I just bought a new to me 1990 f150. I don't have any pics because it's sitting at the shop I work at until it gets insured/registered.

The frame has some surface rust and I want to clean this truck up. Can I simply wire wheel/wire brush it and then spray some undercoating on it? I don't want it getting any worse.

The shifting is also very sloppy and I pulled up he shift boot and the connection from the shifter to the trans is trash. The car shifts/drives fine you just have to hunt for gears.

 

Sounds fine to me, I don't see any real problems with your plan. I might suggest that instead of undercoating you try Extreme Chassis Black from Eastwood. I used it on my frame and everyone who sees it thinks it was powdercoated. The paint isn't cheap at $17 for an areosol can, (slightly bigger than a normal spray can), and I did have my frame sandblasted and primed before I sprayed it. But it looks great and seems to hold up pretty good, but time will tell.

 

I don't plan on sandblasting mine but I think sanding it or wirewheelng it then primer then that stuff should keep her as good as I need her.

Also what is the part called from the shifter stalk to the trans? It's at the base of the shifter stalk. (manual trans)

 

Well I did strip my truck down to the frame in order to have it blasted (see pic beside my user name), and I gather that's not what your planning to do with yours, so a good wire wheeling or using one of those surface prep pads for a 4&1/2 in. grinder should give you what your looking for. I also forgot to mention that you might want to look into Eastwoods rust encapsulator. It keeps rust from returning or spreading by sealing it. It works as a great primer for either the Chassis Black, or for undercoating. I don't mean to sound like a spokesman for Eastwood here, but I've actually used their products and I think they work better than anything you can buy off the shelves at Auto Zone, Napa, or any other auto parts stores.

As far as the part from the shifter to the transmission, I'd guess it's the shift linkage, maybe? I don't know much about manual trannys, I prefer automatics.

 

Doing a buddies Jeep (frame up), used Eastwood products, first rust converter, then rust encapsoluator, then fram/chassie black. All brushed on looks great. Seems to wear well too.

 

If its just surface rust just wire brush it to get the loose rust off lightly wash and rinse with water let dry and buy some rust converter from napa for 13 bucks brush it on two coats and spray some rubberized undercoating or spray paint over that after about 2 days to ensure all the moisture is gone and it works great and its cheap por 15 and such is exspensive and I would go that drastic if its just surface rust.

1 or 2 quarts of rust converter= 26 bucks
3 cans of rubber under coating=18
knowing you only spent around $40 or less (depending on material cost) for years of protection= PRICELESS lol

S.N por 15 and other brand usually require other products prior to the actual por 15 coat which would run you about $100-150+ if done to specs.