Feedback please

Well I am getting all the parts together for t18a swap and a possibly odd thought crossed my mind this morn. I have wanted to remove the tub, flip it over, clean it, and POR 15 (or equivalent) it since I got the Jeep. The reason is that there is really no rust on the tub and i want to preserve it. HOw is this connected to the t18a? well doing the tranny swap without the tub on would be a whole lot easier and safer. What I would like from you guys is some feedback on how easy is it to remove the tub and will it be worth the hassle to remove the tub? BTW, I could thinnly disguise the tub removal as a necessary component for the tranny swap to my beautifully niave wife. She would be a little pissed that I will have taken over the garage for a week or so.

Karl

 

...And you will have taken over the garage for more than a week.

 

Unless you have no job, kids or life I would say a week is optimistic. You will find other imperfections. If you are willing to accept that and have enough jeep points built up to appease the wife - go for it.

 

I left out some details. The PO performed a resto up to the frame. I have pix fully documenting the frame, axle, tranny, engine resto. In fact the frame is still shiny and black. Also this Jeep was never driven in the rain or winter till I got it. Its only been off road once in its 31 year life and has 43000 miles on it. Does this change your opinion? I am genuinely worried about rusting the Jeep out. Do you have any suggestions that would avoid a tub removal but still get the tender underbelly of the Jeep protected?

 

I like the idea. I was going to do it to mine, when I had the tub off, but I was anxious to get it back together so I could drive it. I would do POR15, and then maybe a coat of herculiner or equivalent to absorb the impact of rocks and such. It might even reduce the road noise some, but I doubt it would be significant.

I'd probably plan on it taking more than a week, though, unless you can devote all of your time to it. Plan on at least one day to go through and disconnect everything, free rusted body mount bolts, double check that all wiring is disconnected, etc. Then, after you get the body off (I'll assume you have a large enough place to put it and friends to help you remove it), expect on two to four days to prep the bottom of the body for the POR15. Then, maybe one or two days to apply two coats of POR15. Let it dry good. Put on a topcoat sealer or tie coat primer if you're going to do herculiner. A day to let it dry some more, then herculine it. Since you'll have POR15 for metal protection, you could also go for something cheaper than herculiner.

Now you'll take a day to get the body back on, and hook everything back up. You'll need good help for that too. Then another day to fix all the misc stuff you did and remembering what wires went where because you didn't label them because you were sure you'd remember.

Remember, all this assumes you have no other life and you have the discipline to make this the only task you do (plus the tranny swap), regardless of what else you find while the tub is off.

 

A week seems a little aggressive. But if you got the ambition, why not?

 

Gentlemen,
I agree. A week is too ambitious. I have slated a few other upgrades over the summer and pulling the tub would derail everything else. I get my annual bonus in a week and will be buying tires, the parts kit to rebuild the t18a, bushings, a cb, and possibly the parts for disc brakes. This would not only consume all my free time, but all my Jeep points for the year. I did do a little research on corrosion protection and read about electronic corrosion protection. Anyone use this type of protection?

Karl

 

You might take an intermediate (heh) route and spray the undercarriage with waxoyl. I've read that waxoyl is highly favored in GB for preserving door panels etc. I'd think it could be removed with pressure washing at a later date. http://www.robisonservice.com/servicedep/waxoyl.asp

 

I bet you could lift the tub high enough (not really pulling it off) to powder blast or clean it somehow and hit it with POR right on the frame.

Disconnect the steering, clutch, front fenders, tunnel cover, gas filler, and jack it up 4 or 5 inches. Stick in some 2X6s to hold it up, clean and paint. If the tub is in great shape is might not be too hard. Drop it back down.

 

Taking the tub off leads to a frame off resto.

If the Jeep is solid, stick with it the way it is. Get some rattle can undercoating and go to town.