Stripping the Body

Preparing the tub for removal

 

8/24/2007

 Let the fun begin!!!  Well, a month after closing on the house and more cleaning and unpacking than I like to think about there is finally enough room in the garage for the Jeep and just enough room to maneuver around it.  So, it's now time to start the disassembly.  My first priority is to remove the Painless wiring harness, I installed a couple of years ago, intact so I may use it again.  Many of the wires still have their labels on them and I'm being very careful to re-label the ones which do not.  I'm also taking lots of pictures for reference purposes when it comes time to re-assemble the engine compartment (lesson learned from the first engine swap).

September 2007

Removal and labeling of the wiring harness.

Engine compartment wiring harness removed.

The front clip removed and ready for the recycling bin.

The rear wiring harness is now finding it's way out.

Preparing to remove the meat of the wiring harness from behind the dash board.

Interior on it's way to being gutted.

No more roll bar.

And gaping rust holes at all four attachment points.

October 2007

Finally got the steering column to release. Gotta love PB Blast, spray it down let it soak for a day or two even the rustiest bolt will come free.

The rear and dash wiring harnesses are removed.

The tub is ready for the scrap metal bin. Just need someone to lift it off.

After a short prayer to the gods of sharp rusty metal and gravity, I gave a lift and a push and got results.

A little pushing and proding later, with only a small amount of blood pouring from my leg, the tub is seprate from the frame for the first time in 21 years.

Now it's time to strip the frame bare and get some first aid to stop the bleeding.

Cleaned up and the bleeding stopped. Ha, it's merely a flesh wound.

Before the sawing.

About an hour later, after the sawing

The sawz-all kicks ass! White meat or dark? Now I just have to trace out a cardboard template of the fire wall so I know where to cut the holes in the new tub when the time comes.

The template. I'm only worried about the electrical, steering column, and brake master cylinder. I'm not reinstalling the heat/ventalation or a clutch.

Packed up and ready for the recycling bin.

Well, the body is off.  It wasn't too hard, two cans of PB Blast and what it couldn't loosen up, the grinder and die cutter did.  If the power tools didn't do the job, the beer at least loosened me up.  Tearing stuff up is too much fun!

 

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