heater channels and pans

veedubin6 · Post by **veedubin6** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 8:35 am

My heater channels and pans are in bad shape. Instead of just giving it away im going fix it then it might be for sale.
Questions....
Is it best to grind or cut the welds off or is it better to use a cutting torch?

Has anyone used a engine hoist (cherry picker) to lift the body. This way it could be lowered down easy and fast to check how things fit. Not sure how or where to hook it up. anyone do this?

JC-ATL · Post by **JC-ATL** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 10:10 am

Drill out the spot welds, grind out any other bad spots. A cutting torch will basically just make a mess and be more work.

wchiro · Post by **wchiro** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 11:04 pm

What I did was to use a Reciprocating saw (sawz all) to cut the pan close to the tunnel leaving about a 1/2" to 1" of the pan on the tunnel section. Then I got a small chisel and hammered the chisel between the floor pan and the tunnel section. I would then move the chisel up and down until the spot weld would pop (after popping that first spot weld I used a large cheap screw driver, it was a lot easier...don't use your Snap On...LOL). After removing the pan sheet metal just get a grinder and grind down the spot welds on the tunnel portion.

By the way I did this with the body off!

Aloha from Hawaii,
Wayne

metropoj · Post by **metropoj** » Fri Jul 18, 2003 4:47 am

I've lifted the body by using 2x4's under neath the wheel wells under the body. I DID THIS MYSELF WITH NO HELP by getting some cement blocks and slowly lifting one side after the other and placing a block under the 2x4's ( actually screwed together to make a 4X4 ) and worked my way around. I then rolled the chassis out from underneath..

Just PLEASE make sure you don't open the doors when it's up on the air of your chanels are rusty !!

vdubsinjensen · Post by **vdubsinjensen** » Sun Jul 20, 2003 7:27 am

Before you start unbolting,or drilling and cutting,Take some measurements of the door openings,and right them down.Then get some 1" angle iron and cut it to the correct length,and weld it to the inside A,and B pillars to keep the door opening from changing when the body is lifted of the pan and/or cut.It also helps to do the same thing across the width of the body to prevent any mis-alighnment.They can be cut back off easily with a cut-off wheel when you're done putting the channels in.If your channels are real crusty,you won't believe how much flex happens to the body once it's removed from the pan.Paul