Crazier

I will build it to please me, and then race it anywhere they let me in.
Ya, going to put the battery up there too, I was thinking about relocating the alternator and water pump up there, but having an electric water pump with an alternator that only charges when you are moving seems a poor idea.

usmcpi

iTrader: (2)

What would that even be driven from? front axle?

Crazier

I never got that far to really think about it, might not have worked at all

usmcpi

iTrader: (2)

lol...you should prolly keep that alternator on the engine

Crazier

I came to that same conclusion, otherwise I'd have had to put two batteries in and a hardwired trickle charger and plug it in whenever I went some where.

I figured the weight of the second battery and the trickle charger would negate the benefits of the weight distribution and removal of the parasitic loss of the water pump.

As for how I was going to run it, my original thought was to mount a huge cable mechanical drive in (similar to what they do on the drivers side for the speedo only much bigger) have that spin a pulley to spin the alternator. I am not sure I could have found a cable set up strong enough to turn the alternator at speed, and since those are the steering wheels whatever drive you used would have to be flexible, or use some hubs off a FWD or 4WD and then just end the axle with some sort of bearing to hold it stable but allow it to spin freely. Or even just use an axle and CV joint with a big rubber "gear" to run on the inside of the tire and the other end connected directly with the alternator.

Nice book I just wrote on an idea that I am not going to use.

usmcpi

iTrader: (2)

yeah, i was sorda thinking the same thing....that the axles dont exactly stay stationary either.

garys 68

iTrader: (1)

Kinda sounds like a solution to something that's not that much of an issue.
Just an fyi Nascar used a cam driven cable to drive a tank mounted fuel pump, so there are off the shelf parts you could make work.

Crazier

Well Originally I was told the LS motors were "bigger" and this is true as they are woder at the heads, so at the time i thought I would have to find 3 or four inches and I was going to find it by eleiminateing the alternator and water pump



In other news, while attempting to "level" the engine I pulled the bolts lose where they bold the adapter plate on the trans to the bellhousing. I have probably stripped out the holes, so now I need to pull the motor out... again and I think I can just get some bolts that are longer and use a nut on the inside, I don't think there is any clearance issues, however is it possible I bent something where the motor meets the trans? input shaft pilot bearing ect?

the separation was less then a half inch, so I dont think it moved very much.

and now we know that the motor is NOT going to sit level or pitch back, its going to pitch about 3* forward.

garys 68

iTrader: (1)

bolts to the 621 bell are 1/2" coarse thread, hard to strip unless you thread in 7/16"
If you put a nut inside the bell, it's chaos trying to separate on a front engine car. Spend $20 and helicoil the bellhousing holes.

Crazier

Ive pulled the motor out 6 times and never took the bellhouseing off the transmision. so I am not sure I follow?


and you simply CANT change the motor without taking the entire engine and trans out of the car. Thats why I plan to redesign the trans mounts like we were talking about earlier.

When I was looking to helicoil my block it was $50 per hole plus the drillbit.

I cant curently get the trans to come off the motor anyhow... gave up for the night.

1BadBlkB1tch

iTrader: (1)

looks badass man def wanna see the outcome and what kind of times this runs with that power to weight combo :-)

garys 68

iTrader: (1)

Even 1/2" helicoil kits are typically around $20 at autozone.
Check ebay for 1/2" - 13 helicoil, very easy to do in aluminum and wont strip out. GM even helicoils their aluminum transmission mounts.

Crazier

thanks bad black.

Ok gary, you have never steered me wrong yet, will go to auto-zone tomorrow after work,

Crazier

Ok, anyone with some fiberglass skills want to help me make my car look like this?

Crazier

OK, as you may or may not recall, I have been having a lot of trouble getting my trans on and off, and I had accused my nephew of using the shift-fork as leverage and messing it up.

Today I had to literally pry the trans off with a pry-bar, it just would not let go,

Suddenly there was a kind of a loud bang, a loud clang and several smaller clangs and then the throw-out bearing fell out, and when I looked inside the shift fork was fully extended and the springs on the end of it that hold the throw out bearing were torked again.

My "guess" is that the throw out bearing is sticking out too far, getting stuck somehow on the clutch and wont let the transmission come off until the shift fork breaks and lets the throwout bearing go, at which point it falls on the ground.


So questions are


Is that a feasable scenario?
And what can be done about it?

garys 68

iTrader: (1)

What can happen is that the fork extends too far into the housosing it it's not correctly seated on the stud. With the trans input shaft in place, that forces the throwout bearing too far onto the fork. The rear lip of the throwout bearing that holds it on the fork can then catch the inside of the fork, cocking it and jamming it.
That or you've mounted the throwout incorrectly on the fork or got the wrong fork.
Shoot a pic or 2,

1bigoldman

I know this is a budget build, but why not forgo the mechanical setup and go with a Fbody style hydraulic setup? It fixes a bunch of potential issues. First and foremost is that IF you were to break a motor mount the clutch would still operate correctly.

74modified

I second Gary's thoughts. Is seems like because of the complications and modifications needed you will pull this engine a few more times before you are finished. Why not leave these parts off until you are sure it is the last time to install the engine? As to the hydraulic clutch idea, it may make things easier (space & linkage wise). You dont have to go with and internal slave (Fbody) you could also look at an external slave that would be much cheaper.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...installed.jpg/

Crazier

Crazier

I would rather go with a hydraulic throw out bearing, depending on cost and difficulty of the conversion.


In order to take the motor out you have to:

1, remove the two drive shafts (16 bolts and 4 u joints to tape up)
2, Remove the torque arms, 8 bolts and to get the torque arms back on you either have to have two or three guys and a jack or remove the shocks so that you can wiggle everything around and make it fit.
3, remove the rear trans mount bolts and the middle engine mount 6 bolts (not hard)
4, Unbolt the motor mounts (cus that's what I am doing next so anytime after this it will be bolted in)
5, Lift the motor up about two feet, then go to the rear of the car and lift up the trans (still connected to the motor) and move it forward 4 inches and then carefully lower it down inside the frame of the car.
6, The final step is to raise the motor up all the way so that you can have your kid roll the car out from under the motor (you can raise it up only so high and the combination is about 55 inches long) it isn't bad till you get to the front cross-member, its a lot higher then the rest of the frame. and the higher you lift the more of the weight you have to support.

To do all this the entire body has to be removed.

It may not seem that bad, but its been driving me nuts specially since its all already painted as I THOUGHT it was my final time each of the last four times LOL, and each tiem I pray its the last

I am trying to figure out how to be able to remove the transmission from the rear, at that point none of that stupid lift maneuvering will be required and only the rear of the body (8 or 10 bolts) will need to be removed, with the trans off the motor would lift straight up.