Maybe I'm out of practice, having done my last resto 20 years ago, but my kids and I put the engine in our '55 1st this weekend and it was a real bear to get in. First problem (and I have some ISSUES with you guys about it) is that the engine and trans do NOT go into these trucks as an assembly!!! Why didn't anyone tell me????!!!! I had to find out the hard way byt trying to fit the monstrously heavy Muncy 4-speed between the cab and the cross member. Guess what??? It don't fit in there. Duhhhh! Maybe the threes speeds can clear, but the four speeds just are too fat. Okay, so after we take the assembly out and remove the trans, we go at it again. As I am sure you are all aware, there is very little leeway as far as getting the front and rear mounts to line up at the same time. My oldest and I were at it till very late in the evening. He was soooo tired when it finally set into place. Then yesterday, another of my boys and I went about installing the 4-speed trans (did I mention it is monstrously heavy?). He is outside the truck working the floor jack while I am under the truck balancing the trans on it and maneuvering it into place. God is my witness, I took my eyes off the unit for a split second and it falls off the jack onto my hand (specifically the distal phalanx of my ring finger) I swear to God I thought the finger was off and was really afraid to pull the glove off my hand as I could not feel the finger at all past where it took the hit. Said a little prayer and told my son not to look as I took off the glove and was so incredibly thankful the finger was still there, although more than little wider and flatter than it once was. Thankfully, the best hand surgeon in the tri-state area practices not more than a half mile from my house. Got my girlfriend over here to watch and feed the others and ran up to his office with my son in tow. Too much swelling to stitch it, so a nice scar with a story behind it will be a testament to safety as a rule when working on the cars. Good lesson for the boys to ALWAYS watch out. Oh yeah, it is also broken as well. Feels a lot better today than my pride does, I'll tell you all that. I have NEVER had an accident like that working on a vehicle and still have all the parts of all my fingers to prove it, but I sure do feel foolish. Good thing that I ALWAYS keep the kids out of the way from large, heavy and dangerous stuff like this. Like I said, my boy was outside the truck working the lift. Got some feeling back in the finger today and the swelling is going down. Woprst part is that the tranny is still UNDER the truck and not IN it . I know, I know...I should be thankful and glad and I am, but I still want it installed so the large, heavy and dangerous parts are finally out of the way. It has been a pain in the tookus to keep the boys away from the engine on the stand for so long. Thankfully, that overly long and also monstrously heavy chunk of cast iron mayhem is finally off the stand and in the truck . Let's all breathe a sigh of relief as I don't have to worry about that unstable thing lurking in my garage anymore and I don't have to keep telling the kids to "move back" as I wheel it around. Anyway, I promised some pictures, but this took way too long to write (and correct the keystroke errors from my bandaged finger). I'll post some pics on this thread probably tomorrow or the next day. Remember everyone...be careful. Do as I say and NOT as I do. Andy
ouch. this may just be me but i would have kicked something afterwards!!. Good luck with the finger, and the transmission. I am glad im down to bare frame, easy install, well easier ________ Mercury zephyr picture
If he had, he would have broken his toe, too! First, let me say, man, I feel for you. Second, better you than one of those adorable kids. Third, let me tell you a story. My dad was all jazzed up one week when i was going to college and called on a Thursday night to ask if i was coming home for the weekend. After checking my laundry situation, i said "sure, i can come home if you need me to!" As i drove home after classes that Friday, i'm thinking, man this really must be important. Maybe, we're gonna finally hang the fenders on the '40 sedan delivery, or take it for a spin, or something! Well, i saw his truck at the local barber shop, so i stopped in to hollar at him and Sam (the barber). We're talking and when Sam gets done, he removes the smock from around Dad, and "Oh Crap" WTF are you doing in a cast on your right hand and forearm? Dad didn't say a word. "I'll explain when we get home!" When we got home and i gave my mom a big kiss and dumped 2 weeks of dirty laundry at her feet. dad said "While i was buffing out the headlight retainer on that @#$%^&^% '40, it got caught on the buffing wheel and made 2 revolutions before it severed the leader on the middle finger. And you know what? If you lay your hand flat down on a table without a leader on any finger, it sticks straight up at a 90 degree angle." We had a good time that weekend after he gave me several lectures about safety, but we didn't work on the '40. I did leave for school with clean clothes though. I guess if i had a point, it would be that no matter how safety conscious we are, we are prone to cut corners at times, or doze off so to speak, and we need to remember that the human body is no match for the sheer weight of these machines and the dangers involved in merely picking up a wrench to work on them. Get better and impress on your kids that the only reason you did that, is that you wanted to teach them a lesson!
Andy that makes me hurt just thinking about that. The only time I've really smashed any body part hard working on a car is when I was hammering a CV joint back on the axle shaft and instead of hitting the CV I hit my thumb. Did you know if you hit your thumb hard enough you will pass out, because that is exactly what happened to me. I couldn't imagine dropping a tranny on my hand. This just goes to show to never work on these trucks alone if you're going to be doing anything heavy or dangerous. Glad to hear that those kids of yours didn't get hurt and that the only thing that happened is you broke your finger. Hope you get to feeling better soon so you can get that darned tranny put back in there.
Never Work Alone Great advise, Hope your finger gets better soon and I'm also glad no children were in the way. Could have been really bad. Guess a smashed finger is Bad. Had one before, my loving father in law did mine for me 15 years ago. Still is only half as thick as my other one. Best to ya, TBsD
Thanks for the kind words everyone. As I said, I always put myself in the way and not the kids. This is a learning experience for them (me too I guess) and a bonding experience. It is not a thing for them to get hurt doing so I make sure they are always well out of the way. That's why I got hurt and not him. As far as bonding is concerned, the boy that was with me had been giving me a lot of trouble over the last several weeks. His momma has been poisoning the kid's minds against me for years and it spills over to me occasionally. It has been really rough as my petition for full custody gets closer to being heard and she gets even loonier than she is normally. After I got hurt, he didn't want to leave my side and was so worried and helpful as I went through the nausea and the dizzies. He refused to stay home with his brothers and sister and insisted on coming with me to the doctor. I hate to say it, but it woke him up a little and the accident actually brought us closer. So, working on this truck is still a bonding experience for us all. As far as putting the engine in is concerned, my older boy really stuck it out and was incredibly proud of himself with all the work he did. He helped remove and install pilot bushing, clutch assembly and engine and came up with some very bright ideas on how to make it all go a little smoother and easier. I was very proud of him as well. Especially with sticking to the job until it was done. Pics coming, I promise. Andy
He'll never forget it As much as my dad would have rather knocked the crap out of us as hug us, that's one thing I'll never forget. Working with my dad on my 50. Reading your last post Andy, that took me back. That was just like me. I knew that my dad knew his stuff on mechanics, but he actually let me make suggestions. (not that he would have stopped me) The best part was- when he actually tried something and it WORKED! Now, many years later, I can look at him and know that there was a time in my life with him I'll never let go. Everytime I turn a wrench I wonder if it weren't for him, would I be doing it? I'm sorry to hear about your smashed finger! Reminded me of fishing trips where I used live bait and a bobber. You could watch that bobber like a hawk and not a dang thing would happen- Take your eyes off of it for ONE SECOND and it'd be, "Where'd it GO?!!" The good news is, that flatter finger will make you a better swimmer!
Hope the hand fixes up OK Chiro, and that's a great story you have there with your boys. The best times I ever have working on the truck are with my sons - even better when we have a problem that we eventually overcome. Keeps us close you know. I have a 55 1st with a Hydramatic. It's been in and out a few times but always as a unit. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to get the engine in and then hook up the trans. I hope I'm not the only one who's first reaction to Kevin's 'hit thumb hard enough you will pass out' tale was to laugh, in fact I can't stop laughing. SWMBO once tore something bad in a finger - she blames the dog - and at the hospital was told they get more fainters with hand injuries than anything else. Seems like we have an excessive number of nerve endings in our hands. And as you say Zig it works in reverse as well. My Dad and my Uncle though both now long in the ground, spend lots of time in the garage with me still.
Looking back now at the whole thumb insident I would have laughed my butt off if I saw someone else do it too. I no longer rebuild axles, I sell the whole axle or let them go to someone else to rebuild it. I learned my lesson with those stupid things. I'm just glad that I made somebody other than myself laugh today!!!
Whew ! Glad to hear you're O.K. ! . I have so many scars like that , my hands look like Frankenstien's . I had no dad to show me the ropes so I and my hard head learned stuff the hard way ~ I was 15 the 1st. time I pulled a Muncie M-420 tranny out of a '59 Ford 4 X 4 , it has a transfer case bolted to the back if it and the boss naturall gave me a too small trolley jack then went off for a hot cuppa leaving me to wrestle the b*tch out ~ I got it clear of the bellhousng before it began to tip , I pushed hard for a moment then I got my skinny butt out of there No injury that time , just a BIG crash as it fell to the ground . I'm really glad to hear your boy stayed with you in your time of need , I see that ex trying to turn the kids against dad a lot ., good to know he knows the real deal .
This is one of the best reasons to buy/rent/steal a transmission jack. They have straps on them to prevent the tranny from falling off onto body parts.LOL
I'm going to bolt a piece of channel steel with an eye bolt on it to the top of the tranny and run my engine hoist inside the cab and lift it into place through the hole in the floor. If I rent a tranny jack, I still have to lift it onto the jack (did I mention the muncie is MONSTROUSLY heavy?). My finger ain't doin' any liftin' anytime soon, I'll tell ya that. But I sure can assemble the hoist and lift it into place. I'm too darn disappointed and stubborn not to get that thing in this weekend. Got the kids again this weekend and we will make a go of it, then leave the truck alone for a little while whilst I heal up. PLENTY of catalogs and parts to order, you know. You can work on the truck without even turning a wrench sometimes. Andy
Here's the reason I know this I used to be big into Chrysler products and dropped a 727 trans onto my arm once. Luckily I was in the back yard on grass,had a helper,but we just pooped out trying to hold the trans up and get the bolts started. My arm was buried in the ground and he had to roll it off me. It was only numb for a few hours LMAO!
I used to be able to stab a 4 speed by just putting it on my chest, rolling under the vehicle and heaving it into place.. when I was MUCH younger. I have found that it is easier to remove the radiator, core support and grill. With that stuff out the way, I can easily install engine with tranny already mounted. Also makes it easier to access engine bay to hook every thing back up.
Yeah, the entire front clip is off the truck but the 4-speed muncie just wouldn't clear the opening between the cross member and the cab. The top loader is a tall tranny. The three speeds are not and probably do install into these AD trucks attached to the engine. I agree, core support, radiator and grill out make the job easier, I can't imagine how tough it would have been to do this with all that stuff in place. Tranny jack would be nice, but any tranny jack I ever used was for a late model auto with a FLAT, wide bottom on it. The tray for these jacks is flat to accomodate that. Granted, there are adjustable outrigger arms to hold the tranny in place, but the bottom of the Muncie is cylindrical in shape and would probably roll off that thing as well as it is also narrow compared to the late model trannys these jacks are made for. Don't even think the outriggers would come in close enough to do any good. Gonna lift it with the engine hoist. Finger is still pretty bad and the wound has not even closed up yet 4 days after the accident. Not sure I'm gonna do it this weekend. Sure would like to be able to wash my hands after doing that job. I have it very well thought out. Guide pins in place, hoist will work fine, etc. With the hoist doing the work, I will only need one hand to guide the tranny into position, likewise start the bolts and lock them down, but it's probably not going to happen this weekend. I'll give it a little more time to heal and maybe it will get warmer here as winter has finally come to the Northeast. My newest project was delivered yesterday. '66 Mustang convertible. I was outside in 20 degree weather and the finger turned blue and went totally numb. Took an hour for it too turn pink and get the feeling back so I'm in no hurry to do that to it again. It has suffereed enough. By the way, we were ALL a lot younger and did crazy things like scoot under cars with trannys on our chests. Thankfully we ain't young enough to do that any more. Andy
Dunhamfield, im impressed, my 4 was bad enough just getting it onto the bench and off again after rebuilding it, Chiro, two things, did you attempt to swing the engine and box in with the lid on the box? that would gain quite a bit of room if you took the lid off. Secondly, never ever forget, when heavy things are falling, your fingers are for holding fried chicken! and let it fall. ________ BABE VID
Thanks Andy! At the expense of your finger, this has been an excellent thread! I have got to do the same thing, but I guess I'll take the cab off first since it's going on a different frame anyway- I've got the 4 on the floor also. And it is rounded as much as I can remember. Interesting idea on getting it back in place! Let us know how that works out.
Hey Brit and Zig, Yeah I took the top cover off but it still didn't fit. The shifter is integral to it, so it has to come off. Zig: If I had known these things prior to doing the cab switch, I would have waited and installed the engine/trans as an assembly with the cab off the frame and then put the cab on. Now THAT would have been much easier. Andy Andy
