Re: Truck doesn't start, but cranks.. help.
If I perceive properly, it appears your tail pipe(the pipe after the muffler) is not there. If so, you are bathing your chassis in hot/warm humid air. Mixed with other exhaust gases. Not good for longevity.
Were it mine, and I had access, and some tools, I'd try to chip off the loose scrabble rust down to something approaching metal, and then apply a 'rust stop', such as the Rustoleum product available at Wally. It comes in regular spray cans, ~8oz containers and quart size(I think). Get the loose stuff off, and paint with the coating. Then spray with Rustoelum primer and some regular paint.
If you slow it down, it will last longer. If you hit it with a hammer, you want it to not deform. If it bends, you may need to think about welding on some reinforcement.
I would not clean things up to the point I could remove nuts and bolts, but enough to slow down the oxidation and prevent creation of more rust.
Now that you have the bed unbolted, it will make attacking the rust a lot easier.
You might consider getting one of the Harbor Freight $9.99 spin-a-ma-things. Grinder? They also have a $7-9 kit of 'twisted wire' brushes, and stuff, you attach to use on rusted equipment. I did the bed of my Ranger using the grinder and the twisted wire 'brush', and it got down to 'bare' metal pretty quick. Mine was getting down to the primer coating, all the Red was gone, and it was starting to show surface rust through the primer. Got it totally close to bare metal in several sessions of about 15-20 minutes each. Wear a face mask. It's messy.
You can get a muffler that fits a 302 Maverick in addition to fitting your 2.3, it flows a lot better... and a new tailpipe is less than $20(or, was.). Mine was Holy near the tailgate, and turned the tailgate into a rusty mess. Yours seems to be getting the chassis.
tom
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