Hello guys. I was wondering if you guys could give me a but of advice.
I'm needing to do quite a few things on the front end of my 75 highboy
-swap 2 inch lift super duty springs
-install headers
-fix minor power steering leaks(front seal of ram)
-general brake maintenance/cleaning
-clean up, organize, and paint engine bay

So my question is do you guys recommend to remove the entire front clip or just fenders and leave core support?
Hood, bumper and grille are already off.
Just not sure if I want to have to disconnect ac? Don't want to bite off more than I can chew if possible

 

I removed the front clip on my '78. It was the first time I ever tried something like that and have to say, it was pretty easy. You will need a couple of extra hands and, if your truck is like mine, plan on having to replace the core support bushings and bolts.

 

12 bolts to remove the whole clip, no more than an hour or so apposed to a day removing one fender.

 

Ok I'll remove the entire clip. Is there anything I should do when disconnecting ac stuff. Everything else I am fine with. The ac is the only thing that worries me. Never messed with any ac before

 

you shouldn't have to remove any of it, and if you decide to then you have to have a mechanic do it. you just cant release the freon into the air. its highly illegal.

 

How ever you bleed the a/c system....after that, cap off the system to save the evaporator....that is at least what I have heard to do. And might be the time to convert the a/c from R12 to 134A.

Complete front clip would of been easier (leaving outer grill shell, fender and core support all together. Taking things apart a piece at a time you could end up gap chasing everything when it comes time to reinstall. Remember that the cowl is a fixed point to gap set off of, meaning fenders, doors, hood are all adjustable. Here is a little write up a did a while ago on it. I rather set on a tire and prep a motor for removal, than lean over a fender all day long.

Ok then here goes, there are 5+ ways to skin a cat, here is just what works for me. I am going off memory and am a long way from my truck to go look. This worked on my none a/c 79 4x4 F250 w/standard transmission, more than once, and I used the same technique on a 79 Bronco with a/c and a automatic transmission.
Painters tape on the door front edge when opened, and a little more plus the back edge of the fenders to prevent scratches. Disconnect battery and remove. Then drain radiator.
Tag and bag each piece of hdwr, or stick it in a large piece of card board and mark it accordingly.
1. Make sure you park the truck where you can get both doors open. Or BEFORE you put it inside a narrow shop....Open each door and remove the one bolt on each side that is right between the hinges. Now put it in the narrow shop...lol.
2. Take a scribe or sharpie and trace a mark the hood hinge positions on the underside of the hood. This will be helpful come re-installation/realignment time. Hood removal is really a 2 person job. If you go it alone, be careful, great way to scratch the hood/cowl. If the hood is all the way open, it is front heavy when you remove the bolts. I can’t really explain a 1 man job here, but it looks like a monkey f..in a football. Just get a helping hand for this. If the hinges are compressed once removed, be careful as they can pop back up easily and get a finger in the process. Disconnect the hood ground on the passenger side. Make sure you make note of the stiffener brackets (under the hinges), if you have them. Ok hoods off.
3. At the very bottom edge/back side of each fender, is one bolt.
4. Make sure if you have the front fender/front edge to frame, small support bars (some do, some don't) remove them from the frame. I would remove them from the fender side also, just to prevent anything from getting bent.
5. Masking tape tag each electrical connection point on each side of the connection and mark them like (1-1), (2-2) or A-A, B-B and so on. There are 3? Main electrical connections on the dvrs side back by the fire wall, behind the hood hinge. Tape, tag, and disconnect.
6. There is an electrical harness that runs across the back side and above the fire wall on the passenger side and goes to the starter solenoid. Disconnect from solenoid (make sure you know make note, where each elbow plug goes on the starter solenoid.) There is a plug for voltage regulator, and then lay wiring on engine. Ground wire from solenoid to eng block (remove from solenoid side).
7. Look over the area behind the headlights/behind the core support area (each side for 1 small square plug) and the windshield washer tank for a elec plug in the front end of the tank. And the rubber feed line that goes to the T up by the cowl.
8. Top and bottom radiator hoses from back side of radiator. Fold rubber hoses back out of the way and zip tie, so they do not flip back open. Is it a automatic transmission? Disconnect transmission lines from radiator and cap lines.
9. There are these 1” or 2” wide rubber straps (one on each side) on the back side of the metal inner fenderwells that attach to the firewall, disconnect from firewall.
10. Scribe mark where the bracket that support the inner fenderwells (where it attaches to the fire wall). Remove 3 bolts per side.
11. Now if you are lucky here, down on EACH side of the radiator there is one main mount bolt for the radiator core support. Lucky meaning, it will come out and is not all rusty and stuck. But if it is rusty, stuck and or the head is stripped. Time for the sawzall. Red Diablo blades here and carefully cut between the top of the frame rail and the bottom of the core support. These bushings and bolt parts are available. A torch is not a good idea here the rubber bushings will smoke like crazy.
12. Have an old tire or some other similar support to set the front clip down on once removed. Put it under the middle of the core support/radiator. So you do not bend the front edge of your fenders.
13. I use 2 other FTE buddies + myself and we just pull the complete front clip off. Make sure the plastic inner fenderwell liners do not get hung up on the shock brackets. As far as by yourself, attach the cherry picker to the middle of the core support, it can be done with a piece of cable, some folks just pull the radiator and use chain. Make sure you triple ck all electrical connections and the core support bushings are free. Lift it up just a bit and ck the fenders, and then lift it up again, just a little. You are wanting to pull it more forward than up, so that the back edge of the fenders contact the back side of the tires. Like I said, it’s doable, but a PITA as far as a one man show. 2 guys can pull it way easier.
I am NOT positive on all the electrical connections, but that is the big stuff. I am sure some FTE members are reading this and will double ck me and chime in with what ever I missed.
Or maybe they have a better hood trick?