With the *enormous* help of Bob Ragain and Ron Miller, we took off the fenders, and disconnected all of the electrical and water connections under the hood.
We also had to remove all of the floor plates around the engine cover, and under the shift levers. Also the distributor and plug wires, the carburetor linkage and fuel lines, the radiator and the fan.
Here is the cab, half-way off. I used a 4x4 under the roof, with a cam-strap over the top to keep it from slipping, and a chain wrapped around both ends of the 4x4. A 1-1/2 ton chain hoist provided the lift. When using this method, be sure to block the chain away from the roof, or the chain will dent the roof.
The cab is clear of the engine, shift levers and steering column. A previous owner had cut a slot in the floor to accomodate the steering column when the cab was pulled, so the steering box didn't need to be removed. The doors of the hard-top lift off, without needing to unbolt the hinges.
The cab is resting on it's 3 mounting points on the ground. It is a very strange feeling, to look *down* at the cab while standing on the ground !!!
The front of the truck, without the cab. We used heavy aluminum foil to protect all of the openings from the weather. At this point, the front axle is still attached to the frame.
The cab of the truck, still waiting to be joined with the rest of truck. I tried to weigh it, but the bathroom scale just wouldn't quite do it.
Hmmm, maybe a low-rider Unimog ?
The engine is out. I used an old engine hoist for a temporary engine stand, with 4x4's for support. The engine and transmission assembly must be tilted up quite a bit to separate the engine from the bellhousing. With the engine out of the way, it is easier to remove the drive shafts from the transmission. The front axle springs and shocks have been removed from the frame.
The transmission is on it's way out. It is better to remove the parking brake and 4-wheel drive/diff-lock levers before pulling the tranny. 20-20 hind site...
The transmission and bellhousing are hoisted out. It is a good idea to leave the bellhousing on, since it protects the input shaft.
A peek inside the bellhousing. The throw-out bearing should be checked for wear, and to make sure both retaining clips are in place.
This is the access plate on top of the bellhousing. If you have a throw-out bearing that is not sealed, you could possibly re-grease it through here. To get to this plate (if your truck is still in one piece!) would require removing some of the floor plates in the cab. The throw-out bearing in my truck can not be lubed...
These are the flanges where the front drive shaft mounts.First the ball-flange housing is removed. The 6 bolts are accessable once the accordian bellows are pulled back. Then the drive shaft flange can be unbolted from the tranny.
This is the rear drive shaft and housing. While pulling the tranny, it is very easy to pull the drive shaft out far enough that the spline joint at the rear differential disconnects. Fortunately, it is a simple task to reconnect them. You only need to push down on the front of the drive shaft, and then wiggle and twist the shaft while gently pressing it back into it's housing. Be sure to check the universal joints while they are accessible.
The new transmission is going in. Be sure to bend the ends up on the drive shaft flange bolt lock plates. Once the rear mounting bolts are in (*not* an easy task!), the tranny is ready for the engine.
There was a large crew on hand to help out today:
l-r Ron DePugh, Charles Martin, Bob Ragain, Ron Miller, and Dan Duncan all pitched in to help.
The next step was to get the front axle mounted back on the truck. It is easier to do before the engine is in. Unfortunately, the springs do not line up with the upper mounts.
So, we rigged a High-lift jack between the front bumper and a cold chisel inside the coil spring. That made it easy to push the spring into place. This only works if the cab (or at least the fenders) are off. Otherwise, the fenders get in the way.
Now the engine is in, and we are working on getting everything connected together. All the fuel lines and wires for the electric fuel pump and tank sending units were re-connected.
After the engine is in, the exhaust reconnected, and the air compressor and starter are installed, the cab is ready to re-install. Ron Miller is helping to move the cab into place. Notice the 4x4 boards at each side of the cab to hold the chain away from the body.
The rest of the work was reconnecting the wiring to the connector blocks in the cab, and the ground straps from the axles and tranny. The shift linkage and 4-wheel-drive and differential lock linkages were re-connected, and then the cooling pipes and hoses were connected. Since the new air compressor is much larger than the old one, we had to modify the heater pipes that run to the rear heater. The steering wheel had to be installed, along with aligning the steering direction indicator. I replaced all of the rubber brake hoses, and a steel brake line that was mashed when the truck was towed home on a flat-bed. Ron Miller and Bob Ragain did all of the work of bleeding the brake system, and replacing all of the fluids in the truck, all 7 gear boxes, and the engine, too ! This was while I spent lots of time running around gathering parts and stuff. The front wheels went back on, and the truck started looking normal again. Since the truck had been sitting for a very long time, we had to drain most of the fuel, which had gone bad. We replaced the fuel in the front tank with fresh gas. I will try mixing the 1/2 tank of bad gas left in the rear tank with a full tank of new gas. We filled the radiator with just water, in case something springs a leak. It will be replaced soon with anti-freeze. We found that one of the batteries had a couple of dead cells, so I decided to replace both batteries. After all that, we were ready to fire it up. Unfortunately, for the last few days of work on the truck, I neglected to take photos. You just have to use your imagination and this narative...
After sitting for almost two years, the truck turned over, and started on the first try ! The Unimog is *alive* !!!
Many thanks to Ron Miller and Bob Ragain. Without their many hours of selfless help, this wouldn't have been done for many weeks. Thanks !!!
The last things to do were to get the floor boards back in, re-install the seat belts and stereo, fix the choke, and connect the hand throttle. The Mog passed an emissions test with flying colors, and then I could get current license plates for it. Then it was ready for the RMM meet in Wyoming in June.
If you have any questions about this process,
None of it was really too difficult, just very long and involved.
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