68 Mustang Memorial Day Weekend Thrash

[cobracammer]

I see that transmission spacer!!!  That picture is like gear head QVC. Lol

[jayb]

Yep, the transmission spacers came this week too.  I've got to get the rear end in first so I can put the car back on the ground, then I can pull the engine and trans back out, install the spacers, and do the final engine and trans install.  Hopefully this Saturday...

[turbohunter]

I was out at Calvert last week Jay.
What a fun place.
Calvert Christmas is a beautiful thing.
I see you boxed your perches as Howie suggested I do.
Diggin this build.

[Nightmist66]

I was out at Calvert last week Jay.
What a fun place.
Calvert Christmas is a beautiful thing.
I see you boxed your perches as Howie suggested I do.
Diggin this build.

Hey Marc, I believe Jay has the "pre-boxed" perches from Calvert if I'm not mistaking. If you want to box your new ones or factory ones like I did, you can very easily do it with some flat stock steel. 

Jay, I'm not sure I understand why your pulling the engine back out also. If you're just installing the spacer, can't you just leave the engine bolted to the mounts and angle it down enough to just pull the trans? Is there more to it than just the spacer? Also, I noticed when I made my torque strap from hex stock steel and heims, when I pulled the trans out the last two times, the engine never moved. 

[ScotiaFE]

I'd say your good to go at 0.050" runout.
You could probably flex the housing in the lathe 20 or 30 thou just pushing on it.

[jayb]

Jay, I'm not sure I understand why your pulling the engine back out also. If you're just installing the spacer, can't you just leave the engine bolted to the mounts and angle it down enough to just pull the trans? Is there more to it than just the spacer? Also, I noticed when I made my torque strap from hex stock steel and heims, when I pulled the trans out the last two times, the engine never moved. 

Mostly because I think it will be easier for me to pull the whole unit than to unbolt the trans from under the car and do the things I want to do.  I'm actually planning on pulling that roller pilot bearing out of there and replacing it with a stock type pilot bushing, and having the engine/trans on the ground to do that and add the spacers will be easier, I think.  Takes me about an hour to get the engine out, and another hour to get it back installed, and I don't have to horse a heavy transmission up into the tunnel and try to line it up 

[Nightmist66]

Mostly because I think it will be easier for me to pull the whole unit than to unbolt the trans from under the car and do the things I want to do.  I'm actually planning on pulling that roller pilot bearing out of there and replacing it with a stock type pilot bushing, and having the engine/trans on the ground to do that and add the spacers will be easier, I think.  Takes me about an hour to get the engine out, and another hour to get it back installed, and I don't have to horse a heavy transmission up into the tunnel and try to line it up 

Gotcha. Hopefully it'll be on the road soon.

[427Fastback]

For various reasons I had to pull the T56 back out of the 67 Camaro numerous times.There is nothing flat or uniform about the bottom and sides of the tranny.I had to cut blocks of wood to shim the thing still on my transmission jack and then strap it tight with a cargo strap.Last time I did it the shims slipped and I dropped the trans off the jack.I was by myself and there was no way for me to get it back on the stand and safely strapped down by myself...When it is on the jack it is to high to slide under the car when the car is on stands.So you are on your back  under the car....It wears thin after a while..

It wasn't a option for me but yanking it out(engine,trans) and working on the whole unit on the floor seems a better way...

[cobracammer]

Yea, if I remember correctly, definitely too high on the tranny jack to fit under the side skirts of my Saleen, but I think I ended up taking off the front drivers side wheel and coming in at an angle....  Oddly enough, it fit through that path.  If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely called down some family to help, and slid the trans and engine in as a whole.  Especially the time saver of not having to torque the bolts with 4 extensions  LOL

[jayb]

More work done on the rear end tonight, getting pretty close to being able to roll this thing around.  For my pal thatdarncat, and anybody else who may be interested, here are the compressed and extended lengths of the Calvert Racing shocks:



You get a little parallax error with the photo, but the right side of the tape is lined up with the end of the rubber donut.  Looks like 13-1/2" compressed, and 19-3/4" extended, before any compression of the rubber donuts.

Last night I got the leaf springs installed.  Tonight, after cleaning out the axle housing, I bolted it in place with the Cal-Tracs and the U-bolts from Calvert racing.  Looked pretty good, and everything fit perfectly:



Then after a clean up of the sealing surfaces and digging around to find the 9" housing gasket (My last one!  Better order more...), I installed the pumpkin and tightened up the bolts.  I even found a spare set of copper washers to go on the axle housing studs.  Also bolted the shocks into place at this point.  And, as luck would have it, my driveshaft from American Powertrain arrived today.  I always worry about the fit of the driveshaft, but the big moment came, and it slid right into the trans and up into the rear end yoke with no issues.  Looks just about perfect for length.  Here's a couple pics from under the car:





Tomorrow night I'm going to install the axles and rear brakes, and get the rear wheels back on the car.  Then I should be all set to roll it off the hoist for the engine/trans R&R planned for Saturday.

Getting closer...

[Heo]

If im not completly wrong so what you have there
is a 57 T-bird axle

[rcodecj]

For what it's worth on my 67 mustang the Calvert rear shocks were too long. I had to exchange them for shorter 65/66 mustang rear shocks.
My car has 275/60/15 (28" tall tires) and sits just slightly above them on stock springs.

[turbohunter]

Bump
What's new?

[jayb]

Rear brakes are on, but that's about it.  I've been sucked into the SOHC project for the last week; I have a couple of friends coming in a few weeks to help dyno the engine, and I wanted to make sure it was ready in plenty of time, so I have temporarily shelved the 68 project.  Should get back on it at the end of the month.

Punch list to get it going is like this:

- Remove engine and trans, install trans spacers and pilot bushing (after removing Chinese pilot bearing).
- Install master cylinder, run brake lines
- Install hydraulic clutch cylinder and reservoir, run lines
- Re-install engine/trans
- Install radiator and hook everything up
- Drive and enjoy 

Hopefully I can get all that stuff done in a week or so after I get back to it...

[turbohunter]

Awesome, good luck.