"... ALL COMPONENTS STRIPPED ready for restoration." These words in yet another Car for Sale advertisement can often indicate a failed restoration attempt which wasn't planned properly.
We have all heard stories of the person who has put the car into a cramped garage, spent several hours unbolting everything from everything else, then realised too late that that was not the best way to tackle the job! Inevitably, that kind of situation ends with a lot of unnecessary and painstaking work during the rebuild - or perhaps the type of advertisement which is mentioned above.
A car can need to be dismantled for a number of reasons. The usual one is to enable a rebuild of some or all of the car to be carried out. The secret to successfully dismantling a car lies in the method used when approaching the job. A little forethought and planning is essential to enable the job to be done as efficiently as possible, and here we'll try and show you how.
The task of dismantling can be split into four sections: firstly preparation; secondly dismantling; thirdly labelling; and finally cleaning. We will look at each category in turn.
Time spent during the first stage, preparation, will repay itself many times over as the job progresses. The very first thing to find is a blank piece of paper and a pen. Write down a list of the jobs to be done. The list produced would vary greatly depending upon the extent of the work to be carried out.
When the list is complete, consider each task in turn. What is a sensible order for the jobs to be done in? If for example, say, on an MGB, the headlamp assembly had to be removed from the front wing, wouldn't it make sense to remove the headlamp glass from the bowl as the very first task? This would reduce the risk of breakage whilst the wing itself is manhandled. Similarly, the headlamp bowl can often be difficult to remove from the wing because the fixing nuts and bolts have rusted solid.
It therefore makes sense to tackle this job whilst the wing is still bolted firmly to the car (as anyone who has tried to remove the rusted up bolts, whilst an MGB wing wobbles across the garage floor will tell you!). When the list of jobs has been numerated with a preferred order, we must next consider the tools and facilities required to complete each job. It will hopefully not be necessary to write down every single spanner and socket needed, since we can assume that anyone contemplating this kind of work will have the usual AF spanner set, a reasonable socket set and various screwdrivers etc; but do bear in mind that certain tools will be essential, and then of course there are the special tools which make the dismantler's life so much easier - yes you've guessed it - the big hammer and the mole grips!
But seriously now, the selection of tools required for the job is not a matter to be taken lightly. Some tools can perhaps be borrowed from friends, and it is worth remembering that specialist tools can often be hired from many of the hire shops which frequent towns and villages across the land - check your local Yellow Pages for your nearest one. One method not advised is to visit your local garage and ask to borrow tools.
Professional mechanics often take the view that their tools are their livelihood and they don't like the thought that a DIY mechanic is doing a job which would otherwise boost their income.
As important as the tools for the job is the work area where the dismantling is to be done. There must be sufficient room not only to position the car safety on axle stands, but also to give an adequate working space around the part of the car to be worked on. Also remember that the parts removed from the car need their space. It is not advisable to do tricks like piling the removed parts up on top of the roof of your precious car. Apart from the possibility of damaging the roof, it is highly unsafe! Having a heavy object hit you on the legs whilst you're lying under the car unbolting the gearbox is not to be recommended. The final part of the preparation involves getting everything ready for the work to commence.
Apart from the workspace and the tools already mentioned, it's worth collecting together a selection of cardboard boxes, plastic tubs, old margarine cartons, coffee jars and the like to hold the items as they are taken off the car. A felt tip pen, a sheet of sticky labels and a pack of tie-on labels will also be needed to record where the parts have come from.
So the great day has come, and it's finally time to start the dismantling. The safety issue cannot be overstressed. The car must be firmly supported at all times. If the car is not being raised off the ground, then the wheels must be firmly chocked to prevent the car rolling along. If the car is being raised up, then it must be securely supported by axle stands. NEVER rely solely upon a jack, even if it is a sturdy trolley jack. It is simply not worth the risk. Lecture over, it's now time to start the work. Reference back to your list will tell you which job is to be tackled first. Whatever the type of dismantling, the job will be made easier if the fixing bolts or screws of the components to be removed are first cleaned and then given an application of easing fluid. In the most stubborn of cases, apply the easing fluid liberally and leave the fixings soaking for up to twenty four hours. When attempting to remove any kind of fixing, it is important to use the correct tool in the correct manner. I know this will sound obvious, but it is well worth repeating.
As an example, consider an Allen screw type of fixing which will require the correct hexagonal-shaped Allen key. It is no use wedging a straight bladed screwdriver across the hexagonal recess and expecting to be able to exert the necessary force to remove the screw. We will now look at most of the common types of fixings and at various hints and tips as how to remove them.
Hexagonal headed bolts or nuts. Open ended spanners act upon two opposite flat faces of this type of fixing. Ring spanners and sockets act upon the six points around the head and generally are better for loosening stubborn examples. However, for the situation where you are dealing with the very stubborn, the best thing to use is the "six-sided" socket. This name derives from the fact that most sockets have twelve points around their head to allow for ease of use, whereas the six-sided socket has (obvious, isn't it!) only six sides. Although this means that the socket can be a little more difficult to use in some circumstances, the "six-sided" socket gives a very close grip to the head of the bolt or nut and is particularly useful if the head of the bolt or nut you are working on has become rusty or the points have rounded off.
Slot headed fixings. This will usually be a self tapping screw or a setscrew. The important thing is to ensure that the screwdriver you are using fits snugly into the slot. If the screwdriver is too big, it will not transmit the turning effect into the body of the fixing, but merely jump out of the slot. If too small, it will have a tendency to put all the force into a very small area on each side of the slot, which in turn will give way and the slot will become distorted. Once you have selected the correct screwdriver, try to undo the fixing. If it won't move, try tightening up the fixing. This sometimes has the effect of loosening the threads, after which unscrewing will be easy.
If the fixing still remains stuck fast, the impact driver is usually the answer. The choice of bit is once again very important. When the right bit has been chosen, put it into the head of the driver, check that it is set to undo the screw, and then place the assembled unit into the slot. A series of sharp blows with a hammer will usually see the fixing unscrew.
Cross headed fixings. The identification of the type of cross head is very important to successfully unscrewing them. "Pozidrive" fixings can be identified by four small scribed lines between the cross recess, and these must be removed using a "Pozidrive" screwdriver. Similarly, other cross head fixings should be removed using the correct tool. Once the type of head has been identified, the guidelines listed for slot headed fixings also apply to cross headed fixings.
If problems are still encountered, consider the following tips to help remove the offending items;
Nuts which refuse to leave captive studs can be removed using a "nut-splitter" tool; or can be split using a sharp chisel.
Bolts and nuts which are seized together can be sawn off using a hacksaw; or ground off using an angle grinder.
Bolts which are stuck into captive nuts have to be treated with a great deal of care. Using a centre punch, mark the centre of the head of the bolt. Then drill a pilot hole down the centre of the bolt to at least the depth of the nut plus one quarter of an inch. Then, using a succession of larger drill bits, open out the hole until the bolt falls away. Finally clean the threads using the appropriate sized tap.
The need for labelling may not seem obvious as the parts are being removed from the car. Whilst everything is fresh in your mind, it often doesn't seem conceivable that you'll forget how everything goes back together. But remember that it may well be several weeks (or perhaps even years!) later before the parts are being re-assembled, and many other areas of the car will probably have been worked on as well. Not every single nut, bolt and washer will need a label, but most components should be marked, taking particular care with similar looking items which are handed left and right; and also be on the look out for minor differences between components which appear identical.
The final part to successfully dismantling a car is the cleaning of the components. Provided an item is not greasy or oily, first of all clean off the dirt using a wire brush, or soft brush if the item is delicate. If the item is oily, a simple cleaning bath can be made using an old oven roasting tin (preferably turkey size). Put about half an inch of a proprietary water soluble de-greasing fluid into the tray. A half inch paint brush will be suitable to remove the grease and oil from all but the most heavily soiled components. These are best treated with a scraper to take off the worst of the deposits, before being given the wash bath treatment. The components will then need to be sorted into their different types before final cleaning.
Chrome items can be polished using "Solvol Autosol" or similar.
Plastic components such as lamp lenses can be washed in water with a little washing up liquid, then rinsed and dried.
Fixing bolts and other metal components can be burnished using a fine grade wire wool.
Vinyl trim items respond well to a cleaner such as Multi-Klenz.
Leather trim items should be treated with a hide food.
After the parts have been cleaned, they should be carefully stored ready for the great day when the rebuild starts. And hopefully that task will have been made all that much easier if you follow the simple rules laid out above.
Good luck!
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