Leap of faith! - GTX is in other folks' hands now (tranny/clutch swap)

[moparedtn]

The long trevails of my transmission (and now clutch) saga is soon to be over.
(The crowd cheers in unison: "thank GOD we don't have to hear Ed bitch anymore!")
First, a tee-totally rebuilt 18 spline "hemi" 4 speed was procured from people I actually trust:

Goofy paint job by the rebuilder but ok, whatever....

Next came the decision to go back to a stock type borg & beck clutch, officially ending the experiment with the CenterForce Dual Friction diaphragm type 11".
I know, I know, lots of folks love those. It just isn't my cup of tea, I guess.
Instead, since I wanted to go with the ol' 3-finger clutch, that actually limited choices in the aftermarket, since some name brand clutch makers don't even make a B&B 11" 18 spline clutch anymore!
Spent a little time consulting with Dan Brewer on the phone and wound up choosing this one:

RAM HDX 88504HDX
"These RAM HDX clutch kits are ideal for street/strip applications. They produce 30-60 percent more clamping pressure over stock and can handle power up to 450 hp. HDX clutches feature ductile iron, explosion-resistant pressure rings that meet SFI certifications for use in competition."
In other words, sorta like the old days' "3000 lb clutch" deal.
This also means the return of the clutch pedal spring, which in a perverted self-punishing sort of way makes me happy for some reason...

Now for the hard part...
I had to be honest with myself about my own physical limitations. Without a lift in my garage, the thought of rolling around on the concrete under the car doing all this work yet again was more than I knew I needed to tackle.
I could have done it, sure, but I'm pretty much under watch by handfuls of docs these days and they would not have been amused - and truthfully, they'd be right.
So...
I find a fellow who has an excellent reputation amongst common friends, has been building and working on Mopars both street and strip for a very long time and I make a deal.
Today was the day to take the hour long drive down:

Wife following behind, I have a nice day for the drive and enjoyed it actually.
I think the GTX actually knew this was for her benefit and she didn't give me any trouble at all, singing happily away down the highway.
We get down to the gentleman's shop and meet him and his dad, both nice folks.
His garage is NICE, man, I mean REAL nice for a private shop. Mancave ++, really - and TWO lifts, one of each kind.
Late '60's Cuda in the driveway, '70 Challenger R/T with a freshly built and transplanted 440 in the next bay - and the REALLY nice cars stashed away elsewhere (like a gorgeous blown big block Charger, for example).

Yep, I'm in the right place. If I'm actually going to trust another human with my girl after all these years of hell for both her and me, this is as good as it gets...

He waves me in and straight up on the lift we go...

Damn, I gotta get me one of these one day!
We talk over timelines and rough numbers and such and we get to shooting the breeze and my wife signals it's time to go.
She's right when she does that - I love visiting with folks, probably too much...
didn't used to, but things change when you been where I have the last half-dozen years, trust me.

Hardest damn thing to do, leaving my girl there and driving off.
REAL hard.
Leap of faith...

 

[1967coronet]

Its going be fine Ed, besides I know you miss that clutch spring.

 

[69L48Z27]

It’ll be okay. It’s hard to leave them when you work on your own stuff but sometimes you gotta let go.

Just image yourself driving home with a big smile!

 

[vintage chromoly]

Well done Ed!
Recognizing that it’s time to ask for some help is a sign of wisdom, not defeat.

 

[Fran Blacker]

I won't say what I did when I left my car to have a new top put on. Paranoia strikes deep.

 

[Johnpat]

I'm where you are, gotta think about that crawling
around under that car for hours.
Then recovering for weeks because your shoulders,
back &neck are killing you.
Time to let a qualified guy with a lift do it.
Although it hurts my pride,it heals faster than the
above.

 

[Ironbuilt]

Good luck with your upgrade. That beautiful GTX is going to even better...If that's possible.

 

[moparedtn]

Its going be fine Ed, besides I know you miss that clutch spring.

It'll be nice to know exactly where in the travel of the pedal I am again, that's for sure. I expect a stiffer than hell clutch - but I know those. No worries.

It’ll be okay. It’s hard to leave them when you work on your own stuff but sometimes you gotta let go.
Just image yourself driving home with a big smile!

Amen. I very much look forward to the good ol' *snick-snick* of a healthy 18 spline again.

Well done Ed!
Recognizing that it’s time to ask for some help is a sign of wisdom, not defeat.

Thanks. I had a quick reminder of that this morning when loading the "new" 4 speed into the GTX's trunk.
Wife offered to help and I manned up real quick and declined the offer.
*oof*
Geez, these things weigh a TON...

I won't say what I did when I left my car to have a new top put on. Paranoia strikes deep.

Secret Agent Fran.
I have to admit, though - the same thought has crossed my mind.

I'm where you are, gotta think about that crawling
around under that car for hours. Then recovering for weeks because your shoulders, back & neck are killing you.
Time to let a qualified guy with a lift do it. Although it hurts my pride, it heals faster than the above.

Yep, it's just the money that hurts while it's leaving.
In my case, I can deal with the back and shoulders. It's the missing stuff internally and all the scars and such
that I'm constantly warned about. Apparently docs get pissed when you mess up their work.

 

[cryplydog]

I agree, I don't lay flat on my back and drag a 833 up over my nuts and then bench press it into position by myself anymore.

 

[moparedtn]

I agree, I don't lay flat on my back and drag a 833 up over my nuts and then bench press it into position by myself anymore.

Amen to that!
Some may not remember my last dance with all this a couple years ago. Then, I even fetched a fine quality
Harbor Freight trans jack in an effort not to die yanking the old tranny out then.
Turns out, you gotta have the car WAY up in the air to use one of those.

Wife caught me sliding out from under the car, cussing up a storm, transmission on my chest...
Didn't feel so swell afterwards. Found out later from scans that I had actually re-ruptured some interior
handiwork of the last surgeon. Another procedure, more hackin', more scars to show.
Stern lecture from the surgeon about my newfound mortality limitations.
Lesson learned, begrudgingly.

 

[gkent]

Say, is that your car I see listed on Ebay ??

 

[1967coronet]

Say, is that your car I see listed on Ebay ??

Its prob at the Ebay warehouse by now.
But that's no problem Ed knows right were that is.

 

[gkent]

Probably already in a container on its way to Europe.

 

[khryslerkid]

Those last couple of comments....for shame!

Simpler is better comes to mind. Good luck with it.

I'm wrestling the idea of removing my center section for a pinion bearing replacement or just turning the radio up louder. Problem is, I don't have a radio!

 

[aeon280]

I just finished doing the a833 conversion in my Net and even with a kwik lift and the harbour freight jack I've been going to the chiro for the last 2months since, to put all my joints back in order. The new center section was a little easier but still a hefty chunk of steel.

 

[moparedtn]

Say, is that your car I see listed on Ebay ??

LOL wiseass.

 

[5.7 hemi]

When swapping in a 4 speed, the EASIEST way to do it is to cut the head off 2 bolts, cut a groove so a flat head screwdriver can be used and thread them in the bottom 2 holes. Stab in the 4 speed, install the top 2 bolts, undo the bottom 2 alignment bolts and thread in your regular bolts. No fighting that heavy chunk of iron. Take 3-5 minutes and it’s done.

 

[Cranky]

Those last couple of comments....for shame!

Simpler is better comes to mind. Good luck with it.

I'm wrestling the idea of removing my center section for a pinion bearing replacement or just turning the radio up louder. Problem is, I don't have a radio!

Shame on them LOL. But, when I was parting out a race car built from a T/A Challenger, the buyer (bought it when I was half way finished pulling out the race stuff) put it up on Ebay without my knowledge and then when he had a buyer, he wanted me to let them pick it up from my place. You can imagine what I told him!! And removing center sections are easy with a floor jack! Same for going back in.

I just finished doing the a833 conversion in my Net and even with a kwik lift and the harbour freight jack I've been going to the chiro for the last 2months since, to put all my joints back in order. The new center section was a little easier but still a hefty chunk of steel.

I'm about to call my competition (well from the 80's and 90's) to do the rear end gears in my 2500. I've done countless rears but right now I'm nursing a sore back and pulled muscles in my right arm and have yet to finish up a front end job for another guy on a 69 road runner that I started over a month ago! And I've been putting off my 2500 rebuild for over 4 years now I doctored it with 100% STP two years ago and that brought the whine down a good 50% but man, it just needs to be done.

 

[dcala84141]

Man I can remember back in the day about 49yrs ago I must of removed and replaced that 833 trans at lease 4 times in the street on front of the house in my 68 RR by myself with no jack stands of cause I was only 20 at the time. A friend of mine said why U keep changing that pressure plate with the stock one when U can use a hemi one which I did. Never blew that clutch again and I use to go the the track every week end and beat the **** out of that 383 4 speed car So fast forward today now I’m 68 years old and I’m about to pull out the 383 ( unfortunately not the same car ) of the 68 RR I have now and put in a different 383 with about 550hp. Was thinking about getting that hemi pressure plate again, but I do remember it was a lot harder pushing down on that clutch pedal. So let me know how U make out with your set up. PS your car looks really good going down the street. Also at 68 I don’t know if I have it in me. Stay tuned!

 

[Cranky]

Man I can remember back in the day about 49yrs ago I must of removed and replaced that 833 trans at lease 4 times in the street on front of the house in my 68 RR by myself with no jack stands of cause I was only 20 at the time. A friend of mine said why U keep changing that pressure plate with the stock one when U can use a hemi one which I did. Never blew that clutch again and I use to go the the track every week end and beat the **** out of that 383 4 speed car So fast forward today now I’m 68 years old and I’m about to pull out the 383 ( unfortunately not the same car ) of the 68 RR I have now and put in a different 383 with about 550hp. Was thinking about getting that hemi pressure plate again, but I do remember it was a lot harder pushing down on that clutch pedal. So let me know how U make out with your set up. PS your car looks really good going down the street. Also at 68 I don’t know if I have it in me. Stay tuned!

I'll be 68 in May....and most of my back problems come from when my now X owned a furniture store but it didn't help that I worked in construction, the steel industry AND for a refinery as a machinist.