Wheel alignment for 4th gen IRS swap
#181
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With the steer column, intake mani, engine, and other small projects out of the way, I started prepping and cleaning the trans tunnels and foot-boxes for thermal insulation. Now, this stuff is supposed to reflect up to 2500 degrees of radiant heat, and insulate against 1800 degrees of continuous contact.
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10406911_857613297629168_3187862561905884981_n.jpg?oh=be480fc6d1990467fc46759a27a98d69&oe=553BC154&__gda__=1429042909_054a3e62728b3c2420c5a23c3136dbab)
Its a complete pain in the *** to get this stuff correctly applied to the inside of a trans tunnel. It took me the better part of 4 hours of cleaning and prepping and then another hour of difficulty to get this stuff to contour to the firewall.
I would rather **** in my hands and clap than to do this twice.
Cleaned off all the undercoat and wiped it down with solvent.
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10906419_857613260962505_4696549633344643855_n.jpg?oh=1a8a8a4bada5cd3f186f298785d2f0e3&oe=55301161&__gda__=1428457405_3548b07efc7aee36cd7c424d2c4d709d)
5 hours of finger nicks and uncomfortable stickiness later, the trans tunnel is done
![](https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/1508650_857613334295831_1966678509024833223_n.jpg?oh=0f0730b0807376dbc829f1e818734865&oe=553386B1)
My best word of advice for anyone else wanting to do this is to use a hammer to shape it as you install it. Also, use a small cut-off wheel and a air powered angle grinder to cut the stuff.
With that out the way, I moved onto modifying the Lakewood scattershield bellhousing. I decided to mimic the dimensions of a 3.1l manual t5 bellhousing since it was the closest OEM bellhousing that was compatible for swapping a TKO600 behind a 60 motor. I had originally used an internal hydraulic throwout bearing, but found issues with heat and maintenance. I decided to retrofit the lakewood unit with the fork and OEM slave from a 3.4l transmission.
Before butchering it...
![](https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10926383_857257610998070_922846498805745294_n.jpg?oh=eefb0496e5d834d7d00e1f22a37891d8&oe=55248564)
Took a LOT of measurements and started making templates.
![](https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10917374_857336177656880_5228209241211813285_n.jpg?oh=44bd1026816abbc54459f2035a3193b4&oe=5527A19B)
![](https://scontent-b-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10923756_858034267587071_5941193291901404570_n.jpg?oh=0c81dd2f9153eadaed87e45240f06233&oe=5566CA93)
Next, the stock pivot ball location needed to be altered, so the original was cut out and the OEM pivot ball was given a mount and installed in the new position.
![](https://scontent-b-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10574440_858034077587090_6108200024171238093_n.jpg?oh=a7af5c6ec005e9c78d198c2b76cf664d&oe=553897A1)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/1907927_858034180920413_8775320902964847284_n.jpg?oh=481f371cf7c878bdde258584dab6c30d&oe=556F8185&__gda__=1432934860_c7075912d9552288cca6613db053f659)
Then the mounting flange was tacked in and tweaked until it was correct.
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10917108_857336454323519_7724339236906292100_n.jpg?oh=c79cf76787c6c66294dfd671acb488b9&oe=5522FC6D&__gda__=1429136561_073745d8edf3507311db340f897a50eb)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10931331_858034317587066_8094092987038876978_n.jpg?oh=1b2b1a3bf18c91ce3fdb9b94da014467&oe=5527947B&__gda__=1433110861_9f4629bc43ef1811f232dc994db0f4a2)
Then gusseted and fully welded after a last test function check was done.
![](https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10931483_858054707585027_7033068709292910086_n.jpg?oh=a5f32b6e9bc8738458548db156c9abc9&oe=552509F9)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10898105_858061637584334_2636567001379498643_n.jpg?oh=394da0cd3a3fc7790f90ef706db44113&oe=552C0960&__gda__=1428448700_6a50f6df86db448bd96768c2a98a9cee)
Dissassembled, primed and painted gloss black...
![](https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10915185_858338794223285_8940560967177140741_n.jpg?oh=9c68307643456a729e78af6c403e1b5c&oe=5530863D)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10406911_857613297629168_3187862561905884981_n.jpg?oh=be480fc6d1990467fc46759a27a98d69&oe=553BC154&__gda__=1429042909_054a3e62728b3c2420c5a23c3136dbab)
Its a complete pain in the *** to get this stuff correctly applied to the inside of a trans tunnel. It took me the better part of 4 hours of cleaning and prepping and then another hour of difficulty to get this stuff to contour to the firewall.
I would rather **** in my hands and clap than to do this twice.
Cleaned off all the undercoat and wiped it down with solvent.
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10906419_857613260962505_4696549633344643855_n.jpg?oh=1a8a8a4bada5cd3f186f298785d2f0e3&oe=55301161&__gda__=1428457405_3548b07efc7aee36cd7c424d2c4d709d)
5 hours of finger nicks and uncomfortable stickiness later, the trans tunnel is done
![](https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/1508650_857613334295831_1966678509024833223_n.jpg?oh=0f0730b0807376dbc829f1e818734865&oe=553386B1)
My best word of advice for anyone else wanting to do this is to use a hammer to shape it as you install it. Also, use a small cut-off wheel and a air powered angle grinder to cut the stuff.
With that out the way, I moved onto modifying the Lakewood scattershield bellhousing. I decided to mimic the dimensions of a 3.1l manual t5 bellhousing since it was the closest OEM bellhousing that was compatible for swapping a TKO600 behind a 60 motor. I had originally used an internal hydraulic throwout bearing, but found issues with heat and maintenance. I decided to retrofit the lakewood unit with the fork and OEM slave from a 3.4l transmission.
Before butchering it...
![](https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10926383_857257610998070_922846498805745294_n.jpg?oh=eefb0496e5d834d7d00e1f22a37891d8&oe=55248564)
Took a LOT of measurements and started making templates.
![](https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10917374_857336177656880_5228209241211813285_n.jpg?oh=44bd1026816abbc54459f2035a3193b4&oe=5527A19B)
![](https://scontent-b-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10923756_858034267587071_5941193291901404570_n.jpg?oh=0c81dd2f9153eadaed87e45240f06233&oe=5566CA93)
Next, the stock pivot ball location needed to be altered, so the original was cut out and the OEM pivot ball was given a mount and installed in the new position.
![](https://scontent-b-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10574440_858034077587090_6108200024171238093_n.jpg?oh=a7af5c6ec005e9c78d198c2b76cf664d&oe=553897A1)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/1907927_858034180920413_8775320902964847284_n.jpg?oh=481f371cf7c878bdde258584dab6c30d&oe=556F8185&__gda__=1432934860_c7075912d9552288cca6613db053f659)
Then the mounting flange was tacked in and tweaked until it was correct.
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10917108_857336454323519_7724339236906292100_n.jpg?oh=c79cf76787c6c66294dfd671acb488b9&oe=5522FC6D&__gda__=1429136561_073745d8edf3507311db340f897a50eb)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10931331_858034317587066_8094092987038876978_n.jpg?oh=1b2b1a3bf18c91ce3fdb9b94da014467&oe=5527947B&__gda__=1433110861_9f4629bc43ef1811f232dc994db0f4a2)
Then gusseted and fully welded after a last test function check was done.
![](https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10931483_858054707585027_7033068709292910086_n.jpg?oh=a5f32b6e9bc8738458548db156c9abc9&oe=552509F9)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10898105_858061637584334_2636567001379498643_n.jpg?oh=394da0cd3a3fc7790f90ef706db44113&oe=552C0960&__gda__=1428448700_6a50f6df86db448bd96768c2a98a9cee)
Dissassembled, primed and painted gloss black...
![](https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10915185_858338794223285_8940560967177140741_n.jpg?oh=9c68307643456a729e78af6c403e1b5c&oe=5530863D)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/10524330_858338844223280_8266270192487260618_n.jpg?oh=0b7427df2bacbc3d56cccc0edc8e8393&oe=55267D9B&__gda__=1428974122_684d4c63ff954f470e98d2e31028af16)
#184