The engine in it’s very own, new, home:
1 – the intake manifold. 2 – all the manifold bolts removed, I didn’t follow a sequence for undoing them just dotted about loosening each one gradually. 3 – hard to see but there was a bolt that is screwed into the manifold with a nut holding it to the timing chain cover. This would not play nice, so I had to chop…
Removing drive shaft U-joint.
 ;)
The driveshaft universal joint to be removed. This doesn’t rotate smoothly – it’s very clunky – so a new one will be installed after the shaft is painted.
First step is to remove the retaining C-clips. Any tool with a point will do for this.
Now the u-joint will be able to move (forcibly, not freely) for the next step. Put a socket larger than the u-joint bearing…
Removing traction arm bushings.
 ;)
The traction arm aka radius rod aka torque arm aka whatever else…
Pressure wouldn’t budge these bushings so the alternative was this. The traction arm front bushing being burned out with a weed burning torch.
I burned the rear one out as I wasn’t sure how the new ‘Ultimate Performance High Technology Polygraphite’ (overkill compared to all my other rubbers, but it’s all I could find) bushings would…
Removing torque converter and flywheel.
 ;)
Getting ready to mount the engine for a rebuild. So, with it still on the crane had to remove the torque convertor and flywheel (AKA flex plate).
It is held on by 3 bolts, and access is limited. Found one place (the low left as you look at the flywheel) that a socket would fit and also hit against the side of the engine to stop the torque converter…
A bit more backtracking.
 ;)
Somehow I missed this earlier. Had to remove the rest of the ball joint from the lower control arm. Thankfully it was easy to do.
This is the thing to remove:
Just hit it with a hammer around the edges…
…until it starts to break free…
…then hit it some more until it’s completely out.
Some cleaning to do then it’s ready for a new…
…Yet more rust removal. Shot blasting this time.
 ;)
First of all was to separate the steering centre-link from the idler arm, pitman shaft, and old tie-rods.
This is as simple as removing a pin, undoing a nut, knocking with a hammer and repeating. Easier said than done with something this rusty.
And afterwards:
Had the sway bar and, now, the centre link to grind the rust away.
With most of the rust gone on most of…
Some hocus pocus. And more rust removal.
 ;)
The hocus pocus:
Had lots of little parts, with lots of rust that needed to be removed. Best way is to use a dip solution. I used Bilt Hamber Laboratories Deox C concentrated rust remover. It is a white powder that gets diluted in water (yes, water). A kilo of this powder can make up to 20 litres of rust removing solution. I found this to be very effective and…
Whole Lotta Rust (removal).
 ;)
Spent today breathing in lots of rust dust. I had planned on shot-blasting away most of the rust with the thought that a new compressor and gun would make the job a piece of cake. It is still very time consuming and tedious, so to speed it up I’ve used a flap wheel on an angle grinder to get most of the rust away, then plan to use the shot-blaster…
Undoing some hard work.
 ;)
(Removing bushing sleeves from lower control arm.) Didn’t know for certain that the new lower control arm bushings would include the outer metal sleeves. But they do:
So, had to remove all of the ones I left in previously, in case I didn’t get new ones.
Simply used a chisel, hammer and brute force…
… and lots of WD40…
… to eventually get them all out.…
Removed rear brake backing plates.
 ;)
This is the rear brake assembly mounted to the rear axle.
To remove the backing plate the whole axle shaft needs to be removed. Begin by dismantling the old brakes. See here for a detailed step-by-step process.
Once the brakes are off, you can get to 4 mounting bolts holding the backing plate to the axle – through the access hole in the wheel rotor.
Don’t forget…
Removed wheel studs, dismantled front brakes.
 ;)
Started with this:
Removing wheel studs is easy…
… just hit with a hammer and they pop through. Notice two of the removed studs had sheared, luckily there was still enough to hit with a hammer to knock them out. If there isn’t anything for the hammer to hit just use another wheel stud, thread end touching the broken stud and hit the head with the hammer.
To…