TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Aug 01, 2013 1:52 pm

No new pictures, as nothing new to "show". For total newbies to this stuff, the brake and clutch pedals unbolt very easily. The accelerator pedal is mounted to a bracket that is welded to the floor (gotta order than now), and the linkage is easily detached below the floor. The shifter is a pretty simple unbolt thing too. I was going to leave the steering column in and cut / reweld a section of the new floor to go around it, but decided to "do it right", even though this will not be a heavily restored or show piece. My steering wheel came off easily...loosened the nut after removing the horn, grabbed it at 10 and 2 and gave it an upward lift. Leaving the nut on keeps you from launching it into your face. My trouble today was undoing the drop link from the Pittman arm (in order to remove the steering box and column from underneath). I spent a few hours trying to use a puller to remove that ball joint w/o trashing it. No go. Used pickle forks to get it off...another part needed.

Anybody know if I can order just that ball joint end, or do I need to buy the whole drop arm assembly?

Starting on Monday, I'll remove the rest of the floor and take some shots. I've been taking it out in pieces. I still have the forward inch or two where it's spot welded to the front. I bought a spot weld drill bit and will be attacking it that way. I also have about two square feet of rusty floor attached to the very center, around the shifter and hand brake area, so I'm guessing more spot welds since it's on there pretty tight in that area.

Then after removing some A-pillar, part of a dog leg, and some inner valance, Mr. "Never Welded Before In My Life Other Than A Three Hour Lesson With A Pro", will start putting her back together.

Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:30 pm

Glad you are posting pictures as you go. I will get to my front floor soon. I have done extensive sheet metal work on my truck without ever using a spot weld drill. I have used a variety in the past and have decided I don't like them or they don't like me. For me they do too much damage to the part I want to remain. On my truck I have had good results trimming away much of the unwanted panels as you are. Often the spot welds are rusted enough to wiggle them apart with vice grips. If the spot weld is bending my part to remain too much I grind away some metal to make it thin (the part to be removed) then wiggle some more. I think I have a video or two showing how.

On my truck I plan on doing the doglegs first before the floor. The door gap and alignment is critical and the floor can be adjusted to fit after.

I wish I had more time. Have fun!

Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:43 pm

Thanks for the pointers. I tried the spot weld drill bit a little the other day without much luck as well. Figured I needed more experience. We'll see on Monday.

Fri Aug 02, 2013 7:34 am

So..once the spot welds on the heater tube are vanquished, how does one remove the tube? Does the vertical piece above it slide upward, or does the horizontal piece under the floor get pushed downward?

Fri Aug 02, 2013 7:53 am

Ken,

From what I recall, I cut back the floor leaving the heater tube in place until everything else was removed. then I used a cut-off wheel to slice through the welds on the tube and pulled it down and out of there. Just cut the welds and weld back over the old welds, when you install it.

As a bit of a time saver, skip drilling out the welds on the edge of the floor about the lower dog leg and just slice just under the floor above where the seal goes. You can bend a flange and rosette weld it in so that you have a nice, new piece of steel to weld to.

Flange cut off:

This is where you attach the new flange and rosette weld from the inside. It's too difficult to save the flange as it's usually trashed from rust or drilling it out.

The center area under the e-brake and shifter may or may not have a million spot welds...Depends on how many beers Helmut had at lunch.

The most important part of doing this is to make sure the doors fit properly. Check and re-check. You'd be surprised at how much the metal will move if you get aggressive with the welder.

Take your time and good luck!

Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:07 am

Yes you will have to remove the horizontal heat tube under the floor too. I used a flex shaft in a Dremel tool with a 1 inch cutoff wheel to slice the tube welds.

Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:07 am

If I knew what a rosette weld was I wouldn't be me. My total welding experience is a three hour tutorial from an employee in my buddy's shop. Besides, I'm replacing the lower part of the doglegs, so I'll have that part all new, right? hey...come to Baltimore on your lunch break and give me a hand.

Mon Aug 05, 2013 9:47 am

Removing the steering column. I was going to leave it in, and cut a slot in the new floor to go around it (welding it back in afterward), but enough, more experienced folks on here convinced me it wasn't a big deal. My steering wheel came off easily, but I had to trash my drag link by using pickle forks, to get it off. No big deal...a $50 part that will only make the bus steer better anyway. Since this is being presented as a tutorial, perhaps for some less capable than even I, I've shown the five 17mm bolts that need to be removed (one has no arrow because the wrench is on it)to drop the box and the two that you should not loosen:

Mon Aug 05, 2013 9:49 am

Here's a shot of the frame member once the box is removed. I trick I learned early on...put the bolts back in the holes so you won't need to find them or hit the store when it's time to reinstall:

Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:19 pm

After dropping the steering column out, I decided to attack the old floor where it was spot welded to the support in the center...where the shifter and e-brake attach. I planned on wire brushing the rusty surface to make the spot welds visible and then drilling them out with a spot weld drill. Instead, I just grabbed the edges of the remaining floor (bulk had been sliced out with a cutting wheel) with vice grips, and rolled the grips until the closest spot welds just peeled away. Rust does nice things sometimes. Then I'd grab another part and roll away. Worked very nicely.

Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:22 pm

All that's left of the old floor now is the section right at the bulkhead. The plan (let's see if I stick to it, is to use the spot weld drill bit). Then all I need to move is the heat tube to have finished demolition.

Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:29 pm

After the last bit of floor is out and the tube is moved, I plan to do some patch work on the lower dog legs (not gonna replace them as previously planned), patch work on the headlight strengthener, and patch work on the inner valance. Since this is going to be a crusty driver, with as much OG paint as I can save, I've decided against throwing in too much new metal. I also like the idea about doing some metal fabrication on pieces where I don't need to buy new pieces. Then I plan to clean up as much as possible before slapping on the POR-15 to the frame and surrounding metal. While the floor is off, I am going to replace the sealing plugs on my master cylinder (forward one seems to be leaky), and replace the drag link I trashed yesterday. Also, the rear bolt on my shifter is missing its welded on nut. The PO had replaced it with an sae nut and bolt. As long as I have such good access, I'm going to fix that, as it was a minor pain trying to get a nut up under there a few weeks ago when I replaced the shifter bushing.

Tue Aug 06, 2013 6:42 am

glideking wrote: Yes you will have to remove the horizontal heat tube under the floor too. I used a flex shaft in a Dremel tool with a 1 inch cutoff wheel to slice the tube welds.

So...We're removing the "L". Having already cut the welds above the floor, once I cut the welds on the horizontal part...under the floor...there's enough "play" to get the thing out?

Tue Aug 06, 2013 8:38 am

This picture shows the 1" cutoff wheel on a flex shaft on a Dremel. Here I am removing the rear heat tube but the welds are the same at the front. You don't need to cut very deep. Just enough to weaken the welds then wiggle 'till they break. You will have to cut welds at three locations on each side to get two sections of heat pipe out. 1 under the parcel tray 2 at the floor 3 under the seat. Once all three sections of weld have broken there is enough wiggle room to "un-telescope" 5mm from each end. Then the two pieces of heat tube can barely be taken out. Reinstalling them once the floor is in will take careful planning so practice before you weld in the floor permanently. You will see when you try it. You may wonder why you have to remove the piece under the dash. You need it to be loose go get the floor and pipes back in together!

Tue Aug 06, 2013 8:55 am

OK...I need to stop and get some clarification. I am cutting the welds at "B" and "C" in hopes of removing pipe #2. It sounds like you cut at "A", "B" and "D" and removed all three pieces?

Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:52 am

Hmmmmmmm...looking like Stall20's build had him only removing the upright. Makes more sense, no?

Tue Aug 06, 2013 1:02 pm

Excellent! I love drawings. "C" is a joint you should not attempt to cut. It is spot welded all the way around not tack welded like the ones you should cut at A B &D. You would destroy the pipe trying to get that apart. Stall20's build does not show you how he got the "#1"upper piece in! You cannot lower piece "#1&#2 unit" enough to get "#1" piece in because of the "I" beam under it. You have to play with the new floor piece and the two heat pipe pieces like a puzzle simultaneously to put it all back together. That is if you preserve the telescoping pipes as original. Some just hack the pipe out and weld it back in any way they want. That is up to you. It is too hard to write. It needs a video.

Tue Aug 06, 2013 1:28 pm

glideking wrote: Excellent! I love drawings. "C" is a joint you should not attempt to cut. It is spot welded all the way around not tack welded like the ones you should cut at A B &D. You would destroy the pipe trying to get that apart. Stall20's build does not show you how he got the "#1"upper piece in! You cannot lower piece "#1&#2 unit" enough to get "#1" piece in because of the "I" beam under it. You have to play with the new floor piece and the two heat pipe pieces like a puzzle simultaneously to put it all back together. That is if you preserve the telescoping pipes as original. Some just hack the pipe out and weld it back in any way they want. That is up to you. It is too hard to write. It needs a video.

What do you have...a life? You were so slow in responding (just kidding) that I powered on ahead. I was able to remove the welds at "B", and remove just tube #2. Twas a horrible, difficult job, but the installation is going to be a piece-o-cake.

Tue Aug 06, 2013 1:36 pm

glideking wrote: Glad you are posting pictures as you go. I will get to my front floor soon. I have done extensive sheet metal work on my truck without ever using a spot weld drill. I have used a variety in the past and have decided I don't like them or they don't like me. For me they do too much damage to the part I want to remain. On my truck I have had good results trimming away much of the unwanted panels as you are. Often the spot welds are rusted enough to wiggle them apart with vice grips. If the spot weld is bending my part to remain too much I grind away some metal to make it thin (the part to be removed) then wiggle some more. I think I have a video or two showing how.

On my truck I plan on doing the doglegs first before the floor. The door gap and alignment is critical and the floor can be adjusted to fit after.

I wish I had more time. Have fun!

Yep...used the spot weld drill for about three welds, realized it was too destructive, and taking too long, and just grabbed the vice grips again. I'd rock a section back and forth until the weld broke, and then just move up an inch or two and repeat. MUCH better approach in my opinion. It leaves more "meat" underneath" and is actually quicker once you master the technique,

Tue Aug 06, 2013 1:40 pm

Here's a pretty full shot of the final result. You can see the remains of the spot welds. They will grind out very easily and leave more material than if I'd used the spot weld drill bit.