My 427 SOHC Build..... Finally the time has come!

[cobracammer]

Ok, problem (Yet again!)...  Was super siked this weekend to get the transmission hooked up and get this car off to the exhaust shop to get its manifold....  Unfortunately, after getting the throw out bearing spacing set up, and the various spacers, mounts and etc bolted and torqued...  I got the transmission under the car and ready to jack it up and bolt it in.

Then, I realize that they sent me a twin disk clutch, but with the wrong number of splines!  The transmission is 26 spline, and the invoice said they sent me a 26 spline clutch, but there are only 10.  Honestly I was pissed.  I am tired of installing and uninstalling, and at this point I just wanted a break.

Anyway, I am contacting Modern Driveline to see how we can get this fixed (since I dont have the clutch box anymore).  Either way I need the right disks before I can do anything.

[jayb]

Getting the wrong parts is always a pain; sorry to hear about the trouble.  Stick with it, Jason, you'll get through it...

[cobracammer]

thanks jay. I will let you all know the outcome with the clutch disks tomorrow. Anyway, here are pictures of the Tremec T56 XL with the RAM hydraulic throw out bearing.  Needed 2 shims to get it to 0.200 clearance   

[cobracammer]

Hey All.  Quick update as I am swamped today at work.  Called Modern Driveline just now.  Wasn't able to speak to Paul (as it is still early and they were just opening), but I spoke with Bruce (I believe he is the owner).  Explained my situation, and he very calmly said "no problem", I will get them to send you the right one (From Mcleod) and you can just box up the incorrect one and send it back.  He said its really odd , but not unheard of.  Honestly I like doing business with these guys.  Yes, I could have done without the error, but first it was drop shipped (so technically not their error) and second, I will fit the starter while changing out the clutch.  On the quicktime for an FE, there is no removable window to check the starter gear mesh, so you have to remove the bell housing.   We will get through this and move on to the next.  LOL

Anyway, back to work.  Happy Holidays everyone!!!!

[cobracammer]

New clutch discs will arrive Friday....  Last night I went back into the garage as the throw out bearing "issue" was bothering me.  When I got the Hydraulic bearing kit, the movement of the cylinder was very difficult.  I wasn't sure if this was normal or if it was stuck.  Either way, I thought it best to just pull it apart, clean it, replace the O-rings and scrapers, and put it all back together.  There was an instructional video from RAM on youtube that walked me through it, and when I was done....  "Like Butt'a". Cylinder now moves back and forth effortlessly. Now I am glad I took the time to do that.  This whole kit was on a display at a speed shop.  was installed on a transmission in the showroom, but never into a working vehicle.  My guess is that the O rings just got a little dried out from not having hydraulic fluid running over them.  Would have been a pain in the Arse once the transmission was installed and now I am sure its new, lubed, and fresh!

[cobracammer]

Got the FAST fuel pressure regulator with gauge all put together and ready to install on the firewall!
1 inlet, 1 plug, 1 outlet, and 1 manifold vacuum fitting

[cobracammer]

Ok, Friday, the correct 26 spline clutch discs came. Got the 10 splines out, new ones in, and everything torqued back down to 35 ft/lbs. Had to remeasure for throw out bearing travel again, and now ready to install the transmission. As soon as the holidays are over, i will bolt it up and get the car off to get exhaust manifold made!  Happy Holidays everyone

[WConley]

Good luck Jason!  Now the fun part begins.  Just be ready for lots of little PITA issues that the guys here will help you through.

My father-in-law is an ex-Boeing director, and he still consults on the International Space Station.  He likes to say, "Hardware is the greatest teacher".

You're (and we're) going to learn a few things before this is done!

[cobracammer]

Yes sir!  PITA seems to be my specialty.  Before hoisting up the transmission, I decided to mount the starter (I may have already mentioned this).  Since the bell housing does NOT have a removable window to see the teeth engage, I made a call to Lakewood (I think they purchased Quicktime).  I was told that as long as I use a FE engine specific starter, it should be good to go.  Seeing as how I am knee deep in the learning experience, I kept the shims in a readily accessable spot in case this advise did not hold true.  I was able to take depth measurements with a caliper while holding the starter flush to the block and it seems as though I fall right at 3/4" (which is in range according to the directions).

I needed to do a little digging on Google in order to find a correct wiring diagram as there are 2 wires off of the existing OEM harness for the Modular 4.6 starter.  There is a thick red wire (which is the hot wire to the battery), and then there was a fairly thick black wire (which I originally thought was a Ground wire.  Since I wasn't sure, I did attach it.  After a little digging, I see now that it's the trigger wire.  The Modular 4.6 starter only has 2 attachment points on the back of the starter.  The MSD Ignition 5093, has 3.  So I know now that the black wire from my harness needs to be attached to the trigger lead on the MSD starter.

Now the RAM hydraulic slave cylinder that I just finished changing out the O rings on says that it is only to be used to natural hydraulic fluid (Not synthetic of any kind).  Since I am unsure if Saleen used synthetic, I am just going to buy some Natural Hydraulic fluid and flush the system out before I attach.  Again, I figure a $4.00 bottle of fluid will save me time and aggravation later.

After the transmission is installed, things on the "To Do" list are as follows:

-Send car out to have custom headers made.
-Reverse mount "push" fan (16") to be installed on the front side of radiator due to clearance issues
- extend (solder) wires on stock Saleen wiring harness to reach new points of attachment (Cylinder head temperature sensor, oil pressure sensor (This one may not need extension), Alternator plug.
-install "DivisionX" return feed fuel pump-hat setup.  This has dual fuel pumps as well as a fuel return port for the EFI system.  then run the new fuel line I purchased from the hat to the "throttle bodies" and then from the FAST Fuel regulator to the return port on the hat again.
-Order and install driveshaft.
-Find someone (RadioShack?) to assemble the circuit board the engineering professor down here at the University of Miami designed for me so that the Tachometer in the Saleen will work off of the MSD Tack out signal.
-Install a throttle cable to the stock pedal (since the Saleen had an electronic throttle prior to its transplant!)

That should complete the list.  I am sure there will be hiccups along the way on the items above, so even though its a small list, it should keep me occupied. 

[cobracammer]

OK boys.....  I have been delayed due to holiday travel obligations, but last night I got to return to the garage for "tinkering".  I have been measuring and remeasuring the spacing for the throw out bearing.  Last night, I measured another 2 times to be sure.

I went ahead and purchased a transmission jack from Harbor freight.  A little bit of a waste since I hopefully will only need to use it 1 time, but it will make me feel less weary installing it.  Oddly, the Tremec 3630 5 speed that came out of the Saleen (even still full of transmission fluid) was sort of light (Maybe 60 lbs).  The Tremec T56XL 6 speed Viper transmission is a whole other animal.  I would guess 100lbs?  So having a transmission jack that cradles the transmission as I line it up will make life a ton easier.

Also, Last night I drained the hydraulic fluid from the master cylinder.  I would venture a guess that Saleen uses some Synthetic hydraulic fluid in their set up, but the Ram hydraulic throw out bearing directions insist on "Conventional-Non synthetic DOT 3 Fluid" as to not eat up the Orings inside the cylinder.  I am going to buy an extra bottle of the Conventional, fill the clutch cylinder and pump the clutch pedal a few times to flush out the old.  Then I can disconnect the hydraulic line from under the hood(driver side) so the New braided steel one can take its place.  Luckily RAM throw out bearings come with an easy to use 2nd line off of the throw out bearing that makes bleeding the system a snap.

I also took the liberty last night of connecting the "signal wire " to the starter.  MSD starters supply a crimp fitting with heat shrink around it for the signal wire, but the wire on the stock saleen wire harness is quite a bit thicker, so I just removed the screw that holds the crimp fitting on, put the stock thick signal wire on and then screwed the crimp fitting back on.  Almost as if I was using the crimp fitting as a washer for the thicker signal wire.

I was also able to connect the Oil pressure sensor to its related plug in the harness.  Since it is roughly located on the same side and the same location as the stock 4.6 Motor, the wire was the correct length.

Given that bit of luck, the Coolant temp sensor (Cylinder head temp sensor) is now located in the front of the intake manifold (near the distributor) rather than the rear of the block as it was in the Stock motor.  These wires will need to be elongated so the wiring harness plug will reach. 

The alternator might be ok.  On the stock 4.6, the alternator is mounted at the center/top of the block.  The wires seem long enough to connect to the harness and I will prob. do that tonight.

Other than that, the Transmission Jack comes in on Tuesday.  I did a quick measurement and even though it was an engine swap, and a different bell housing, and a custom bell housing spacer to account for the long input shaft on the Viper trans...... The shifter measures out perfectly to go right where it needs to go in the transmission tunnel.....   

[cobracammer]

Last night back into the garage.  As mentioned before, I wanted to get the 3G alternator I installed hooked up to the 6G wiring harness in the Saleen.  Jegs sells a harness adapter to hook a 3G case alternator to a 6G harness.  LUCKILY..... with the length of the adapter harness from jegs, the wires were just perfectly long enough to reach the position of the alternator on the Cammer engine.  I say luckily because I really did not want to "splice in" to the alternator wiring to make it longer.  So now......  I have the Starter Hooked up (to the factory harness), I have the Oil Pressure sensor hooked up (to the factory harness), I have the alternator hooked up (To the factory Harness) and tonight the Transmission Jack comes so I can finally get that heavy monster installed!

I will take photos from under the car as soon as I have her installed!  I know these posts are boring as all "get out" without pictures!

[cobracammer]

OK transmission jack from Harbor freight came in last night and transmission is on it and strapped down.  As it sits now, the car will have to be raised higher on the 4 jack stands in order for there to be clearance enough to roll the transmission under the car.  I am going to slowly inch the front and back up (Slowly because my floor jack is starting to run out of reach since the car is up on 12 ton jack stands front and back.  After measuring the throw out bearing clearance like 10 times over the last few weeks, I am 1000% sure I have 0.002 clearance between the bearing surface and the clutch fingers.  All of the old hydraulic fluid has been drained out of the master clutch cylinder, and I have conventional (non synthetic as per the RAM tech people) ready to refill.

:0)

[ScotiaFE]

Is 0.002" clearance the required amount?
That is pretty tight for a clutch bearing.

[cobracammer]

And you would be totally correct! HAHAHAHA  It's 0.200.......  For a twin disk McLeod.    I was actually in a daydream like state this morning in on my morning commute wondering how the throw out bearing could have the same distance from the fingers as clearance on some Main cap bearings.  LOL  By the end of the commute, I just knew I had put the decimal in the wrong spot.

To be a little more descriptive, the suggested clearance is 2 of the marks on the tool I purchased from speedway motors (A picture of it is on the previous page).

[Lenz]

Ah yes, the old Harbor Freight transmission jack.  I picked one up at our local outlet for use on the Gal last year, works great.  Time was I'd lay under the vehicle and bench a manual into place but that was on another planet a long time ago...