Isuzu Trooper Owners Club UK™

Philp · Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 8:47 Post subject:

All the repairs are done to the drivers side chassis now, welding the inner plate was a total PITA and I've got a big burn on my shoulder where a big blob of weld dropped on me whilst welding laying on my back under the car. It ain't the best looking welding bits it's strong. I had to patch the tubular crossmember a little too.

Built my first new bump stop bracket yesterday out of 3mm mild steel strip and some box section I had in my scrap pile, just needs the welds finishing, a little more fettling for a closer fit and then welding on to the chassis. Unfortunately I managed to snap a tip off in the swan neck of the welder after it started mucking me around. The new reel of wire I'd just fitted kept slipping so it wouldn't feed properly so I was getting a horrible weld and lots of burn back. Looks like the feed rollers got oily somehow. So I now need to get a new swan neck before I can finish but the weathers rubbish anyway today.

Should much stronger than the crusty original above, the rubber bit and plate its moulded to are fine, just need a coat of paint before they get bolted back on with new M10 bolts. Pic to follow. After that it's a coat of Hydrate 80 to kill any rust, seam sealer, a coat of Finnegans No 1 and some smoothrite, followed by a good couple of coats of underseal.

Then it's time to start on the other side.
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Phil

96 or is it a 98 Isuzu Bighorn Lotus

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Philp · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 13:55 Post subject:

Drivers side is all done now bar the seam sealing and painting and reassembly. (oh I just need to spot the brake line bracket back on as I had to cut it off for access) New bump stop bracket is on, welding looks a bit pooh as it has taken me ages to get the welder dialed in after a new swan neck and reel of wire for some reason, the wire was dragging too much for the feed rollers so was slipping.

The other side is prepped and the rot cut out and the new plates made up and the bump stop bracket half made so hopefully it'll be all done by the end of the week and back together. I even pulled the badly fitted blowing tailpipe section of the new exhaust and will refit it myself properly after adjusting the last hanger to get a better fit. I've also painted various brackets and mounting plates for the brake bias adjuster etc before they go back on.
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Phil

96 or is it a 98 Isuzu Bighorn Lotus

:::Matski::: · Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 12:52 Post subject:

If you heat it right up then paint it, you will find it will last a lot longer Wink

Another good one is to get the part glowing (with burning gear) then drop it into a bucket filled with waste oil, they don't rust nearly as quick, an oil bluey as we use to call them.

:::Matski::: · Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 12:53 Post subject:

Have you pached it or welded it in flush?

Philp · Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 13:57 Post subject:

A mixture of patches and some flush welded bits, mostly patches. I hope they don't look to closely elsewhere as I noticed one of the body mount outriggers is a bit frilly.

It's all had a coat of Bilt-Hambers Hydrate 80 which is a rust converter followed by two coats of snmooth hammerite followed by a coat of waxoyl based underseal and some dynax anti rust wax inside the chassis so it should easily outlast the rest.
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Phil

96 or is it a 98 Isuzu Bighorn Lotus

Philp · Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 13:59 Post subject:

Oh and I undersealed a load opf other bits of floor and the rear crossmember, the exhaust is back in and fitted properly this time (blooming professionals!) and the new tank is in, just gonna fill her up this afternoon and bleed it all through and get her running again.
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Phil

96 or is it a 98 Isuzu Bighorn Lotus

siweb · ******* Joined: 18 Apr 2004 Posts: 1590

did you find out what the power loss problem was Philp?
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Dafydd Wynn Williams · Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2006 23:01 Post subject:

Further to Matski's point, Thomas Telford, who knew a thing or two about metal and stone, and was responsible for the suspension bridges across the Menai Strait and Conwy river, (World first) specified that the totall hand forged Wrought Iron links in his suspension chains were to be heated to cherry red and doused in linseed oil as a first protection against corrosion. After assembly they were painted with white lead.

Those on the Conwy bridge are the originals, now 180 years old, but the Menai bridge was 'refurbished'? in about 1950 and the original slender triple layer wrought iron chains replaced with bulky steel single layer chains.

Dafydd.

Philp · Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2006 8:33 Post subject:

Si, no firm idea but I'm pretty sure it was down to some red oxide paint from the inside of my jerry can floating around in the tank and blocking the pickup as there was definitely some big flakes in there when I emptied it out. It all went back in through a funnel with a filter in it the lines were all blown out/rubber ones that had gone hard replaced and the filter changed. The only thing left if it carries on is the injector pump but as it got better for a while after it was bled each time I don't think its a pump problem. I think the bleeding just let loose the suction on the pipes and the obstruction dropped off the feed pipe until the next time it got sucked up to it. I can't really take it for a test run as it has no MoT but it seems all right at the moment.

I'm now umming and arring as to whether I dhould just get off my butt and fix this outrigger before it goes in or just disguise it a bit.
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Phil

96 or is it a 98 Isuzu Bighorn Lotus

siweb · ******* Joined: 18 Apr 2004 Posts: 1590

well it is about time you got off your butt and did some work Rolling Eyes

Hope it runs well for you m8, now you've done all that chassis work.

:::Matski::: · Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 9:54 Post subject:

Philp · Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 11:43 Post subject:

Does anyone know if you can buy replacement chassis outriggers from anywhere (main dealer?), mine look pretty horrid, I'm gonna bodge them for the test but really they need replacing. Is my only option getting a local fabrication place to make them up for me as I can't bend 3mm plate into this complex a shape. although I guess I could start with some U shaped channel of roughly the right size. Has anyone else done this at all? Its the body mount outriggers under the rear side doors on a LWB mK 1.
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Phil

96 or is it a 98 Isuzu Bighorn Lotus

:::Matski::: · Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 11:54 Post subject:

I made some out of channel, I just cut it to a wedge shape, if you see what I mean.

I had a go at the bolt though, and it was seized solid.

Might have to drill it out from the top.

I am assuming it is a captive bolt.

Philp · Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 12:16 Post subject:

Where did you get the channel from and what sort of size did you use? I'm guess 3mm wall thickness. I might have to have a measure up and call the metal supermarket and see what they've got. Are you just butting it straight onto the chassis and welding it or have you bent any flanges where it meets? I guess box section would work at a pinch as I could just cut it diagonally.
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Phil

96 or is it a 98 Isuzu Bighorn Lotus

Philp · Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 12:20 Post subject:

Oh I replaced the front body mount bolts and they were just loose normal high tensile bolts. These should be the same. Did you replace the rubbers at the same time or reuse the old ones? Was this done with the body in situe and did you need to jack it up at all or will you just bolt it up and weld it on?
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Phil

96 or is it a 98 Isuzu Bighorn Lotus