[NoQuarter]

The inner rockers are shot too. I'll have to decide how to add in new metal to bring down to the 1/8" rect tube rock sliders uwharrie style.

I was thinking about the frame sealer but seems the inside will be so flakey wasn't sure it would be effective enough to help. Would you just spray and pray or is there a better method?

Thanks for the tips!

 

[NoQuarter]

Next bit of dirty work is to tackle the exhaust y-pipe bolts and the torsion bars
Not looking forward to either of those.

 

[MI_Ghost]

I was thinking about the frame sealer but seems the inside will be so flakey wasn't sure it would be effective enough to help. Would you just spray and pray or is there a better method?

Pick up a borescope to use with your phone or tablet and take a look inside.
It may just be a matter of using a pressure washer and flushing them out.

 

[NoQuarter]

Pick up a borescope to use with your phone or tablet and take a look inside.
It may just be a matter of using a pressure washer and flushing them out.

Great idea, I have one that should work. On cleaning them out I'm think more like a dryer vent style brush I can push through and spin with a drill. Vacuum/air gun to clean out.

 

[NoQuarter]

Got the torsion keys loose. I tried 2 loaner tools from Autozone:

Tool #57278 (OEM Brand) was about $80 to borrow and was not usable. The throat was much too narrow/short
Tool #4045 (CTA brand) was still not "correct", but I was able to make it work. $46 to borrow.

This tool the bolt was too short. In the photo you see I have an impact rated socket as a spacer and the socket for the bolt already in place because the press was always just a bit in the way to put the socket on later. With my face so close, I wanted the security of the extra clamps in case it slipped with that sketchy socket spacer.

Now just need to determine what method to bust those bars out of the key sockets.

 

[Mmusicman]

Key is "loose"??
I must be missing something.. I don't see what this is accomplishing.

 

[NoQuarter]

The tension is off the key now and the bar wiggles around a bit. However, the bar is stuck in the key so can't be removed just yet.

Now you making me think I'm missing something

I think I need an air hammer or big azz 2 arm puller/pusher to get it out.

 

[Leeann_93]

I really don't get it. You use the tool to release the tension, then you unscrew the bolt and remove the key.

What's holding the bar in the key????

 

[NoQuarter]

Rust. Like the entire van. EVERY bolt has been a fight.

 

[Leeann_93]

This is from my '00, which came to me from PA.

Detail from above. There's nothing holding the bar in place. Whack it upwards from below, then side to side.

 

[Mmusicman]

Ok.. I think I see now. The tool allows you to remove the bolt and little retaining bar (nut), then you can slowly release the tension on the key, remove torsion bar, and eventually lower the key though the bottom opening?

 

[Leeann_93]

Yep. In my experience, even on my rusty van (the ‘99 former airport shuttle), the bar was loose as soon as you relieved the tension on the key. The bar wiggles out with no trouble and god help you if you forgot to have a hand on the key when you did that, because that monster heavy chunk would fall on you.

In fact, you have to hold up the key to get the bar out

 

[NoQuarter]

The torsion bars are still in . I'll get back to them. The next step is to see if I can remove the crossmember with the torsion bars still attached and pull other end free from the control arms. If that works, then I can work on getting them free of the keys while on the ground.

The fuel pump continued to defy any reasonable attempt to remove gracefully. I bent up the tabs to make a larger vertical support and took an air hammer to the tabs. The ring started to loosen but it was a race against the tabs breaking off first and the ring twisting free. It is off and a new pump is sitting in the boxes of new parts waiting their turn.

I decided to have a look at the radiator core support and started thinking about how I could get a decent repair without really derailing my progress on the rear. Got started on cutting away the rot and mocking up some ideas on a repair.

I will work on the left side, the right side, then figure out how to connect the 2 sides along the bottom.
The inner wheel well is no longer attached to the RCS. The area under the headlights is rotten/missing so the brace (red arrow) no longer supports the RCS.

The current plan is to clean that brace up and find some good metal and weld in the tube along the seam/spot welds in the front and plug welds to the brace from the rear.
That tube will tie into a 3/8" plate and tube with a front opening for body mount bolt access. Finally, the vertical section (where the magnets are) will get an 1/8" plate in the rear down to the brace and 3/8" plate, and the front that you see with the magnets will attach to the tube as shown.

I will attempt to make it look decent enough but it will be behind a new front bumper, so I am not going to worry too much about it.

 

[NoQuarter]

I cut out that bracket with the red arrow and made some decisions on the 2x2 tube support.

Got a bolt welded in for the body mount.

 

[MI_Ghost]

I hope your taking good measurements. You might be making kits for this

 

[WoodButcher]

I hope your taking good measurements. You might be making kits for this

Please do!
or at the very least many of us will want to imitate!
You've done some nice work so far but this is one on my current hit list.
I repaired the core support on my '02 but it was in a pretty bad wreck before I got it. Measurements and angles were impossible to get right so the BFH and eye-crometer were put to work. My new '05 looks to be pretty crusty in there.

 

[MI_Ghost]

Once the main beam and the 2 uprights are set. Filling in with sheet will be easy peasy.

 

[NoQuarter]

The 2 main supports are ready. I need to get new bolts for the body mount so I can bolt them in prior to welding in place.

 

[NoQuarter]

Prepped the driver side and ready to install main supports.

 

[NoQuarter]

Removed the bottom support working on how to go about putting in a new one.