Diplomat_Wagon
Hiding In The Bushes While
I do. It's adorable.
Sunday go-to-meetin' car: 1968 Valiant 100
- Thread starter Dr.Jass
- Start date
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
My bellhousing arrived on Thursday, so I'm getting fired up about the 4-speed swap. I noticed after I'd bought it that it's a truck bell that uses a ball-stud fork. Ten forks lying around, ain't a one of 'em for a ball stud. It's ordered.
I dragged one of the myriad 4-speeds out today to get it ready for installation. I have four short-tail overdrives, two with the '75-'76 iron case (and high-helix gearset) and two aluminum. Being the goal is fuel economy, aluminum seemed the natural choice. One of the two alloy units must've been quite a leaker based on the amount of orange silicone glommed on every visible seam (even the countershaft plug) so I picked the other one for this project.
A little diagnostic work showed the only issue was a sort-of bad input bearing. It just didn't roll very smoothly compared to the rest of the transmission. Bearings I've got, so I decided to change it... and that's where things started to go sideways on me. I ended up facing backward by the end.
See, on the overdrive you have a large front bearing (Timken 308LOE) so one would think the input shaft could simply be removed from the front... and were this a Hemi or big-block 4-speed, one might be right. However, the overdrive also has a 3.09:1 first gear, meaning a huge cog on the countershaft. The synchronizer teeth of the input shaft won't clear it. Just for fun, I removed the inner snap ring and tapped on the bearing from the inside with a long screwdriver. It moved, so I persisted. That bearing came off the input rather easily, after which the input shaft came out with a bit of wiggling. Hooray! This is gonna work!
Wrong. R-O-N-G WRONG!
I put the input shaft in the freezer and a new bearing in the oven, which was already warm from the compressor collar. I went back to the garage and mucked about with the compressor for about an hour, then went to install the bearing on the input shaft. Uh, no. Guess what? A Timken 308L is not the same as a Timken 308LOE--the inside bore is about 1/4" larger. I dug out a rebuild kit, stole a bearing (Chinese, of course), and tossed it in the oven. Half an hour later I was ready to rock.
It was at this point that I forgot the order of disassembly. Remember when I took the bearing off with the input shaft still in the case? Keep that in mind. The new bearing went onto the input shaft with great ease, just a couple of light taps on a box-end wrench on the bearing's inside race. Groovy. I went to reinstall the input shaft, feeling very clever at not having to disassemble the whole freakin' transmission to do it. After about half an hour and lots of words of which Mother would not have approved, I realized there is no f__king way that input shaft will go back in with the bearing installed. It simply cannot be done. Damn it. It's so incredibly close.
Well, maybe if I very-carefully tap out one end of the countershaft pin I can jog the countershaft gear just far enough out of the way to slip the input shaft synchro teeth past. I removed the main shaft/gears/tailshaft housing assembly and got to work. The A833OD has a cupped plug in the front to retain the countershaft pin, so it has to be removed for the pin to be pushed backward (I wanted the front of the countershaft to move less than 1/8"). I tapped from the back and the plug started to move. A couple more taps and it'd be out. Tap... tap... tap...
...ZINGclangclangclang! Did I mention the overdrive has a floating countershaft pin, rather than pressed like a close-ratio? That pin shot out the front of the case at 90MPH. Rollers, spacers, and thrust washers everywhere. Damn it, redux. Well, she's 100% apart now other than the reverser and the mainshaft still being in the extension housing. Hey, this input shaft goes in easily now!
I recovered all the scattered pieces and decided to call it a day.
I'm not putting any more effort or money into this than is necessary, meaning I'm not changing the butter-smooth rear bearing nor will I waste new countershaft rollers/spacers/thrust washers on this one. The countershaft rolled beautifully, so I'll clean up the old parts and reinstall with new gaskets and seals. It's going behind a 170, not a 440.
It will get the spool-type transmission crossmember/mount, and I dug out a pickup-truck Hurst shifter (with a grease fitting) that needs to be de-crusted and rebuilt. I'll lose the push-in handle in the process since it already pulls about halfway out without any attempt at releasing the retainer. The linkage is around here somewhere, as are clutch countershaft rebuild parts and a steel pivot ball for the pushrod.
Both the fork and new clutch will be arriving Tuesday; those and the bell were the only parts I didn't have on hand. Hoarding ain't so bad sometimes.
I dragged one of the myriad 4-speeds out today to get it ready for installation. I have four short-tail overdrives, two with the '75-'76 iron case (and high-helix gearset) and two aluminum. Being the goal is fuel economy, aluminum seemed the natural choice. One of the two alloy units must've been quite a leaker based on the amount of orange silicone glommed on every visible seam (even the countershaft plug) so I picked the other one for this project.
A little diagnostic work showed the only issue was a sort-of bad input bearing. It just didn't roll very smoothly compared to the rest of the transmission. Bearings I've got, so I decided to change it... and that's where things started to go sideways on me. I ended up facing backward by the end.
See, on the overdrive you have a large front bearing (Timken 308LOE) so one would think the input shaft could simply be removed from the front... and were this a Hemi or big-block 4-speed, one might be right. However, the overdrive also has a 3.09:1 first gear, meaning a huge cog on the countershaft. The synchronizer teeth of the input shaft won't clear it. Just for fun, I removed the inner snap ring and tapped on the bearing from the inside with a long screwdriver. It moved, so I persisted. That bearing came off the input rather easily, after which the input shaft came out with a bit of wiggling. Hooray! This is gonna work!
Wrong. R-O-N-G WRONG!
I put the input shaft in the freezer and a new bearing in the oven, which was already warm from the compressor collar. I went back to the garage and mucked about with the compressor for about an hour, then went to install the bearing on the input shaft. Uh, no. Guess what? A Timken 308L is not the same as a Timken 308LOE--the inside bore is about 1/4" larger. I dug out a rebuild kit, stole a bearing (Chinese, of course), and tossed it in the oven. Half an hour later I was ready to rock.
It was at this point that I forgot the order of disassembly. Remember when I took the bearing off with the input shaft still in the case? Keep that in mind. The new bearing went onto the input shaft with great ease, just a couple of light taps on a box-end wrench on the bearing's inside race. Groovy. I went to reinstall the input shaft, feeling very clever at not having to disassemble the whole freakin' transmission to do it. After about half an hour and lots of words of which Mother would not have approved, I realized there is no f__king way that input shaft will go back in with the bearing installed. It simply cannot be done. Damn it. It's so incredibly close.
Well, maybe if I very-carefully tap out one end of the countershaft pin I can jog the countershaft gear just far enough out of the way to slip the input shaft synchro teeth past. I removed the main shaft/gears/tailshaft housing assembly and got to work. The A833OD has a cupped plug in the front to retain the countershaft pin, so it has to be removed for the pin to be pushed backward (I wanted the front of the countershaft to move less than 1/8"). I tapped from the back and the plug started to move. A couple more taps and it'd be out. Tap... tap... tap...
...ZINGclangclangclang! Did I mention the overdrive has a floating countershaft pin, rather than pressed like a close-ratio? That pin shot out the front of the case at 90MPH. Rollers, spacers, and thrust washers everywhere. Damn it, redux. Well, she's 100% apart now other than the reverser and the mainshaft still being in the extension housing. Hey, this input shaft goes in easily now!
I recovered all the scattered pieces and decided to call it a day.
I'm not putting any more effort or money into this than is necessary, meaning I'm not changing the butter-smooth rear bearing nor will I waste new countershaft rollers/spacers/thrust washers on this one. The countershaft rolled beautifully, so I'll clean up the old parts and reinstall with new gaskets and seals. It's going behind a 170, not a 440.
It will get the spool-type transmission crossmember/mount, and I dug out a pickup-truck Hurst shifter (with a grease fitting) that needs to be de-crusted and rebuilt. I'll lose the push-in handle in the process since it already pulls about halfway out without any attempt at releasing the retainer. The linkage is around here somewhere, as are clutch countershaft rebuild parts and a steel pivot ball for the pushrod.
Both the fork and new clutch will be arriving Tuesday; those and the bell were the only parts I didn't have on hand. Hoarding ain't so bad sometimes.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
If you want it gone, figure out everything you've got and shoot me a total number for everything 4-speed-related. If that includes pedals, bells, whatever that's fine. If you can pallet it, it might be worth the truck freight to get it here.
69.5CUDA
Blah Blah Blah
honestly doc...as soon as ive got time, what ill do is take pics of everything and send you a pic, you of all ppl know what its all worth and i know youll give me a fair deal on it all
ive got some bells a STACK of flywheels enough cases and parts for atleast 3-5 transmissions, i know teheres some hemi spline shafts in there and a handfull of shifters a couple a's several b body pedals, and i think 1 or 60s c's
the only stuff i intend to keep out of the lot of it is my "truck" 4spds ...ill NEVER do another manual car...if i were it would have to be a modern 5/6spd..but honestly...if i want to drive a stick ill drive something else with a stick LOL
RC has a borderline race built auto, 69 1/2 has a extensively built no expense spared race auto the 904 in the 67 ive not been able to kill and ive got a good spare, the a108 is the only wild card but its got a good(and a spare) 727..i forsee it ending up as an electric conversion and rampy has a syncro big boy 4spd without the granny low...445....thats all the mopars i intend to keep
ive got some bells a STACK of flywheels enough cases and parts for atleast 3-5 transmissions, i know teheres some hemi spline shafts in there and a handfull of shifters a couple a's several b body pedals, and i think 1 or 60s c's
the only stuff i intend to keep out of the lot of it is my "truck" 4spds ...ill NEVER do another manual car...if i were it would have to be a modern 5/6spd..but honestly...if i want to drive a stick ill drive something else with a stick LOL
RC has a borderline race built auto, 69 1/2 has a extensively built no expense spared race auto the 904 in the 67 ive not been able to kill and ive got a good spare, the a108 is the only wild card but its got a good(and a spare) 727..i forsee it ending up as an electric conversion and rampy has a syncro big boy 4spd without the granny low...445....thats all the mopars i intend to keep
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
Well, I wouldn't want any of your truck stuff anyhow... only passenger-car A833 stuff. I have a few "emergency" 3-speeds just in case I decide to sell a car and don't want to let the transmission in it go, like if I sold the '69 Valiant: out come the W2 340 and the 4-speed, in goes some other V8 and a 3-speed. I have too much time and effort into those to just give them away with a car that won't bring what it would cost just to build the engine.
I have two LA bellhousings here for the AX15 transmission. The AX15 isn't a good choice for a car, but it uses the same bolt pattern as the highly-sought, nuclear-warhead-proof Toyota R154 5-speed ('86-'91 Supra Turbo) as well as the 5-speeds used in both the Colorado/Canyon compact GM trucks and the Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky sports cars--both of which are R154-based but lack the steel midplate. I half-considered a Colorado/Canyon 5-speed for this car. Considering Mallett Motorsports was selling new Solstices and Skies with 450HP 7.0L LS engines, that transmission would be more than enough for a humble 170-cube inline six. I simply didn't want to get into mucking about with hydraulic clutch actuators and master cylinders, never mind fabricating adapter mounts and figuring out a driveshaft. Maybe for the Imperial.
Obviously I'm not in any hurry, so whenever you get to it is OK by me. When you do get pictures of it, PM me and I'll give you my e-mail address. My dumbphone won't take that kind of punishment.
69.5CUDA
Blah Blah Blah
i was under the impression the ax15 bell needed something to be made to work with the r154..to which i had in my paws for almost a decade before it went away..and the steel mid plate can be bought aftermarket last i saw.....the 5spd in the imperial would be wicked
honestly i dont "want" the 445 4spd in the ramp truck but the lack of choices for something that massive with a 440 ..the choices wernt good nor cheep nor plentifull last i checked...and the only thing id swap the 440 for would be a detroit diesel
speaking of phones....if you want something cheep and bulletproof capable of taking stunning shots..look into the "blackview" rugged line of phones...after a year with 1 of them we bought 2 more...tough as fucking nails...its been WORKED and hit the ground a plethora of times shut in teh car door etc..not so much as a chip in the glass and the case has a chunk out of it into the screen protector...300-400$ for an unlocked modern beast thats touted as milspec grade waterproof dust proof drop proof.....its my new goto....and the thermal imaging on one of them is a hoot and quite usefull
were running the BV9900-pro, BL5000, bl6000-pro
not as fast as some of the stuff out there but that same ultra fast stuff aint nowhere neer as tough
honestly i dont "want" the 445 4spd in the ramp truck but the lack of choices for something that massive with a 440 ..the choices wernt good nor cheep nor plentifull last i checked...and the only thing id swap the 440 for would be a detroit diesel
speaking of phones....if you want something cheep and bulletproof capable of taking stunning shots..look into the "blackview" rugged line of phones...after a year with 1 of them we bought 2 more...tough as fucking nails...its been WORKED and hit the ground a plethora of times shut in teh car door etc..not so much as a chip in the glass and the case has a chunk out of it into the screen protector...300-400$ for an unlocked modern beast thats touted as milspec grade waterproof dust proof drop proof.....its my new goto....and the thermal imaging on one of them is a hoot and quite usefull
were running the BV9900-pro, BL5000, bl6000-pro
not as fast as some of the stuff out there but that same ultra fast stuff aint nowhere neer as tough
thrashingcows
Drowning deep in my sea of loathing...so I'm
Why not a 89-93 12V cummins and an allison?
Thanks...I might be in the market for a "new" phone, will look into one of these.
69.5CUDA
Blah Blah Blah
Why not a 89-93 12V cummins and an allison?
Thanks...I might be in the market for a "new" phone, will look into one of these.
the words go big or go home come to mind...a cummins in the sweptlines looks about as home as a slanyu in a c body hell a LA looks like a lil chevy v6 in there......and were talking 20ft of bed+cab/clip, setup to be a camper and a toy hauler.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
My phone is actually only a few months old; staying with the dumb phone was a personal choice. I don't want a gee-whiz electronic leash to stare at 2+ hours per day. It doesn't leave the house often during the week (I don't bring it to work) so durability isn't a factor. I didn't realize the photo capabilites on this one were going to be so weak, but I have a camera for taking pictures and an e-mail for receiving them.
I got the countershaft assembly together last night using Assemblee Goo (look it up--awesome stuff) but I wanted to work on the air compressor tonight. The clutch and fork came in today but wasn't right. Apparently everyone's application information is wrong on the fork, so I found the right one using different application info. The clutch is the cutest little Borg & Beck y'ever saw (9.25"). Other than the fork and digging out the linkage, parts-wise I should be good to go on the transmission swap.
Since the starter has to come off anyhow, I'll upgrade to the late-model Magnum V8 starter. Yes, it's great on the Slant Sixes too. I had one on the tiltbanger in my '81 LeBaron.
69.5CUDA
Blah Blah Blah
whoa...that mags work on the slantys?..i..uhh..how?!?!?!?!..i thought the slantys had a really long off angled snout
honestly doc on the phone..since we use ours for deliverys ie scans and proof of delivery they are tools...but by god they take better pics than ive ever had a camera for....aside from work tho im lucky if my phone gets used for more than 10 mins a day as a whole...it aint no leash and aint no one blowin it up anymore either
when we get back to riding it will be nice to have omething that can track and take amazing shots all in 1...ive killed too many cameras in the elements
honestly doc on the phone..since we use ours for deliverys ie scans and proof of delivery they are tools...but by god they take better pics than ive ever had a camera for....aside from work tho im lucky if my phone gets used for more than 10 mins a day as a whole...it aint no leash and aint no one blowin it up anymore either
when we get back to riding it will be nice to have omething that can track and take amazing shots all in 1...ive killed too many cameras in the elements
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
What's goofing you up there is the orientation at which the Slant Six starter sits. It's clocked a little differently in relation to the engine, so when you pull the starter the snout looks weird or different. I assure you, it's a bolt-in. The most I've ever had to do was futz around with the spacing between the two cable terminals a bit, but it's really minor.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
I've been finding and collecting upgrade parts for the ol' girl. For instance, I found the electric-pump washer jug off the '69 with the pump still in place. I'd replaced that with NOS parts, but those might find their way to this car and the old ones go back to their original spot. Yes, it's a cute reminder of a bygone era but I'm not keeping the foot-pump washer setup. I also bought a replacement turn-signal switch to replace the floppy original.
Next, I made a deal with a fella on eBay and picked up an interior hood release setup and the nicest plastic glove box I've ever seen for a vintage Mopar:
The hood-release bits are under the glovebox. I didn't think them photo-worthy until they're installed.
Another eBayer had a really-nice 22" Slant Six AC A-body 3-row radiator. With the shipping, it was around the same price as a Chinesium unit ($170), but those aren't the easiest to find for a Slant Six. Regardless, I'll take copper/brass over less-efficient aluminum (and its dreadful appearance) every time. For safekeeping I put it back in the impressive shipping crate he built:
By far, though, the best upgrade (and deal) was this gem:
The large bolt-pattern A-body 8-1/4" axle I need to match up with big-bolt front brakes. Kev had mentioned this axle to me. A mutual friend (Wang) has had lying around for 25 years or so. The cross-shaft pin (a.k.a. "death bolt") had sheared when Kev tried to remove it two decades back, and after a long losing battle with the diff he gave up on it and half-ass reinstalled the cover. Anyhow, when he mentioned the axle, I'd pictured just that: an axle with shafts. There's so much more to it, though. Check out some of the extras...
I can't imagine they're stock, but it's got complete 11" brakes!
It's also got HD (340) 5-leaf springs--I'd been shopping for these already--that appear to be in good shape:
(Don't ask me how the iso-clamp shock plates got there, because I've no idea)
And, of course, the reason Kevin struggled so <ahem> valiantly, the Shirley-Grippe differential equipped with 3.21 gears:
You've probably noticed that I already got the differential out. It neither took me long nor was it difficult. When Kev finds out just how close he was, he's gonna face-palm himself--hard. Then we'll laugh like old friends do when one learns of his brain-fart bonehead move from the other. Oh, how we'll laugh... likely I more than he.
So how much did I drop on such a feature-laden rear axle? I'm being 100% honest: no money changed hands. Wang asked me to give his 4.10:1 Sure Grip 489 case a good once-over before it goes into his Challenger. That's it. I may just give him a known-good one I have and take his old one. At most, I'll have a few bucks into some new bearings, a crush sleeve, a seal, and an hour or two of my time. Not such a bad deal, huh?
Now to get over to Stretch's and get those steering knuckles...
Next, I made a deal with a fella on eBay and picked up an interior hood release setup and the nicest plastic glove box I've ever seen for a vintage Mopar:
The hood-release bits are under the glovebox. I didn't think them photo-worthy until they're installed.
Another eBayer had a really-nice 22" Slant Six AC A-body 3-row radiator. With the shipping, it was around the same price as a Chinesium unit ($170), but those aren't the easiest to find for a Slant Six. Regardless, I'll take copper/brass over less-efficient aluminum (and its dreadful appearance) every time. For safekeeping I put it back in the impressive shipping crate he built:
By far, though, the best upgrade (and deal) was this gem:
The large bolt-pattern A-body 8-1/4" axle I need to match up with big-bolt front brakes. Kev had mentioned this axle to me. A mutual friend (Wang) has had lying around for 25 years or so. The cross-shaft pin (a.k.a. "death bolt") had sheared when Kev tried to remove it two decades back, and after a long losing battle with the diff he gave up on it and half-ass reinstalled the cover. Anyhow, when he mentioned the axle, I'd pictured just that: an axle with shafts. There's so much more to it, though. Check out some of the extras...
I can't imagine they're stock, but it's got complete 11" brakes!
It's also got HD (340) 5-leaf springs--I'd been shopping for these already--that appear to be in good shape:
(Don't ask me how the iso-clamp shock plates got there, because I've no idea)
And, of course, the reason Kevin struggled so <ahem> valiantly, the Shirley-Grippe differential equipped with 3.21 gears:
You've probably noticed that I already got the differential out. It neither took me long nor was it difficult. When Kev finds out just how close he was, he's gonna face-palm himself--hard. Then we'll laugh like old friends do when one learns of his brain-fart bonehead move from the other. Oh, how we'll laugh... likely I more than he.
So how much did I drop on such a feature-laden rear axle? I'm being 100% honest: no money changed hands.
Wang asked me to give his 4.10:1 Sure Grip 489 case a good once-over before it goes into his Challenger. That's it. I may just give him a known-good one I have and take his old one. At most, I'll have a few bucks into some new bearings, a crush sleeve, a seal, and an hour or two of my time. Not such a bad deal, huh?Now to get over to Stretch's and get those steering knuckles...
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
I guess it's possible. I've never looked into it since later A-bodies haven't held much interest for me in the past. I know that through '72, the biggest brakes avaiable on A-bodies were 10", with the 10"x1.75" flared drums out back. Stretch's four-door has those out back, so they must've kept using them on the small-bolt-pattern cars after '72.
I was as surprised as you. Generally this climate is pretty easy on interior stuff, but every one of the black ones has oxidized or whatever causes a greyish tinge to it, and they get brittle. The white plastic ones usually crumble when touched. This one is still black as night and quite flexible. It looks like it was made last week.
69.5CUDA
Blah Blah Blah
alot of my a-body info has slipped away from lack of use but the big vs small stuff kept me on my toes
i seem to recall 3 different small drums up front, i know my 67s got the biggest ones, and now with the 8.75 out back the biggest out back too...
rears seemed a whole lot more random, sometimes finding 10s out back with 8s up front...i always assumed a swap but...with ma never say never
early on when i was chasing ways to get more brake without losing the SBP id get excited every time id find a 70s dart sporting heavy springs or a front sway as 9/10 they would have BIG brakes, problem was once you got to 72 you never knew if the car was SBP or BBP..and i swear they carried the small stuff for a few extra years on the slanty stuff especialy
wasnt the 8.25 availible as SBP for a very VERY short window?
i seem to recall 3 different small drums up front, i know my 67s got the biggest ones, and now with the 8.75 out back the biggest out back too...
rears seemed a whole lot more random, sometimes finding 10s out back with 8s up front...i always assumed a swap but...with ma never say never
early on when i was chasing ways to get more brake without losing the SBP id get excited every time id find a 70s dart sporting heavy springs or a front sway as 9/10 they would have BIG brakes, problem was once you got to 72 you never knew if the car was SBP or BBP..and i swear they carried the small stuff for a few extra years on the slanty stuff especialy
wasnt the 8.25 availible as SBP for a very VERY short window?
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
I mostly finished rebuilding the A833OD for the car today. It went together easily after I remembered the overdrive version is a somewhat-different creature than the close-ratio when it comes to the reassembly process. That's largely due to the enormous bull gear on the countershaft that facilitates 3rd gear being an overdrive. The countershaft goes into the case first, but does not get fully installed until you've gotten the main and input shafts into (sorta) position. On a close-ratio, the countershaft can be fully installed after the input shaft but before you start juggling the mainshaft assembly.
The two biggest issues I had were having a countershaft thrust washer depart its intended location, and fumbling with the God-forsaken interlock-style side cover. The former required complete disassembly from the point I'd reached, and the latter was compounded by the reverse detent spring falling into the transmission--twice. The side cover can't be installed with the 3-4 shift fork installed, which is normal. However, once the fork has been guided into its actuator, the spring-loaded interlock lever has to be moved out of the way to clear the fork's locking pin. Whilst fumbling with that it's relatively easy for the reverse-detent spring to come out of its bore (for some reason, when designing the overdrive version, Chrysler decided to move the reverse detent to the side of the transmission, partially seated in the side cover). What gave me the most grief, though, was the fact that until they're in place, the interlock levers can interfere with each other... when that happens, the one you need to move can't travel far enough to clear the pin. There was a bit of language that would've made Mom yell at me before I figured out what was happening.
I've probably mentioned it in the past, but if you're going to rebuild a manual transmission--especially one with 76 individual roller bearings on one shaft and 16 on another--get yourself a tub of green Dr. Trans Assemblee Goo. It should be called Assemblee Gloo, because that's about what it is. Its consistency is like warm candle wax but much stickier. Despite having the countershaft pin in and out twice and some "I should be more delicate" handling of the input shaft, not a single one of those rollers moved. It's also great for gluing the countershaft thrust washers into place. Yes, I had one move but that was due to my lack of attention rather than an issue with The Goo. I consider it a must-have for this process; it's better than any heavy grease for this job.
Based on 1st-gear synchronizer-ring and corresponding slider wear, I'm pretty confident someone learned to drive a manual on this transmission. The brass teeth on #1 were razor sharp, whereas the other three still had factory paint on the tooth faces--virtually no wear whatsoever. Weird. The 1-2 slider had noticeable wear in the center of its teeth but I did not think it warranted replacement in this case. I also discovered that what I thought was a persistent glob of sludge in a hard-to-see/reach area was in fact a ring magnet epoxied to the bottom of the case near the reverser. I know someone had futzed with this transmission previously based on red silicone and a poorly-installed countershaft plug, but I'm not sure who placed the magnet. I cleaned off what fuzz I could and moved along. Whatever they stuck it with is good stuff--I'd have had to break it out with a chisel.
Other than a general once-over on the bolt torques, one lever retaining nut, a Heli-Coil for a stripped shifter mounting hole, and a tailshaft seal, it's done. I'll figure out the speedometer gear tonight and if I've got it, I'll install that assembly too.
Next up on the list: Rebuilding the rear axle. That involves a new Trac-Lok diff, new 3.55 gears, and new bearings and seals throughout. I need to see if I can dig out some non-iso-clamp shock plates; if not I'll modify what's there.
The two biggest issues I had were having a countershaft thrust washer depart its intended location, and fumbling with the God-forsaken interlock-style side cover. The former required complete disassembly from the point I'd reached, and the latter was compounded by the reverse detent spring falling into the transmission--twice. The side cover can't be installed with the 3-4 shift fork installed, which is normal. However, once the fork has been guided into its actuator, the spring-loaded interlock lever has to be moved out of the way to clear the fork's locking pin. Whilst fumbling with that it's relatively easy for the reverse-detent spring to come out of its bore (for some reason, when designing the overdrive version, Chrysler decided to move the reverse detent to the side of the transmission, partially seated in the side cover). What gave me the most grief, though, was the fact that until they're in place, the interlock levers can interfere with each other... when that happens, the one you need to move can't travel far enough to clear the pin. There was a bit of language that would've made Mom yell at me before I figured out what was happening.
I've probably mentioned it in the past, but if you're going to rebuild a manual transmission--especially one with 76 individual roller bearings on one shaft and 16 on another--get yourself a tub of green Dr. Trans Assemblee Goo. It should be called Assemblee Gloo, because that's about what it is. Its consistency is like warm candle wax but much stickier. Despite having the countershaft pin in and out twice and some "I should be more delicate" handling of the input shaft, not a single one of those rollers moved. It's also great for gluing the countershaft thrust washers into place. Yes, I had one move but that was due to my lack of attention rather than an issue with The Goo. I consider it a must-have for this process; it's better than any heavy grease for this job.
Based on 1st-gear synchronizer-ring and corresponding slider wear, I'm pretty confident someone learned to drive a manual on this transmission. The brass teeth on #1 were razor sharp, whereas the other three still had factory paint on the tooth faces--virtually no wear whatsoever. Weird. The 1-2 slider had noticeable wear in the center of its teeth but I did not think it warranted replacement in this case. I also discovered that what I thought was a persistent glob of sludge in a hard-to-see/reach area was in fact a ring magnet epoxied to the bottom of the case near the reverser. I know someone had futzed with this transmission previously based on red silicone and a poorly-installed countershaft plug, but I'm not sure who placed the magnet. I cleaned off what fuzz I could and moved along. Whatever they stuck it with is good stuff--I'd have had to break it out with a chisel.
Other than a general once-over on the bolt torques, one lever retaining nut, a Heli-Coil for a stripped shifter mounting hole, and a tailshaft seal, it's done. I'll figure out the speedometer gear tonight and if I've got it, I'll install that assembly too.
Next up on the list: Rebuilding the rear axle. That involves a new Trac-Lok diff, new 3.55 gears, and new bearings and seals throughout. I need to see if I can dig out some non-iso-clamp shock plates; if not I'll modify what's there.
69.5CUDA
Blah Blah Blah
i know the pain of roller bearings..as i did a couple rebuilds of NP203's and its all rollers and ALOT of em...first go round i used "bullshot" which is a french racing bike grease that doesnt exist any more..worked better than any tub of grease ive ever had..second one i used bigfoot grease..the orange snotty shit that doesnt stop giving...its basicly snot and wax....
when i go about doing the 3rd and 4th units sometime next year ill have to try your stuff and se ehow it holds up
when i go about doing the 3rd and 4th units sometime next year ill have to try your stuff and se ehow it holds up
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
I've never heard of Bullshot or Bigfoot grease, but this stuff is intended specifically for transmission assembly. It doesn't look or feel like grease--in fact, you'll probably think you got an outdated tub of it because it's pretty stiff. Like I said, it's more like candle wax. I had to tap the input shaft in three times; the first time was because the new front bearing's snap ring was too thick and didn't fit in the bearing retainer, so I had to remove it and use the old one. All of that screwing around, including tapping/wrestling it back out, and none of the rollers moved at all--and I was working with the shaft horizontal, so that says something. I also used it to hold the 3-4 shift fork in place on its slider while installing the side cover. Nothing else I've tried is anywhere near as tacky.
The stuff dissolves completely in gear lube or ATF, so I use it liberally. Anything I don't want moving during assembly gets slathered in it.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
Well, a quick check revealed that I did not have a 37-tooth (white) speedometer gear lying around, so I ordered one of those. Next up, I disassembled my truck Hurst shifter that was full of grease and dirt and barely moved. Once I got it apart, I saw that it had been lubricated with white grease. Oh, goody--the stuff that turns into rock. The parts that could be scraped got scraped, and the stick mount itself got cleaned with picks to remove as much petrified grease as possible. Then the whole lot went for a bath in the Rocker Destroyer (ultrasonic cleaner). I bought rebuild parts for it (shims, etc), so once reassembled it should be like a brand-new unit.
Next came a stroll to the hardware store, which ended in disappointment when they didn't have Heli-Coil inserts. They had the whole kit, but I already have the tap and installer. I need 12 bucks worth of inserts, not $28 worth of redundant tools. I passed on the kit and ordered inserts through work, so that repair is on hold til Tuesday. I also ordered a booted output-shaft seal, since my inventory of those for a 26-spline output appears to be exactly zero.
However, I had brought one of the bearing adjusters from the 8.25" axle with me. If you're not familiar with the 8.25" and 9.25" axles, the differential carrier bearing preload is set with threaded adjusters very similar to the 8.75", but with a large hex cutout instead of a round hole in the center. Since the center section doesn't come out, the adjusters have to be turned by a hex tool inserted down the axle tube. The factory Miller special tool is an enormous piece of hex stock about 26" long. I don't have one of those (nor would I pay for one) so I needed a large hex nut. I found that a 22mm nut (thread, not hex) is essentially the perfect size. There was no Imperial nut that fit; 7/8" was too small and 1" was close but juuust a smidge too large.
Back home with my prize, I set about looking for the remaining parts to make my own damned bearing adjustment tool. I had a piece of pipe that was close, but I didn't actually want to make a tool that long. I found a piece of rocker shaft in my scrap bucket that looked about perfect--it was too short, but if'n I had me a 22mm die, I probably could've threaded the thing together. Alas, I don't have tooling that large, but I do have a welder... and one of the modified, now-worthless full-length rocker shafts from the '69 Valiant's W2 heads. I set the nut on the floor with the ground clamp on it. The rocker shaft stood on it squarely, on its own. I tacked one side, then looked at it. The tack pulled the nut, so I tapped it back to square and tacked the other side. I was in the process of completing the weld but had a hard time seeing, so I decided to break out the MIG-Lite.
This is when things went horribly wrong.
The battery in the MIG-Lite was dead, requiring a tiny screw to be removed. That screw was stuck but good, and whilst trying to convince it to turn--holding the unit in my right hand, mind you--the damned thing rolled. In very-rapid succession, the MIG-Lite flew off to parts unknown, I quite forcefully inserted a jeweler's screwdriver nearly dead-center in the palm of my hand, and I yelled something very similar to "Foley Huck!" loud enough that anyone within a block radius could hear it. The good news is that the screwdriver didn't go all the way through. The bad news is that it sure feels like it did.
As should be expected, I didn't even have the right battery available, so I grievously wounded myself for no reason.
I went back to my welding, securing the nut all the way around the outside, then on the inside for good measure. The welds left a lot to be desired due to poor visibility, but penetration was excellent. So, now I've got a rocker shaft with a nut, but how to turn it? Glad you axed. I popped the plug out of the free end of the shaft and inserted an old T60 Torx bit. It's one of those that looks like a piece of hex stock driven into a socket. The hex part was a decent fit inside the shaft, and extended halfway through the first hold-down bolt hole. Beautimus! I ground the edge of the socket where it met the shaft, and the shaft itself, then welded them together. After that, I welded the exposed Torx end to the shaft through the bolt holes. The T60 socket was 1/2" drive so it can be driven with an extension and my torque wrench to the recommended 100lb/ft. Longer axle tube? Add an extension. The best part? It's short enough to store in my toolbox. Even with the ovalled bolt holes, the rocker shaft should be plenty stout for its new purpose.
Once that was finished, I made a new burn barrel from a 55-gallon drum then closed up shop. My hand hurt too much to continue with anything else, and besides, I was a bit on edge--not good when I'm working on things mechanical.
Next came a stroll to the hardware store, which ended in disappointment when they didn't have Heli-Coil inserts. They had the whole kit, but I already have the tap and installer. I need 12 bucks worth of inserts, not $28 worth of redundant tools. I passed on the kit and ordered inserts through work, so that repair is on hold til Tuesday. I also ordered a booted output-shaft seal, since my inventory of those for a 26-spline output appears to be exactly zero.
However, I had brought one of the bearing adjusters from the 8.25" axle with me. If you're not familiar with the 8.25" and 9.25" axles, the differential carrier bearing preload is set with threaded adjusters very similar to the 8.75", but with a large hex cutout instead of a round hole in the center. Since the center section doesn't come out, the adjusters have to be turned by a hex tool inserted down the axle tube. The factory Miller special tool is an enormous piece of hex stock about 26" long. I don't have one of those (nor would I pay for one) so I needed a large hex nut. I found that a 22mm nut (thread, not hex) is essentially the perfect size. There was no Imperial nut that fit; 7/8" was too small and 1" was close but juuust a smidge too large.
Back home with my prize, I set about looking for the remaining parts to make my own damned bearing adjustment tool. I had a piece of pipe that was close, but I didn't actually want to make a tool that long. I found a piece of rocker shaft in my scrap bucket that looked about perfect--it was too short, but if'n I had me a 22mm die, I probably could've threaded the thing together. Alas, I don't have tooling that large, but I do have a welder... and one of the modified, now-worthless full-length rocker shafts from the '69 Valiant's W2 heads. I set the nut on the floor with the ground clamp on it. The rocker shaft stood on it squarely, on its own. I tacked one side, then looked at it. The tack pulled the nut, so I tapped it back to square and tacked the other side. I was in the process of completing the weld but had a hard time seeing, so I decided to break out the MIG-Lite.
This is when things went horribly wrong.
The battery in the MIG-Lite was dead, requiring a tiny screw to be removed. That screw was stuck but good, and whilst trying to convince it to turn--holding the unit in my right hand, mind you--the damned thing rolled. In very-rapid succession, the MIG-Lite flew off to parts unknown, I quite forcefully inserted a jeweler's screwdriver nearly dead-center in the palm of my hand, and I yelled something very similar to "Foley Huck!" loud enough that anyone within a block radius could hear it. The good news is that the screwdriver didn't go all the way through. The bad news is that it sure feels like it did.
As should be expected, I didn't even have the right battery available, so I grievously wounded myself for no reason.
I went back to my welding, securing the nut all the way around the outside, then on the inside for good measure. The welds left a lot to be desired due to poor visibility, but penetration was excellent. So, now I've got a rocker shaft with a nut, but how to turn it? Glad you axed. I popped the plug out of the free end of the shaft and inserted an old T60 Torx bit. It's one of those that looks like a piece of hex stock driven into a socket. The hex part was a decent fit inside the shaft, and extended halfway through the first hold-down bolt hole. Beautimus! I ground the edge of the socket where it met the shaft, and the shaft itself, then welded them together. After that, I welded the exposed Torx end to the shaft through the bolt holes. The T60 socket was 1/2" drive so it can be driven with an extension and my torque wrench to the recommended 100lb/ft. Longer axle tube? Add an extension. The best part? It's short enough to store in my toolbox. Even with the ovalled bolt holes, the rocker shaft should be plenty stout for its new purpose.
Once that was finished, I made a new burn barrel from a 55-gallon drum then closed up shop. My hand hurt too much to continue with anything else, and besides, I was a bit on edge--not good when I'm working on things mechanical.
Last edited: