1974 Daimler Double-Six VDP (higher axle stands)

70F isn't particularly warm..
70C would be a lot better!
I doubt you'd find a fish tank heater that gets that hot though as you generally aren't trying to boil them!

What about a sous vide controller?

that barn fuse box scares me
Screwfix £70 with built in RCD and all the breakers

I've picked up one of these units to replace my old cartridge one.

If this method fails, you could try MIG or arc-welding a thick (say, 1/4") steel strip to the side of the head stud(s), to be able to get good leverage on it (add a length of scaffold tube or similar if necessary), and the welding heat would help release the stud...

Thanks for the input above guys. I will respond to them IDC but I'm pretty sure I've been getting my Fahrenheit and Celsius confused. There's not been any progress on all that anyway as I'm busy stripping rust off my front suspension parts and painting them.


This is something I never thought I'd do as imagined it was way too big a job but I'm busy doing it to the rear subframe etc from my old Mondeo and the bits are all off the VDP anyway so it's ideal time to do it. The VDP bits are much less corroded than my (2004) Ford bits and some of them could probably just be cleaned by hand with a wire-brush but, since I'm happily doing the electrolysis thing in my big tank, all of them are being done this way.

Some of you may remember the IRS-cage was powdercoated years ago and has rust popping out on it already so I'm not wasting any more time & money carting parts to the powdercoaters. I'm painting them myself. The Mondeo bits were originally going to be done in just Epoxy Mastic but I'm now convinced this stuff is useless so am going over all that with Glasurit 801-72, which is an Epoxy primer. It's much more like paint than the mastic. With the VDP bits I'm skipping the mastic and starting with the Glasurit EP and will be top-coating it all with 2K black gloss.

my thread on 2K here

There are loads of little bits n pieces on the front suspension but I was pleased to get the subframe in the tank. It doesn't quite fit fully in: one corner pokes out but it does give a good opportunity to show the difference, in rust, from one side to the other after a day or two in the tank. Most of the subframe was covered in oil and is .'. rust-free but the outer bits were quite rusty (the bits that sit outside the inner-wings).



one Jag part got mastic on it whilst doing Mondeo bits



whole front subframe nearly fits in electrolysis tank




wishbone and small suspension part after electrolysis and wire-brushing



part of subframe that has not been cleaned yet



other side after electrolysis and wire-brushing



front springs and small part done in Glasurit 801-72




driveshaft UJ covers mastic'd some time ago got the Glasurit on top

That's good stuff not heard of that before. It looks like a plasticky type coating. Great progress.

So am doing a bit more electrolysis and painting. Something went wrong with the electrolysis when I tried to do the missed bit of the front subframe. After a couple of days in the tank it was exact same. This posed a problem as you need to do quite a bit of work after the electrolysis before you can paint. You need to dry it and clean all the residue off and them you want to get paint on it before the part flash-rusts.

Well it took a long time to do all that the 5/6ths or so of the subframe that was clean and I had EP mixed up so I sprayed most of it and left the rusty bit bare. Went back tonight and re-dipped just the rusty and and a few more parts.

I also made a bit of a mess of the EP but it was only a 1st, thin, coat, so it's no big deal. Basically I'm using a gravity-fed gun and mixing the paint in the cup. The EP is pretty thick and am putting that in first then adding the activator and thinners but a little blob of the unmixed EP is going into the body of the gun and it's too thick to spray so you add more thinners and turn the fluid screw up to max till you can spray then when you get to the 'correctly-mixed' stuff it's too thin. Next time I'll be mixing in a different cup or something.

I was really disappointed to find 1 part I'd sprayed before and put in boot (so no direct condensation getting on it) seemed to be weeping water. None of the other parts were doing this but I am seeing it under the wheelarches of my Mondeo that I recently mastic'd and stonechipped. I've heard of weeping statues but ffs weeping metal!!

It was on one of the spring platforms. I was getting the other one ready to dip tonight. Just cleaning grease and flaking rust off so the electrolysis has less to do. Will make sure I get more paint on that when time comes (and re-do the other one).

Also got some other parts prepped. Things like the gearbox mounts and brake shields.

Am also trying to separate the stub-axles from the carriers/knuckles. Wasn't quite sure where the casting ended and the stub-axle started so didn't go overboard with the press in-case I was actually pressing on the wrong bit but after checking pics online tonight I can see I'm doing it correctly so will up the ante next visit. It's just for painting purposes so could prob mask things instead but you know how it is




subframe partially painted as electrolysis needs done again on one end




wonder what this stamping on subframe meant



this clownfish didn't get stripped



pic shows tidemark of stripped area, on heavily rusted section, v un-stripped



back in the tub to try again



there was actual water coming out of the metal on one previously-painted part



more bits to be refurbed




2nd spring-pan ready to go in tub




gearbox mount was in oily environment so no rust on majority of surface...



...apart from a little on one side



think I'll need a new rubber damper thingy




another part of gearbox mount in good condition. has a little rust but interestingly some wear/damage suggesting box was loose perhaps



was not sure where the interface between stub-axle and carrier was





this tube was good fit for something to press carrier against and axle to go into



I backed-off when nothing moved after this amount of pressure put on it

could you not borrow a bbq and do the same ?

5 of them are sheared off/badly corroded. There are pics back in posts around Feb 2018. All 20 were damaged to some extent as I welded nuts to them to remove them. This was done to get the heads off without buying a jacking-plate. 15 came out and 5 didn't. In hindsight I could say I should've done it the other way but there are people who have jacked the heads off and still chosen to replace the studs and it hasn't been easy - even with lots of money and an engineering-shop involved



studs are quite weak from corrosion

Yes, some vans are still available for hire, here in Canterbury, at least.