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I think I broke it already

Epilogue (Ed's got another story, kiddies, gather 'round!):
I finally got the chance today to try out the car with all the stuff done on it (including correcting all the stuff the mechanic did)
and the clutch adjusted as advised by so many "wise ones" on here, sometimes to the point of eating crap some of them felt
the need to dish out at me - and going against what Dan Brewer and the Centerforce tech folks both had told me, I might add.
Ok, I'll be the first to admit when I made a mistake, so be it.

Well...
You know what happened today? Let me demonstrate:
gtx 5-8-18.png


Yep, that's my girl sitting at the bottom of my road at the base of the ridge.
No, I didn't just pause to take a fancy artsy-fartsy picture.
In fact, you'll notice a couple things in the pic:
1. The car isn't on the driving surface
2. I ain't in it, grinning and driving it
:mad:
Suffice to say, the car had no functional clutch.
My getting under there and adjusting it so that the pedal rose up within a few inches of where a clutch pedal normally rests, under advisement of so many "experts" on here, had rendered the clutch so out of adjustment that it had maybe 1% grip when fully out.

I already knew what needed to be done but there was no way in hell the car was going to climb the hill back up to the shop, so I set out on foot back up the ridge, which not only was a 1/4 mile away but a LOT higher in elevation (according to topo maps I have, about a 300' elevation gain).
Ed found out in a hurry just how much the cancers had taken out of his arse today.:rolleyes:
Oh well, it was a nice day to have a stroke and I was already approximately where I'll be buried anyways, so what the heck, forge ahead!

Walk some *pant pant* walk a little more *wheeze* stagger some more *wobble*

Up at the house finally, got the truck, loaded up a jack and a stand, some cardboard and a 9/16" open end and back down I went.
Got the GTX up enough to get under it, even used a jack stand for safety (yeah, like THAT was gonna hold in the gravel should the jack fail) and proceeded to crank the clutch adjustment back to where I had it originally, before all the expert advice talked me out of it.
Jumped in her and took off down the road. Car was fine; I was about to heat stroke out. :lol:

Ok, drove the GTX back to where I left the truck. Took the truck back up the hill, unloaded the tools, put the truck away and started off back down the ridge on foot.
Got back to the newly mended GTX and reached in my pocket for the key, thinking the ordeal was over.
Nope. No key.
Oh well, must have left it in the ignition....
Nope.:up:
Sonofa....

Back up the hill on foot again. Pant, wheeze, cough, stagger stagger crawl crawl, all that jazz.
Took the forgotten GTX key out of the :mad: truck and set off back down the hill yet again, clutching said GTX key in a death grip in my right hand the whole way, looking at it often along the way just to make sure.
Back to the GTX yet again, who I swear was snickering at me as I approached...:lol:
Fired it up and got ready to set out again....

Now, a smart fella would have decided just to get the car back up the ridge into the safe confines of the garage right about then.
I would not be said smart fella - but you knew this already, right?
I had decided on that last trip down that this whole clutch/transmission story needed to end and end right the eff now.
That's enough already. Really. It is....so I took off for town instead.

I returned to the original scene of the crime - the 3-way intersection on the east end of town where, some months ago, I took off from a stop sign and got on the GTX hard, grabbing 2nd and snatching that clutch hard enough for her to lay rubber and tail wag a little - and then proceed to start making that deathly sound you all heard in the video, the sound that started this whole adventure.
I had one thing on my mind today as I reached that same intersection....
Yep, you guessed it. Not a smart fella, remember?
I came away from that stop sign like someone was chasing me, car and tires screaming, going sideways.
Got it straight, dumped the clutch into 2nd, did it all again - just like last time.
Car roared, tires smoked, passersby cheered.
Suddenly came to my senses and reeled her back in, listening intently for anything that sounded hurt or damaged or wrong or....
...and...
heard nothing but a happy car driving along serenely to the store. :thumbsup::praying:

You could say that it's been a day. :D
 
Last edited:
Epilogue (Ed's got another story, kiddies, gather 'round!):
I finally got the chance today to try out the car with all the stuff done on it (including correcting all the stuff the mechanic did)
and the clutch adjusted as advised by so many "wise ones" on here, sometimes to the point of eating crap some of them felt
the need to dish out at me - and going against what Dan Brewer and the Centerforce tech folks both had told me, I might add.
Ok, I'll be the first to admit when I made a mistake, so be it.

Well...
You know what happened today? Let me demonstrate:
View attachment 604067

Yep, that's my girl sitting at the bottom of my road at the base of the ridge.
No, I didn't just pause to take a fancy artsy-fartsy picture.
In fact, you'll notice a couple things in the pic:
1. The car isn't on the driving surface
2. I ain't in it, grinning and driving it
:mad:
Suffice to say, the car had no functional clutch.
My getting under there and adjusting it so that the pedal rose up within a few inches of where a clutch pedal normally rests, under advisement of so many "experts" on here, had rendered the clutch so out of adjustment that it had maybe 1% grip when fully out.

I already knew what needed to be done but there was no way in hell the car was going to climb the hill back up to the shop, so I set out on foot back up the ridge, which not only was a 1/4 mile away but a LOT higher in elevation (according to topo maps I have, about a 300' elevation gain).
Ed found out in a hurry just how much the cancers had taken out of his arse today.:rolleyes:
Oh well, it was a nice day to have a stroke and I was already approximately where I'll be buried anyways, so what the heck, forge ahead!

Walk some *pant pant* walk a little more *wheeze* stagger some more *wobble*

Up at the house finally, got the truck, loaded up a jack and a stand, some cardboard and a 9/16" open end and back down I went.
Got the GTX up enough to get under it, even used a jack stand for safety (yeah, like THAT was gonna hold in the gravel should the jack fail) and proceeded to crank the clutch adjustment back to where I had it originally, before all the expert advice talked me out of it.
Jumped in her and took off down the road. Car was fine; I was about to heat stroke out. :lol:

Ok, drove the GTX back to where I left the truck. Took the truck back up the hill, unloaded the tools, put the truck away and started off back down the ridge on foot.
Got back to the newly mended GTX and reached in my pocket for the key, thinking the ordeal was over.
Nope. No key.
Oh well, must have left it in the ignition....
Nope.:up:
Sonofa....

Back up the hill on foot again. Pant, wheeze, cough, stagger stagger crawl crawl, all that jazz.
Took the forgotten GTX key out of the :mad: truck and set off back down the hill yet again, clutching said GTX key in a death grip in my right hand the whole way, looking at it often along the way just to make sure.
Back to the GTX yet again, who I swear was snickering at me as I approached...:lol:
Fired it up and got ready to set out again....

Now, a smart fella would have decided just to get the car back up the ridge into the safe confines of the garage right about then.
I would not be said smart fella - but you knew this already, right?
I had decided on that last trip down that this whole clutch/transmission story needed to end and end right the eff now.
That's enough already. Really. It is....so I took off for town instead.

I returned to the original scene of the crime - the 3-way intersection on the east end of town where, some months ago, I took off from a stop sign and got on the GTX hard, grabbing 2nd and snatching that clutch hard enough for her to lay rubber and tail wag a little - and then proceed to start making that deathly sound you all heard in the video, the sound that started this whole adventure.
I had one thing on my mind today as I reached that same intersection....
Yep, you guessed it. Not a smart fella, remember?
I came away from that stop sign like someone was chasing me, car and tires screaming, going sideways.
Got it straight, dumped the clutch into 2nd, did it all again - just like last time.
Car roared, tires smoked, passersby cheered.
Suddenly came to my senses and reeled her back in, listening intently for anything that sounded hurt or damaged or wrong or....
...and...
heard nothing but a happy car driving along serenely to the store. :thumbsup::praying:

It's been a day. :D

The word that describes you is PERSEVERANCE !!!! You never quit. Enjoy the car, you deserve it. God bless.
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
The word that describes you is PERSEVERANCE !!!! You never quit. Enjoy the car, you deserve it. God bless.
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
Thank you brother, you're very kind. Yep, hard-headed for sure - but that's why I'm still above ground, I reckon. :)
 
Great to hear it all worked out!!!
Motor sounds great!!
 
Damn Ed, that made me tired just reading that! Lol, You'll be sore tomorrow.

Good description though on writing what took place. I could smell the rubber and hear the screaming tires at the end!
skidmarks.gif


PS. Like the new avatar!
 
A hard earned happy ending. So glad you got it right and can now enjoy driving it!
 
Damn Ed, that made me tired just reading that! Lol, You'll be sore tomorrow.
Good description though on writing what took place. I could smell the rubber and hear the screaming tires at the end! View attachment 604137
PS. Like the new avatar!
Much appreciated KK. Yeah, I'm gonna pay for all that boneheadedness. :)
Oh on the Hurst emblem - bought the thing a while back, then couldn't find anywhere it fit. :)
Stuck it on there as a sort of a close to the great clutch/tranny chapter of the cars' resurrection. :thumbsup:
 
A hard earned happy ending. So glad you got it right and can now enjoy driving it!
Thanky kindly sir. Yeah, gonna try to anyways. :)
Now, to find a dang radio for it....
 
Passon finally refunded my money after having his transmission back for over a week.
To his credit, he kept his word, so there's that.

Lesson for the future - find a transmission locally and find someone competent locally to rebuild it.
 
Passon finally refunded my money after having his transmission back for over a week.
To his credit, he kept his word, so there's that.

Lesson for the future - find a transmission locally and find someone competent locally to rebuild it.

Did he tell you what was wrong with it?
 
LOL, the wife keeps her cell close whenever I leave with the Bee!! Fingers crossed. I think I would’ve had a brew at the top of drive before starting back down, then u might’ve remembered the key.
 
LOL, the wife keeps her cell close whenever I leave with the Bee!! Fingers crossed. I think I would’ve had a brew at the top of drive before starting back down, then u might’ve remembered the key.
As always, I like the way you think my friend. :)
 
Some cardiac...staying fit!! :)
I've got too many holes in me from past cancers and surgeries. I'm not allowed to do a whole lot of cardiac anything.
It sucks, but I'm just thankful to be on the right side of the dirt still. :thumbsup:
 
What I learned:
1. I learned to listen to actual experts like Dan Brewer and the folks at Centerforce.
It simply doesn't get any better when it comes to these 4 speeds and clutches.
2. I learned to trust my own mechanical instincts again, after some folks had me talked out of that.
In the end, I kinda knew what was up with the transmission; I just didn't know anyone local to address it.
Now I do. :thumbsup:
(At least something good came from using this local mechanic...)
3. Sometimes throwing big money at something to get "the best" - is simply a waste of money.
4. I've also learned that even in the hallowed halls of Mopar enthusiast websites (even this one - shocker!) there are self-proclaimed "experts" who will tell you to do something that is contrary to what the actual experts did (and contrary to your own instincts as well).
When you ask questions or want to discuss what they've said (because it doesn't make sense to you), they'll get defensive, then sometimes downright rude and insulting.
I actually quit the moparts site over the quantity of such sanctimonious ******** - and yes, we've got a few here, too, apparently.
That's all right.
I ain't going anywheres. :thumbsup:

Car drives fine, by the way. :)
 
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