Build 86 Xtra Cab Build (4Wheelunderground 3 link front, 4 link rear and 3.4 swap)

[aztoyman]

@ntsqd, here's some more pics of the brazing on the cab. I figured that I better get them for reference before it gets painted. I didn't see this anywhere else on the truck.

 

[88repo]

I used a hammer and dolly to TRY to work that big dent I put in the roof when it fell off my cherry picker. I actually was able to work it from a long narrow but deep gouge to a bowl shape at least. It's slightly elevated but when I tried to work it down, it oil cans. It pops down or back up but it wont go flat. I'm going to have to try the heat and shrink thing on it.

A heat shrink (or two or three) will take care of that o/c'ing no problem. If this is your first attempt at it, plan all your moves out in advance. Things like handing someone the torch or setting it still lit down somewhere fast and safe and getting hammer and dolly into position AFAP. That red dot will cool faster than you can say sh!t and the cooler it gets the less it'll shrink. And when it comes time to smack it, just try to flatten out the pimple like shape it gets from heating. You don't want to hit it so hard on dolly it takes actual thickness out of it. Try it out on some scrap first if you have some.

That brush you got on the Makita buffer... does that leave a decent 80 grit tooth for the epoxy or does it need further scuffing?

 

[aztoyman]

I don't have any help so I'll probably have to lay the torch on the roof and be ready. I saw one video where the guy didn't even hit it. He had wet rags ready. It definitely shrunk it. He still had hammer and dolly work after. I'll do my best and hopefully the filler will cover it.

The brush I'm using is supposed to be an 80 grit equivalent. It's specifically for prep for bed liner.

I'll probably go over it with 80 grit paper to be safe. I'm being more picky with these surfaces than the bottom or the engine bay.

Thanks for the tips. I'll take all I can get.

 

[88repo]

Just for reference, this area of firewall patch had some major oil canning after filling spot weld holes and some straightening, drove me nuts. Think I did 2 or 3 torch-hammer-dolly shrinks before it fully tightened up.

Hopefully the wet rag thing works out.
If not, don't let the thought of hammering red hot metal snowball into thinking you'll have a mess on your hands.

 

[aztoyman]

Nice job .

Thanks for the tips. I watched the Japhands/Make it custom video a few times and saw that it definitely works. So did the wet rag video so I have two methods to try.

If it's too difficult to do this by myself, I'll ask one of the neighbors. I've worked on their Jeeps and I'm sure they'd help if they are available.

Right now my goal is to get the rest of the cab in primer. Except the area of the roof that I have to heat.

Tracking shows the primer getting here tomorrow. It will be too late in the day to spray but I want to be ready to go the next morning.

I'm almost done sanding. I'll wipe it down and start masking off tonight maybe.

 

[aztoyman]

Finally got it in epoxy. I can see why a paint job costs so much. It's a lot of work. I spent a couple days with the nylon brushes getting it to bare metal, a couple days to hit it all with a DA and 80 grit and various tools to get into the roof gutter and seams and had to get into the small areas with rust pits. Then I wiped it all down multiple times with wax & grease remover until the wipes stayed clean.

After my blue paint overspray on my white paint fiasco, I masked off or plugged any and all openings into the cab. I think I spent most of a day just doing that.

It would have been nice to be able to put a finished cab on but the heat is here. This is it for paint and body for a while. It's not perfect. You guys can't see the little imperfections in the pics but I'm completely happy with it. I'll get seam sealer down inside the cowl while access is good.

 

[ntsqd]

If we can't see them in the pics then they don't exist!

 

[aztoyman]

I posted from my phone right after removing all the masking. I'm looking at these pics on my desktop now and the paint looks translucent. Almost like it needs more paint. It must be due to the LED lighting again. I sprayed a light first coat followed by two normal coats and it looks solid white in person.

When this primer dries, it looks like an egg shell surface to me.

 

[bkg]

I posted from my phone right after removing all the masking. I'm looking at these pics on my desktop now and the paint looks translucent. Almost like it needs more paint. It must be due to the LED lighting again. I sprayed a light first coat followed by two normal coats and it looks solid white in person.

When this primer dries, it looks like an egg shell surface to me.

I can see that happening. IIRC, I did one light and three heavy in the OBS bed and I tend to think it needs another coat. White seems to suck at coverage.

 

[aztoyman]

You're right about the white not covering as well as dark primer.
The LED tubes leave dark bands across my pics. It actually has pretty good coverage now. It will get filler in the dents and regular 2K primer over that. Probably a coat of white sealer over that before the top coat.

I started taking down my spray booth today. I'll get back to paint and body again in the late fall.

 

[aztoyman]

Busy day. I got the plastic off the paint booth and stuffed it all in my trash and two neighbor's trash (with permission) and just in time for trash pickup. Disassembled the booth and started moving "stuff" around so I could get back to work. Everyone was at work so it took me an hour to slowly roll the truck up my driveway by myself. I kicked the wheel chocks as I moved forward. I used floor jacks to shift it sideways as I came through the door. Damn I'm a dumbass doing $hit like this but I gotta do what I gotta do.

I still have some reorganizing to do but I think I have the room to get the cab set back on the frame tomorrow. I'll pull the wheels and set it down as low as I can get. Probably the shocks too. I envy you guys with the big workshops.

 

[aztoyman]

I didn't get much time on it yesterday. I did manage to seam seal inside the cowl.

Today I got the cab set on the frame. The shocks are fully extended without much weight on it yet. Man it looks BADDASS.

View attachment 3640260

 

[aztoyman]

Today I did a lot of digging through a lot of parts. I have boxes and bags of parts I saved from two of the 86 Xtra Cabs and my 88 has been getting picked over if the parts I need are better on it.

The firewall insulation pad from this truck is dust and it needs to go on before anything else so I worked on other items so I could at least accomplish something.

I selected the best headlight buckets and FINALLY found the plastic adjusting screw assemblies and plastic inserts that support the buckets. Cleaned and painted them. Cleaned and painted the best hood latch and brace.

Found all the plastic and rubber plugs for the cab floor and frame. Cleaned and installed them. I even had a new grommet and clip for the hood prop rod that I brought a long time ago.

Started mocking up the A/C lines. That's going to be quite the challenge getting around the shock tower. The new parallel flow condenser is not a perfect fit but it should work. Upper mounts are different and slightly off. No attachment points for the hard-line but all workable.

Anyway, gotta have pics. I put the new H4 housings in the fresh headlight buckets.

Lots of parts to select and clean in my future. I have parts on the way and more I need to order.

I'll post up once I make some worthwhile progress. I need to start tearing into the dash on the 88 so I can get my harness out.

 

[aztoyman]

OK, It took me most of the day to get my 88 cab apart but I got'r done. The firewall insulation is in great shape so I wiped it down and installed it.

 

[aztoyman]

I figured now is the time to get to stuff like the parking brake cable, throttle cable and speedo cable. I got them out and they looked good so I cleaned them up and lubed them. The PB cable and speedo cable were both good to go. The plastic clip that retains the throttle cable to the gas pedal crumbled. Same thing happened to the end of the hood release cable. After getting sticker shock over the price of the throttle cable I ended up ordering both from Amayama.

Everything is getting scrubbed clean and lubed. The parking brake handle looks like new and is super smooth now. The 86 and 88 gas pedals were almost identical except for a weight or something on the 86. My 88 looked new after a bath so that what I'm running.

 

[aztoyman]

I need some opinions here. Leave the wire harness as is? (It was running without problems when I parked it)
Or eliminate the unused wires from the engine swap while I'm at this point? IDK if I need to change any wiring to swap in the tilt column with the wiper delay yet either.

 

[Homey15]

I need some opinions here. Leave the wire harness as is? (It was running without problems when I parked it)
Or eliminate the unused wires from the engine swap while I'm at this point? IDK if I need to change any wiring to swap in the tilt column with the wiper delay yet either.

View attachment 3643663

View attachment 3643664

I can't comment on this truck specifically but I've swapped several tilt columns with intermittent wipers into 89-94 generation trucks and it has always been a plug and play swap. Also, if it were me I'd be inclined to leave the harness be if for no other reason than that if there are issues after everything is back together you'll not have to wonder if something necessary was accidentally eliminated.

 

[bkg]

Are you thinking about additional sound deadening? I’d almost be under if putting it down before the factory firewall stuff would be a benefit or a PITA…

 

[aztoyman]

@Homey15, Thanks for the input on the column. I hope it is plug and play. My gut is in agreement with you on the harness. I'm holding back on my OCD.

@bkg, I'm adding more heat shield to the outside of the firewall. If I was daily driving this I would have plastered the floor and walls with sound deadener. I might regret not putting some in now. I'm still undecided on the floor.

I still have time. My A/C was functional but the seals are dust. I need to pull them apart to clean and reseal it all. Here's a pic of the foam that I just ran my finger across.

 

[aztoyman]

I drove my 88 with bare floors and poly mounts after my 3.4 swap. Holy $hit what a loud tin can. The gear whine was BAD. I put carpet in with thick pad and thick floor mats over it. Wasn't bad after that.

So yeah, I need to make a decision SOON.