Tremec 5 speed conversion in a 1970 Charger

[watermelon]

if you are running the original style starter it might be a good time to toss is a more compact NAPA 2441083 unit while youre down there

https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopa...rter-2441083-installed-on-440cu-works.211081/



watermelon

 

[Kern Dog]

Thanks. I have used a mini starter of some sort since my first 440 swap. Currently, I have a Denso.

 

[Kern Dog]

I improved on the numbers a bit. I clocked the dowels in several positions just to see what effect it would have.
These numbers are with the dowel high points at the 4:00 position. I could rotate them back to say...3:30 and maybe get it a little closer.

I was having a really hard time with this today. I spent almost 3 hours screwing around with it. I am not too proud to admit when I am having trouble. I want others to know that with a big job like this, sometimes you will run into some bullshit that makes no sense.
I didn't want to just rest on yesterday's numbers and think that I had it right.
Randy's words about accuracy with the gauge being NOT 90 degrees off of center sunk in. I can't get there though. The gauge head is too large and with the rods and knobs, the best I can get is less than a square reach either with the gauge inside or outside the 4 3/4" pilot hole.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Much Better.... Play a little more but if it doesn't improve those are good numbers...

 

[Kern Dog]

So far, yeah...THIS has been the LEAST fun, the most frustrating and the LEAST rewarding part. I was out there again today looking to verify the numbers. I repositioned the dowels in several ways to see what results I could get.
I was a dumb *** and didn't think to record where they were positioned from yesterday. This meant that I had a hell of a time getting it back into spec.
Yeah, I had the bell off maybe 10 times. I clocked the pins multiple times. I read the instructions numerous times. This was a very frustrating day. I kept getting conflicting numbers that made no sense. I was yelling, cussing and bitching and not having any fun at all.
The original dowels indicated that I was .027 to the right almost horizontal, something like 9:30 to 3:30. I was having trouble understanding that a POSITIVE number meant that the bell had to come back to get that number closer to zero. This meant that I had to point the dowel offset (High points) toward the positive number areas. I finished with it slightly better than yesterday but not knowing exactly why.
Once I got inside and talked to the Wife about it, I made sense of it. Point the offset/High points to the POSITIVE numbers.....IT is pretty easy when you understand it. Still, when I read in Mopar Action where Rick Ehrenberg states....Spend the 20 minutes to get this right I want to kick someone in the dick. 20 minutes my ***......

 

[1 Wild R/T]

LOL... Rick has a lot of years of experience... Bet you could kick his *** building a cut & stack roof...

 

[tallhair]

LOL... Rick has a lot of years of experience... Bet you could kick his *** building a cut & stack roof...

I loved reading his tech articles. My favorite Mopar tech guy. Disc o tech is still in my mind.

 

[Kern Dog]

LOL... Rick has a lot of years of experience... Bet you could kick his *** building a cut & stack roof...

Thanks...WE all have our weak points, right?

 

[tallhair]

Once I got inside and talked to the Wife about it, I made sense of it. Point the offset/High points to the POSITIVE numbers.....IT is pretty easy when you understand it. Still, when I read in Mopar Action where Rick Ehrenberg states....Spend the 20 minutes to get this right I want to kick someone in the dick. 20 minutes my ***......

I came to a realization years ago, when I’d get frustrated, stop, take a break and go think. I’d always figure out the problem.

Glad you figured it out

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Thanks...WE all have our weak points, right?

View attachment 1059951 View attachment 1059952 View attachment 1059953

Beautiful!!

 

[Kern Dog]

Anger gets in the way of rational thought.
I hate walking away though. My pride pushes me to win, to get it right then walk away.

 

[moparedtn]

Anger gets in the way of rational thought.
I hate walking away though. My pride pushes me to win, to get it right then walk away.

Yep....and then savor the enjoyment of taunting whatever was giving you grief for a while afterwards!

 

[Kern Dog]

I am looking forward to THIS:

 

[Kern Dog]

I hit the first snag today.
The crankshaft register is too big.

I checked 2 other flywheels I have out back. They match the size of the SST flywheel.
The crank is a 4.15 stroke Eagle. I wonder if I can take Emery Cloth to it to bring it down a bit. I can only guess that this is as crucial as the bellhousing alignment. It is only 20 thousands to take off overall but if I take it slow and make sure to work it evenly around the circumference, I should be okay, right?
What about having a machine shop bore the flywheel out slightly?
Seems that the crank should be the one that should be corrected, in my opinion.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I hit the first snag today that I can't fix myself.
The crankshaft register is too big.

View attachment 1060287 View attachment 1060288

I checked 2 other flywheels I have out back. They match the size of the SST flywheel.
The crank is a 4.15 stroke Eagle. I wonder if I can take Emery Cloth to it to bring it down a bit. I can only guess that this is as crucial as the bellhousing alignment. It is only 2 thousands to take off overall but if I take it slow and make sure to work it evenly around the circumference, I should be okay, right?
What about having a machine shop bore the flywheel out slightly?
Seems that the crank should be the one that should be corrected, in my opinion.

That damn decimal point... (Again) .020 = twenty thousands.... Your calipers don't read thousands... I know, my neighbor at the shop has the same calipers...

 

[Kern Dog]

It was too late to call Silver Sport about the flywheel so I decided to work on the console.

The JB Weld was surfaced and I started working on the thin aluminum plates that the woodgrain sticks to. I'm not doing woodgrain though.

 

[Kern Dog]

This stuff was $9 at Home Depot. It is just basic shelf paper.

 

[Kern Dog]

That damn decimal point... (Again) .020 = twenty thousands.... Your calipers don't read thousands... I know, my neighbor at the shop has the same calipers...

You're talking to a guy that makes things from wood. 1/8" is usually the smallest fraction that I work with!

 

[1 Wild R/T]

You're talking to a guy that makes things from wood. 1/8" is usually the smallest fraction that I work with!

Understood... LOL...

FWIW .002 emery cloth might fix... .020 emery cloth ain't gonna fix..

You could machine the bore of the flywheel & honestly it's probably your best easy fix...

 

[Kern Dog]

This was just a test to see how it will look.
I have considered putting a thin foam sheet on before the vinyl to give it some "cush". Not sure if it would be good or bad but it would make it feel softer to the touch. I already have the stuff here and this roll of contact paper is enough to do several consoles!

Remember, the plates are going to be painted a Satin Black.