Man – I missed all the wife/girlfriend/whoever living arrangement comparisons over the weekend.

Glenn, I’m definitely in the same boat on this one. :-) I always say “the wife” or “the old lady” or just “woman,” all in good nature. She tries to throw it back at me, but always laments that “man” just doesn’t have the same mocking disrespectful ring as “woman!”

I did make good progress on the continued disassembly this weekend, though. my dad came over, so we got a lot of 2-man jobs done between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Somer necessarily two-man-ers, like removing cab bolts or things that are just a lot easier with 2 guys: i.e. fuel tanks, tranny, engine, rear window and rusty old 5th wheel hitch removal.

Here’s the cab off:


(its rotated on my computer – not sure why it rotated back here after importing to my album - weird)

Also - It is worlds easier to remove a tranny from above, rather than below. …than below without a tranny jack that is :-)




As for that steering gear thanks for the feedback Tom, though after getting a better look at it, it is so caked in dirt and grime, I’m going to have to remove it for sure to get that area of the frame cleaned and painted. So maybe I’ll just do the new gear while its off. Anyone see any problems with putting this stock pitman arm a new redhead steering gear, then pulling it off in favor of a drop pitman next year when I do the reverse shackle kit? and is it best to take the pitman arm off the steering tie rod first and remove the gear and pitman arm together, or can you just pull the pitman arm off the gear and let it stay on the tie rod. i'm trying to avoid disturbing this current setup as much as possible so that i can make it through one more year on it before rebuilding it all down there...

Any finally – anyone got any front windshield removal advice? I’ve tried several different sawzall blades from the inside. The youtube videos made it look so easy, but this urethane seal is hard as a rock. I haven’t damaged the cab, which is my main concern, but I have cracked this old windshield in 3 more places now. I was able to slip a piece of baling wire through one spot, but it aint going anywhere either! Any tips?

 

I have always left the pitman arm on the steering box when changing them out. The tie rod seems to come out easier than the pitman arm will come off the box. Sometimes that arm can really stick to the shaft from the box. I have had to use a large gear puller and still beat on the arm to get it to come loose. The splines on the arm and the shaft coming out of the box are "timed" so the arm will oly fit on in one place, so replacing the arm while the box is out is no problem. I see no problem with using your old arm on the new box for a while.

 

thanks! good to know. i think i'll pull the old one, get a good look at it and make the call on the new box or old at that point...

 

...soooo, that ball joint stud from the tie rod to the pitman arm didnt want to come out AT ALL! of course, i don't have the required "pitman arm puller" shown in the manual, but none of these three alternative methods worked:

1. smack with rubber mallet
2. put castle nut on backwards, covering threads and smack with metal hammer
3. use 3 jaw puller with hooks under pitman arm and center screw on ball-joint stud.

so, new plan: unbolt steering gear from frame and wire it to bumper mount or something close by and just let it hang while i clean it up and paint the frame. i've left the hoses attached to it and have the ends plugged and taped, so it shouldn't get any crap in it during the whole process...

 

I've got a special tool for those jobs. His name is Will. Used to be Al but he retired lol. Will lives a couple of houses down which is convenient.

 

Lol.

More often than not those require the use of a puller AND a big hammer simultaneously. A little heat wouldn't be a terrible idea either, but you have to be really careful not to get too much heat into the box or seals.

 

nice! at first, i thought you had named your favorite BFH :-)

well, i'm not that big of a wimp then... i did just wire it to the tie rod, though and it looks like it'll do just fine there during the whole clean and paint process.

next question, though - whats the consensus on the ABS brake module. those old lines do not want to come out of it, so i'm thinking of just leaving it there during the whole paint process. i'm going to borrow some tubing wrenches from work tonight to give it one more try, but i really don't want to do the whole "cut the brake lines and put a socket over the nut" thing as the system is working fine right now. plus, the body is metal (not sure what kind, so a little sand blasting and paint won't hurt it, as far as i see...

the fuel selector valve did come off quite easily though, which was nice!

 

I doubt you will get those brake lines off without damaging them

 

I think I'd just tape it off around the wiring connector and leave it.

 

I agree with this. You don't want to damage the lines.

 

When I want to remove the tie rod from the pitman arm, I have the pitman arm pointed straight forward, remove the nut from the tie rod, then hit the pitman arm directly on the front, like I'm trying to drive the arm back to the rear axle. The shock from hitting the arm usually will loosen the tie rod's tapered bolt and it will drop out. Of course a pickle fork works also. LOL

 

Seriously? You are going to LEAVE rusty brake lines?!?!

I would go out of my way to get rid of them ALL and replace them with copper/nickel alloy ones. What better time to access them now with no cab, engine/trans there.

 

Actually, no – I’m not leaving these old brake lines. I had replaced the long run from the abs unit to the rear axle last year, so I’ll reuse that one for sure. nothing else looks rusted at all – maybe has been replaced once already by a PO. whatever the case, I really wanted them out of there for ease of painting/cleaning the frame. The plan would be to clean and inspect all lines when they’re off and reuse only good-as-new ones. BUT, none of the fitting nuts were turning with a standard open end wrench, so before cutting the lines out and using a 6-pt socket, I borrowed a set of tubing wrenches from work, and every single fitting came off no problem! The right tool for the right job. …right?



Question on this one, though – how does this dumb clip come off of the brake hose fitting? Pushing back on the bent over end doesn’t work. is there a clip to release somewhere that is covered by 360k miles of muck?

I was also able get the ABS unit off no problem. Question for you all – do I replace it or just clean it up and reuse it? are these known for crapping out?



And for your viewing pleasure, here’s how the frame sits now:



I still have to cut off the tow bar, and get the old body mounts off, then I’m ready for LOTS of cleaning, sanding, blasting and paint!

Speaking of those body mounts – for anyone who has struggled replacing them with the cab in place, don’t feel bad – the STILL don’t come off easily even with the cab off. Anyone have any tricks for getting them off? I’ve hammered from every which direction and the tops will NOT separate from the bottom! I’ve tried drilling out the center, that didn’t work. my last plan is to pry up on the upper section and cut the metal bushing in half between the rubber and the frame horn. From what I can tell both the upper and lower mounts have metal sleeves inside that press fit together when they are installed. Add 16 years of corrosion and they’re fused real good-like. then, with them surrounded by rubber, any energy from a good hammer blow is absorbed by the rubber, not the parts you’re trying to drive apart.

And the manual page on body mounts is useless!

 

Lookin' good!

That brake clip comes off by driving it toward the open end with a hammer and chisel. The end that is bent over is where you will want to hit it and it will just slide off the hose. The slotted part of the clip slides off the hose.

As for the body mounts, Glenn and others have used a chain, a bolt, and a hydraulic floor jack to separate them. Basically you put the bolt through the ends of the chain (forming a loop of chain) and thread it up from below into the bottom section of the mount. Then you put the chain under the bottom of the floor jack and put the shoe of the jack on the bottom of the frame (I think). Then as you jack the jack up the chain pulls down on the bottom section of the mount, hopefully separating it from the upper section. At least that's how I think they did it...

 

Nate has it right, as usual. Yes, the shoe of the jack under the frame so when you jack it up, it pulls the chain tight against the bottom of the jack and bottom of the mount. I don't know though, I 'almost' lifted my truck before they busted loose and your truck doesn't have much weight on it now. In other words, they are a bitch to get apart. I think Darin drilled his out, not sure though.