Hi everyone!
i'm new to this forum and happy to be here! I hope there is still so.e active profiles on here, to help me with this huge job.. hopefully i can be of help to someone too someday!

Anywho

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, inside the boxed part of the chassis, that i cannot get a grip on, and grinding off the bolts proves very difficult due to very limited access from above... anyone know a way to get these out without cutting the chassis or parts of the engine bay out?

-next big problem is wiring, what do i have to disconnect and/or work out of the way to separate the chassis from the body? 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!

Thanks in advance!

Greetz,
Econowizard

 

A torch is your friend for the rusted out body mount bolts
You will have to have the powertrain out, and the radiator / AC condenser out first, to make it easier to get to the bolts with the torch
Extremely big job for someone asking questions like you are
Not saying it cannot be done with time and money, just might not be cost effective
Ditch the Haynes manual for now and hit the library to use their AllData for free
On that site get the R and R procedure for the engine and trans (print it out free) (25 pages per day is what my library allows)
It also has the EVTM that shows all the wiring connectors and their locations etc.
You read through that Alldata removal procedure before you start the BIG job ahead of you
The engine comes out the front once you remove the AC condenser and the radiator and its support
Easier to remove the trans first IMO
Good luck
More importantly, have fun

 

Hi ManicMechanic,
Thanks so much for your reply!

The engine bay has been cleared out as far as i thought was necessary. So the radiator, ac condenser and oil cooler are gone.

Also, i found that with a reciprocating saw and a good blade, i can cut through the body mount bolts without too much of a hassle. The other body mounts and bolts i had to torch to melt the factory loctite and then came out pretty easily. But since these body mounts dont have a nut on the bottom i wasnt able to twist the bolt out of the threaded sleeve and ring they tighten into.

do the engine and trans really have to come out to take off the body? I read some threads where people just disconnected everything that goes to the body and 'lifted it right off of there'.

I will hit the library and see what i can find! Thanks for the tip! There is a lot of threads about this procedure, but not too much info. I will try and post some pictures later of what is going on right now, maybe itll be of help to someone one day. I think i only still have to disconnect some grounds and connectors going to the tranny and engine, and loosen the brake, gas and tranny lines from the chassis to make sure i dont pull them apart and ruin them. The firewall is also almost cleared.

Anyways, thanks again for your reply! It is a huge endeavor, especially for me with my tiny shop and limited knowledge, but it has been so fun working on this so far!

Greetz,
Econowizard

 

Good on ya thinking and trying the sawzall on those bolts
You'll find them laying all over the junkyard
Same with the mount nuts, and rubber that is still good
Keep on

 

Thanks!
They are all out now. I have replacements for the rear two. Im also making good progress on the rest. A few electrical components and the lpg lines have to go, and then it's a matter of raising the body off, putting it on a stand and rolling the chassis out from under there!

Any ideas about where and how to lift the body up? Im afraid im going to bend metal while lifting, since the body is quite heavy.

Thanks again!
Econowizard

 

Anywhere under the body you can get a block of wood and a jack
Some of those flat spots by the body mounts will have the thicker metal

 

Cool! thanks!
you've been an absolute savior!
i will document the process as well as i can and post it somewhere.

Cheers!
Econowizard