nice rig! keep the pics comin'
Just another red cruiser dismantle, reassembly???
- Thread starter tm7302
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
- Thread starter
- #22
Renting a storage space today. With all the body parts off, I have ZERO room to do anything else. Next off is the firewall bits and then off comes the tub. All the parts that I'm removing are bagged and tagged with their location to aid in reinstallation.
I've been looking at the the resto's on here and haven't seen anything (or don't remember, ACK!!!) on what people are doing to the inside of their frames. I've seen some great work (before & after) of the outside, but zip on the inside. I would image that most of the rust damage starts on the internal parts of the frame due to accumulated water, mud, etc.
How does one get at the inside, if necessary? Sand blast the accessible areas and hope for the best? Coat the inside with Waxoyl? Just a couple of thoughts that I have...
I've been looking at the the resto's on here and haven't seen anything (or don't remember, ACK!!!) on what people are doing to the inside of their frames. I've seen some great work (before & after) of the outside, but zip on the inside. I would image that most of the rust damage starts on the internal parts of the frame due to accumulated water, mud, etc.
How does one get at the inside, if necessary? Sand blast the accessible areas and hope for the best? Coat the inside with Waxoyl? Just a couple of thoughts that I have...
- Thread starter
- #23
I have all the interior parts removed from the tub and now working on the engine firewall components. Any good ideas on removing all the diesel lines? I'm assuming that the tank needs to get dropped, wish I had driven it a few more miles to empty the tank.
- Thread starter
- #24
No bowl games for me....
Spent the day taking out the radiator, battery tray mount and all the plumbling on the engine compartment firewall. I'm thinking about replacing the radiator since I have it out. My rational is that it is a 28 years old and how much longer can it last??? I'm calling it preventative maintenance!
Talk about getting lucky...I was thinking about all the work to get the tar mat from the floor pans. I tried chipping at it with a screwdriver and it started coming off. The air chisel that should make quick work of it.
I still need to drain the diesel to drop the tank and then off comes the tub.
Spent the day taking out the radiator, battery tray mount and all the plumbling on the engine compartment firewall. I'm thinking about replacing the radiator since I have it out. My rational is that it is a 28 years old and how much longer can it last??? I'm calling it preventative maintenance!
Talk about getting lucky...I was thinking about all the work to get the tar mat from the floor pans. I tried chipping at it with a screwdriver and it started coming off. The air chisel that should make quick work of it.
I still need to drain the diesel to drop the tank and then off comes the tub.
- Thread starter
- #25
The air chisel made quick work of the tar mat on the floor boards. Paint stripper then got the rest of the residue. I was surprised at a few areas where is pristine metal and other areas where water had migrated underneath to rust the floor boards.
What I have learned so far with my cruiser is that I've found rust in areas that looked great visually and great metal in areas that should have been rusty.
I still need to drain the diesel AND looking for a trick at removing the emergency brake cable lock/keeper thingy so I can remove it from the tub. Everything else appears to be removed from the tub. Maybe it all comes off this weekend.
The front bench and jump seats are at the upholsterers for overhaul.
What I have learned so far with my cruiser is that I've found rust in areas that looked great visually and great metal in areas that should have been rusty.
I still need to drain the diesel AND looking for a trick at removing the emergency brake cable lock/keeper thingy so I can remove it from the tub. Everything else appears to be removed from the tub. Maybe it all comes off this weekend.
The front bench and jump seats are at the upholsterers for overhaul.
Regarding the inside of the frame I have read where some folks use a cheap toilet brush to coat the inside of frame with Rust Bullet or POR15 after you sandblast as much as you can.
I've also read about the Waxoyl stuff you mention and think that is a good idea as well.
I've not done either, yet, but thought I would pass this along.
Good idea renting storage space. My garage is cram packed with cruiser parts much to my wife's dismay!
I've also read about the Waxoyl stuff you mention and think that is a good idea as well.
I've not done either, yet, but thought I would pass this along.
Good idea renting storage space. My garage is cram packed with cruiser parts much to my wife's dismay!
- Thread starter
- #27
Drained the tank last night and oops...didn't have enough buckets for all the diesel. Then spent the rest of the night getting cat litter out to clean up about 2 1/2 gal of fuel.
Dropped the tank tonight and hope to have the tub off this weekend. Maybe if I'm motivated I'll get the pressure washer out and clean the frame.
Dropped the tank tonight and hope to have the tub off this weekend. Maybe if I'm motivated I'll get the pressure washer out and clean the frame.
- Thread starter
- #28
Once I got the tub off, I found a few leaks that I need to add to the fix list... damn it's getting long...
Good work keep it up , I'll be watching closely as I just bought a 83 bj 42 RHD and same color. I plan on doing the same thing . Strip it down to nothing like your doing so you know what ya got when your done.
- Thread starter
- #30
Update...
Power washed the frame in preparation for some further disassembly. I've spent about a week's worth of nights scraping and wiping stripper softened undercoating off of the tub and fenders. Almost done! The plan is to get the tub and the frame to the sandblasters. Room in the garage will become an issue, since I can't work on both.
I should get the front/jump seats and door panels back from the upholsterer by the end of next week. I got a peek at them a couple of days ago...they rock.
Need a new radiator. Anyone know what the differences are between a 3B diesel and a gas radiator are? FJ rads are going for about $350 and diesels are $450 plus!
Power washed the frame in preparation for some further disassembly. I've spent about a week's worth of nights scraping and wiping stripper softened undercoating off of the tub and fenders. Almost done! The plan is to get the tub and the frame to the sandblasters. Room in the garage will become an issue, since I can't work on both.
I should get the front/jump seats and door panels back from the upholsterer by the end of next week. I got a peek at them a couple of days ago...they rock.
Need a new radiator. Anyone know what the differences are between a 3B diesel and a gas radiator are? FJ rads are going for about $350 and diesels are $450 plus!
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #31
seat pics: before & after...
just picked up the seats from the upholstery...yeah, the timing is all wrong, since the rig is still in the dismantle phase, but it is something that is finished! What do you think???
-----------------------------------------
just picked up the seats from the upholstery...yeah, the timing is all wrong, since the rig is still in the dismantle phase, but it is something that is finished! What do you think???
-----------------------------------------
Seats look great. 
Whose covers are those: SOR, CCOT or other?
Whose covers are those: SOR, CCOT or other?
- Thread starter
- #33
I had the whole set reupholstered. It was pricey but I got the marine-grade material, color, and foam bits replaced. I even got a design in the troop seats to match the front seats. I haven't decided on whether to go with the Freeborn Red (original) or with Fashion Green, but the slate gray will go with any color I finally end up with.
- Thread starter
- #34
It's been a month since my last post... I've finally got some parts to the sandblaster for paint/rust removal, still need to get the tub, top and doors to the blaster.
I've spent a week or so going over the wire harness repairing PO mods. After cleaning up the harnesses, I'm surprised that after 28 yrs the wiring is in such great shape. Connectors cleaned, tape/split loot replaced.
Lastly, I've been working on all the hard lines. I was thinking about painting the brake/fuel lines, but am now considering having the lines yellow zinc plated. Just have to find a place to do it.
I've spent a week or so going over the wire harness repairing PO mods. After cleaning up the harnesses, I'm surprised that after 28 yrs the wiring is in such great shape. Connectors cleaned, tape/split loot replaced.
Lastly, I've been working on all the hard lines. I was thinking about painting the brake/fuel lines, but am now considering having the lines yellow zinc plated. Just have to find a place to do it.
- Thread starter
- #35
It has been a slow go so far, but here's the update...
I tried locating a new radiator since the old one was on its last legs. I spent about a week trying to find a new one to no avail and ended up getting it recored. It was pricey but fit is guaranteed.
I primered the freshly sandblasted parts: skid plates, radiator mount, battery tray mount, fenders, hitch, roll bars, jump seats and hood, etc. I wire wheeled the fan shroud and used some phosphoric acid on the surface rust. I used rustbullet as the primer, which was difficult since rustbullet's color is almost the same as sandblasted steel. The plan is to use rustbullet's blackshell as the topcoat for the frame type parts.
Still need to get the tub, top and doors to the blaster. Then I need to figure out how to fix the rust on the rear quarters and the top rail on the tub where the top sits.
Of note, the freshly blasted pintel hook showed a nice crack just waiting to snap with a good load. Something else to replace...
I tried locating a new radiator since the old one was on its last legs. I spent about a week trying to find a new one to no avail and ended up getting it recored. It was pricey but fit is guaranteed.
I primered the freshly sandblasted parts: skid plates, radiator mount, battery tray mount, fenders, hitch, roll bars, jump seats and hood, etc. I wire wheeled the fan shroud and used some phosphoric acid on the surface rust. I used rustbullet as the primer, which was difficult since rustbullet's color is almost the same as sandblasted steel. The plan is to use rustbullet's blackshell as the topcoat for the frame type parts.
Still need to get the tub, top and doors to the blaster. Then I need to figure out how to fix the rust on the rear quarters and the top rail on the tub where the top sits.
Of note, the freshly blasted pintel hook showed a nice crack just waiting to snap with a good load. Something else to replace...
- Thread starter
- #36
I think I found one of the original keys pressed in body putty up under the front of the hood. The other "hide-a-key" was wired to the air cleaner...
Excellent progress. Man I tell ya, once you dig you begin to find all sorts of monsters hiding. I made the mistake of diggin in my floorboards...yep new ones on order!
- Thread starter
- #38
I should pick up the tub from the blaster this week, and drop off the rest of the colored parts, front, ambi doors and sides. I'm not sure what the doors will look like when they come back. The ambi doors are the worst of the lot.
- Thread starter
- #39
Got the tub back from the sandblaster yesterday, the tubs condition is much better than I thought it would be. I think all the repairs will be minor, welding holes, cracks and filling corroded areas. Same with the front bib.
I scraped all the sealant from the doors and have concerns about the condition the bottoms of the front doors and the sides of the ambi doors. Should get them back by Saturday.
I still need to pull the motor/tranny to get the frame to the sandblaster.
I scraped all the sealant from the doors and have concerns about the condition the bottoms of the front doors and the sides of the ambi doors. Should get them back by Saturday.
I still need to pull the motor/tranny to get the frame to the sandblaster.
- Thread starter
- #40
I've got all the parts back from the blaster yesterday. I will post up some pics of the rusted areas that I'll have some questions on how to repair. Still need to pull motor, trans and tc to get the frame to the blaster...
