etc.
RESULT OF THE PRACTISING.
It came out so nicely that I've decided not to cut up the old cover but to rather keep it intact in case somebody else is prepared to do its edges that are all rusted. I think the Chinaman and I can get this one fixed OK. That's today's job. I'm learning how to go at the metal work a bit at a time. It was not possible to get it all perfectly aligned in one go and then weld it. I discovered that I had to bend it quite far out of alignment at one end in order to get the other end where it should be, then tack it there, align another bit,, tack that etc and then I could line it up bit by bit to near perfect and tack the other end, then take the hammer and dolly to it and get it very close to what I want it to be It amazes me how the metal stretches and deforms where one does not expected it to have done so and that once bent out of shape it is not just a simple matter of bending it back. Bending it back seems to create its own changes and deformation.
- Thread starter
- #153
Aaaaaah. The job is done! Goes a bit smoother and a bit easier every time you do it.
READY FOR SANDBLAST AND PAINT.
READY FOR SANDBLAST AND PAINT.
US market clips of both jack rods and starting handle were a bit different than other markets . The only key to finding ones that will fit existing holes in the tub is that the two holes for mounting are inline - not offset .
This thread seriously details all the info about these no longer available parts - FJ-Series OEM Jack Reference . Latest page has the info about the clips and years/models covered .
Sarge
This thread seriously details all the info about these no longer available parts - FJ-Series OEM Jack Reference . Latest page has the info about the clips and years/models covered .
Sarge
78fj40mg
TLCA #23510
Excellent patching/welding work!
- Thread starter
- #156
I read the thread last night. Fascinating stuff. I'm going to keep my eyes pealed for such bits in future. In about '67 my Oldman gave me a toolkit from a dump truck he had bought for the farms. It was identical to that in post #64 of the jack reference thread. I managed to hold on to it until about 5 years ago when it got liberated during a burglary. If I remember correctly it was dark green in colour - didn't stay that way long - I painted it red with black handles and clips to match a '63 Karmann Ghia I got a few years later. I also lined the inside with out door carpeting. Very smart to me at the time, but sacrilegious when I think about it now.
Did some "dumpster diving" this morning and recovered the 5 clips I chucked. I'll bring them over next year.
Holes are in line. 4.5mm diam 18mm centres.
CLIPS.
BAGGED AND TAGGED.
Thanks Mike. I've got a long way to go. The irony is that when I get there the build will probably be over. The only solution to that is of course to do another one...
You , my friend - are my new hero 
. I'm still working on making/testing the starting handles , figuring out alloy types and best process to bend the shape since they used 2 different radii , arggh . My intention is to someday offer a full kit - starting handle/clips/bumper guide . I've had the bumper guides out for some time now - one has your name on it if you want ...
Sarge
. I'm still working on making/testing the starting handles , figuring out alloy types and best process to bend the shape since they used 2 different radii , arggh . My intention is to someday offer a full kit - starting handle/clips/bumper guide . I've had the bumper guides out for some time now - one has your name on it if you want ...Sarge
- Thread starter
- #158
You , my friend - are my new hero
Sarge
Thanks, Sarge. You never know, the next one may have an F engine, then I'll take you up on the offer. Being able to source what you want in one place is indeed convenient, especially with internet buying.
An example I'm dealing with now. I need all the plastic inserts and clips for my doors... We don't have parts suppliers like you guys do over here, so I can't walk into a parts store and hunt around for the right ones. There is a wholesaler that sells them, but they only have 6 retail branches in total. Nearest one to me is 600km away. I'm going to have to find one of their reps and will then probably find you can only get in packs of 50. I need 22 of the one kind, 22 clips (door cards) and 10 of the other kind.(inner door handle and pull strap.) Steve has all the parts to do up the doors, but none of these. I want to suggest to him that he makes up little packets with all the clips and inserts for a door and has the damn stuff available. People need it and will buy it, especially if he gets his online shop up and going. One click and you have them!
I've been quiet this week, but not totally idle. Temperature has been sitting on 100F since the weekend. I start early around 5:30 in the morning when the temp is around 80F and by 10:00 when it reaches 90 I have to call it a day, so it is effectively half-day working and pretty uncomfortable at that. I finished the transmission cover this morning.
CLEANED UP AND GETTING A BIT OF FILLER.
SMOOTHED OFF AND UNDERCOATED.
BED LINER ON
GOOD AS NEW.
The partial fruits of 3 day's work. I finally got the Grren Jeep back on the road, but not without having to go in to town to get new bushes turned for the track bar. The local auto shop that installed new ones a month ago used old worn bolts 11mm into the new 13mm bushes. I discovered this when I checked everything after installing the new control arms. Lots of play. Had new metal inserts turned for them and replaced the bolt with new ones. No longer scary to drive it. The repair shop's excuse... Sorry we didn't notice... Amazing!!! About a year ago these same clowns forgot to put the nut on a tie rod end on the Discovery. I drove home in Friday afternoon traffic at my normal 120kph on the tar. Within 500m of hitting the gravel it popped out and I went straight up a bank nearly rolling it in the process.
- Thread starter
- #159
I have about got to the end of stripping, de-rusting and repainting all the little pieces. I think about everything is done now. The last few pieces were the driver's side seat sliders and frame. As I stripped every piece off the vehicle, I prepped it in this way.
Because I am not in a position to have all these pieces sandblasted, I had to make another plan. I spent quite some time on the internet researching and eventually decided on an acid bath system, using hydrochloric acid. Depending on the part and the original paint finish the pieces spent anything from an hour to a few days in the solution. Often I had to scrape parts of the paint off with a knife and then return it to the acid to speed things up, often repeatedly.
Once cleaned of all paint and rust, each part was rinsed under running water, then soaked in Deoxydene for a while, then rinsed under running water and placed in a bath of water with a touch of ammonia, and then hand dried thoroughly with a cloth before being sprayed with etch primer. The reason for using ammonia is that it prevents flash rusting as long as you dry the piece immediately.
It is a painfully slow and not very pleasant process, but the results are really good. If you are careful you get a really nice smooth surface with no pitting like from sandblasting.
Something I noticed was that those patches of paint that were really, really hard to get off, had always been applied over flash rust at the factory. You can see this old rust film under the paint when you eventually get it off by mechanical means. It appears that the bond is much stronger than where it went down on un flash rusted metal. It could also be I guess that the areas that were not flash rusted at the time were perhaps oily... it's a mystery.
AMMONIA USED.
BUCK NAKED AND READY FOR PAINT.
UNDERCOATED
FINAL COAT AND GOOD AS NEW
AND UP CLOSE
The seat slides were so rusted and gummed up, I couldn't get them loose with a 2lb hammer. There was evidence that somebody before me had tried the same method a lot less gently than I had and also failed. After their bath both slides operate freely and easily. They'll be even better with a bit of lubricant.
Although this method has worked well for me and I am happy with the results I do NOT recommend it. It is nerve wracking to work with the stuff. Nasty.
From what I have read using an electrolysis bath with a very weak solution of caustic soda is a much safer and better system. I intend rigging one up for the next LC. Big enough to do everything but the chassis, tub and load bed.
Because I am not in a position to have all these pieces sandblasted, I had to make another plan. I spent quite some time on the internet researching and eventually decided on an acid bath system, using hydrochloric acid. Depending on the part and the original paint finish the pieces spent anything from an hour to a few days in the solution. Often I had to scrape parts of the paint off with a knife and then return it to the acid to speed things up, often repeatedly.
Once cleaned of all paint and rust, each part was rinsed under running water, then soaked in Deoxydene for a while, then rinsed under running water and placed in a bath of water with a touch of ammonia, and then hand dried thoroughly with a cloth before being sprayed with etch primer. The reason for using ammonia is that it prevents flash rusting as long as you dry the piece immediately.
It is a painfully slow and not very pleasant process, but the results are really good. If you are careful you get a really nice smooth surface with no pitting like from sandblasting.
Something I noticed was that those patches of paint that were really, really hard to get off, had always been applied over flash rust at the factory. You can see this old rust film under the paint when you eventually get it off by mechanical means. It appears that the bond is much stronger than where it went down on un flash rusted metal. It could also be I guess that the areas that were not flash rusted at the time were perhaps oily... it's a mystery.
AMMONIA USED.
BUCK NAKED AND READY FOR PAINT.
UNDERCOATED
FINAL COAT AND GOOD AS NEW
AND UP CLOSE
The seat slides were so rusted and gummed up, I couldn't get them loose with a 2lb hammer. There was evidence that somebody before me had tried the same method a lot less gently than I had and also failed. After their bath both slides operate freely and easily. They'll be even better with a bit of lubricant.
Although this method has worked well for me and I am happy with the results I do NOT recommend it. It is nerve wracking to work with the stuff. Nasty.
From what I have read using an electrolysis bath with a very weak solution of caustic soda is a much safer and better system. I intend rigging one up for the next LC. Big enough to do everything but the chassis, tub and load bed.
2fpower
SILVER Star
Electrolysis is really easy and kinda fun. My kids help me set it up and watch it do the magic.
Hardest part is finding a big plastic tub and you must have an old fashioned battery charger that does not have a brain.
When escavating, I found a pipe wrench that was so rusted you could barely make out what it was. After a couple days in the bath, it worked like new. I powdercoated it and use it regularly.
Hardest part is finding a big plastic tub and you must have an old fashioned battery charger that does not have a brain.
When escavating, I found a pipe wrench that was so rusted you could barely make out what it was. After a couple days in the bath, it worked like new. I powdercoated it and use it regularly.
