Hey everyone. My brother and I are starting to teardown our complete 51 F1 and I'll be grabbing some tools and such on my way to the shop. Today's goals are to off the doors and the bed / box so we can roll her into the shop and work more liberally. I see some oversized philips and robbie firxtures and am thinking of just grabbing pneumatic impact drill / bits to start. Anything else that we ABSOLUTELY NEED for this or any other portion of our project? And what about penetrant for the stuck fixtures? Anything a "must-have" over and above trusty WD-40? Thanks for your input.

 

PB-Blaster, vice grips, BFH and some cold beverages....

bob

 

Sorry for the newb-ness but what's BFH?

 

BFH = Big F_c_ing(fill in the blanks) Hammer

Toss that WD-40 into the tool box for the many other uses it has. Loosening bolts is not one of them.
WD-40 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Camera! will be your best friend when you start putting things back together!

 

I used a grinder with a cut off disc on alot of rusted bolts which were not going to be reused.

 

Gas wrench and bandages. One of the most useful tools, digital camera take pictures of everything before and as you're dismantling.

 

A 50/50 mix of Automatic transmission fluid and acetone is the best frozen bolt loosener - courtesy of the gentleman above!

The grinder with the cut off disc is probably going to get used alot! Save yourself trouble and time, cut the bolts off and replace with stainless when you reassemble.

Whatever you do, do not remove your doors by any method other than remvoing the hinge pins. Take a big hammer, set of punches , a cordless drill, and some bits too.

Ditto on taking pictures of EVERYTHING before you dis assemble.

 

Julie,

I've always found it's easier to remove the doors by removing the bolts. Unless the bolts look really nice I don't mess around, heat them with a torch and they'll usually turn out. Even the worse ones come out with the torch. The bolts come out relatively easy compared to trying to get the hinge pins to come out. Also, I don't like messing with the hinge pins unless they're worn and need replacing. The bolts can be hard to find but there are a few vendors who sell them.

 

sawzall come in handy for lots of things.lol. not the prettiest method but works well. and i would also recommend picking up a set of rounded of bolt removers. i know crastman makes a set that not all that expensive and will take out just about any thing. Trust me on this.

 

You're right Bob!

I've always been lucky and been able to get the hinge pins out. I just didn't want him to strip or bust a bolt or worse cut the hinges themselves.

I should have elaborated.

 

The #1 tool for every mechanic is "Patience".
Do not hurry, if in doubt don't do anything, research and do it right or it can cost you time, money, and possibly injury. This is a hobby so enjoy everything you do to your truck, it is a great learning experience.
Good luck.

 

many times I find it's easier to tighten a rusted fastener untill it comes off backward ??? comes off by tightening you ask ?????? yep just keep tightening till you hear "pop" that is the "it's loose" switch turning on and the bolt nut can be removed in two pieces...

seriously a nice 3/8 impact wrench with the right size socket and just drive it down till it snaps off... you're gonna trash them anyway... save time and knuckles... I bought a 3/8" 24 volt impact from Northern tool last year and it's handier than a shirt pocket... not too heavy and plenty of torque.....

I like Kroil penetrating oil... vice grips in large and small sizes... BFH and some good wrenches... not from harbor freight...

the camera is the best tool... and just when you think you've taken all the pictures you need... take about 10 more...

A shop manual is a good tool...and think about what you're going to salvage. If you can throw a cat through the bedside... torch it off, you ain't gonna fix it.. in fact most of it you ain't gonna fix cause it's cheaper in time and money to just replace it...If your truck time is as limited as mine... it's a lot easier to save a few more bucks and buy a new part...

keep a notebook or journal on what you're doing and where you store the parts you take off... it's amazing how things can get lost in a 25x25 garage... ESPECIALLY when you put them up so you won't lose them...

john

 

Holy Cow Jon, where are you still getting KROIL? I haven't seen a can of that in California since I was a little girl! (like the 60s)...It was GOOD STUFF!

PS This truck is in beautiful condition! See pictures on his thread link below post #13:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...t-project.html

It's all factory original, and he doesn't even have any rust between his upper and lower front fender seem! WOW!

There will be no cat throwing on this one! (Too Bad).

 

Also have some baggies to keep small part in and magic markers to lable stuff. 6 months or a year from now when you want those 6 bolts from the watcha ma call it you will have them in a bag and labled. I also use coffee cans to keep bunches of stuff that is small that came from the same area or part. Again the camera is a must. It also helps to record all the stuff you have done when you look back later to see how far you have come.

 

you might also want to keep a log of everything you buy and the time spent on the truck so you can look back when done and see how much time and money you have invested.