hello everyone,

i'm trying to make a pain in the *** job a little easyer.

i have a 82 e-150 strait 6 that runs like a top but the bodys just

wore out.i bought a 89 e-150 low miles,but its been setting for a

long time and mech its screwed.

today i started tearing the engine tranny ect out of the 89 to

get ready to swap all the 82 stuff into it.

on the way home from the shop i got thinking (which can be

dangerous) ,why not just swap the bodys?

has anybody else ever done this with a full size van?i have

access to bob cats, tractor with loaders and a huge steel beam

lift with a chain hoist.

i think it will be i pretty clean swap and won't cost anything but

a few gallons of antifreeze and some brake fluid.

just looking for some advice and i'll keep you posted on my

progress.


thanks
jason

 

It should be doable, I've considered the same for my own.
To keep using my 4x4 chassis, when the body rots out.

I will point out that the rear fuel tank is mounted to the body.

The body mount bolts will be the biggest booger.
I guarantee that many of them are rusted.
The wiring and the HVAC unit are different between the two.

Find a wiring diagram for the 89.
As far as wiring, I'd just figure out how to hook up the Duraspark
Box to the 89 harness, you could swap harnesses, but that's a pain.
The fuel tank sender wiring will have to be hooked up somehow.

 

i pulled the body off the 89 today.

it went really well.a whole lot easier than i thought it would.

i used the front two body mount holes and hooked a chain with a spreader up to a chain hoist.lifted the front enough to clear the engine.

for the rear,just opened the doors and used a bobcat with pallet forks to lift it.

i had to grind off the heads of 3 of the body mount bolts but most came right out.i pulled the gas tank before hand.

i'm going to use the 89 harness like you said and wire up the dura spark.

i'm hoping i can rewire the sending unit for the fuel gauge so it works .a/c not a issue for now anyways.

i wish i had a 4x4 chassis,that would be the perfect van.i jacked up the body and put some 4x4s on the frame giving it a 4 in. body lift and it looked cool jacked up.

thanks

jason