Frame rehab plans on my 99

So here's a question: my A/C system was totally evacuated and has been unplugged since March. I suspect there was a leak in the system because before my truck went under the knife the A/C didn't blow very cold so my plan was to get one of those UV dye kits and see where it was leaking. I don't know much about these systems and I don't want to cause more expensive damage...when restarting an A/C system that has been in a situationlike mine has what precautions should I take to ensure a smooth start up?

Planning on getting this kit:

GBAuto USB Car interior lights LED decorative armrest box car roof full star projection laser,Romantic Auto Roof Star led,The interiors Multiple Modes Lights for car/Home/Party (Red-Starry sky)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001810SHA/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_j1KkzbSYWF5VA

It's the one ChrisFix uses (youtube channel). It seems to work well for him.

Thanks.

 

Got a thread going to try and reach the rest of the forum that may not be following this thread...here's my problem:

All back together and no start. Cranks but no start. Thought it might've been fuel cause I could hear the pump. Turns out my hearing sucks.

Tried spraying starter fluid, and nothing.

Checked for spark. No spark. Checked all three plugs on passenger side. Way I tested was pull the plug cover, remove plug, put plug back in cover and connect a ground wire to the engine (used jumper cable).

It is possible I reconnected the ECU wrong, although I don't think I did. Would an ECU improperly plugged in allow for all normal electrical operation (lights, windows, locks, turn signals, etc) but no fire?

If I did somehow fry my ECU how would I verify that is the case?

Thanks

 

Just checked the cam and crank sensors. Both measure in the correct resistance range. I've unplugged and reseated any connector I had removed. Nothing.

 

So, it's alive. No start ended up being a connector in the glove box that has a similar camlock fitting like the cruise control harness. I had completely forgotten that was the case, and discovered it during a third or fourth walk through of all the connectors. I about cried. Haha. You can see the black lever arm on the bottom of the plug. Holy crap.

So, out of the garage it goes tomorrow to pressure wash the rear frame, and then it gets the chassis saver on the rear. Then I'm practically done.

 

So damned close... got my new hitch on, and then a buddy came over and helped me put the bed on...

but.... with the bed lined up with the holes the top front edge of the bed touches the cab and the bottom is about 3/4 inch away.

So it looks like either my frame is bent...oh dear God...or my cab mounts are too low. If it is slightly bowed then I got lucky because left and right it is square. With that metal line under the rear window serving as reference the bed is square to the cab. And it looks level when parked on a flat area.

My proposed solution is to add washers on the front of the bed and the rear of the cab, raising both about a quarter of an inch. I'll add half as many washers on the middle cab mounts and the same on the bed.

Of course it has to be something...



But look how nice!



Won't be able to mess with it till Saturday probably...

 

Don't give up. Find another frame!!

 

"Never give up...never surrender."

- Capt. Peter Quincy Taggert

 

Hey could you guys measure the gap between the bed and the cab on your trucks? What should it be? Thanks

 

Anyone?

 

Here's mine. Hope it helps.

 

Maybe, or possibly, it warped a little? Did you check with a level. Gotta find my tape measure.

 

I think it is very likely my frame slightly sagged during the process. Which is annoying.

But...I jacked the cab up a little today and slid stacks of grade 8 washers, and then the same for the bed.

The result is:



Compared to:



So now there's a uniform half inch gap on both sides.

Now I'm attempting to bolt it down. I bought longer bolts but the welded nuts are giving me fits. It's hard to get leverage up under the bed. I'm working tonight, but switching to days so I'll stay up when I get home a wrap it all up. Hopefully, I'll drive it to church in the morning!

 

Nice work! I may have to ask you some questions when it's my trun doing frame repairs.

 

DON'T DO IT!!! There, does that answer your question? Haha. I will say this was the most stressful, depressing, exhausting, exhilarating, messed up, dirty, frustrating, damnable...and rewarding project I have ever done.

It's been three months, almost to the day, and I am thoroughly and utterly whooped. My arms are sore. My fingers are sore. My garage is a disaster. My tools are scattered. My wife just barely still loves me. My kids have grown up, gone to college, gotten married and had kids and grandkids of their own...or at least it feels like it (they're 5 and 3).

All of my spare time has been crawling under my truck, cramped in the tiny space between the transmission and the frame, scraping knuckles, contorting my body to get a better angle for welding, grinding, or whatever the task was at hand. I've spent over 2,000 bucks on materials, which included 600 bucks for metal, another 3-400 for undercoating materials, and then oodles of nickel and diming on shit like brake lines, fittings, nuts, bolts, various tools, fluids, etc.

It is not for the faint of heart...which is not to say I'm strong and could handle it. It damn near broke me...the only thing that kept me going was sheer necessity of not having just thrown away the 6 grand I spent to buy it in the first place.

I still have work left to do, such as spraying my inner frame coating which I've held off on because I flushed it out with a hose and I wanted it to dry out. I also wanted the new exterior paint to cure completely before covering the holes with masking tape.

I look at my early posts on this thread and laugh at my naïveté, thinking I'd just be a few weeks. Ha!

But absolutely, if anyone at all is attempting this don't hesitate to hit me up for info. I've gotten great help from others here so it's the least I can do to pay it forward.

Once it is all totally finalized I'll post some final pics and description of what I did, and edit the first post with a link to that post so that anyone searching won't have to wade through a hundred messages to find their answers.

Cheers!

 

Looks very good. Good luck with your restored truck.

 

Glad to see you,re done

Now it's time to enjoy your truck!

Hope it lasts you a long time

 

Still going to post a final "update" combining everything into a catch-all post for weary searchers, but here's something else I had to do thanks to the merciless rust:


That's what is left over from the metal piece behind the gas cap that has threads for the gas cap door, and the plastic insert. When I was taking everything apart the four screws holding the plastic piece sheered off. I attempted drilling them out but finally just decided to order the $16 OEM replacement since I also ended up sheering the door screws as well. Joy. With shipping and new screws it was another $30 added to the running total.

That piece is welded on in four tacks that I simply drilled out, and it also has a bracket that attaches to another bracket up inside the fender. Wouldn't you know it that screw snapped off, too! I just zip-tied it in place.

Now I've got a gas door that works again...



You can see three of the four drilled out tack weld spots. I'll be slapping some paint in there before too long to prevent new rust. This fall sometime I'm planning on taking the bed off again and coating the underside with chassis saver, so it'll get done then. I'm also going to remove the plastic liner, sand out some surface rust, and then coat it with Herculiner I've had sitting on a shelf for a while. I like the plastic liners, but don't like what they do to the paint. I'm hoping the Herculiner will keep wear from rubbing down to a minimum when I put the liner back in...