Wheel alignment for 4th gen IRS swap
01-11-2015, 03:10 PM
#181
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.
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.
5 hours of finger nicks and uncomfortable stickiness later, the trans tunnel is done
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...
Took a LOT of measurements and started making templates.
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.
Then the mounting flange was tacked in and tweaked until it was correct.
Then gusseted and fully welded after a last test function check was done.
Dissassembled, primed and painted gloss black...
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.
5 hours of finger nicks and uncomfortable stickiness later, the trans tunnel is done
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...
Took a LOT of measurements and started making templates.
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.
Then the mounting flange was tacked in and tweaked until it was correct.
Then gusseted and fully welded after a last test function check was done.
Dissassembled, primed and painted gloss black...
01-13-2015, 03:23 AM
#184
