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dsraven · 04-13-2017, 02:19 PM

you did the cab removal the same way I did the first time. did you find it was a bit tippy? mine was, and when it started ti tip the weight shifted and it wanted ti keep tipping faster. I found my cab lifter made from scrap wood works really well because it picks it up in the door openings at the top so the weight is hung instead of being lifted down low plus you can adjust the lifting point to get the cab level. I got the idea from here somewhere in a pic.
i would also lay the cab on the firewall because of the fear ob bending the cab metal. lay a tarp down, then some 2x4 or scrap wood to space the cab up enough so the pinch weld area at the top of the firewall doesn't take all the weight, then lay the cab on the wood and screw an upright brace to the lower fender mounts so the cab can't rollover on you while working. then get some paint thinner, varsol, diesel, engine cleaner or soem other solvent and spray it on the tar with a hand pump sprayer like an old windex bottle or the like. let it sit but check it periodically so the tar stays "wet" as it absorbes the solvent. then it should scrape off pretty easily with a putty knife. just remember that the solvent is gonna stink and be flammable so you don't want a recurrence of what happened at Jim's house.
when I worked in ft Mcmurray we had some degreaser that we used on machines that came back from the tar sands. it worked awesome but it was labelled with a proprietary label from a supplier who went belly up. there must be other stuff that works as well though. I have had good luck with castrol superclean but also used a pressure washer as well. superclean works great but don't lkeave it on aluminum for more than a few minutes because it cleans so well it sort of etches the aluminum, like wheels, so they look stained after. I bet it would eat tar as well and it is sold in a gallon jug (well, 3.78 litres in Canada).
good luck. did you decide to swap out the roof before sandblasting? the blaster could get all those areas behind the roof panel.....and you like drilling spot welds right?

04-13-2017, 02:19 PM	#708
dsraven Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: calgary alberta Posts: 7,828	Re: Dug's 1959 Fleetside you did the cab removal the same way I did the first time. did you find it was a bit tippy? mine was, and when it started ti tip the weight shifted and it wanted ti keep tipping faster. I found my cab lifter made from scrap wood works really well because it picks it up in the door openings at the top so the weight is hung instead of being lifted down low plus you can adjust the lifting point to get the cab level. I got the idea from here somewhere in a pic. i would also lay the cab on the firewall because of the fear ob bending the cab metal. lay a tarp down, then some 2x4 or scrap wood to space the cab up enough so the pinch weld area at the top of the firewall doesn't take all the weight, then lay the cab on the wood and screw an upright brace to the lower fender mounts so the cab can't rollover on you while working. then get some paint thinner, varsol, diesel, engine cleaner or soem other solvent and spray it on the tar with a hand pump sprayer like an old windex bottle or the like. let it sit but check it periodically so the tar stays "wet" as it absorbes the solvent. then it should scrape off pretty easily with a putty knife. just remember that the solvent is gonna stink and be flammable so you don't want a recurrence of what happened at Jim's house. when I worked in ft Mcmurray we had some degreaser that we used on machines that came back from the tar sands. it worked awesome but it was labelled with a proprietary label from a supplier who went belly up. there must be other stuff that works as well though. I have had good luck with castrol superclean but also used a pressure washer as well. superclean works great but don't lkeave it on aluminum for more than a few minutes because it cleans so well it sort of etches the aluminum, like wheels, so they look stained after. I bet it would eat tar as well and it is sold in a gallon jug (well, 3.78 litres in Canada). good luck. did you decide to swap out the roof before sandblasting? the blaster could get all those areas behind the roof panel.....and you like drilling spot welds right?