Project Muscle Truck (again!)

[GASoline71]

Been cleaning parts for the last 2 days... I hate doing this part of the buildup. Next is painting said parts. Painting is a little better, because you get to see some results of the work, and things start to look better.

Talked to the machine shop today. My stuff should either be ready Friday, or first thing next week...

But there is still lots of dirty work to do before the engine and trans goes back in.

Gary

 

[SkwerI]

Are you ignoring my question, Gary?

 

[GASoline71]

Yep...

It is gonna be a pretty cool old truck when I'm done Brian. Think... old farm truck that has been lowered, has nice mag wheels and fat tires, and has a spotless engine compartment.

Next I will tackle the interior...

I want that rat-rod look... but not a hack job. So it will still have the faded paint, the few dents and stuff...



But... you can drive it if you want... just not to Florida...

Gary

 

[stehansen]

Yep...

It is gonna be a pretty cool old truck when I'm done Brian. Think... old farm truck that has been lowered, has nice mag wheels and fat tires, and has a spotless engine compartment.

Next I will tackle the interior...

I want that rat-rod look... but not a hack job. So it will still have the faded paint, the few dents and stuff...



But... you can drive it if you want... just not to Florida...

Gary

I call shotgun!

 

[Rotax Robert]

Right on Gary, been following this thread right along.

 

[Burnham]

Don't dress it up too pretty, Gary. Sleeper status needs to be maintained, ya know .

 

[GASoline71]

Got the tranny cleaned up ,and it's apart on the bench... need to get a fliter kit, shift kit, and front and rear seals.

The crankshaft was shot, so I had to buy another one. $115 bucks I didn't plan on spending... oh well...

More cleaning and painting. Only a few more things to purchase before I can start assembly. I also need headers and to figure out what to do with the exhaust... I'm thinkin' 3" pipe, with Flowmaster 40 series mufflers, then the 3" pipe dumps out just in front of the rear tires at an angle... My neighbors are gonna hate me...

Still more cleaning and painting... tedious, but necessary...

More to come...

Gary

 

[SkwerI]

F the neighbors.

 

[NeTree]

What neighbors?

 

[GASoline71]

Hell yeah!!!

Gary

 

[stehansen]

I wouldn't hate you, I would love hearing that thing take off.

 

[Cobleskill]

I am listening to dirt circle track race 1 1/2 miles away right now. Music to my ears but not everybodys. I love when people move in and build a house close to the track that has been there for 50 years and then bitch about the noise. 1/2 mile track. Streetstocks, sportsman, and modifieds. The modifieds average about 100. The Outlaws used to come but not in the last few years.

 

[sawinredneck]

2 1/4" pipe should be plenty Gary, and a lot cheaper!

Unless you just want to run 3' sections with turndowns

Edit, don't forget a crossover!!! It really does help.

 

[GASoline71]

3" pipe looks waaaayyyyy cooler dumpin' out just in front of the rear tires Andy...

Thinkin' about that "H" or "X" pipe... however the '67-'72 Chevy/GMC trucks have a low hanging crossmember right in the way.

Gary

 

[GASoline71]

Some pics of progress on the TH-350...

First pic is what it looked like when i pulled it outta the truck...

But after 3 days of cleanin' and scrubbin' with a wire brush and some solvents, then a B&M Street/Strip shift kit, a new adjustable modulator, new filter and gaskets, new seals and o-rings... plus a few coats of high temp paint... here it is. Last three pics are finished product.

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. The engine will look this good too. Now it's time to get this thing off the engine stand and get that small block on there to start the rebuild...

Time for a beer!

Gary

 

[sawinredneck]

Gary, there should be room for a crossover right in front of the tranny bellhousing. Weld the crossover onto the damn collectors, keep them short, and all should be good!

 

[SkwerI]

Gary, my transmission is looking good. I'm looking forward to seeing how you handle the rebuild on my motor.

Andy, you're = you are.

 

[MasterBlaster]

It's a contraction, dood.

 

[stehansen]

Gary, how does what you did change how the transmission shifts. Esplain please.

 

[GASoline71]

Steve, automatic transmissions are set up from the factory to have soft shifts for more comfortable driving for the average person driving the vehicle. Even back in 1972, when this tranny was made it was set up that way. A "shift kit" modifies how the fluid is sent through the valve body of the transmission.

There are a set of "check balls" in the valve body that limit fluid transfer to allow for softer shifts. So depending on how hard you want the transmission to shift you remove "X" number of check balls. Also the stock seperator plate is replaced with a modified one, to allow more fluid to flow to different areas of the valve body than stock.

After the modifications, the transmission will shift hard. hard enough to "bark" the tires between shifts when under load... or full throttle. Believe it or not... when a transmission is modified with a shift kit it actually runs cooler, because without the check balls, the tansmission is not allowed to slip as much. Less slippage = firmer shifts = less heat.

That's the way it works in a nutshell...

Next is a 2000 RPM stall converter for this baby.

Gary

 

[stehansen]

Thanks Gary. Now, what will the 2000 rpm stall converter do differently than the stock torque converter?

 

[GASoline71]

It will not fully engage (lock-up) until a higher RPM... letting the engine come up into it's RPM range that it was built for to make it's power.

The engine I'm building will not start making big horsepower until about 1,800 RPM's so I want the torque converter to "stall" around 2,000 RPM and let the engine come up to it's "sweet spot" before full lock up.

Gary

 

[stehansen]

Sweet! I need someone to work on the Allison in my forestry truck. It shifts from first to second OK but from second to third you have to practically floor the thing and wind it way up or let off the throttle for it to shift then third to fourth is real soft and fourth to fifth is real hard.

 

[sawinredneck]

Not sure about the cam or inake being used, but I have found the "sweet spot" on SBC's seems to be around 2400 Gary. That was a Comp cams 268H, Weiand Stealth and Holly 600 CFM in a 4x4 Suburban. Just enough to get into power, but not enough to break parts. On this project, I wouldn't be afraid to go higher.

 

[GASoline71]

Not sure about the cam or inake being used, but I have found the "sweet spot" on SBC's seems tobe around 2400 Gary. That was a Comp cams 268H, Weiand Stealth and Holly 60 CFM in a 4x4 Suburban. Just enough to get into powe, but not enough to break parts. On this project, I wouldn't be afraid to go higher.

It'll make most of it's power near 5,500 to 5,800 RPMs. It'll just start hitting it around 1,800 to 2,000. "Sweet Spot" might have been a poor choice of words.

Gary