1956 Series One Rebuild Project

[ANDYD]

Well, after being inspired by other rebuild projects done by fellow Rover-Lander members I started thinking, wouldn't it be awesome if we all took on at least one old Land Rover and brought it back to life! So when this 1956 "project" came along I thought its time, time for me to bring one back to life ... so the story begins..... (June 2017).
First job was to clear the garage (barely room to swing a cat) then rent a U-Haul trailer and to head up to Logan Lake pick up the old girl.
I wasn't really picking up a Land Rover, more a big pile of misc parts and a chassis, hence a car hauler wouldn't work, so I opted for an enclosed trailer which was just about big enough to squeeze all the random parts, boxes, panels, axels, engine (in multiple parts), gearbox, wheels, etc and slide the door shut.... then back to Richmond we went. I wanted to set my self a reasonable goal for finishing the rebuild, I thought maybe 1 year was a reasonable time, ummm, maybe a little optimistic as I have two other running Land Rovers that often shout out for my time and attention. How about 18 months? We will have to see........

Photo 1 - A trailer full of Land Rover parts!
Photo 2 - A garage full of Land Rover parts!

[ANDYD]

The first step I did was to go through the pile of parts and separate them into 12 Rubbermaid storage bins, marking them up as I went along, Brakes, Steering, Suspension, Engine, Electrical, Heater, etc.. etc .... with the little amount of space I have, I had to be some what organized.
Next step was to get the chassis up on stands (two aluminum saw horses) so I could have a good look at it and decide on what parts needed repairs.

Photo 1 - Sorting and labeling parts.
Photo 2 - Chassis up on stands, ready for inspection

[terayon]

Looks great! Can't wait to see it complete!

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[ANDYD]

The old chassis is surprisingly solid for being 61 years old! There is only bad rust in 3 typical places, (water/mud traps) the Rear cross member, the Gearbox cross member and one of the bulkhead outriggers. These 3 parts will need replacement, the rest of the chassis just has light surface rust and can be brought back to life.
I was surprised to find out that the Series 1 chassis parts are not so easy to find in North America, (lots of places selling Series 2, 2a, 3, but not Series 1) so I decided to order these replacement chassis parts from England.

Photo 1- Too far gone, rear cross member
Photo 2 -Rusty Gearbox cross member, it's gotta go!

[ANDYD]

While I patiently await for chassis parts to arrive, attention is turned to the rest of the chassis. I signed up my son to assist me with removing all the old paint and surface rust. Also removing the old suspension bushings which really, really did not want to part with the chassis! After much swearing and sweating I found the best way to remove them was to force out the inner metal tube with a really big hammer, then using a hacksaw to cut almost through the outer metal tube. Then I used a selection of pullers (and pushers!) to get the rest of the old bushing out. Not a nice job for sure!

Photo 1 - Prepping the chassis, removing old paint and rust
Photo 2 - Using a puller / pusher then a BIG hammer!
Photo 3 - Old bushes (removed) New bushes ready for install.

[rayhyland]

Awesome. Let me know if you need anything.


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[bsa_m21]

Hey Andy,

Looks like you and your son are having fun. Yup, the ONLY way to remove old bushing is as you described. Ah, memories.

FYI - I also have a number of spare parts (pistons, wheel cylinders, trannies, etc.), so let me know before you buy from overseas.

And let me know if/when you need to weld on the new parts. I just finished rebuilding a boat trailer and have run out of metal projects for the moment. (But don't let my wife know!) :bounce:

[ANDYD]

Hey Guys,
Thanks very much for the offers of parts and assistance. I'm sure I will take you up on that as the project progresses. I am actually a little ahead of my postings here as I started this in June/July and I will catch up to real time with my postings over the next few days.

Continuing with chassis prep I decided to remove the pedal shaft as it was looking quite worn. The only way I could get it to move was with a bottle jack! As I was cranking the jack handle I was hoping it would budge before the chassis rail on the opposite side starting moving :shock: thank fully it did. just popped out (friction fit).

Photo #1 - Bottle jack removing the pedal shaft
Photo #2 - New Chassis parts arriving from England

[ANDYD]

Its always a big decision to choose the chassis paint. So many to choose from! I went back and forth and did lots of research, finally decided on POR15. Partly because it has a lot of great reviews and partly because its available locally (Lordco). Its not cheap, but as the old adage goes, you get what you pay for!
I was told over and over that the secret with POR15 performance is to complete all 3 steps. Its basically a 3 step process with the painting being the third step. First is the POR15 degreaser, (then rinse with water) second is the POR15 Metal Prep, (then rinse with water) then when totally dry, the third step is the POR15 paint. I have to say when done correctly you do end up with a really nice hard & even finish. I did a full 2 coats at this stage and may do a third & final coat a bit later.
I did one half of the chassis at a time, mainly due to space around the chassis. I left the 3 chassis parts that needed removing and replacing unpainted and would come back to them after welding.
Still haven't decided on whether the steering relay will come out yet (not a nice job at all!)

Photo #1 - the 3 step POR 15 process for chassis painting.
Photo #2 - one half of the chassis getting the first coat.

[bsa_m21]

Andy,

POR 15 degrades over time when exposed to sunlight. (Don't ask how I know... :( )
You may want to top coat it with a chassis paint such as POR-15 (45904) Top Coat Chassis Black or similar.

[mepham55]

Looks great Andy! Can't wait to see you puting around in an 86"! I used the POR15 system on my truck and I works great. The "metal prep" is just phosphoric acid, you can usually get it at a marine supply shop for quite cheap. As mentioned above ^^ any areas exposed to sunlight for an extend period of time should be top coated.

Matt

[mepham55]

Also forgot to mention, put some plastic over the por15 can before you put the lid back on or else you'll never get the lid off in one piece! Hope I'm not too late with that tip!
Have fun

Matt

[ANDYD]

Good tips, thanks Matt. Yes, I pretty much destroyed the paint lid on the 3rd time of opening.
Martin, I haven't seen that top-coat at Lordco, have you seen it for sale somewhere locally?

With the three new chassis parts in hand it was time to cut off the old rusty bits and prep the area for welding the new parts on. I had read that the chassis can move about a bit when you cut off the rear cross member so I found a long piece of threaded ready-rod and bolted it in place through the Leaf Spring hangers to try and keep everything straight and true. Also took lots of measurements so I could check everything twice before welding the new bits on.

Photo 1 - Old Rear Cross Member cut off, laying besides the new part
Photo 2 - Threaded ready-rod temporary installed in case there is any movement in the LH/RH chassis rails.

[ANDYD]

Getting ready for chassis welding, I started clamping all the pieces together (soon found out, a man can never have enough clamps!)
Also fabricated some steel plates to over-lap and strengthen the new and old parts.
After lots of research and having once had to remove the gearbox out of an old Series 2 through the inside of the cab, one modification (upgrade?) I wanted to do was make the gearbox cross member removal from under the vehicle. This way the gearbox can be dropped out the bottom for gearbox maintenance or new clutch etc, just like my more modern Defender. I fabricated 3 different styles of "brackets" until I decided to go with the ones you see below.

Photo 1 - Clamping the new Rear Cross Member in place to confirm measurments.
Photo 2 - Fabricated over-lap plates to add strength when welded.
Photo 3 - Brackets fabricated for making the Gearbox Cross Member removable.

[ANDYD]

With the chassis now 80% painted it was time to load the chassis onto the trailer and take a visit to a fellow Rover-Lander and good friend who luckily lives near by and has a lovely Welding machine and a good knack for making the metals flow. With all the new bits prepped and clamped in the right places it was time for welding to begin.... finally the chassis would be whole again!

Photo #1 - Chassis 80% painted, loaded and on the move.
Photo #2 - Rear Cross Member clamped and ready to weld.
Photo #3 - Welder doing his magic!

[ANDYD]

Once back in the garage I am able to complete the chassis painting of all the newly welded on bits and I give the whole thing one more coat. I still have to treat the inside of the chassis with some Waxoyl or similar product. I did take the opportunity to paint as far as I could reach on the inside of the box frame legs on the back end while the rear cross member was removed. (also removed an big old mouse nest from inside the chassis :shock: ).
Next I installed 4 new axle bump stops (really just wanted to finally install some new bits lol).
I also dry fitted the Gearbox Cross Member which was now modified to make it removable. I made up some steel tube sleeves to slide on the fixing bolts to ensure they wouldn't crush the cross member when cranked tight.

Photo #1 - Chassis back in the garage and getting a final coat of POR15
Photo #2 - Gearbox Cross Member modification - now removable instead of fixed.

[rayhyland]

Looking great!


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[ANDYD]

Next I turned my focus to the Springs and Axles. The springs had been sent out to be re-arched & re-furbished by the previous owner so I thought may as well go with them rather than purchase new Parabolics.
The front and rear axle casings were treated to a really good clean up and then repainted with POR15. I decided to wait until they are installed before stripping them down as they were a bit heavy and wobbly whilst balanced on the axles stands.

Photo #1 - Axle casing getting cleaned up
Photo #2 - Axle casing with a new coat of paint
Photo #3 - Refurbished Springs ready for installation

[terayon]

Next I turned my focus to the Springs and Axles. The springs had been sent out to be re-arched & re-furbished by the previous owner so I thought may as well go with them rather than purchase new Parabolics.
The front and rear axle casings were treated to a really good clean up and then repainted with POR15. I decided to wait until they are installed before stripping them down as they were a bit heavy and wobbly whilst balanced on the axles stands.

Photo #1 - Axle casing getting cleaned up
Photo #2 - Axle casing with a new coat of paint
Photo #3 - Refurbished Springs ready for installation

Looking great! Love to see the finished product. That will be one tasty Landy.

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[ANDYD]

I bolted one end of the springs to the chassis, then bolted the Axle casings to the springs and then the other end of the springs to the chassis. Using all new bushings, bolts, u-bolts made the job a lot easier.
I left all the fixings a little loose because I read its better that the springs have some load on them before torqueing them all tight.

Photos - Springs and axle casings being installed to the chassis

[ANDYD]

Now that I have the Axle casings secure I could focus on stripping them down for cleaning, inspection and to replace the seals, bearings & the distance pieces. The previous owner had purchased some Britpart seals. I know that the reputation of Britpart seals is not the best, but these looked as good as other brands of seals I have purchased and they are here and at no extra cost so I'm going to use them and see how it goes ....

Photo 1 - Rear & Front Axles - pulling out bearings, seals. Inspecting & cleaning up any reusable parts.
Photo 2 - Rear diff, inspecting bearings and replacing seals.

[ANDYD]

The Distance Pieces had some wear and were a bitch to remove and the new ones needed a shop press to get them installed. The Distance Pieces can get scored and the seals that run on them will start leaking.
There are some good arguments to leaving the axle seals out so the axle oil can run right from one end to the other. I considered the options and decided to refit as per factory install.
My rear axle had what I'm told is a popular modification with the installation of hub spacers. These are 1/2" spacers that allow for the use of Series 2/3 half shafts which are a little longer that Series 1's and still easy to get hold of. Original Series 1's half shafts are very rare and quite expensive.

Photo #1 - Distance Piece - old & new
Photo #2 - Rebuilding, reinstalling
Photo #3 - Brakes and Brake drum all reinstalled (1/2" hub spacer shown with arrow)

[StuartL]

Andy, I am absolutely gob-smacked by this project and your mechanical prowess!! Here I thought you were just a figurehead and now I see you are not mortal but a Land Rover god!

Keep in coming, you'll have the beginning of a masterpiece.

Cheers,

[ANDYD]

Hey Stuart,

Thanks for the words of encouragement, I've been surprised so far, everything has been fairly straight forward, just like a big Mechano Set really, just like we had when we were young ... I have a few challenges with elbow room here, but I remind myself that this little garage is still better than doing this out in the driveway or on the lawn! ha..

Starting pulling a few other parts out of the pile today and discovered those Land Rover Engineers had thought of everything! There is even a nice little toilet seat under the center front seat! Don't even have to stop to use it :shock:

Photo 1 - Center seat toilet lid closed
Photo 2 - Center Seat toilet lid open and ready for action (where is the TP holder?)

[ANDYD]

Back to business, starting stripping down the front axle, I'm determined to have a "rolling chassis" by Halloween!

I pulled the seals and bearings out of the front diff drive and then removed and disassembled the front brakes, bearings, swivel balls etc.. spent some time cleaning out the axle casings (old smelly gear oil!) There appears to be very little play in the main differentials & they are turning very smoothly Much better than my Defender for sure!
The Chrome Swivel Balls, bearings and seals will all need to be changed for new and I will install the Railco bushings "upgrade" when reassembling.

Photo #1 - Stripping down the Front Diff drive seal & bearing
Photo #2 - Stripping down the Swivel Ball casing, seals and wheel bearings