When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hi!
I'm Colin, im 23 years young, I live in the Netherlands and am currently working on a imported 1992 ford e150, with a high roof, lpg installation and... welll.. lots and lots of rust
I bought this van a while ago and got all the worn out bushings, brake parts etc replaced. The engine runs great and the trans works as it is supposed to. Plusbi really love the look of the van. It is going to be my tiny house on wheels some day.
However, as mentioned before, the van is very rusty. Especially the wheel wells, back end of the frame rails and parts of the floor are basically nonexistant. I taught myself how to weld, bought some steel plate and started fixing these rotted out portions, which is going quite well actually, considering i'm not a mechanic and am working with the bare minimum amount of space, tools and knowledge of this subject.
If anyone can help me with the following problems, i would be deeply grateful:
The body has to come off the frame entirely, to fix the rotted out parts of the frame, replace the body mounts and to gain access to a few rusty spots on the body too. After these fixes i want to clean and coat the whole chassis and bottom of the body. The parts that im getting hung up on are as follows:
- core support body mounts and bolts are rusted solid, instead of a nut on the bottom there is a threaded ring that i cannot get a grip on, and grinding off the bolts proves very difficult due to very limited access... anyone know a way to get these out without cutting the chassis or parts of the engine bay out?
-next big problem is wiring, i have the Haynes manual and came pretty far just using that as a reference. But the wiring going from the cab to the engine bay, parts of the chassis etc are keeping me from separating the body from the chassis too and it seems like i have to remove basically the whole wiring harness from the van to make sure i dont pull any electicals apart while separating the 2 parts. Is this correct? Or is there an easy approach to separate the body wiring harness and the chassis wiring harness?
i hope someone has a few pictures, or anything that can help me get this beautiful van back on the road in... well.. at least most of it's glory!
Hi Econowizard.
Maybe check these DIY videos? Remove the front & rear bumpers of the van first thing. Another Frame may be the answer?
It's really easy to distort a bad frame! Patch welding is a great idea if the rails aren't toast. Welding up a rusted EVan frame videos - Search (bing.com)
The Van Forums threads May get you much more info too.
Years ago I had one with my Industrial service job. It warmed up slowly in the N.W. USA. Lol
Didn't go interstate until its good and warm on a 20F. / degree day. Bing Videos
Removing the Dog house etc, maybe Front tires & wheel wells + hood, Battery etc. ?
Obviously not the job for the back yard without a Pole Shed, or tent , Cement floor + Hoist.
Obviously Firefighting equipment and Safety protocols are essential. Jack stands, floor jack, Com-a-long, all that good stuff for your personal safety + the neighbors. The handiest toy there is.
Hi!
I'm Colin, im 23 years young, I live in the Netherlands and am currently working on a imported 1992 ford e150, with a high roof, lpg installation and... welll.. lots and lots of rust
I bought this van a while ago and got all the worn out bushings, brake parts etc replaced. The engine runs great and the trans works as it is supposed to. Plusbi really love the look of the van. It is going to be my tiny house on wheels some day.
However, as mentioned before, the van is very rusty. Especially the wheel wells, back end of the frame rails and parts of the floor are basically nonexistant. I taught myself how to weld, bought some steel plate and started fixing these rotted out portions, which is going quite well actually, considering i'm not a mechanic and am working with the bare minimum amount of space, tools and knowledge of this subject.
If anyone can help me with the following problems, i would be deeply grateful:
The body has to come off the frame entirely, to fix the rotted out parts of the frame, replace the body mounts and to gain access to a few rusty spots on the body too. After these fixes i want to clean and coat the whole chassis and bottom of the body. The parts that im getting hung up on are as follows:
- core support body mounts and bolts are rusted solid, instead of a nut on the bottom there is a threaded ring that i cannot get a grip on, and grinding off the bolts proves very difficult due to very limited access... anyone know a way to get these out without cutting the chassis or parts of the engine bay out?
-next big problem is wiring, i have the Haynes manual and came pretty far just using that as a reference. But the wiring going from the cab to the engine bay, parts of the chassis etc are keeping me from separating the body from the chassis too and it seems like i have to remove basically the whole wiring harness from the van to make sure i dont pull any electicals apart while separating the 2 parts. Is this correct? Or is there an easy approach to separate the body wiring harness and the chassis wiring harness?
i hope someone has a few pictures, or anything that can help me get this beautiful van back on the road in... well.. at least most of it's glory!
Hi Papa Tiger,
thanks for your reply!
the bumpers are gone, also the front clip and inside of the van is completely stripped and the front wheels, and side bumpers are gone too. The radiator, ac evaporator are also out of the way.
i could almost stand in the engine bay right now! Kinda cool
The frame is in pretty good shape, just a few spots that could indeed use a patch weld and it mostly needs to be de-rusted and coated.
The core support body mounts and bolts are finally loose! Or well, they're gone actually XD, a reciprocating saw with a good blade did the job but, man, are these bolts strong!
I try to work with the minimum amount of fire as i work alone and, well, if it dont feel safe i try to find a different way that feels more comfortable. The other body mount bolts came right out after heating them up, but this spot is a bit awkward to heat up like that.
thanks so much for your reply, and ill check out the links you sent with it.
Thanks for replying! Didnt expect this much interest in my thread! Haha!
yes, its a huge endeavor. But very fun and educational nevertheless.
Ill make some pictures of everything later. The wiring harness is what's giving me the headaches at the moment, very difficult to see what has to be removed or disconnected... maybe someone has a step by step to doing that? Or another thread/forum where this was solved?
Penetrating oil, heat, power, and patience will get you there.
Can you post pictures of the specific mounts that are giving you all the trouble?
Welcome aboard!
I made some pictures of the current situation and the core suport body mounts, hope they are viewable!
All of the body mounts are finally out now! Yippiee!
now its just a matter of disconnecting connectors, lines etc etc, making sure im not going to ruin anything while lifting off the body. If anyone has a list/step by step or any scrambled together ideas of what to delete or disconnect that would be very helpful.
Also, are there any specific points on the body i can lift it up from? And is it best to lift from the bottom or hoist from up top? I think lifting from bottom a little bit at a time is the safest, but pulling from up top seems more logical and easier to roll the chassis out from under there...
Any insights into this would be very helpful, and greatly appreciated.
Cheers!
Econowizard
Last edited by Econowizard; Sep 13, 2024 at 12:07 PM.
I would lift from the bottom. I can't see any way you don't create issues by lifting from the top somewhere. Get it on some big beams that allow the chassis to roll out and in, and make sure they don't want to fall over. I've seen folks do it with essentially super-duper extra wide sawhorses. Lift a little at a time until high enough then two boards under the body, then attach to sawhorse legs, then lower the body onto the sawhorses. This would need some extra triangulation on the sawhorses as well as a stable surface for all of it.
I would lift from the bottom. I can't see any way you don't create issues by lifting from the top somewhere. Get it on some big beams that allow the chassis to roll out and in, and make sure they don't want to fall over. I've seen folks do it with essentially super-duper extra wide sawhorses. Lift a little at a time until high enough then two boards under the body, then attach to sawhorse legs, then lower the body onto the sawhorses. This would need some extra triangulation on the sawhorses as well as a stable surface for all of it.
Sounds logic, thanks!
i think ill undeed use boards in between the body and chassis to lift one corner at a time, and weld a frame from a few huge strong steel cilinders to rest it on. If all goes well ill have them fixed up in a whiff after that and they'll be ready to put back together. Thanks for your insights!
Remove lights, doors, ect. follow the wiring and look for the disconnects. Make sure the battery is out. Mostly new wiring needed
when going back in ?
A couple Floor jacks, jack the thing up, support the body and slowly lower the frame off of the body which is secure on Stands.
Drag the frame in which direction you have, looks the most convenient, forward or backward.
Front, rear sides of the Body Safely supported on strong Stands. Check 4 corners with light shakes to know body is secure on the stands as you micro drop the frame below the body and drag it away.
A lawn tractor or jeep could work well with a rope / log chain? 2nd pair of eyes and ears recommended doing the removal.
If you have a Ratchet-block hook it to the jeep and block the jeep with 4x4's Inch the frame away from the body with it.
German I think. You could do well with those. Your time and stuff count up. Those on a Cement Floor would work great.
You now have a career! LOL
This looks ideal! I could use it very well for any other project in the future.
for now we made a plan for lifting it safely, more info and pictures to come!
greetz,
Econowizard
This looks ideal! I could use it very well for any other project in the future.
for now we made a plan for lifting it safely, more info and pictures to come!
greetz,
Econowizard
If the axles are still on the frame while you do this, it would be difficult to use these to lift the body and get the chassis out from under it. These also may not go high enough to get the chassis out from under the body, even with the wheels off. For smaller and more normal tasks, these things are pretty cool!
The handiest toy there is.
