Lakeroadsters' Build Thread: '65 SWB Step

01-27-2012 New Header Gaskets

The ole orange crate has a slight header gasket leak so I decided to replace the exhaust header gaskets. For the engine to header gaskets I used stock manifold gaskets. They are metallic on one side and paper on the other. The paper side goes against the head, foil side against the header. Since the '65 has stock oval port 1970 heads using stock manifold gaskets just makes sense. The good folks at Chevy spent a lot of money designing these, so I'll take advantage of their hard work and ingenuity.

Here's the gasket set P/N's I ended up using:


Gaskets installed:



And to torque the back two header bolts on the right side this works pretty slick:

 

Exh. Leaks

No more leaks ? .

The head to head flange looks pretty uneven , I'da prolly taken off the headers and planed them flat .

 

Looks good! I always use those exhaust gaskets. Looks better then the one piece ones. And so easy to put in!

 

Photo is deceptive Nate. The headers have a raised face machined surface....

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Sealing Surface

I can see the raised surface cl;early , it might have been machined once upon a time but now it's clearly very uneven .


That's why I said I'd plane it a bit ~ rough surface like that won't seal well .

I've been though this before with Imported vehicles using this same setup and solid copper seals ~ once the surface got like this they'd leak , the fix was simple if labor intensive .

 

Opinions vary. I do know that the set-up, as shown, doesn't leak.

 

Exh. Sealing

Understood ! .

I used to LOVE those Asbestos exhaust gaskets as they'd conform to rough surfaces but no longer available in the U.S. of A.

 

Been catching up on your thread. Nice work, and you have some good ideas. Your doing something different, and that's what I'm tying to do also with my build on the 67-72 Chevy Trucks Forum. I have 80 pages so far, and too much to post here from the start. Keep up the good work.

 

Strodder, I remember you from over at that other site . Thanks for the kind words about my ole orange crate.

Great to have you here, stick around, I think you'll like it, I know I do.

 

I will stick around. Did you look at my build?

 

Sure did / have. I've been following your build for years, awesome work, you're definately a "No Fear" fabricator!

 

Thanks. Yeah that's the problem why I'm not done with it: I'm a glutton for punishment...haha

 

Walk Around Truck Videos

Made a few walk around videos of the truck today, with the help of my wife...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjXdq3TC9eM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3HxaO3WOhE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5-u4a7hTf4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQz6_bkbWyk​

And as promised I stuck the side trim on to get a visual outside the shop:

And an artsy fartsy photo :
​

 

De Luxe Trim

I like it ! .

 

April 2013: U-Joint and Transmission Seal

Thanks Nate.

Installed a rear u-joint today and a rear lip seal on the transmission. My truck has a Muncie M-21 4-speed and doesn't have a drain for the tranny fluid, I am therefore syphoning out the lube. Any body know of a better way, other than unbolting the trans from the motor and rotating it?

 

Tricky Gear Oil Drains

If it's a GM Product , there's an easy way to drain it ~

I'd remove the lowest bolt on the back of the tranny , I can see it in your picture .

If there's a PTO plate , you can remove that .

Usually it'll be a cover bolt that's low mounted .

This works on Pumpkins too .

 

Thanks for the tip, I'll give that a try this weekend Nate. The weather turned cold here (15 degrees) so that 85W gear lube is no doubt like pudding now.

Seems like I'll still need to suction some of the remaining fluid out since the lower tailshaft bolt is still higher than the bottom of the trans.



I think I'm also going to pickup one of these, see below, from NAPA, it's about $15. Basically a grease gun with a different cap. Use it to suction out the old lube, and to push in some new lube.

 

I missed It

I see a 1/2" NPT drain plug in the pic , just remove it and wait a day for it to stop dripping .

Then of course, replace that plain drain plug with a 1/2" NPT magnetic one .

 

Nate,

The older M-21 Muncies, like the one in my '65 C10, don't have a drain plug, but they do have a boss cast into the case for a drain plug.

I lifted the photo above from the internet to depict how much higher the lower tail shaft bolt is than the theoretical lowest part of the case that contains fluid.

Next time I need to change a clutch I'll drill and tap the drain plug boss. 'Till then I'm gonna have to improvise.

Thanks,

John

FYI: I filled the trans. today with GL-4 and then decided to see if the tailhousing bolts could indeed be used as a drain. I removed the three lowest bolts, all were blind tapped, no fluid drains out.

 

Routine Service Fun (or not)

That's the damndest thing ~ .

I agree , drill & tap that bugger .

Don't forget the 1/2" NPT magnetic drain plug ! .