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Progress, however slow... but isn't it about the JOURNEY?
- Thread starter 52wasp
- Start date
52wasp
Member
About a year and a half ago I posted "this would be the year". I was wrong. THIS is the year. After 7-plus years of sitting in a shipping container, waiting PATIENTLY for me...
Penny is finally HOME!
Yes, I have sat on a milk crate, and just looked at her, home, finally. 7 years is a long time.
Turns out, she is exactly as I left her. I will be (re)assembling her to verify fitments. I have started to compile a list of "stuff" I need to order for her. I need to swap out the 8" rear for the 8.6", and measure for fender/tire/bedside clearances. I may need a small spacer. I need to pick back up on the bumper mounting situation. So much to do.
Of course, with so much time having passed, there will be changes to the "plan".
1. I am considering a hard tonneau cover, and there are (at least) two options:
A. Order one from Gaylord's Lids (as I recall, they are in or near Vegas). Shipping is prohibitively expensive though.
B. Buy a used (fiberglass) tonneau cover from Craigslist or Marketplace, and section it in width and length for fitment.
2. I see that Dakota Digital offers the RTX series of gauges to fit our trucks. Yes, I previously sliced and diced some gauges to fit in the original frames. But the DD RTX will read almost everything from the engine's computer.
3. The E-STOPP electric parking brake has me interested. It would "unclutter" the footwell on the left side a little.
4. I am revisiting Vintage Air and Old Air Products for A/C.
5. I am shopping radiators, and electric fans (the water pump-mounted fan is going away, as the radiator will be mounted higher in the radiator support). There are now radiator/shroud/fan combos available.
6. Custom exhaust headers are still in the plan (1-5/8" primary, 2-1/2" collector, mild steel, to be ceramic-coated when done), I have fooled around with the ICEngineworks kit, and I am VERY excited to get going on that. Steering column just went in to verify clearance. Hence the bandsaw and welder.
7. I am looking at ididit steering columns (tilt, bare metal- to be painted). Need to verify the original steering wheel will "work".
Sorry my shop is in disarray. A bunch of other stuff is coming home from the container too, and space is at a premium currently.
My 1936-vintage DoALL V36 bandsaw is now in the shop, I am in the process of installing a phase-converter (rather than replace the motor) to run her. I need to order blades. I have already installed new tires, and just bought oil for the transmission.
The air compressor is in place, but not wired yet. The two-post lift is operational. A 240V outlet for the welder is in place. Lighting! I have scheduled my plumber to install/plumb the Modine Hot Dawg.
I have a 19' scissor lift parked in the next bay, as I am (finally) winding down on the barn-siding project. Pictures when siding is complete.
Penny is finally HOME!
Yes, I have sat on a milk crate, and just looked at her, home, finally. 7 years is a long time.
Turns out, she is exactly as I left her. I will be (re)assembling her to verify fitments. I have started to compile a list of "stuff" I need to order for her. I need to swap out the 8" rear for the 8.6", and measure for fender/tire/bedside clearances. I may need a small spacer. I need to pick back up on the bumper mounting situation. So much to do.
Of course, with so much time having passed, there will be changes to the "plan".
1. I am considering a hard tonneau cover, and there are (at least) two options:
A. Order one from Gaylord's Lids (as I recall, they are in or near Vegas). Shipping is prohibitively expensive though.
B. Buy a used (fiberglass) tonneau cover from Craigslist or Marketplace, and section it in width and length for fitment.
2. I see that Dakota Digital offers the RTX series of gauges to fit our trucks. Yes, I previously sliced and diced some gauges to fit in the original frames. But the DD RTX will read almost everything from the engine's computer.
3. The E-STOPP electric parking brake has me interested. It would "unclutter" the footwell on the left side a little.
4. I am revisiting Vintage Air and Old Air Products for A/C.
5. I am shopping radiators, and electric fans (the water pump-mounted fan is going away, as the radiator will be mounted higher in the radiator support). There are now radiator/shroud/fan combos available.
6. Custom exhaust headers are still in the plan (1-5/8" primary, 2-1/2" collector, mild steel, to be ceramic-coated when done), I have fooled around with the ICEngineworks kit, and I am VERY excited to get going on that. Steering column just went in to verify clearance. Hence the bandsaw and welder.
7. I am looking at ididit steering columns (tilt, bare metal- to be painted). Need to verify the original steering wheel will "work".
Sorry my shop is in disarray. A bunch of other stuff is coming home from the container too, and space is at a premium currently.
My 1936-vintage DoALL V36 bandsaw is now in the shop, I am in the process of installing a phase-converter (rather than replace the motor) to run her. I need to order blades. I have already installed new tires, and just bought oil for the transmission.
The air compressor is in place, but not wired yet. The two-post lift is operational. A 240V outlet for the welder is in place. Lighting! I have scheduled my plumber to install/plumb the Modine Hot Dawg.
I have a 19' scissor lift parked in the next bay, as I am (finally) winding down on the barn-siding project. Pictures when siding is complete.
Sounds and looks good to me .
Nothing quite like having your own shop space .
I work outside under a green canopy, this being So. Cal. it works out well, breezy and plenty of natural light .
If you think that's a messy / crowded work space I have a bridge to sell you........
Nothing quite like having your own shop space .
I work outside under a green canopy, this being So. Cal. it works out well, breezy and plenty of natural light .
If you think that's a messy / crowded work space I have a bridge to sell you........
52wasp
Member
UPDATES!
With finally having heat in the shop, I have been able to spend some time out there.
Cam, valve seals and valve springs have been installed in the aluminum-block motor. Got a referral for a transmission shop (the guy I have used for decades closed up shop and retired). I plan to have them "upgrade" the 4L60E to near-4L75E specifications, as the cammed engine will exceed the torque-input capacity of the stock transmission.
I am getting ready to swap out the "old" 8.0 inch-ring-geared for the 8.6, as the True-Trac has been installed (for a few years already it seems). I had welded in swaybar mounts on the old rear.
With the drill press and band saw both up and running, I cut out the pieces I'd need out of some 1/8" stock.
Welded them up (my welding skills are a bit rusty, with all the carpentry work that has taken priority), and here they are sitting on the new rear end.
I also mocked up the running board mounts (from the AD Engineering kit) and the running boards, which after looking at the old ones I have, I decided to replace with a pair from our host.
More to come.
With finally having heat in the shop, I have been able to spend some time out there.
Cam, valve seals and valve springs have been installed in the aluminum-block motor. Got a referral for a transmission shop (the guy I have used for decades closed up shop and retired). I plan to have them "upgrade" the 4L60E to near-4L75E specifications, as the cammed engine will exceed the torque-input capacity of the stock transmission.
I am getting ready to swap out the "old" 8.0 inch-ring-geared for the 8.6, as the True-Trac has been installed (for a few years already it seems). I had welded in swaybar mounts on the old rear.
With the drill press and band saw both up and running, I cut out the pieces I'd need out of some 1/8" stock.
Welded them up (my welding skills are a bit rusty, with all the carpentry work that has taken priority), and here they are sitting on the new rear end.
I also mocked up the running board mounts (from the AD Engineering kit) and the running boards, which after looking at the old ones I have, I decided to replace with a pair from our host.
More to come.
52wasp
Member
Sunday update
Yesterday, I removed the 8" rear end, and placed the 8.6" on the leaf springs, as I didn't know where the spring perches I bought 2 years ago went... Turns out they were right where I had placed them. So, this morning, I went to set them on the leaf springs, only to notice the center-hole in the perch is a bit larger than the locating pin in the leaf stack. A few minutes with the band saw, and a scrap of EMT from all the electrical work I have done, and I had a set of "spacers". As the rear end will need to come back out to weld the perches (after the truck is complete, so I can set pinion angle), I will leave the spacers loose for the time being. They are galvy, so no welding. I think a bit of epoxy will hold them. They are snug.
Yesterday, I removed the 8" rear end, and placed the 8.6" on the leaf springs, as I didn't know where the spring perches I bought 2 years ago went... Turns out they were right where I had placed them. So, this morning, I went to set them on the leaf springs, only to notice the center-hole in the perch is a bit larger than the locating pin in the leaf stack. A few minutes with the band saw, and a scrap of EMT from all the electrical work I have done, and I had a set of "spacers". As the rear end will need to come back out to weld the perches (after the truck is complete, so I can set pinion angle), I will leave the spacers loose for the time being. They are galvy, so no welding. I think a bit of epoxy will hold them. They are snug.
52wasp
Member
Friday progress:
With the new 8.6 rear centered, I snugged up the U-bolts to hold everything in place. I then lowered the truck down, and installed the wheel/tire setup I have. The fitment is PERFECT. I have adequate clearance to the bedside, and a bit more to the outer fender lip. If needed, I can put an 1/8" spacer between the wheel and brake drum, down the road.
With the rear end installed, I turned my attention to the steering column (which need to be in place to install the shaft to the steering box), to setup header clearance. I purchased an Ididit column-shift tilt column, in bare metal, from our host. It comes with a "hanger" to mount it to the dash. Personally, it looks a little too "street-rod billet" to me. With the column being 2.25 inches in diameter, vs. the 2 inches of the original column, I couldn't just reuse the 2-piece "clamp". I modeled a new 2-piece clamp in CAD, and will be 3D-printing it over the weekend. If it is to my liking, I will have the machine shop just down the road mill the pieces up out of Aluminum. They will be painted to match the interior, just like stock.
Also... the spline on the Ididit steering shaft at the steering wheel end is larger than the original steering shaft spline. It is 69-94 GM. But I plan on using the stock 18" steering wheel- no fancy wheel here. I plan to drill out the splined area, and weld in a "plug" made from a portion of a splined coupler. Quick work with the band saw and welder, vs. drilling a new hole and then having it splined at a machine shop.
With the new 8.6 rear centered, I snugged up the U-bolts to hold everything in place. I then lowered the truck down, and installed the wheel/tire setup I have. The fitment is PERFECT. I have adequate clearance to the bedside, and a bit more to the outer fender lip. If needed, I can put an 1/8" spacer between the wheel and brake drum, down the road.
With the rear end installed, I turned my attention to the steering column (which need to be in place to install the shaft to the steering box), to setup header clearance. I purchased an Ididit column-shift tilt column, in bare metal, from our host. It comes with a "hanger" to mount it to the dash. Personally, it looks a little too "street-rod billet" to me. With the column being 2.25 inches in diameter, vs. the 2 inches of the original column, I couldn't just reuse the 2-piece "clamp". I modeled a new 2-piece clamp in CAD, and will be 3D-printing it over the weekend. If it is to my liking, I will have the machine shop just down the road mill the pieces up out of Aluminum. They will be painted to match the interior, just like stock.
Also... the spline on the Ididit steering shaft at the steering wheel end is larger than the original steering shaft spline. It is 69-94 GM. But I plan on using the stock 18" steering wheel- no fancy wheel here. I plan to drill out the splined area, and weld in a "plug" made from a portion of a splined coupler. Quick work with the band saw and welder, vs. drilling a new hole and then having it splined at a machine shop.
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e015475
Member
I didn't much care for the Ididit steering column either, so I bought a 2" polished tube from Speedway and a upper steering shaft support (with a horn ring) from Chevs of the 40s and made one. For the bottom bearing I used a 'column saver' to support the shaft. For a steering shaft, I went to the local junkyard and pulled a steering shaft out of a mid-sixties GM truck, cut it to length and ground the double-D at the end to fit a Borgeson U-joint. This is an 'accessory' steering wheel with the same spline as the original truck's
The thing that the Ididit column has going for it is self-cancelling turn signals - I'm still getting used to manually cancelling them and often forget.
The Ididit column probably has some sort of crush feature that helps it from impalling you in an accident, which my column doesn't. But I've rationalized it by thinking mine is no worse than an original column for safety. I made a bezel for the column out of some stainless sheet metal and had the upholsterer make a boot for it
Whatever steering column you use, make sure you drill the shaft to let the setscrew penetrate it and locktite it in.
The thing that the Ididit column has going for it is self-cancelling turn signals - I'm still getting used to manually cancelling them and often forget.
The Ididit column probably has some sort of crush feature that helps it from impalling you in an accident, which my column doesn't. But I've rationalized it by thinking mine is no worse than an original column for safety. I made a bezel for the column out of some stainless sheet metal and had the upholsterer make a boot for it
Whatever steering column you use, make sure you drill the shaft to let the setscrew penetrate it and locktite it in.
Bill Hanlon
Member
2 solutions I've used to help remind me to shut off the non-cancelling turn signals.
1. Attach a small automotive beeper to the P (pilot) pin on the 3 prong flasher. If you have a 2 prong flasher replace it with a 3 prong unit like a DOT 550 flasher.
2. I've loosened the clamp and turned the whole turn signal unit on the steering column so the lever is pointing up at the windshield. That way it is more in your line of sight.
1. Attach a small automotive beeper to the P (pilot) pin on the 3 prong flasher. If you have a 2 prong flasher replace it with a 3 prong unit like a DOT 550 flasher.
2. I've loosened the clamp and turned the whole turn signal unit on the steering column so the lever is pointing up at the windshield. That way it is more in your line of sight.
52wasp
Member
Phil,
I like your "accessory" wheel, it adds some flash! When I pulled the Hydroboost from the Astro van years back, I also took the telescoping shaft. It has small universal joints built in. As I recall, it has around 8 inches of "crush". Thanks for the setscrew tip.
I like your "accessory" wheel, it adds some flash! When I pulled the Hydroboost from the Astro van years back, I also took the telescoping shaft. It has small universal joints built in. As I recall, it has around 8 inches of "crush". Thanks for the setscrew tip.
e015475
Member
I have a flasher for LEDs, so I don't think changing it to a DOT550 will work. The turn signal switch on the column has provisions for a left and right light signal, so I might try just a light first. If I'm oblivious to the light I might have to try a buzzer too. Thanks for the tips
e015475
Member
I'd put a dimple on the double-d shaft for the setscrews and thought I was good and had even made sure they were tight a couple weeks back. I was looking over my shoulder backing out of the garage and pulling on the steering wheel and the double-d joint shaft pulled out of the joint. Went back and drilled the dimple down about .25" deep and set it with Locktite.
I've got a Astrovan Hydroboost on my truck too. If you've not plumbed it yet, you might benefit from my experience. In the middle of post #283 there's a write-up of what worked well on my truck
49 GMC Five Window - Page 12 - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network
Page 12- 49 GMC Five Window Projects and Builds
67-72chevytrucks.com
BTW, Pirate Jack sells a nice kit for overhauling the Hydroboost unit - Read Pirate Jack Hot Rod Restoration Blog Posts
52wasp
Member
Phil,
Thanks AGAIN! When I was trial fitting the runningboards and their mounts, I got to looking at the orientation of the Hydroboost unit. The accumulator canister was inboard- and I recall the tight space you had with your headers. So I rotated the unit until the canister was at the bottom. Which, of course, required me to remove the master cylinder and modify the aluminum adapter plate. I haven't plumbed the Hydroboost or the brakes yet.
I read your linked post, very informative. I also read of your Title issue. I finally registered Penny back in December (the woman at the Town Hall noticed the Bill of Sale and Title were signed NINETEEN years ago). I got a letter from the DMV stating there was a "conflict" with the VIN, and they provided me a "VIN Verification" form that would need to be filled out and signed by a member of the Police Department. I stopped by the PD, and left my contact information. TWENTY minutes later I heard a knock at the door (talk about service!). Minor (Major) issue... years back, I had all the sheet metal "chemically derusted" and removed the VIN tag. The officer stated that "technically" the VIN tag would need to described as "missing" since it was in my hand, not on the A-pillar, and the DMV would have to issue me a NEW VIN, on a big ugly tag. I explained to him the chemicals in the derusting bath would have eaten the aluminum tag. He surprised the daylights out of me when he said "Well, it's obvious the truck isn't a stolen vehicle, so just hold the VIN tag over the mounting holes, so I can verify it's there." Which I promptly did. And then he filled out the form, and signed it. I mailed the form back to the DMV, and a week later, the Title showed up in the mail. Here in New Hampshire, a Bill of Sale is all you need for vehicles over 25 (pretty sure) years old. If you get the Title from the buyer, NH will issue a Title. If all you have is a Bill of Sale, they will not issue a Title. Luckily, I had a Title AND a Bill of sale. I think the "conflict" from my DMV was there were TWO numbers in the VIN section of the seller's Title. One was the VIN of the truck, the other was the engine serial number. I gave the engine to a friend who also has an AD truck- it's one town over if I needed it. I will reattach the old VIN tag before the truck goes in for body- and paint-work late summer. I ordered a new VIN tag from our host, for post-paint installation.
Thanks AGAIN! When I was trial fitting the runningboards and their mounts, I got to looking at the orientation of the Hydroboost unit. The accumulator canister was inboard- and I recall the tight space you had with your headers. So I rotated the unit until the canister was at the bottom. Which, of course, required me to remove the master cylinder and modify the aluminum adapter plate. I haven't plumbed the Hydroboost or the brakes yet.
I read your linked post, very informative. I also read of your Title issue. I finally registered Penny back in December (the woman at the Town Hall noticed the Bill of Sale and Title were signed NINETEEN years ago). I got a letter from the DMV stating there was a "conflict" with the VIN, and they provided me a "VIN Verification" form that would need to be filled out and signed by a member of the Police Department. I stopped by the PD, and left my contact information. TWENTY minutes later I heard a knock at the door (talk about service!). Minor (Major) issue... years back, I had all the sheet metal "chemically derusted" and removed the VIN tag. The officer stated that "technically" the VIN tag would need to described as "missing" since it was in my hand, not on the A-pillar, and the DMV would have to issue me a NEW VIN, on a big ugly tag. I explained to him the chemicals in the derusting bath would have eaten the aluminum tag. He surprised the daylights out of me when he said "Well, it's obvious the truck isn't a stolen vehicle, so just hold the VIN tag over the mounting holes, so I can verify it's there." Which I promptly did. And then he filled out the form, and signed it. I mailed the form back to the DMV, and a week later, the Title showed up in the mail. Here in New Hampshire, a Bill of Sale is all you need for vehicles over 25 (pretty sure) years old. If you get the Title from the buyer, NH will issue a Title. If all you have is a Bill of Sale, they will not issue a Title. Luckily, I had a Title AND a Bill of sale. I think the "conflict" from my DMV was there were TWO numbers in the VIN section of the seller's Title. One was the VIN of the truck, the other was the engine serial number. I gave the engine to a friend who also has an AD truck- it's one town over if I needed it. I will reattach the old VIN tag before the truck goes in for body- and paint-work late summer. I ordered a new VIN tag from our host, for post-paint installation.
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e015475
Member
"I will reattach the old VIN tag before the truck goes in for body- and paint-work late summer. I ordered a new VIN tag from our host, for post-paint installation."
Be very careful doing this if you have to undergo any level of state inspection to get registered - I'd make sure the original was on the truck for any interaction with the state. While it is often done, any sort of tampering with the VIN plate is technically a felony. They key is staying out of any level 1,2 or 3 inspection with the state DMV. There's places to order 'reproduction' ID plates correctly stamped and with rivits/screws that match OE standards and it might be worth the investment for you.
You're pretty fortunate to live in a state where there's some common sense around issues like this. Arizona isn't like that at all, in my experience.
Quite a few years ago, I'd restored a car and took the ID plate off - it was just a strip of aluminum riveted onto the firewall. I had it recreated at a trophy shop and it looked good. I had to get a bonded title for the car before I could register it and it needed a level 2 inspection at the DMV to do that. When the DMV inspector saw the new ID plate on the firewall, he told me he was going to have my car impounded for tampering with the ID tag. After about an hour discussion with them, they said if the 'hidden' number stamped on the chassis matched, that'd be ok. It was, but they still required me to surrender the ID tag I'd made and installed. I made another one and installed it, cleared the title bond eventually sold the car and never heard anything more about it.
Be very careful doing this if you have to undergo any level of state inspection to get registered - I'd make sure the original was on the truck for any interaction with the state. While it is often done, any sort of tampering with the VIN plate is technically a felony. They key is staying out of any level 1,2 or 3 inspection with the state DMV. There's places to order 'reproduction' ID plates correctly stamped and with rivits/screws that match OE standards and it might be worth the investment for you.
You're pretty fortunate to live in a state where there's some common sense around issues like this. Arizona isn't like that at all, in my experience.
Quite a few years ago, I'd restored a car and took the ID plate off - it was just a strip of aluminum riveted onto the firewall. I had it recreated at a trophy shop and it looked good. I had to get a bonded title for the car before I could register it and it needed a level 2 inspection at the DMV to do that. When the DMV inspector saw the new ID plate on the firewall, he told me he was going to have my car impounded for tampering with the ID tag. After about an hour discussion with them, they said if the 'hidden' number stamped on the chassis matched, that'd be ok. It was, but they still required me to surrender the ID tag I'd made and installed. I made another one and installed it, cleared the title bond eventually sold the car and never heard anything more about it.
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52wasp
Member
Phil, Thank you for your (justifiable) concern. The "VIN Verification" by the local PD was the State-level DMV inspection. The truck IS now registered. And, with vehicle-inspections now a thing of the past here, I could drive it on the street tomorrow (Chip Foose and the Overhaulin! gang would have their work cut out for them!). It appears, amazingly, that (some) common sense still lives here. It's a good thing, as the engine, transmission and the ENTIRE rolling chassis are not original to the truck. I recall Coilover (Evan) suggesting registering the vehicle AS IT APPEARS. Even if the truck was "all Corvette" underneath the sheet metal, it is still a 1953 Chevrolet Truck.
I occasionally refer to my truck as "ADISMO". Advanced Design In Sheet Metal Only
I occasionally refer to my truck as "ADISMO". Advanced Design In Sheet Metal Only
e015475
Member
That's excellent!
Looking forward to watching your project as this truck comes together
Looking forward to watching your project as this truck comes together
52wasp
Member
More Progress photos!
My son brought me his 3D printer, which I used to promptly print the Upper Column Clamp. Then... I had an issue with the heater for the filament in the printer. Luckily, a friend of mine has several 3D printers, and took care of the Lower Column Clamp for me yesterday. Here is a comparison of the ORIGINAL, the Ididit and my 3D-printed prototype.
As I mentioned, the Ididit piece looks too "street rod" for my liking. It also drops the column down quite a bit. The original, and my piece, both keep the column tight to the dash. I added a counterbore to my parts, which would give me the ability to push the column further "in" to the dash by 3/8's of an inch. If I need the 3/8's, I will have the aluminum parts machined as such. If not, I will remove the feature in the CAD model that will go the machine shop.
I also got all the new brake lines installed. I purchased CuNiFer (also referred to as NiCopp) line stock by the roll, and all the fittings required, from The StopShop. Bending the lines was a PLEASURE. With the master cylinder mounted as low as it is, Wilwood recommends residual pressure valves, as close to the master (or the proportioning valve in my case) as possible. 2 pounds for the fronts, and a 10 pound piece for the rear (drum) brakes.
I am now in the process of "final" install (with Grade 8 hardware) all of the AD-Engineering cab and bed mounts. In the coming weeks I will bring the 4L60E transmission to a local shop for "upgrades" to support the (approximately) 400 ft-lbs of torque the engine will generate. I briefly considered upgrading to a 6L80E transmission, as there is now a "module" to allow a GEN 3 small block Chevy (an LS) to a 6L80E. But, it turned into a rabbit hole. With an even-deeper first gear than the 4L60E, I would be well advised to change the ring and pinion from a 3.73/1 to something far taller, such as a 3.23/1 or even a 3.08/1. The newer transmission is also shorter, which would require (another) custom driveshaft. Cha-ching cha-ching cha-ching. Turns out 4 forward speeds is it.
Have a Great Memorial Day weekend folks!
.
My son brought me his 3D printer, which I used to promptly print the Upper Column Clamp. Then... I had an issue with the heater for the filament in the printer. Luckily, a friend of mine has several 3D printers, and took care of the Lower Column Clamp for me yesterday. Here is a comparison of the ORIGINAL, the Ididit and my 3D-printed prototype.
As I mentioned, the Ididit piece looks too "street rod" for my liking. It also drops the column down quite a bit. The original, and my piece, both keep the column tight to the dash. I added a counterbore to my parts, which would give me the ability to push the column further "in" to the dash by 3/8's of an inch. If I need the 3/8's, I will have the aluminum parts machined as such. If not, I will remove the feature in the CAD model that will go the machine shop.
I also got all the new brake lines installed. I purchased CuNiFer (also referred to as NiCopp) line stock by the roll, and all the fittings required, from The StopShop. Bending the lines was a PLEASURE. With the master cylinder mounted as low as it is, Wilwood recommends residual pressure valves, as close to the master (or the proportioning valve in my case) as possible. 2 pounds for the fronts, and a 10 pound piece for the rear (drum) brakes.
I am now in the process of "final" install (with Grade 8 hardware) all of the AD-Engineering cab and bed mounts. In the coming weeks I will bring the 4L60E transmission to a local shop for "upgrades" to support the (approximately) 400 ft-lbs of torque the engine will generate. I briefly considered upgrading to a 6L80E transmission, as there is now a "module" to allow a GEN 3 small block Chevy (an LS) to a 6L80E. But, it turned into a rabbit hole. With an even-deeper first gear than the 4L60E, I would be well advised to change the ring and pinion from a 3.73/1 to something far taller, such as a 3.23/1 or even a 3.08/1. The newer transmission is also shorter, which would require (another) custom driveshaft. Cha-ching cha-ching cha-ching. Turns out 4 forward speeds is it.
Have a Great Memorial Day weekend folks!
.
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52wasp
Member
Column test-fitted. As it turns out, the counterbore in the clamp pieces will not be required. Now to address the BOTTOM of the column. The Ididit piece supplied for the lower column doesn't particularly excite me anymore than the upper.
booger
Member
Nice work you’re doing there. As Nate says slow and steady….
Will all be appreciated down the road !
Will all be appreciated down the road !