Need advice on stripping down chassis

[22touring]

Hey guys, would you mind giving me some words of wisdom about the proper sequence for stripping all the components off the frame of my '22 tourer, so I can take the frame in for sandblasting and powder-coating?

 

What should I remove first, and then what, etc.?  I have never stripped a DB chassis before and am not at all certain where to begin! My apologies for being dumb, but I sure could use the help.

 

Thanks very much.

[keiser31]

7 minutes ago, 22touring said:

Hey guys, would you mind giving me some words of wisdom about the proper sequence for stripping all the components off the frame of my '22 tourer, so I can take the frame in for sandblasting and powder-coating?

 

What should I remove first, and then what, etc.?  I have never stripped a DB chassis before and am not at all certain where to begin! My apologies for being dumb, but I sure could use the help.

 

Thanks very much.

However you proceed, take LOADS of photos of EVERYTHING prior to and during removal. Those photos will prove to be most valuable for reassembly.

[Taylormade]

Take the motor and transmission out first, make a rolling cradle for the unit and roll it out of the way.  Remove all cables, brake lines and bolted on hardware.  Photograph everything - you can’t have too many reference photos.  Take reminder notes if you have any questions about reassembling anything.  You will not have a clue after a year or two.  I would put the frame on jack stands and then remove the front and rear axles by removing the shackles and bolts and roll them out from under the frame.  Now the frame is ready for the blaster and powder coating.  Make sure all frame rivets are tight and there is no deep rust on the frame.  While the frame is out being attended to, you can disassemble the axles and work on the motor.

[Minibago]

Perhaps when checking the security of the rivets you might check for cracking of the chassis particularly around the bracket mounts for the running board again particularly on the drivers side.

[ILIKECARS53]

At this time it would also be a good idea to take measurements to make sure the frame is true and straight.  And the more pictures the better.

[Mattml430]

All good advice above but also if you need to cut any rust out of the chassis do it before you remove the engine and mounts. They hold the chassis together quite well and stop it from twisting. Take pics of everything it’s so handy at re assembly to see how it all goes back together. 

[Ron Lawson]

Start from the back Undo the bell at rear back of the transmission Undo rear spring u bolts and slide the rear end back From what others have said you have to undo the bolts in the side of the frame and slide the engine and trans back to remove it as a unit 

  

[22touring]

Thanks very much for the kind and informative replies.

 

This car was always a pretty good runner before I disassembled it, so I am hoping that little or no engine, transmission, clutch or differential work is going to be necessary upon reassembly.

 

After I removed the body from the frame, I noticed that the equalizer for the service brake was badly out of adjustment, so one side was being applied much harder than the other (picture 1)  So do I just take slack out of the brake adjustment on the loose side?  Also, on the right brake it looks like the drum is pulling outward from the shoe or something(? - picture 2).  What is wrong here, how do you correct it, and is it related to the incorrect equalizer adjustment?

 

Thanks again.

[Mattml430]

It looks like the axle is moving in and out. I’m not 100% sure about the early rear ends but you might need to check the outer bearing and shim it correctly if that how they are adjusted. 
The book of information gives a great description on the technic  on brake adjustment. 

Edited September 24, 2021 by Mattml430 (see edit history)

[Minibago]

Not axle movement on these early cars, perhaps more likely a loose wheel bearing. These are held in by a round left and right hand threaded clamp nut and then secured by a clamp bolt. These bolts can come loose allowing the nut to undo.

But first, check the brake bands and perhaps renew the brake linings.

Set the brakes as described in the Dodge Brothers workshop manual not as detailed as one for a modern car but good enough. You should not have the equaliser bars anything but level. The adjustment should start at the wheel drum brake bands and work forward.

[Ian_Greenlaw]

Also take measurements of the running board brackets etc... some are longer than others and easy to get mixed up.

As the other guys said....load of photos.......and then more photos

[cutdown]

Why Powder coating.  We used to do it on our motorcycles with powder coat,  but if it is chipped, and water gets in, it migrates.  We are now using 2 pot paints to do this. It is harder and more resistant to chipping.  I did see one of our members showing me an aluminium bar that had been painted with a special paint [ called Valspa 510 ]. He hit it hard with a hammer and it didn't chip. He was using this paint to paint buses. . I suggest you get some advise from someone who has firsthand experience with the different forms of painting/coatings.

 

Dereck

 

I had my 750 frame powder coated years ago. When finally rebuilt, I went for a ride. later, when I took the tank off, I found I had not used enough padding between tank and frame so the tank had worn the power coat off in one place.  I cut a hole in a piece of paper just bigger than the worn area, and used a rattle can to cover the missing powder coat.

Edited October 3, 2021 by cutdown (see edit history)

[22touring]

The rear brake equalizer was pulled so far to one side because the other side was missing its return spring.  I think that's also why the brake band on that side wasn't lining up where it was supposed to.

 

On a semi-floating rear end, how do you remove the front shackle of the rear spring where it goes through the frame?  I'm afraid I'm going to break the nut on the outside of the frame if I crank on it much harder.  Are you instead supposed to remove something on the inside of the frame?

Edited December 22, 2021 by 22touring
addition (see edit history)

[Mark Gregush]

I got it wrong.

Edited December 29, 2021 by Mark Gregush (see edit history)

[22touring]

Thanks, Mark!

[22touring]

So Mark, my rear spring shackle bolts didn't resemble yours, or other ones I have seen online, apparently because (according to the Master Parts list), my car has the malleable iron rear spring bracket that was used between car nos. 77850 and 85019, wherein the inboard side of the spring bracket is threaded.  The shackle bolt just screws into it and is secured with a lock plate, screw and lockwasher rather than a cotter pin.  So there's no inside nut, no cotter pin and it unscrews from the outside rather than from the inside.

 

I spent a long time searching for the cotter pin under the frame before I figured this out!

 

I wonder why they only used the malleable iron spring bracket for about 7,000 cars?  Hope it didn't prove to be inferior or trouble-prone.

Edited December 24, 2021 by 22touring
addition (see edit history)

[nearchoclatetown]

22, if you haven't figures it out yet, no two DBs are the same. Be cautious when someone says "they are all" or " it is." From day one they built cars and changed them, most times improving but not always. A friend and I own consecutive serial number cars and they couldn't be much different. 

[22touring]

I would like to remove the brake pedal from the clutch cover so I can blast and paint the brake pedal and the clutch pedal together, and paint the clutch cover separately.  The clutch pedal comes off easily, but in order to remove the brake pedal I think you have to remove the clutch release shaft.  I tried to look it up in the Mechanic's Instruction Manual, but the only thing I could find was where it said to remove only the clutch pedal when removing the transmission.  From that, I am inclined to think they did not recommend removing brake pedal and clutch release shaft for some reason.  Maybe they're too hard to remove, unless you really have to?  I can't find anything else in Mechanic's Instruction Manual about removing them.  (Maybe I overlooked it, though, because it is not very well-indexed.)  Can anybody tell me how to remove the clutch release shaft and brake pedal, and any particular reason why it may be difficult to do so?  Or can I remove the brake pedal without removing the clutch release shaft?

Edited December 26, 2021 by 22touring
addition (see edit history)

[22touring]

Concerning removal of the brake pedal from the clutch cover: I thought for sure that nearchoctown would know the answer.  I wish I could ping somebody like Rodger "Dodger" Hartley or Bob Scafani with the question, because they know everything.  (Of course I could send them a message, but I hate to bother the poor guys every time I encounter a problem.)

Edited December 29, 2021 by 22touring
correction (see edit history)

[nearchoclatetown]

22, you are giving me too much credit. I'm not that smart. I have not had to take that apart yet so don't know your answer. I have looked at parts books and it does not show clearly how it's held on. BUT being that it doesn't describe how to take it apart maybe you are not supposed to. As in , MAYBE a hidden blind tapered pin that you are not supposed to find? The mast parts book shows a bolt with a lock nut, but it can't be that easy. I don't have an assembly far enough apart to look at either. When RAH wakes up I will give him a call, he's on the left coast. I like asking him stupid questions because it makes both of us think. 

[Mark Gregush]

I have pulled down three. I will try to answer to the best of my experience. Start off by removing both set screws and retaining clips from the yoke. Next step is what I did but may not be needed. Remove the short shaft on the right. The yoke needs to slide over to the right, so the key on the long shaft side can be accessed between the housing and yoke. Remove the key. Loosen the set screw on the collar. Using the lever, you should be able to work the shaft out.

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Mark Gregush (see edit history)

[22touring]

Thanks again, Mark!

[nearchoclatetown]

RAH says he doesn't know. 

[Mark Gregush]

As a side note, all three of the transmissions/bell housings/clutch assemblies were out of the car off the engine at the time I worked on them. I have not tried this in car or still mounted to engine.

[22touring]

Since I am going to be removing the transmission from the engine in any event, I'll just go ahead and remove it and worry about removing the brake pedal once I get it on the bench.

[Mark Gregush]

Or you could try it now and report back!

[22touring]

I had to remove the short, passenger-side clutch release shaft before I could get the long, driver's side of the shaft out.  The clutch fork and pedal are secured to the shaft on each end with both keyways and locking setscrews, and the setscrews bottom out into depressions in the shaft.  (Horace Dodge was taking no chances with the shaft coming loose.) You've got to remove the keys from the shafts before removing them. 

 

I always had excessive play in my clutch pedal, which I could never figure out.  I discovered that it was because both of the release fork setscrews were loose, so only the keys and keyways were preventing the shaft from turning, and there was a degree or two of lost motion between the keys and the keyways.  These setscrews can easily be checked for tightness just by removing the sheet metal cover from the top of the clutch enclosure.

 

That multi-plate clutch is pretty impressive.  Mine seems to be in fairly decent shape, knock on wood.  I like the way it engages with those large dowels on the flywheel.  The flywheel is rather amazing, too. 

Edited January 3, 2022 by 22touring
to correct grammar (see edit history)

[Mark Gregush]

I think you could have left the clutch pedal linage on the shaft and used it as a lever to help work the shaft out. Great job and good photos of the parts. I could not remember if the short shaft had a key or not, mine are not accessible right now.

[22touring]

Can anybody tell me how to remove the front engine mount from the front chassis crossmember on a '22 4-cylinder car?

 

I've already got the engine off the chassis.  I just want to separate the front engine mount from the bare chassis.

 

Thanks again. 

[Minibago]

There is a plate behind the valence covering the ball end with three bolts.

Undo the bolts, remove the plate and the engine mount slides out forward.

This is usually done once the engine is supported in the car and the engine mount slides out from the front of the engine before engine removal.

[22touring]

It doesn't seem to want to come out.  I'll try spraying it with penetrating oil and hitting it with a hammer on a block of wood.  I just wanted to make sure it wasn't threaded.

[Minibago]

No, not threaded on the outside. It is a hollow tube with a ball end, threaded on the inside at the ball end to hold the blanking plug.

I had a build up of oil hardened on the tube where it fits into the ring on the front casting which jammed mine.

 

 

[Minibago]

 

I screwed the blanking plug in and used a half inch drive socket wrench to free it up.

 

[nearchoclatetown]

If removing the ball socket while the engine is in the car you have to take weight off. The tube should spin freely in the engine. 

[22touring]

Please be so kind as to share your preferred method of degreasing and cleaning an old engine prior to detailing it.  I need all the help I can get.

 

So I've got a Porsche 356 restoration going, in addition to the frame-off job on the Dodge Bros. car, because it gives you twice the opportunity to lose parts.  Could you guys please advise me how you would clean and degrease a Porsche aluminum transaxle that has layers of grease and dirt built up on it, without disassembling it?  Same procedure as on the DB engine, or not?  Thanks very much.

[JACK M]

Roll it outside, put it on jack stands, wear dirty clothes, and pressure wash every nook and cranny.

Then get out the little brushes and degreaser and do it again.

[22touring]

Jack, is there any particular brand of engine degreaser that you greatly prefer?

 

How would you go about trying to avoid water getting into the engine when pressure-washing?  Any special tips for blocking off the intake and exhaust ports?

[Mattml430]

If you can get hold of one a hot wash works really well. I have a big Deisel karcher. It really softens all that crud. Some pressure cleaners will allow you to use hot water from the tap so if you hook yours to that it might help. But other than that go with Jacks suggestion. 
As for the engine stuff rags into the ports and then use some 3M duct tape all the way along the exhaust/Intake face. Then when cleaning just try to avoid the area as much as possible. When you finish give it a good blow down with compressed air. 

[JACK M]

I have seen guys put baggies over the distributor held with rubber bands.

This might also work with breathers and the likes.

I think your FLAPS would have some degreaser on the shelf, I have no particular brand that I would recommend.

If your manifolds are off and you need to cover the ports you might get some good tape and keep the pressure away. Or stuff rags into them. Better yet, do both.

If you get water into the oil, it will drain first as it is heavier than the oil.

I usually blow dry to get the puddles out of the way.

[JACK M]

I see that great minds think alike LOL