LarsD's build thread

I've never trusted a mag base anything. If I have to use a mag base dial indicator, I'll typically repeat the measurement several times before I'm confident with it. I always prefer a clamp-base, which is basically what you've done there.
 
  • Sponsors (?)


That's clever. I hope it works!

Thanks! Me too. :p

I've never trusted a mag base anything. If I have to use a mag base dial indicator, I'll typically repeat the measurement several times before I'm confident with it. I always prefer a clamp-base, which is basically what you've done there.

Well I have used the mag base before when degreeing the cam in my Dodge. But then it was stuck on a solid surface at a 45 degree angle. This time it was on it's side mounted to a rotating crank. I'm hoping that was the problem, because the tip of the plunger would be in the center of the register, and before we would get half a rotation out of the crank the plunger would be at the edge, or popping out of the bell. Course I didn't notice that until we were 9 hours into it.
 
Well, made some progress, but then hit another snag. Got everything together with the new base and all. Ran out at .180. Well, I decided to totally bolt the bell down. As it turns out, we were only using four bolts, not all six. Once we got the other two in and checked it, it ran out at .0071 total run out. Cut it in half for diameter, and we ended up with .0036ish. Well within spec.

So we started to put it together. The flywheel went on really tight, but we got it on and torqued. Turns out I forgot to put the dowels in on the bench, tried to hammer them on with it on the car, didn't seem like it was going to work. Tried to take the flywheel off. Couldn't get it off. Re-torqued the flywheel, got serious about it, and got them hammered in. Hopefully I didn't warp it. Cause idk how I'll ever get it off again.

Started to bolt the pressure plate and disk down. was snugging up the old bolts from my old clutch and "ping". One broke. Awesome, I don't have any spares. Check with the local parts store, had an hour before they closed. Ran over there, got the last box of high grade bolts and lock washers they had. Awesome. Get back home. Stopped too eat a little.

Then we tried to stab the trans. First off, we got it under the car, and before picking it up, I checked the bolts. Turns out the case holes are too small for a 1/2 bolt. Read the bell's instructions, looked like they needed to be opened up a little. Found a 1/2 bit and opened them up. Great. Tried to stab the tranny. No go. Monkeyed with it for hours, got within 1/4" - 1/2" of having it in, and it wouldn't budge. It seems like it is hanging on the adapter ring that goes over the bearing retainer. wtf. I checked it to make sure it fit in the bell before we started. It came with two. One that was way too big for the Tremec, and one that was pretty tight. Had to persuade it on with a plastic hammer. Finally gave up and pulled the trans back out.

There was grease from the pilot bearing on the input shaft, the TOB was on and sliding back and forth freely, and the splines on the input shaft were engaged because in gear we couldn't turn the rear yoke. Also, after we got it back out I noticed the ring was cocked to one side more then the other (wasn't like this when we started). I know it is a precise fit. So I'm left the thought that is the reason I couldn't get it in. Unfortunately I kept my friend out here till 1am AGAIN, when I specifically didn't want to. Plus he has plans for the next couple of weekends (not to mention his wife isn't very happy with me :p ), so I have to try and stab this monster myself. Assuming it even wants to be stabbed.
 
that sucks, when i put mine in my 92 i did not know the difference between the aod crossmember and the t5. "i had a damn aod crossmember" i tried for 2 hours to get my t5 to fit by myself then figured out it had no chance, i guess its part of building cars.
 
It's in!

I went out and tapped the ring flush against the trans face like it should have been. Then I dunno how, but somehow I got that heavy mother back up to the bell housing and to the point where it was last night. Something that bothered me, was that it didn't look like the ring was making contact with the bell face, it was real close, but just didn't seem close enough. I found if I looked in through the clutch fork window, I could still see the splines of the input shaft when I pressed back on the clutch fork. This made me think that the front of the bearing retainer was hanging on the pressure plate fingers.

So I hooked the clutch cable up, right about that time my wife came out to tell me she was headed into town. I got her to work the clutch back and forth slowly while I wrestled around with the tranny. Sometime around the third or fourth cycle, the tranny just fell in to the bell. I bolted it up, and got her to work the clutch in/out and everything seem kosher other then needing some final adjustment.
 
I had the same problem with the last one I stabbed Lars. Sorry I didn't catch your post sooner. What I gathered was happening in my case was the disc alignment tool wasn't getting the disc perfectly centered and the input shaft wouldn't engage both the pilot bearing and the clutch disc. So what I did was worked the trans in until I could see the spline begin the engagement w/ the disc, then I wedged a board between the seat and clutch pedal to release the disc while I worked the input shaft into the pilot bearing. Went right in. Many, many foul words on that one. Lesson learned.
 
I had the same problem with the last one I stabbed Lars. Sorry I didn't catch your post sooner. What I gathered was happening in my case was the disc alignment tool wasn't getting the disc perfectly centered and the input shaft wouldn't engage both the pilot bearing and the clutch disc. So what I did was worked the trans in until I could see the spline begin the engagement w/ the disc, then I wedged a board between the seat and clutch pedal to release the disc while I worked the input shaft into the pilot bearing. Went right in. Many, many foul words on that one. Lesson learned.

When I pulled it out after the first try I saw pilot bearing grease on the input shaft, so I know I was all the way in. This was probably the hardest trans install I've done by comparison since my first years ago. I think it's just because everything is more precise on this build makes it harder to pull off.
 
I had the same problem with the last one I stabbed Lars. Sorry I didn't catch your post sooner. What I gathered was happening in my case was the disc alignment tool wasn't getting the disc perfectly centered and the input shaft wouldn't engage both the pilot bearing and the clutch disc. So what I did was worked the trans in until I could see the spline begin the engagement w/ the disc, then I wedged a board between the seat and clutch pedal to release the disc while I worked the input shaft into the pilot bearing. Went right in. Many, many foul words on that one. Lesson learned.

Yep, same exact thing for me. I couldn't get the trans to go all the way in for the life of me, then I had my wife push the clutch in and the trans popped right into place. I think if there is even a little misalignment there, it will fight you until you release the clutch disc.
 
Oh the horrors of tranny stabs! I got frustrated one time and moved the jack out from under there and climbed under the car, set the tranny on my chest, benched it into place and then proceded turning left to right. After about 9-10 twist just before my arms gave out it just popped right in. I still have nightmares to this day about it. In fact, recently my srt-4 needed a new clutch and I laid 1000 bux down (parts and labor) to have it done for me.
 
Slowly making progress. Work has slowed a bit, so I'm only working about 48 hours instead of 60+ a week, which is giving my Saturdays free also. Too bad is still averages 110+ degrees everyday in my garage.

Got the trans cross member modded for the TKO, fitted the poly tranny mount, swapped the TKO yoke onto my drive shaft, installed the drive shaft, hooked up the speedo cable, all the tranny wires, put the starter in, tightened a loose bellhousing bolt, reinstalled the H pipe, O2 sensor harness, starter harness, filled the tranny, and installed the MGW shifter.

Never saw any pics of this when I would search on Tremec conversions, so I took a pic. It makes sense once you get under the car, but I though I'd snap one anyhow:

15n3ddf.jpg


On the left is the stock position, the right is after I cut the factory spot welds and pressed the bushing with my press. Didn't bother to take another pic after I did the other side. This pushed the cross member back just enough to clear the case, but you can still use all the T5 stuff to mount the TKO.

Some of you may remember when I was talking about sending the MGW back since it didn't have the stops. I decided to keep it since I could adjust it to move the stick a little closer to me. Now I'm glad I kept it. Before I had to lean a little forward to hit 3rd and 5th (got long legs), but now I can stay leaned back and hit all the gears, it feels great. Plus it actually feels a little shorter then my old Hurst shifter.

Please don't mind the dirty interior, hasn't been a priority to clean it yet.

fvz9fb.jpg


This eats at me a little, the deep Moroso pan is really close to the K member (like a couple of mils away). I'm running poly motor mounts, and a trans mount, so hopefully it won't rub.

2wee0c3.jpg


The last thing I might have to deal with before I can' put it back on the tires is the clutch cable. I have it backed off enough that it doesn't seem to have any pressure on the clutch (fully released that is), but it really engages low to the floor. I mean I have to have it fully mashed with my toes to get it into first and third when running the gears. It has an adjustable cable, and maybe a quadrant (not sure, but it doesn't click when I pull up on the clutch pedal). This was how I had my last car adjusted and it was fine, but this one, it kinda feels like the cable is stretching (could be, idk how much stiffer this clutch is). How much pressure can there be on the fork before I risk the clutch? Is there a measurement of some sort I can do?
 

Attachments

  • 15n3ddf.jpg
    15n3ddf.jpg
    43.2 KB · Views: 96
  • fvz9fb.jpg
    fvz9fb.jpg
    76.3 KB · Views: 85
  • 2wee0c3.jpg
    2wee0c3.jpg
    45.1 KB · Views: 103
Nice build! Whenever you're stabbing a transmission by yourself it always helps to take a pry bar down there with you. This way when the trans is almost all the way in, you can just pry the clutch fork forward slightly to get the tranny to go that final 1/2". I was fighting vibration problems with a 3550 once and I must have pulled it out and reinstalled that trans at least 4 times by myself. I used a nice sized floor jack each time and it was a pretty smooth operation. Of course, I was using a stock type aluminum bellhousing, I have no experience with the steel bells.

Great job so far! And I LOVE your shop...I will use your shop pics as inspiration to build my own like that some day! lol
 
Uh yeah I think that pans gonna rub with the shifting of the engine/transmission. I'd fashion some sort of rubber bushing that wont make vibration but will keep it from rubbing a hole. Maybe even a piece of rubber tubing cut long ways. Or shave some of the K member away. Anyway, good to see you're making progress.
 
Nice build! Whenever you're stabbing a transmission by yourself it always helps to take a pry bar down there with you. This way when the trans is almost all the way in, you can just pry the clutch fork forward slightly to get the tranny to go that final 1/2". I was fighting vibration problems with a 3550 once and I must have pulled it out and reinstalled that trans at least 4 times by myself. I used a nice sized floor jack each time and it was a pretty smooth operation. Of course, I was using a stock type aluminum bellhousing, I have no experience with the steel bells.

Great job so far! And I LOVE your shop...I will use your shop pics as inspiration to build my own like that some day! lol

Stock bells are a lot easier to install. I can't help but wonder if it was worth it to bother with this one or not. Hopefully I'll never need it. Thanks for the compliment. It's nice not laying on my back in gravel, I'd done that before and I never want to do it again.

Uh yeah I think that pans gonna rub with the shifting of the engine/transmission. I'd fashion some sort of rubber bushing that wont make vibration but will keep it from rubbing a hole. Maybe even a piece of rubber tubing cut long ways. Or shave some of the K member away. Anyway, good to see you're making progress.

We'll see, depends on which way the engine twists. I have no play at all with the motor mounts. Only thing I could possibly do is shim the trans tail shaft up a bit to get it away from it, drop the K member and grind on it, or buy a tube K member. However I have spent about as much as I want to on this project. I just want to get the engine fired and drive it. Been waiting for that since February when I paid for the engine.

Also just ordered a MM clutch quadrant, FWA, and cable. Fortunately the parts pile for the car is getting smaller. Not looking forward to installing the quadrant though. I did it a few years ago on my 89 and all I remember about it is how hard it was to do.
 
Stock bells are a lot easier to install. I can't help but wonder if it was worth it to bother with this one or not. Hopefully I'll never need it. Thanks for the compliment. It's nice not laying on my back in gravel, I'd done that before and I never want to do it again.



We'll see, depends on which way the engine twists. I have no play at all with the motor mounts. Only thing I could possibly do is shim the trans tail shaft up a bit to get it away from it, drop the K member and grind on it, or buy a tube K member. However I have spent about as much as I want to on this project. I just want to get the engine fired and drive it. Been waiting for that since February when I paid for the engine.

Also just ordered a MM clutch quadrant, FWA, and cable. Fortunately the parts pile for the car is getting smaller. Not looking forward to installing the quadrant though. I did it a few years ago on my 89 and all I remember about it is how hard it was to do.

I've been real fortunate on both foxbodies I've owned this has already been done. But I have heard its a damn nightmare. If you have a short friend with small hands make him do it.
 
I've been real fortunate on both foxbodies I've owned this has already been done. But I have heard its a damn nightmare. If you have a short friend with small hands make him do it.

All my friends are bigger then me. lol I guess I can make my wife do it if needed.

putting in a new quadrant isn't too bad. Taking the little "paw" off is the gripe of it all, getting that spring to let go of the plastic is a royal PITA!

Yeah, I remember that. Like I said, I *think* this car may already have an aftermarket quadrant on it. So it may be a little easier then last time.

Did Woody hook you up with that pan along with the engine, or did you buy it separately?

Woody put it on. Wish I had a stock pan instead, but this is the one they send you when you buy the complete bottom end.

Upon thinking about it, I might be able to get at the K member with my air powered cut off wheel. Maybe I can notch it from underneath.
 
Have a four day weekend fortunately. First day so far has been slow going. Got my MM quadrant, cable, and FWA. Got them installed. The clutch still feels like it is grabbing a little low, though, it is grabbing considerably higher then it was. Turns out the car had a stock plastic quadrant on it still. Was an S.O.B. to get off of course, but the new stuff is on, and the clutch does feel a lot better. Put a new PS pressure line on (hate that job too). Currently on a break from bolting stuff up so I can prime the engine with oil.

Took a second look at the cursed oil pan. Only way I can clearance the K frame, is to chop a decent chunk out of it on either side of the oil pan. Does anybody know if this will significantly weaken the K member? I've never been a huge fan of Moroso stuff, and this stupid pan isn't helping any.