Build Thread My C I P (continuous Improvement Program) Thread

so called astro today (they actually had parts listed online unlike others) and ordered $800+ worth of parts
1-2 synchro assembly
3-4 synchro
2nd gear
3rd gear
3 carbon blocker rings

so for those keeping count and comparing to new, this whole tko setup has now cost about $2600 for the trans, bell, pro-5.0 shifter, alum d/s, and new yoke, and the upgraded synchro's. i see most places advertise ~$2400 for just a basic tko500 plus the bell and upgrades, so i figure i'm still somewhat ahead, though not by much.
Yeah the last time I priced what I wanted from liberty it was pushing 4k with the clutch...
 
  • Sponsors (?)


4k, yikes. my wallets hurting enough from buying a t5 rebuild kit i ended up not using and then this tko setup. thank goodness i get to do some o.t. over the next couple days at least to make up for it. was also able to sell of the old t5, the un-opened rebuild kit, p-heads, explorer intake, and some other odds and ends, not for a whole lot (im horrible at selling stuff) but at least its out of my way. ironically, i ended up selling all that junk to the same guy i bought the trans from, go figure.

tony at astro just called me as he was packing up the stuff, as long as ups dont screw up it should be here by thursday, hopefully i can either get some help putting it in then, or figure out a way to do it myself so i can go racing saturday.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
4k, yikes. my wallets hurting enough from buying a t5 rebuild kit i ended up not using and then this tko setup. thank goodness i get to do some o.t. over the next couple days at least to make up for it. was also able to sell of the old t5, the un-opened rebuild kit, p-heads, explorer intake, and some other odds and ends, not for a whole lot (im horrible at selling stuff) but at least its out of my way. ironically, i ended up selling all that junk to the same guy i bought the trans from, go figure.

tony at astro just called me as he was packing up the stuff, as long as ups dont screw up it should be here by thursday, hopefully i can either get some help putting it in then, or figure out a way to do it myself so i can go racing saturday.
That price tag is the reason why I'm still rowing the T5. I'm horrible at selling stuff myself. I always put what I think is a good price and don't dicker. It either sells or I keep it. Good luck in getting the trans together.
 
so since i had nothing to do today other than wait on transmission parts (which tracking shows should still be here tomorrow), and the car was in the already in the air, decided to do a race-car mod:

S4300010.JPG


S4300011.JPG


this scale is a bit off, it read 2lbs just sitting there with nothing on, so right at about 20lbs off the front end. i've been throwing around the idea of making a light, aluminum foglight bracket for a couple years now, but my sheet-metal fab skills are no beuno, maybe once i strip and redo this car in a couple years ill get around to it.
 
Astro came through today, i've always been leary of phone and internet orders unless it's somewhere i've shopped before, but my gears arrived just when tony said they would :rock:

anyway, here's what i started with when i got home today:
S4300012.JPG

the two extra, non-lined rings came with the 1-2 synchro, apparently thats the way tremec packs them. ended up using them on 1st and 5th, not that there was anything wrong with the old ones (they actually looked pretty good), just figured i'd use the new ones while i was in there.

getting the mainshaft together only took about 10 minutes, have i mentioned how easy this thing is to work on? yeah, it all just slides on, the hardest thing to deal with was the damn snap ring holding on the 1-2 slider hub (and not dropping one of the 50 or so needle bearings under 5th, would really love to see a cage bearing there but oh well).
S4300016.JPG


after about an hour of cleaing off old rtv that i should of done last night :bang: hmmm, this looks familiar......
S4300017.JPG


now i just gotta get it back under the car.

one thing i gotta find out is wtf is up with the output seal. in that last pic you can see it folded over, normally its about 1-2" further out and looks more like a dust cap than a seal, and if its not lubed at all it starts squeaking the yoke. a little white grease shuts it up, but im wondering if this is even the right seal? theres also an inner one that looks like a normal seal so....?
 
Ouch on the TRANS. Car seems to be running great other wise though . Keep it up man !


Sent from my iPhone using my fingers while my auto correct makes me seem illiterate
 
well, more trans woes because when it rains, it pours. was trying to put it in myself today, and was drawing it into the clutch (which for some reason i just could NOT get the bastard aligned right, even releasing the clutch which usually works didnt this time) and broke the upper drivers side bolt tab off. needless to say, im :leghump:ing pissed now, hopefully i can find someone to weld it back on tomorrow. also hopefully the weather is :poo: tomorrow and the class race is moved back some, and i can get some help putting this damn thing in, because obviously i cant do it on my own.:fuss:
 
Yeah my "solo trans change days" are behind me. I wish I was 28 again! My back is still jacked up from this winter. Chuck if your forecast looks anything g like mine it's going to be 40-45 and rain all day tomorrow.
 
Man be careful doing it yourself. I did my 3550 install myself and then walked around like quasi moto for a week because my back was so jacked up, amd I'm only 28!
You guys are not making this sound good for when mine gets here .


Sent from my iPhone using my fingers while my auto correct makes me seem illiterate
 
Dont worry, it went in fine the first time, but i also had a buddy helping me out then too. Yesterday he was busy fixing a server and i was in a time crunch. hell, just using a jack i was able to get it close, but just could not get if fully engaged on the clutch apparently and had no one to push it in.

I'll see what the extent of the damage is today, i was so frustrated with it i just walked away last night. Just sent a pm to a guy on stlmustangs who may be able to take care of it this weekend.
 
so i FINALLY made some good progress on this. trans is in, everything is hooked up, and other than a small exhaust leak between the h-pipe and flow tube, it runs again. just gotta wait on rain to go away so i can make sure my trans repairs actually work. so for now, i'll just post some pics of what steps i've been taking the last couple of weeks since i last updated.

broken trans case
S4300019.JPG

S4300020.JPG

a guy from stlmustangs was able to weld it back up that weekend, but while working on it, he found a crack at the base of the snout of the bearing retainer, so i then had to wait a few days for that. unfortunately, no pics of the weld, but it came out pretty good considering his machine was probably just a hair too small and he had to do two passes with it.

when i dropped the trans, i also found a crushed piece of fuel line. assuming this happened a month or so ago when i tried to put a jackstand under the k-member instead of my usual spot under the frame connectors and the car fell onto the jack a bit. wondering if this is why it felt a bit soft on the top end of the track/rpm range.
offending piece of line (its almost completely pinched off in the middle)
S4300024.JPG

and some new line spliced in; double flared, tube nuts, unions, and a pre-made 6" patch of 5/16" tube. tested it this morning and no leaks, cost about $10-15 vs buying a whole new line:
S4300030.JPG


after several attempts with a helping hand, and the clutch disc slipping down 4 times, i finally got the trans in BY MYSELF!!!!!!! took a couple 6" long studs in the lower holes of the bell, trans in 4th gear, and my old bent yoke to be able to get it in there, but its finally in!!!
S4300031.JPG


S4300032.JPG


since it came up in @TOOLOW91 's thread, it seems the outer billow/boot of the output seal wanted to keep folding in on itself. i stabbed the d/s in 3 times, and everytime i pushed it in far enough for the back end to clear the pinion nut, the seal collapsed :shrug: theres still about 3/4" worth of travel in the yoke here though with the rear at full droop, and it doesnt seem to be leaking (like i mentioned in the other thread, the actual part that looks like a normal seal is actually further forward into the tailhousing casting). i think i can still get a small screwdriver up in there and de-collapse it if needed though.

i also decided to put in a new clutch cable and fwa. i was using a mm cable and steeda adjuster, and while i had no tangible complaints about either, i figured i'd just go ahead and freshen it up to make sure it wasn't stretching, so a new mm cable and mm fwa were ordered. since i had both in had, figured i'd compare the steeda (blue) and mm (black)fwa's too.

S4300025.JPG

S4300026.JPG

S4300027.JPG

as you see, the steeda is a bit beefier, might have just a touch more range, and has that click-lock thing going on to keep it from backing off, but as far as ease of use, the mm wins. the threads on the mm are coarser, and it turns more freely. you can see on the steeda (which i've had a LONG time) i've had to use pliers on it a few times to be able to get it adjusted just right. so at least for now, the mm wins, at least until it vibrates itself loose (please dont let that last statement jinx me).
S4300034.JPG
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
so i FINALLY made some good progress on this. trans is in, everything is hooked up, and other than a small exhaust leak between the h-pipe and flow tube, it runs again. just gotta wait on rain to go away so i can make sure my trans repairs actually work. so for now, i'll just post some pics of what steps i've been taking the last couple of weeks since i last updated.

broken trans case
S4300019.JPG

S4300020.JPG

a guy from stlmustangs was able to weld it back up that weekend, but while working on it, he found a crack at the base of the snout of the bearing retainer, so i then had to wait a few days for that. unfortunately, no pics of the weld, but it came out pretty good considering his machine was probably just a hair too small and he had to do two passes with it.

when i dropped the trans, i also found a crushed piece of fuel line. assuming this happened a month or so ago when i tried to put a jackstand under the k-member instead of my usual spot under the frame connectors and the car fell onto the jack a bit. wondering if this is why it felt a bit soft on the top end of the track/rpm range.
offending piece of line (its almost completely pinched off in the middle)
S4300024.JPG

and some new line spliced in; double flared, tube nuts, unions, and a pre-made 6" patch of 5/16" tube. tested it this morning and no leaks, cost about $10-15 vs buying a whole new line:
S4300030.JPG


after several attempts with a helping hand, and the clutch disc slipping down 4 times, i finally got the trans in BY MYSELF!!!!!!! took a couple 6" long studs in the lower holes of the bell, trans in 4th gear, and my old bent yoke to be able to get it in there, but its finally in!!!
S4300031.JPG


S4300032.JPG


since it came up in @TOOLOW91 's thread, it seems the outer billow/boot of the output seal wanted to keep folding in on itself. i stabbed the d/s in 3 times, and everytime i pushed it in far enough for the back end to clear the pinion nut, the seal collapsed :shrug: theres still about 3/4" worth of travel in the yoke here though with the rear at full droop, and it doesnt seem to be leaking (like i mentioned in the other thread, the actual part that looks like a normal seal is actually further forward into the tailhousing casting). i think i can still get a small screwdriver up in there and de-collapse it if needed though.

i also decided to put in a new clutch cable and fwa. i was using a mm cable and steeda adjuster, and while i had no tangible complaints about either, i figured i'd just go ahead and freshen it up to make sure it wasn't stretching, so a new mm cable and mm fwa were ordered. since i had both in had, figured i'd compare the steeda (blue) and mm (black)fwa's too.

S4300025.JPG

S4300026.JPG

S4300027.JPG

as you see, the steeda is a bit beefier, might have just a touch more range, and has that click-lock thing going on to keep it from backing off, but as far as ease of use, the mm wins. the threads on the mm are coarser, and it turns more freely. you can see on the steeda (which i've had a LONG time) i've had to use pliers on it a few times to be able to get it adjusted just right. so at least for now, the mm wins, at least until it vibrates itself loose (please dont let that last statement jinx me).
S4300034.JPG
I'm in the process of trying to build a bigger spacer for the cable because I don't like it turned out that far . I love the cable but just much more play win the new bell and pivot . My t5 it was only out 2 turns and grabbed low off the floor like I wanted it . So I am working on that as we speak


Sent from my iPhone using my fingers while my auto correct makes me seem illiterate
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I believe that crushed line did hurt your top end. Guess you'll see when you take it back to the track. Good work btw. I'm to old to throw a trans in by myself anymore. Lol.
 
Mm sent a spacer that goes between the cable end and quad fork, i was back and forth on using it, i can always put it in later if I don't like it.
Yeah I used it it works but for me I'm used to how the t5 was I had the adjusted barely turned so I guess that's what I am chasing I don't want a hard pedal at all


Sent from my iPhone using my fingers while my auto correct makes me seem illiterate
 
Yeah I used it it works but for me I'm used to how the t5 was I had the adjusted barely turned so I guess that's what I am chasing I don't want a hard pedal at all


Sent from my iPhone using my fingers while my auto correct makes me seem illiterate
looks like i'm going to be throwing the spacer in. i like it to release in the middle-ish of travel or higher, i hate it being on the floor and having a whole bunch of "dead space" in the upper range like my coyote does.

i just took it on a quick spin to get some gas, when i left i had it adjusted almost to the floor, and while filling up i played with it some more and got it just below where i really feel "comfortable" with it. that put the adjuster pretty far out, just like my steeda fwa that only had about 2 threads worth of adjustment left before it came out. i'd rather have some more room for adjustment though, so i'm letting it cool down a bit then i'll put the spacer in assuming i can find the "widget" that i dropped on the floor last night (btw, i always thought "widget" was a made-up term for when you didnt know what to call a part, so seeing it in the mm instructions raised an eyebrow).

the good news is it shifts MUCH better now; 2nd will actually engage on the first try every time now (even quick-shifted it a couple times), and third actually feels like it's going all the way in. i'm going to put a few more miles on it (and swap my bfg's back on) before i try powershifting it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user