Author Topic: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.  (Read 3912 times)

brit plumber

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Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« on: November 07, 2020, 11:47:35 AM »
I’m getting close to the point I’ll be needing to lift the cab windscreen/bulkhead/firewall off the chassis. I’m trying to determine which bolts need to be undone to actually separate it from the frame. Can anyone tell from these poor photos if I’m looking at the correct bolts? 2 on each side.
1942 VEP GPW

Monkeypirate

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Re: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2020, 01:50:16 AM »
Those bolts are the ones you want. Mine mounts both had cracked and I was able to lift the firewall right off the frame. Yours looks like it might be loose...

brit plumber

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Re: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2020, 02:50:43 AM »
Thanks Monkeypirate, the left mount definitely has cracks in it, I’ve not been up close to the right mount yet but there’s a good chance it’s also cracked. Did you re-weld your brackets or fabricate new ones?
1942 VEP GPW

Monkeypirate

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Re: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2020, 06:24:58 AM »
I was planing to reweld them then add a couple gussets to reinforce them. They seem a bit anemic for the wright that sits on them.

coreyelliott

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Re: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2020, 01:24:57 PM »
One of ours was cracked and the other was broken off. We welded up both of ours.

Corey
1941 Autocar M2A1 (M2-13)

spec4don

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Re: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2020, 07:28:59 AM »
Mine were broke both sides, I welded them up and reenforced them as well. There are some good pictures of my firewall on my restoration thread.

Don G

1941 M2A1 not restored
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brit plumber

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Re: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2020, 12:53:03 PM »
I managed to get the rest of the floors out today. I don’t think there’s anything salvageable unfortunately so I’m going to have to either buy another floor or fabricate myself. I did get to look at the right mount and it’s intact. I did notice the windscreen posts are both cracked so I have some repairs to do there.
1942 VEP GPW

brit plumber

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Re: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2020, 11:01:21 AM »
Next question, I was going to lift the whole firewall/windscreen assembly off the frame as one unit but I’ve now decided to drip it all down and remove piece by piece. It would need to be stripped down anyway as theirs some rust issues to sort. So I’m at the point where I’ve got about 4 screws left holding the top armour to the firewall before I can lift the windscreen frame, dash and top armour off the bulkhead. I realised I hadn’t removed all the wiring, cables and connections from the dash through the bulkhead. So would you recommend trying to save anything in case certain things are unobtanium or just cut the lot? Most of it as far as I can see is rusted and not salvageable but if somethings difficult to get hold of, I may persist in removing things.
1942 VEP GPW

Crawford

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Re: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2020, 05:15:09 PM »

There are still some NOS looms available at quite reasonable prices, but failing that Vintage Wiring will make a full harness for you.

Crawford
1943 GPW
1943 Diamond T M3A1

Oxford, England

brit plumber

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Re: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« Reply #9 on: November 28, 2020, 03:31:58 AM »
I’m over in the US next year for 3 months so have a shopping list and will add a wiring loom. What about Bowden cables and things like oil pressure/water temp pipes?
1942 VEP GPW

Smadge

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Re: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« Reply #10 on: November 28, 2020, 08:59:21 AM »
BP,

Rear and engine compartment harnesses are very easy to make yourself. The dash harness is a bit of a mess to make. I lucked out and bought the dash harness  on eBay. The cables and pressure lines are still around.
Paul
1941 M2-232 Autocar (restoring)
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brit plumber

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Re: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« Reply #11 on: November 28, 2020, 12:09:34 PM »
Thanks for the reply, I spent a bit more time on the track today and lifted the windscreen frame and top armour off. I ended up cutting all the Bowden cable as they rusted beyond use, I saved the screened wire for the filter box and the Rev counter but the speedo drive outer broke up so I cut that to.

With that lot removed I then removed the rusted foot board to get to the firewall mounting brackets and confirmed the left mount has completely fractured and does nothing.

By the time I got my last photo is was going dark and by the time I wrapped the track up it was pitch black.
1942 VEP GPW

brit plumber

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Re: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« Reply #12 on: December 23, 2020, 09:03:15 AM »
Because the weather here is how we Brits would describe as “pissing it down”, I decided to do some work on the windscreen frame in the garage. I got the armour removed from the cowl/windscreen using the “weld a nut to the screw” method described on the forum. Had a bit of a laugh at myself though, I used an old nut I had because I’m cheap and didn’t want to use good nuts. I learnt my lesson fast because as soon as I turned the nut, something was undoing. Brilliant I thought, however the nut came undone leaving a perfectly threaded section welded to the screw head. I was completely confused until I noticed a copper colour on the newly threaded weld. The nut had obviously been copper slip greased in its previous use. DOH!!

So using new grade 8 nuts this time I managed to get them all off with ease.

That gave me chance to get the dash board removed and then the instrument box which is rotten. Does anyone do a repro part? It appears to be a commonly rotted part so someone may do them.

I’ve now cut the reinforcement angles off as there’s some serious cracking to repair. They’ve both cracked where they’ve been drilled for the side curtain studs.

1942 VEP GPW

Outsider

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Re: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« Reply #13 on: December 25, 2020, 06:11:18 AM »
Windshield frame cracked in that area is common. Grind out, clean, straighten and weld and will be good as new.
Steve
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brit plumber

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Re: Removing the firewall and bulkhead.
« Reply #14 on: December 31, 2020, 05:09:10 PM »
Almost finished the repair, I just need to re-weld in the stiffeners/doublers and it should be good. Then its the top part of the screen, rust has got between the 2 parts and swollen it up. It looks like the mid Atlantic in a storm surge, waves everywhere.
1942 VEP GPW