IIA bulkhead advice...best place to buy

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Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

There are a number of issues,
As said before they want all traces of paint and oils removed first, so ideally it would be chemically stripped and then galvanised on the same day it comes out of the caustic.
You want the firewall dipped and inverted inside the bath then removed right way up and then immediately centrifuged. Most hot dip galvanisers don't like the last step because it is time consuming and difficult on large items like a firewall.

In the UK and elsewhere, places that do chemical stripping will also do a phosphate bath and then an electrostatic rust preventative paint bath. Very similar to the priming processes on high end modern cars. Unfortunately I haven't found anywhere in Sydney (or elsewhere in Oz) who do it. I would seriously consider it for both the firewall and door frames if I could.

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Sorry Diana, but most of that is wrong or misleading.

Centrifuges are for small items like wheel rims. I doubt any/many galvanisers would have a centrifuge big enough for a firewall. Btw it is not needed.

There is no need to rotate/invert a firewall in the bath. If there is concern about air pockets it can be dipped upsode down or sideways. (or internal holes drilled).

Likewise there is also no need to galvanise it on "the same day" as any prep work. All galvanisers use an acid/caustic bath before galvanising, followed by a flux bath.

In the case of our 2 firewalls they were sandblasted first. My IIA firewall was in fact sandblasted by BOR as they are now known then left out in the rain to develop a thick layer of surface rust. I then bought it off them and repaired it but had it galvanised complete with surface rust - the prep work at the galvanisers removes that for no extra charge...

It is probably rover people turning up with a ridiculous list of requirements like that which stopped galvanisers accepting firewalls...

Hi Ben

I will accept some of your criticism but not all.

• Sand blasting does not clear out the internal cavities of contaminates that the acid will have insufficient time to remove. The galvanisers only dip for at most a couple or three minutes.
• Unless you invert in the bath you seriously risk an air pocket in the top corners of the "A" pillar, the centre divider and the connections in between. There is no way I would be drilling holes in those areas where rust is currently a major problem.
• Unless you centrifuge or at least spin you get left with big thick lumps of gal that takes mechanical work to remove and leaves obvious tool marks.

1. I also forgot to mention that it is important to choose your galvaniser. Check their work before you contract.
2. Make sure they skim the bath before dipping and removing.
3. Don't get galvanising done in winter or cold, wet days.

I have a 2A Galvanised firewall / Bulkhead in the shed somewhere. Can't remember if it is a six or four cylinder. From memory it has a gap each side in the pedal area which will require a flat blanking piece to cover. Will post some pics in the next couple of days. I've moved on from Series 2A stuff and am now concentrating on series 3's, so may as well sell it. Price will be $500. I'm about 5 mins from the highway at Taree, NSW.

hi all,

i had my firewall and front radiator support panal done just recently and it was no problem. only cost 60 dollars all up and that was with a few smaller bits as well. there was no warpage to be found. so now the series 3 has a galvo chassie and firewall and front panal alll galvo. no more rust for this one . cheers wally.
it was hartways in navel base that did the galvo.:D