Thread: Defender: Seat and Battery Box Repair / Insulation

Bit of rainy weekend, so not a lot of seat box action to report.

I've got the underside of the seat box nice and clean. I took off the nuts/plates that the seats bolt onto as I will not tolerate any steel on aluminium. They were tacked in place with a small rivet, I will tack them back on after I lay down a bitumen barrier.

Seams all sealed up with Sikaflex.



Next up - a layer of foil faced bitumen stuff, aka dynamat.

I should probably stop ending posts with 'next up....'

Some progress over the weekend:

Repair the corroded section of pillar (also notice the bracket in the background, more work to be revealed!).


For replacement aluminium, might as well use the old seat box panels.



One for driver side and one for passenger



Started to clean up the passenger side pillar of all surface corrosion, ready for the replacement panel..... but curiosity sent me on a tangent.... I removed the bracket in the background holding the tub to the chassis - and found this fella:


Completely munched! Checked the mounting bracket in the center but fortunately ok - just a bit surface corrosion




So that's what happens when you bolt steel to aluminium and let them go at it for 25 years! Without removing the seatbox or anything, the brackets are fairly easy to get at and remove. Seeing as Landrover consider a coat of paint to be enough separation, you may want to check and isolate your chassis to body brackets sooner rather than later.

Whilst trying to ignore the screaming fella in the background, I got back on with the pillar fix. Bit of sikaflex:



The repair section then stuck and riveted into place:


Screaming fella gagged with some bitumen tape:


Blindfolded with some neoprene foam


Locked away for good:

The tub to chassis brackets, wire brush, zinc prime and back to black.










something more interesting than painted brackets? errr.... cat in the box



maybe not....

fine, back to brackets.

Bitumen taped (ooohhh yea )


Brackets back on, uglier, but better than new. No more aluminium munching!




What I like about using bitumen as a gasket is that it coats the bolts as you push them through, separating them from contact with the panel and locking your nuts. For steel washers, I'm having a go with neoprene gaskets.




Well that's that, up next ....

I went with dynamat for a base layer. There are cheaper options but seeing as it will be suspended underneath the seatbox with foam attached - better not skimp.

Unfortunately dynamat have changed from a heat reflecting silver skin to a black one. This new stuff is thinner and sticks to the wax paper when even slightly warm. I used the old stuff on a 30 degree day and had no issues.

Anyway:


Decided to cover only the panels that separate from the cabin, with exception of the inner side of the battery box which I've covered to reflect transmission/exhaust heat away from the batteries.

The seat box took 3 sheets so a Dynamat 'Trunk Kit' (5 sheets) should be enough to cover the seat box, floor panels and transmission tunnel.

Got hold of some heavy weight 25mm thick insulation -> Foil | Foam | Vinyl | Foam | Stickyness



Slits in first foam and vinyl layer so it rolls flat over the extrusions.



With backing still on, openings marked out with a Stanley knife.



Roll it on, peel n stick, section at a time.


Shiny side up:



The access panels were cut in at 45 degrees to prevent gaps.

This box is going to be a lot heavier going back on!

Manic, Thanks for the post. I'm planning to do the same as you have done to the seatbox on a Series 3 I am rebuilding.

Do you have any feedback on how successful the soundproofing was?

Thanks