Picked up my E99 zf6

Farmer Rock

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I've.used por15 on most all of my projects and have no complaints, other than price. Properly cleaning and prepping the metal makes all the difference regarding adhesion. I use wire wheel, grinder, and hand sanding in areas where the grinder or wheel can't reach. Then treat the surface with their acid prep. It's a tough finish and excellent corrosion resistance. As expensive as it is, they package it in cheaply made metal can that is difficult to effectively reseal once initially opened. Best trick I found for resealing the can, place several drops of motor oil in the lip, then place a plastic Walmart bag over the top and press the lid down normally. The oil will not allow the paint to adhere to the can lip and the bag acts as a gasket allowing the lid to be removed and replaced as often as necessary. At $60 bucks (or more) per quart you gotta protect it.
I was really wanting to go with por 15, but the only reason I didn't was that I've been told by a few guys it has to be reapplied every few years. I don't know if that's true or not, but I ended up going with this ospho rust inhibitor that you can paint over. We'll see how it works. I'm just gonna prep it good, and hope for the best after multiple coats of epoxy paint .
I would love to sand blast it, but I don't think that's gonna happen unfortunately.


Rock
 

catbird7

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The 87 F350 I used to deliver parts to you (also in my sig) has frame and cab floor (both sides interior and exterior) painted with por back in 2014 if memory serves. Sandblasting would be excellent way to clean your frame! I bought one of those units that connects to pressure washer ( not expensive) however I have never used it and therefore have no info if they work well or not. Possibly another member can offer insight????
 

Farmer Rock

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I welded up a new rear cross member for the truck. It's definitely heavier than stock.
You can see the next cross member ahead of it is next to be replaced. I really like the way this one came together, so I'll make the next similar. The rest are fine besides those two, and thankfully there aren't any issues with the frame.
One of the previous owners did painted the frame with bed liner but it drew a ton of moisture. It should clean up ok though, just a lot more rust hiding them I had expected.


Rock
 

catbird7

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Did you drill and bolt the cross members? I'm not certain however I think the factory uses rivets to allow flexibility between frame rails and cross members. Clean up is looking good, it's a difficult job however worth it when completed.
 

Farmer Rock

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Did you drill and bolt the cross members? I'm not certain however I think the factory uses rivets to allow flexibility between frame rails and cross members. Clean up is looking good, it's a difficult job however worth it when completed.
I welded them in. I had thought about bolting, but i just welded those vertical channels in between the top and bottom flanges, thinking the frame should still flex with using only the flanges of the channel frame on the cross member. Let me know what you think about it, I am always open to advice and suggestions,thanks

Rock
 

catbird7

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My advice is keep an eye on those welds, if you start noticing cracks, consider drilling and bolting with hardened fasteners.
 

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I welded them in. I had thought about bolting, but i just welded those vertical channels in between the top and bottom flanges, thinking the frame should still flex with using only the flanges of the channel frame on the cross member. Let me know what you think about it, I am always open to advice and suggestions,thanks

Rock
My opinion is everyone overthinks frames and your gonna be just fine but not a bad idea to keep an eye on it.
 

captain720

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Did you drill and bolt the cross members? I'm not certain however I think the factory uses rivets to allow flexibility between frame rails and cross members. Clean up is looking good, it's a difficult job however worth it when completed.
Wouldn’t loose fasteners causing frame flex cause MAJOR problems? If the flex is coming from the fasteners than the round holes will become ovals and everything will fall apart. The flex has to come from the actual steel or everything will have a come apart. I could be way off base but half the problems I fix are from joint flexion at fasteners.
 

Farmer Rock

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My advice is keep an eye on those welds, if you start noticing cracks, consider drilling and bolting with hardened fasteners.
My opinion is everyone overthinks frames and your gonna be just fine but not a bad idea to keep an eye on it.
So I've been thinking about this, and when I had first considered bolting them in, I couldn't help but think about how rigid those rivets are. I mean they are, iirc 1/2 and there are a lot of them all over. I honestly don't see how that would allow any frame flex in of itself. I can see the flimsy factory cross member providing more flex over my gusseted channeling.
I can definitely see bolts allowing flex, but there is no movement at all on those rivets, so I don't see the difference in welding.
Am I thinking straight here,lol
I just want to be sure,thanks

Rock
 

Farmer Rock

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Ok, update.
First off, you guys won't like this at all but when a good deal comes my way, I change my plans.... again
130k original miles, 89 12 valve.
I'm going to move this to the conversion section now.

Rock
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greenskeeper

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Ok, update.
First off, you guys won't like this at all but when a good deal comes my way, I change my plans.... again
130k original miles, 89 12 valve.
I'm going to move this to the conversion section now.

Rock
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1 wire to make it run... who would't like that?
 

Farmer Rock

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1 wire to make it run... who would't like that?
That right there is the entire reason. As much as I like the 7.3, it's way to complicated, and has way to many wires and sensors that don't like ageing with the motor.
I'm a simple guy, I like simple things..
As simple as that,lol

Rock
 

greenskeeper

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That right there is the entire reason. As much as I like the 7.3, it's way to complicated, and has way to many wires and sensors that don't like ageing with the motor.
I'm a simple guy, I like simple things..
As simple as that,lol

Rock
compared to newer diesel's it the modern equivelant to an 89 cummins. Maybe not a simple as a mechanically controlled diesel, but once you understand the common issues with the 7.3PSD it's not all that complicated. In fact, I'd say that most problems are self-inflicted by owners fiddling or adding more power.
 

Farmer Rock

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compared to newer diesel's it the modern equivelant to an 89 cummins. Maybe not a simple as a mechanically controlled diesel, but once you understand the common issues with the 7.3PSD it's not all that complicated. In fact, I'd say that most problems are self-inflicted by owners fiddling or adding more power.
I'm sure your right, and I do agree to a point, having been around 6.7 psd and Cummins, they are definitely a whole 'nother ball game.
My truck was mostly stock, and had some gremlins now and then, but no complaints otherwise .
What it really comes down to is, being a computer controlled motor, it obviously has a lot more to go wrong than any mechanical motor , especially after 20+ years. Trust me, if there was an affordable way to swap a 7.3 to mechanical injection, I would be all over it. But the best I can tell, it would be 15k worth of machining. I saw hypermax sells the kit for 22k or something unbelievable.
There's no way I'm doing that.
Honestly, if I had that money, I'd be swapping a dt466.
I'm a diesel tractor guy, and I just want that simplicity in my truck.
I just couldn't bring myself to put the 7.3 back in with all those failure points.
It really is a shame they aren't mechanical.



Rock
 
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