The Car Thread

[Captain Goddammit]

I was thinking about using a windshield washer pump and nozzle but the simple garden sprayer plan has merit for sure.

Well YgMir if it has a removable plate above the trans, and it's that far off the ground, I think I like your friend's idea too! Hopefully it's a big enough opening to allow enough swing to clear the input shaft.
I don't know exactly how I'd tackle a transmission that big and that far up, but just to throw out there the stuff I'm thinking... IF there's enough room to slide the trans rearward enough to get the bellhousing off without lowering it, can you scrounge up an old bed frame and use the angle iron it's made of to weld up a jig to hold the transmission and roll the truck forward with a come-along? Maybe fine-tune the height when reinstalling by adding/removing tire pressure on the truck?
I know, I'm really reaching here...

I wonder if you can rent a jack made for such a big transmission?

[ygmir]

good thoughts CGD! I had the same idea about just sliding it all backwards on a made up support, above the frame rail.
I also have a forklift I think would reach under there.
Just one of those PITA projects, avoided not because it's complex, but because it's awkward.

[FIGJAM]

I was just going to ask about the forklift.

[EspressoDude]

my 1941 army power wagon had removable floorboard/sheetmetal. take one or two transmission top bolts out and replace with real lifting eyes. 4 x 4 across the window openings and two come-alongs, one front, one back.

Also saw the heads off of some similar but longer bolts for transmission to bellhousing to use as alignment guides.

[ygmir]

thanks E.D.!!!

[MikeGyver]

I could be wrong, But That engine shouldn't have too much holding it in. Would it be an easier job to use your hoist and pull the engine to change the clutch instead of trying to get the transmission out the bottom?

[ygmir]

I could be wrong, But That engine shouldn't have too much holding it in. Would it be an easier job to use your hoist and pull the engine to change the clutch instead of trying to get the transmission out the bottom?

funny you say that.......no, but it's close!! the grill and side panels are made to hinge out of the way, hood goes all the way back. But all the lines and stuff. Thanks for the thought, though.
wanna come do it for me? *young strong and limber*.

[Captain Goddammit]

Ygmir you're giving me stupid ideas. I did some checking and it seems that M35's giant transmission can be retrofit into, say... a GMC one-ton pickup truck... such as mine...
Apparently it's cheaper than a modern trans, is a 5-speed with overdrive, and is infinitely more durable.
I'm having all sorts of stupid ideas.

[ygmir]

Ygmir you're giving me stupid ideas. I did some checking and it seems that M35's giant transmission can be retrofit into, say... a GMC one-ton pickup truck... such as mine...
Apparently it's cheaper than a modern trans, is a 5-speed with overdrive, and is infinitely more durable.
I'm having all sorts of stupid ideas.

I won't mention the extra winch I found then..........
though, I would like to find a PTO unit.

[MikeGyver]

funny you say that.......no, but it's close!! the grill and side panels are made to hinge out of the way, hood goes all the way back. But all the lines and stuff. Thanks for the thought, though.
wanna come do it for me? *young strong and limber*.

If you weren't 8 hours away I would.

[Elliot]

Now I want to put a 13 speed in my Dodge Dakota. Or at least in the bus.

[ygmir]

I once had a 71 chevy 3/4 ton 4x4, with a 4 speed......I put a 3 spd Brownie behind it. That was fun! LT1 350 engine.

[Elliot]

A friend once had a 4x4 Toyota (mini) pickup where the transfer case was an independent unit. That is, there was a driveshaft from the regular tranny to the transfer case. He theorized the factory suddenly realized there was a market for 4x4 and cobbled this together. Or is this arrangement not unusual?

[ygmir]

remote transfer cases are pretty common. short "jack shaft" between.
several of my trucks have had them.

[Admiral Fukkit]

I've got serious-off-roader buddies who run Toyotas, the standard setup (among other mods) is to replace the "Action Jackson" front end with a solid axle, bob the rear of the bed, and install a second transfer case via another jack shaft so they can get crazy gear reduction.
I WISH my one-ton GMC had a "divorced" case, it would be a lot easier to yank the trans! If I ever get stupid and swap in a trans from an M35, I will be running one since there's no provision for a "married" case.

Why the fuck would I even entertain such thoughts? Because I worry my ass off all the way to BRC, working the hell out of my "little" one-ton, going over numerous mountain passes weighing in at 22,000. A brand new Dodge one-ton with it's 30,000 pound towing capacity (!!!!!!!!!) would solve that but at over $60k, for-fucking-get it! I'll have to build something myself to get peace of mind that I won't break anything.
It's already kind of a pain in the ass having to drive a crew cab duallie the 98% of the time that I don't need it, simply stepping up to a medium-duty truck ain't happening.

[Admiral Fukkit]

I meant to say, Capt GD was telling me all that shit

[ygmir]

I've got serious-off-roader buddies who run Toyotas, the standard setup (among other mods) is to replace the "Action Jackson" front end with a solid axle, bob the rear of the bed, and install a second transfer case via another jack shaft so they can get crazy gear reduction.
I WISH my one-ton GMC had a "divorced" case, it would be a lot easier to yank the trans! If I ever get stupid and swap in a trans from an M35, I will be running one since there's no provision for a "married" case.

Why the fuck would I even entertain such thoughts? Because I worry my ass off all the way to BRC, working the hell out of my "little" one-ton, going over numerous mountain passes weighing in at 22,000. A brand new Dodge one-ton with it's 30,000 pound towing capacity (!!!!!!!!!) would solve that but at over $60k, for-fucking-get it! I'll have to build something myself to get peace of mind that I won't break anything.
It's already kind of a pain in the ass having to drive a crew cab duallie the 98% of the time that I don't need it, simply stepping up to a medium-duty truck ain't happening.

or get a fire truck, cheap. cheap license and insurance, and they are built like tanks! extra cooling, driveline, braking, and plenty of power, IMHO..........

[EspressoDude]

I could be wrong, But That engine shouldn't have too much holding it in. Would it be an easier job to use your hoist and pull the engine to change the clutch instead of trying to get the transmission out the bottom?

funny you say that.......no, but it's close!! the grill and side panels are made to hinge out of the way, hood goes all the way back. But all the lines and stuff. Thanks for the thought, though.
wanna come do it for me? *young strong and limber*.

you don't have to "drop" the transmission. just slide it back about 8" to get the pilot shaft clear of the bell housing. If the housing has covers the pilot shaft just has to clear the clutch cover fingers/levers so you can get the disc out. then the cover and throwout bearing

[Canoe]

you don't have to "drop" the transmission. just slide it back about 8" to get the pilot shaft clear of the bell housing. If the housing has covers the pilot shaft just has to clear the clutch cover fingers/levers so you can get the disc out. then the cover and throwout bearing

and if you're doing this with the wheels on the ground, with the trans supported on jacks, then to get the space you roll the car forward; then when you're done, you roll the car back onto the bell housing again, then you might end up spending SEVEN FRIGG'N HOURS on your back with a collection of wobble extensions slipping off the head as you try to torque the last bolt, unseen and barely accessible at the very top of the bell housing...

[ygmir]

you don't have to "drop" the transmission. just slide it back about 8" to get the pilot shaft clear of the bell housing. If the housing has covers the pilot shaft just has to clear the clutch cover fingers/levers so you can get the disc out. then the cover and throwout bearing

and if you're doing this with the wheels on the ground, with the trans supported on jacks, then to get the space you roll the car forward; then when you're done, you roll the car back onto the bell housing again, then you might end up spending SEVEN FRIGG'N HOURS on your back with a collection of wobble extensions slipping off the head as you try to torque the last bolt, unseen and barely accessible at the very top of the bell housing...

we went to the same school it seems..........

[Ratty]

I'm a little pissed. I bought a car exactly 3 years ago. Great car. Toyota van. I was putting air in the tires and noticed that 3 of the tires have dry, cracked looking sidewalls. I know it's almost time to get tires but...When I first got the car I brushed against something and tore open a tire. I had to replace it with the exact tire. No warranted coverage. It cost a couple hundred. One tire on my car looks like new, (on the sides), the other three look like hell. Did they sell me old tires on my new car?

[Canoe]

...Did they sell me old tires on my new car?

Should be date codes on the tires.

[Ratty]

Thanks, I'll have my tire guy look at them before I go to the dealership this month. I still get tire rotations and oil change at the dealership.

[Captain Goddammit]

So what the hell do you guys think...
Vehicle: '86 GMC 4x4 crewcab dually.
Transmission: original-to-truck SM465 4-speed.
Motor: '98 Vortec 454.
Clutch/flywheel are the '98 style, because the later 454s are balanced differently.
Problem: Even though the clutch (hydraulic) is adjusted, via an adjustable release fork pivot and a longer throwout bearing, to "grab" about halfway up the pedal, when you floor the clutch it never 100% disengages. The input shaft is always still turning a little, so that it's a total bitch to get the thing into gear from a stop.
Clutch parts are all pretty new, it's done it the whole time, seems to be getting worse.

Could I have bent the input shaft while wrestling it in and out several times? Maybe something is up with the pilot bushing? Did I put the clutch disc in backwards?
Bellhousing alignment? How do I check that?
When I first assembled it with the original flywheel & clutch it shook like mad, I got the correct-for-later-454 flywheel & clutch and it's way better but still has a vibration.
The thing is starting to drive me nuts. I'm wanna just drop a crate 454 earlier-style motor in it just to eliminate any custom part combination issue, but I'm afraid it'll take too long to get one.

[Jackass]

Is it mechanical linkage, cable or hydraulic on your particular set up?

[FIGJAM]

Just off the top of my head.

Does the longer throwout bearing require a longer "throw" to completely disengage?

Longer linkage?

[Elliot]

...
... Even though the clutch (hydraulic) is adjusted, via an adjustable release fork pivot and a longer throwout bearing, to "grab" about halfway up the pedal, when you floor the clutch it never 100% disengages. ...
...

Thought 1: Is this correct adjustment? What if you adjust it so it grabs 3/4 of the way up?

Thought 1 B: Are you adjusting for "traditional" free play in the pedal, when -- possibly -- this system is not supposed to have such free play? I bring this up because when the trucking company bought a bunch of new trucks some years ago, none of the clutches had free play and my first thought was that some new fool on the assembly line had adjusted them all wrong. Turned out it was hydraulic, and was not supposed to have free play. (Which I still don't understand, but the trucks worked fine.)

Thought 2: Since this is hydraulic, might there be cylinders of different bore sizes, and you should have a larger master or a smaller slave (or both) for longer throw?

[Captain Goddammit]

I'm pretty sure it's not a matter of insufficient pedal travel.
That's why it's screwing me up.

[Jackass]

check the pedal and underdash linkage for play, sometimes most of the travel is lost right there. Wobbled out bushings, cracked and flexing pedal support brackets, linkage rods worn to half their thickness, wobbled out pivots. A little bit here, a little bit there, when you get to the end it will all add up.

All of these things I have seen cause this very problem, but what do I know? I'm just some jackass...

[Jackass]

throw out fork wear, throw out bearing wear, pressure plate "fingers" with worn grooves where bearing pushes, flywheel too thin or too far from throw out. They also make flywheel shims for certain applications. They go between the crank and flywheel, bringing it out, closer to the throw out bearing...

Also if the flywheel was of a "step" type and was machined, machinist needs to take into account that step and maintain that same clearance after machining. Otherwise the pedal will be lost

Does flywheel have alignment dowels still in it? Sometimes they can't remove them for machining, so they cut them off. That will give you some shakes.