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If it is kinda of a black rubbery substance it is the same factory stuff I had on the frame I cleaned up. A single edge razor worked the best for getting it off, if you want to remove more of it. But I agree that painting over it is probably OK. If it is still on there after all of these Ohio winters, it probably isn't going anywhere.
It is a bit odd that it would have lasted this long. Best I can tell my X spent it's life in MI and northern OH prior to me owning it. Though, the area it's in is behind the fuel tank, on the inside of the frame, so it's fairly well protected. Thanks for the info!
Now I get to finish the rear and move to the front...and take more parts off.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get many good pictures as I was cleaning up as the rain was starting to downpour. I'll grab some next week before I get started.
I was able to mostly rebuild my rear axle after 3 coats of chassis saver paint. I found out the hard way that the long brake line that goes from the vent block to the passenger side is 5/16 on one end and 3/8 on the other. Who does that??? It's the only one that's different, and I know I'm not special because the Russell steel braided hoses (the new vent block) is threaded as such. That's about the dumbest thing I've seen on the X thus far. Anyway. Now I have to find a different line or an inverted flare fitting to match with what I bought, which was a 3/8 line (both ends). After that, I moved to putting things back. New bump stops and new Curt hitch in and then the tank and pan. My pan is SUPER rusty now that I ground all the scale off, so I'm on the hunt for one of those. Mine will have to do for now and I put an ad up in the marketplace. It got 3 coats of chassis saver as well. I also sprayed 3 coats under the rear of the X and then went back with a small brush and touched some spots up. I'll have to investigate one of those canisters that will spray at any angle for the HVLP guns as getting in all the nooks and crannies is tough when the spray gun only wants to spray upright. All the wiring hooked up to the tank and the fill tube installed.
I did rebuild my calipers myself with new seals and pistons. I will say that for the time involved, I'd probably be better off just buying remans with lifetime warranty. The pistons are touch to get back in with new seals as they are VERY tight. A little light oil helped out a bit, but still difficult to say the least (and time consuming).
Next weekend, I'll install the springs and the rear end and get all that hooked up and move to pulling the front.
So pretty.... Adjusted the paring brake as well in the process of putting everything on. The Russell lines seem to be good quality.
I found out the hard way that the long brake line that goes from the vent block to the passenger side is 5/16 on one end and 3/8 on the other. Who does that??? It's the only one that's different, and I know I'm not special because the Russell steel braided hoses (the new vent block) is threaded as such.
Are you sure of the sizes?
On my new brake lines for the 3/16" line I got 3/8"-24 and 7/16"-24.
I got them at thestopshop.com. They are here in Ohio and sent me what I needed. I didn't have to buy a whole pack. They were good to work with and shipped same day. There stuff is also available on Amazon, though not individual pieces.
On my new brake lines for the 3/16" line I got 3/8"-24 and 7/16"-24.
I got them at thestopshop.com. They are here in Ohio and sent me what I needed. I didn't have to buy a whole pack. They were good to work with and shipped same day. There stuff is also available on Amazon, though not individual pieces.
The axle is lookin' sharp.
You are correct! it's 7/16. I actually found the fitting I need at Autozone of all places just last night. So, with any luck, it'll bolt right up. I had seen thestopshop in my searches for brake lines, but I didn't order through them because I waited too long to go find them. Parts store lines bent right up and with the exception of this little snafu, should work just fine. I may paint them with the chassis saver as well once I have everything together.
Still don't know why they'd change the size of the fitting on one end of one line. I'll be watching out for that for any other's that need replacing.
This is one heck of a build log. Have you used this Chassis Saver before? I have used different rust encapsulation products before but none have been successful. I need to do the same to my frame, so I am eagerly awaiting your posts of the frame work.
This is one heck of a build log. Have you used this Chassis Saver before? I have used different rust encapsulation products before but none have been successful. I need to do the same to my frame, so I am eagerly awaiting your posts of the frame work.
I have not used it before, but it has excellent reviews. It’s tough to spray, mostly because I’m a complete amateur and I’m using a cheap harbor freight gun. Though, I did use the HF gun for the engine and that seemed to work fairly well. What I am finding out is that the HVLP guns only like to spray when used upright. Any tilt in any direction seems to monkey it up. I’ll be trying the ziplock bag trick next time I paint under the body. The chassis saver dries fairly quickly and builds fairly well when applied. Brushing it on almost puts too much down with each coat. You do need to have their reducer when spraying and I’d venture to say it would make using a brush easier and better. Only time will tell on the longevity in the Ohio (salt belt) winters. I should know next spring how well it holds up. At $40 a quart, I’m hoping it’s worth the price. Though, as automotive paint goes, that’s not crazy.
Well, back from a much needed vacation and time to turn my thoughts back to getting my build done. Two weekends off from working on it is giving me withdrawals. Since I have to get some work done today, no big writeup and the pictures will largely have to wait until I get my feet back under me. I will say that though I haven't been a fan of Florida in general, Anna Maria Island was pretty cool. Lot's of laid back pool time, some rain, cold brews, and time well spent with the kiddos who aren't getting any younger.
Last time I worked on Clifford, I was able to reinstall the rear axle, shocks, fuel tank and associated parts, fix the speed sensor wire that some danged animal chewed in half, and get all the brake lines installed (new hard lines and the russel SS braided lines), along with fully rebuilt calipers. I then removed the front axle and tore it down. It'll get rebuilt with new parts as necessary and as needed for my piece of mind. The ball joints are still nice and tight, as are the steering components. However, since I already bought ball joints, I'll probably put new in. I will need new u-joints for the front axle, and there's my hangup. I looked through the tech folder and the forum and can't seem to find any references to part numbers. I did find these, but I'm not sure they are the same. If possible, I'd like to order sooner rather than later, but I can measure them next time I'm out working on the X. Anyway, anybody know for sure these are the correct ones (or incorrect)?
With that, I'll get back to work and here's a pic after the rear axle went back on and the tires hit the ground Stock front suspension, Procomp 22415 in the rear, no block, with 2 degree shim (that I'm not sure I need).
An update with pictures is in order. All this happened before a much needed vacation. I put my Harbor Freight sandblaster to good use getting the motor mounts and fill tube cleaned up. the fill tube had some pint holes in the vent tube portion, so I filled those in with some JB weld prior to paint. All parts were painted with Chassis saver after sandblasting. I ended up going with black oxide for these (and other parts) as it cuts rust and scale pretty good. The only complaint I have is that the humidity seems to be mucking up my blasting gun as I'm getting moisture into the air line. I have a drier on the compressor, but I'll add another to try and get the remainder of the moisture out. Sandblasting uses a whole lot of air, so the compressor runs frequently. I can only get about an hour in before it's too wet to continue. Hopefully the additional drier helps that issue. From there, you'll see I added new bump stops, repaired the speed sensor wire that the animals got to, installed the new hitch, touched up any remaining paint, installed the new Bilstein shocks, new Procomp springs, and the rear axle went back in. From there, I was able to get the X back on the ground and then back up in the front to remove the front axle. That went fairly well, except that the u-bolts were kind of stuck and I had to beat them out. I'll be putting new back in, so I wasn't super worried about it. From there, I tore the front axle down to the point of removing the brakes, unit bearings, and axles. One u-joint felt really good and the other felt a bit sticky, so they'll get replaced. I have a leaky inner seal on one side, so those will get replaced as well. Brake rotors look good, but the drivers side caliper was a little sticky, so new pads are in order as well (inside one was worn). I purchased new ball joints, but the old ones are still nice and tight. I'll be replacing them just the same as it's never going to be easier than it is right now. I have a new adjustable track bar going in as well. The only parts I haven't purchased as of yet are any steering components. My gearbox seems to be a little loose in the bearing area where the shaft comes out. I'll probably remove and inspect it and see what I can do about that. NAPA generally has those types of bearings and I may replace it and reseal the box and give it a go. We'll see what comes of it after removal. So, this weekend, the goal is to get the axle torn down the rest of the way, determine whether the steering components need replacing, remove the old leaf springs, and prep the rest of the underside and the axle for paint. I'll need to blast the calipers, paint, and rebuild and any other components from the front like the blocks that the u-bolts sit in (don't know what they're called). I'm thinking I'm going to use the chassis saver on the front brake components and see how that holds. The header paint, even after curing for more than 7 days started to rub off when reinstalling on the rear axle. I also have a replacement ABS sensor that needs to go in the drivers side unit bearing and those will get worked over as well. I'll also have to decide whether I want to move to full manual hubs or not. My intention was always to use the factory electronic transfer case mechanism and auto hub locking, but I'm not sure I want to go through that wiring nightmare any more. Still on the table. I also happened across some cheap later model super duty mirrors with turn signals in them this week. They aren't exactly what I want as they are not power fold and telescope, but the price I paid reflects that. Picked them up for a hundo and they'll do for now. Someday I'll find a factory Ford set that is reasonably priced and add that feature. On to the pics! Motor mounts. One blasted. Fill tube Pinhole Painted tank pan. It's actually pretty rotten, so I found a guy that has a rust free one...just have to find a reasonable way to ship it. Painted motor mounts Painted fill tube Chassis saver under the whole rear
More pictures.... Inside of tank pan rotten New hitch installed. I used a bit of black RTV around and under the trailer wiring connector to hopefully keep moisture out. Total of 3 coats of chassis saver New bump stop! Solder heat shrink for the speed sensor wires Then marine double wall adhesive heat shrink Fork extensions make short work of lifting the axle in place Front out!
Great progress. On your note of damp air problems, I can show you what I did.I was not happy with the available solutions for the price and the amount of drying they could handle. That seemed to be a big downfall of the HF model. Anyway, here is the first post: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post18645462
There are a couple posts following it along with some lessons I learned. Here are a few of the photos:
I used this all summer so far in the PA heat and humidity. Not as much use as you are, I have no doubt, but the beads have not even hinted at a color change. And the best part is the beads can be recharged with a little time in the oven.
Super cool! Thanks! I'll find out pretty quick whether or not adding another inline water separator will work out for me this week as I have the steering knuckles, front calipers, and some miscellaneous stuff to blast this week. Good news is the heat and humidity have moved on...for now.
Pretty decent weekend of work, even with the "feels like" 105 weather this weekend. Saturday was pretty miserable. For most of the day, I looked like you dunked me in a pool head to knees. I probably lost at least a gallon of water in 5 hours work. Got to the X early in hopes of beating the heat, but it didn't last long. I was able to remove the front springs and bump stop brackets (what was left of them), remove the ball joints from the knuckles, remove the u-joints from the axles, remove and replace the inner axle seals, and replace the ring and pinion and front differential cover. I also fired up the steam genny and cleaned up the steering components, axle, and some remaining under the front of the X. I can't say enough about that thing. It's an awesome piece of equipment and just melts grease and grime right off. Also spent some quality time with the wire wheel cleaning up some random bolts from the front end. the axle tubes were pretty nasty. Well, the long one was. It had been leaking and both outer dust seals were in pretty tough shape. I used a piece of thread-all with a large washer on the end to drag out all the junk and then a smaller piece with a 3" wire wheel on the end to scrub it out (on a 1/2" drill). Squirt lots of brake clean and lots of wire wheel and got it mostly clean. Then I added a rag to the end of the wire wheel and ran that in a couple times until clean. Lots of air to blow out any remaining crap. Overall, it came out pretty good. Drove the new inner seals in and hopefully didn't mess them up. They seem to be ok, but they started crooked and I had to adjust them several times. We'll see if it leaks. Cleaned up the ring and pinion and dropped it back in with a little brass punch work and a hammer. Torque to bearing caps at 80 ft. pounds. Cleaned and replaced the front cover with some black RTV. The ball joints and u-joints had to go to a buddy's house for his 20 ton press. The u-joints were pretty stuck in there and getting a good amount of pressure on them with the press, they blew up like a bomb when they finally gave. After doing a couple like that, he took is plasma cutter (another tool I really want) and cut the caps to help relive some of that pressure. Worked like a charm, but they still went off pretty good. Ball joints: pay attention to which way they actually go. I broke the HF (Maddox) ball joint press first time using it because I was trying to push the wrong way. Idiot move, I know. A little plasma cutting on the backside and they popped right out with a small sledge. This week, I need to clean everything up to prep for paint. With any luck, some good weather (not super hot), and some hours I should be able to get the remainder of the underside prepped and painted, paint and reassemble the entire axle, and possibly get the axle back under it. We shall see. I'm really itching to get back to installing the motor and getting everything plumbed in and hooked up.
These brackets have to come off to the get the front leaf bolt out. Pretty gunked up and rusty All my steering components are still nice and tight These barrels make a nice work bench Scraper Wire wheel on a stick Back together! Nice clean front cover
Great progress. On your note of damp air problems, I can show you what I did.I was not happy with the available solutions for the price and the amount of drying they could handle. That seemed to be a big downfall of the HF model. Anyway, here is the first post: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post18645462
There are a couple posts following it along with some lessons I learned. Here are a few of the photos:
I used this all summer so far in the PA heat and humidity. Not as much use as you are, I have no doubt, but the beads have not even hinted at a color change. And the best part is the beads can be recharged with a little time in the oven.
Looks like I'll be building your setup. Have the beads on order and need to order the clear PVC. Hopefully I can get it all here and built before it gets too late in the week. Second drier got me an extra 15 minutes of blasting last night, and didn't even get one knuckle done. Ugh.
Looks like I'll be building your setup. Have the beads on order and need to order the clear PVC. Hopefully I can get it all here and built before it gets too late in the week. Second drier got me an extra 15 minutes of blasting last night, and didn't even get one knuckle done. Ugh.
Sorry I missed this until now. Let me know if you have any questions. Send me a PM and we can switch to texting if its more convenient.
Was able to get some stuff done so far this week in preparation for the last big push this weekend to get Clifford back on his own 4 wheels and ready for final fitment of the Cummins. Still a few things to do on that front, but I'm itching to get back to it. The sandblasting is going slow as I have to constantly drain the water separators, clean the blasting gun, etc. Hopefully my silica beads hit the door today and I can make the setup that @wizkid00104 has suggested. for now, I won't be using the clear PVC that he used (timing), but I can modify the setup later to get that visibility. So far I have all the parts for that except the beads.
So, got my calipers torn down last night, all the while thinking "I could just go buy these instead". Is my time really worth the $120? Nope, it's worth way more but I'm doing it anyway. I used a block of wood and some air to get the pistons out most of the way. If you just hit it with air, one comes out and the other doesn't move. Bleeders were a bear to get out as well. Hit them with the first round of parts cleaner to get some junk off and any remaining brake fluid out and set to dry. I'll have to wire wheel and then blast them to get them cleaned up. I was able (while not fighting moisture) to get the u-bolt/shock mounts done, and they turned out pretty nice. They should take paint pretty well. Also spent some quality time with the wire wheel getting brake bolts cleaned up and hit the caliper brackets as well to prep for the sandblast. I thought I had a stuck caliper (which I did), and I thought that it was a stuck piston (which it wasn't), because I had not too long ago torn down the front brakes and cleaned everything and lubed my slide pins, which were originally stuck. Figured out last night that on inspection, I had a bent slide pin. Not sure if I did that removing it last time because it was stuck, or if something else happened, but it's bent. I already have replacements, so no worries. Also got my front u-bolts on order and ordered the fitting for my broken ESOF vacuum line. That happened when I was trying to get the ball joints out. So, two of those and a length of 1/8" ID vacuum hose is on the way too. May not be able to tell by the picture, but it's bent. Bolts all cleaned up
Well, not down on all fours yet, but closer. the u-bolts I ordered came in and they were the wrong ones. Right part number, wrong bolt. They sent me round instead of semi-round and they were about 4" too long. Ugh. I looked at the originals and they look to be pretty serviceable.. I know, not supposed to reuse them. I'll keep an eye on them and see how they do.
So, got the underside cleaned/wire wheeled and painted, along with all the parts for the axle. Let that cure overnight and then put it all back together. New balljoints, new u-joints in the axle, all new seals, one new ABS sensor, and new backing/dust plates. Needle bearings looked really good and got filled with grease before assembly. I'll hit the unit bearings next weekend as I forgot to bring the grease for those with me. Also need to remember gear lube fro the front axle. Everything went back together as smoothly as you'd expect having just cleaned and shined all the mating surfaces and with new parts. The ball joint press from HF worked very well and even used it for the u-joints with a little adaptation. One issue I had with the ball joints was that the zerk for the top one is a little too large to not hit the axle yolk. Greased it, removed the zerk, and replaced the plug. I retained the zerks so I can just remove the plug at service and grease that way. Bit of a hassle, but I'll take it. Still have to finish the sandblasting and rebuilding of the front calipers this week as I ran out of sand (dust collector sucking it up over time) and HF was closed 4 minutes before I got there. The silica beads worked wonders for my moisture issues though. Thanks again to @wizkid00104 for the awesome help with that!! I built mine a little different as I needed to get it toegther in the amount of time it took Amazon to deliver my beads. I didn't use (but will add later) ball valves and clear pipe to be able to see the condition of the beads. Overall, I'd say that the pictures don't do the paint justice. That chassis saver is really good stuff (so far). One thing I didn't paint (and I don't know why for the life of me) is the dang steering box. I'll probably hit that with a brush next time around while I'm going around to touch up anything I missed.
On the axle stub shaft seals (the big ones), I ended up using a 3" pipe thread (size) nut off of a coupling and then placing my home made (pipe nipple, cap, and flange) driver over that. Kept me from having to grind that thing down to make it fit the seal. I tried a sleeve out of a Perkins diesel as that was about the right size, but one smack and it started to warp the metal of the seal. Another snafu I had was I put the passenger side dust shield on backwards the first time around.
So, next up is hanging the front springs and reinstalling the axle once I get the brakes put back together. I'll probably wait on the brake lines until I get the axle in place to make sure they fit correctly as some folks have had issues with Russell not labeling them correctly. After that, it's down to making the alternator and AC brackets, placing the Cummins (with clutch, flywheel, and trans) back in (hopefully) for the final time. Then it's on to plumbing and wiring, transfer case install, have to have driveshafts made/modified, and soundproofing the interior and putting that all back together. It's still quite a long list, but I think I'm over the hump. Fingers crossed.
Screen (washer lint trap cut up) to keep the beads our of the air lines. This thing is AWESOME! Blasted bracket Front parts all ready for paint
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