Doing ford shock towers and I have a new question

[stoney126]

Hey all Doing the ford shock swap( no shock towers yet) . I am grinding off the heads but What I believe to be a fuel line is in the way. Can I just undo the line until im done grinding? What precautions should I take as not to catch on fire. It is a 84 diesel BTW

 

[dremu]

IIRC, that's a bleed valve for the diesel, or maybe a water removal tap or somesuch. Yours is a CUCV, which I think changes things.

-- A

 

[stoney126]

so can I undo it or should i just grind around it? Im hoping the towers dont give me trouble

 

[dremu]

so can I undo it or should i just grind around it? Im hoping the towers dont give me trouble

You could undo it ... seems like a lot of work, though. I'd just hit the thing with the grinder pointing up-and-down, use it as a cutting wheel... cut a slot down the center of the rivet and then bang the bracket off with a sledge.

Heck, I just ground off two rivets inside my pickup's frame rail today, right by the gas tank ... living dangerously, I was... but I did that same thing, grind a slot down like it's a big wood screw, then bang the bracket back and forth.

I know that liquid diesel is harder to ignite that liquid gas -- that whole higher compression thing -- but I donno 'bout the air-mixture/fume thing.

-- A

 

[redneckdude]

personally, i would also knock down the stock bracket closer to the frame. I, myself, have a harder time controlling a grinder when its perpindicular to the frame. id try and make it more parallel to it and just grind away. its diesel...a lot harder to have ignite from sparks. cover it with a damp towel or something else and go to town on it imo.

 

[stoney126]

cool just grinded around it. Man I remember doing th rivets on my CC and it took me a friggin day. Took about an hour today

 

[stoney126]

BTw thanks for the help

 

[dremu]

BTw thanks for the help

CK5: the best mechanical advice you can get for $25

Yeah, I shoulda mentioned the same thing ... BFH that bracket as far towards the frame as possible, get you some working room.

Imagine doing that INSIDE the frame rails ... I think I'm STILL digging aluminum oxide out of my person, two showers later.

-- A

 

[stoney126]

CK5: the best mechanical advice you can get for $25

Yeah, I shoulda mentioned the same thing ... BFH that bracket as far towards the frame as possible, get you some working room.

Imagine doing that INSIDE the frame rails ... I think I'm STILL digging aluminum oxide out of my person, two showers later.

-- A

LOL I didnt even think of smacking the flat before hand Ya I love gringing, then getting the wonderful smell of burning hair

 

[ssped]

The worst part about open grinding is getting the RUST off of all the cars paint when you dont wash them afterwards. I ended up claying the paint of the truck. My detailers at work tought I was crazy cleaning a dented up smoosh body like mine and buffing it.

 

[stoney126]

ok GOt the new shock towers and That line is right in the way. Am I going to have to bend a new line?

 

[Blue85]

Can't you push it aside enough to get the new tower on?

 

[chev4life]

I dont have any pics of mine, but it sure seems like you should be able to push out of the way just enough to fit the tower.

Can't you push it aside enough to get the new tower on?

 

[stoney126]

In the pic it is at max height, and that with 4 of the line retaining clips undone. It also doesnt have an right to left play. Even if I could squeeze the tower in, the line would ride on it and I dont see that working very long. Ill post some current pics later.

 

[protechk5]

I just did the same thing, i was able to bend it back then run it on top of the frame rail, you can kinda see where it goes up.

 

[stoney126]

dang I have the older style. May have to go new style instead.

 

[CARL]

Air chisel the rivets off

Air chisel the rivet head off & use an air punch to push the rivets out...very quick work.

 

[stoney126]

I got the two trivets off that were retainging the old stock shock towers, are there others