No Battle Plan Survives First Contact With The Enemy...

Hello Gray Ghost Fans!

Well, the subject line is a clue to something being amiss.

As I closed the last post, I made the statement that I was one good day in the garage away from being ready to transplant that engine into the Gray Ghost.  I took a mental health day last Thursday to have that day.  So I retrieved the clutch kit that I had bought many months ago and set about installing it onto that beautiful flywheel.  It proved to be a bit fiddly, mostly because of the engine sitting low on the engine stand and the reduced hand/forearm strength from the RA.  Regardless of the cause, I quickly figured out that lifting it into position with one hand and screwing in a bolt with the other wasn't going to work.  What to do?  Build bracing (stacked pieces of wood) to raise it up until it was at the right height.  When finished, it looked like this:

What I would do is lift with one hand and shove another board under the clutch cover with another.  Once it was at the right height, I got the top bolt installed.  After that, I had to rotate the engine to bring each bolt into view.  I chose to attach the bolts at the bottom, not the top, as the access is easier from the bottom.  When done, it all looked like this:

In this shot, you can see the alignment tool in the center of the pic.  This plastic tool engages the splines of the friction disk and holds it in place while you bolt up the clutch cover.  The alignment tool goes into the pilot bushing, which is how it holds everything in place.

After installing all of the clutch parts, it was time to move onto the clutch throwout fork.  This was first contact with the enemy.  In the above pic, above the cast number "10" you can see a round something.  This is the back side of the screw in stud that the throwout fork snaps into.  The throwout fork looks like this:

The end on the left is where the fork attaches to the linkage that connects it to the clutch pedal.  The round area on the right is what snaps onto the stud.  It bows in the middle, under the part number that is cast into the part.  To install the fork, you slide it through the large opening in the center of the bell housing and through a slot on the driver's side of the bell housing.  When I did this, it became clear that there wasn't enough clearance for the clutch fork to fit between the clutch cover and the stud.  Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, no.  Try from the other side, no.  Try to rotate it, no.  Nothing.  By this point, I've been out there for hours and nothing is working.  Time to take a break and reach out to my forum buddies.

I got a couple of suggestions, but nothing concrete.  In the interim, I decided to measure the thickness of the flywheel that was just mounted in the replacement engine and compare it to the thickness of the one in the dead engine.  Come to find out, the heavy duty flywheel that I was so proud of was a 1/2" thicker that the one in the dead engine.  So then, I decided to see how much clearance that engine had between the stud and clutch cover.  Lo and behold, about a 1/2" more than the replacement engine.  Viewing inside the inspection covers of both engines looked like this:

Dead engine clearance

Replacement engine clearance

While discussing this with my friends, I came up with the idea of removing 5 of the 6 bolts that hold the clutch cover in place and loosening the 6th bolt, while positioning it at the 12:00 position.  This would allow me to swing the clutch cover to the passenger side while trying to snap the clutch fork into position.  I set it up...and it worked!  I then reattached the 5 bolts.  Then it was time to test fit the throwout bearing...and it doesn't fit into the clutch fork.  Not without pressing it hard against the fingers of the clutch cover.  Time to go back to the forum and ask for advice.  Can the throwout bearing ride against the clutch cover fingers or not.  The answer came back:  No!  Game, set and match.  It all has to go.

So now, I have to remove the clutch kit entirely (and try to return).  Then I have to remove the heavy duty flywheel (and try to sell it).  Then it's off to the old engine.

Once I'm done with the replacement engine, I will have to remove the old clutch and flywheel from the dead engine and inspect that flywheel for possible re-use on the replacement engine.  If it is in good enough condition to be re-used, I'll have to have it resurfaced.  Then I have a decision to make:  stick with the 6V ring gear or buy a 12V ring gear and swap it out.

The difference between the two is that the 6V ring gear has 132 teeth to the gear and only works with a 6V starter.  The 12V ring gear has 168 teeth and only works with 12V starters.  They are intentionally not interchangeable.  I can use the 6V starter with my 12V truck.  It'll spin faster, but engage harder than usual, so the ring gear will get a beating.  The unknown right now, is whether or not the old starter in the dead engine still works.  Once I get the flywheel out of the dead engine, I'll hook up the jumper cables and see if the old starter will work.  If it does, then I'll probably stick with that.  If not, then I'll have to buy a replacement ring gear and swap it out.  To do that, you have to heat the ring gear enough to make it swell, so that it can be knocked off of the flywheel.  Then you heat the replacement enough that it can be fit to the flywheel and can cool and shrink to a tight fit.

So that's it.  One step forward, two steps back.  It's all a part of my learning process.  Hopefully, all it costs me is time and not too much money.  What it does do, though, is keep me from installing the engine right away.  The fall is slipping away from me and the cold weather will be here soon.  Once that happens, if the engine isn't in the truck, it probably won't go in until spring.

Stay tuned, I'll keep you up to date.

Here's a somewhat random, certainly unrelated pic.

Who knew deer could climb stairs, just to go after the pumpkins on your porch?!?  Who knew that they could get down?!?  And yes, the pumpkins ended up in the front yard with parts missing and eaten.

The Transformation Begins!

Hello Gray Ghost Fans!

I've got exciting news!  It's day 3 of my weekend!  While that is great news, it's not what I'm writing about!  Although, it is what got me the extra time in the garage.  How did I use this extra time?  Starting the transformation of the engine from one that drove an automatic transmission to one that will power a manual transmission!  I've talked about it a lot, and now I'm finally getting to it.  Where did this road begin?  Here:

The engine, as it sat in the 1961 Impala in the local junkyard.

"Surgically" removed from the Impala and strapped down in my 93 Chevy truck.

On a cradle in the garage.

Turning the cradle into a run stand.

Run stand completed.

Fan from a Honda Civic, salvaged from the same junkyard.  Now the test stand is complete.

Time passes...other things get done...life goes on...

A pop quiz is added to the blog (see last post for quiz) and the pilot bushing is added to the crankshaft.  Spoiler!

The starter is removed.

Automatic transmission flexplate and adapter plate before removal.

Flexplate gone.

Adapter plate gone...

Restored bell housing installed!

(GM calls it the clutch housing)

Refinished flywheel ready for installation.

Rear of flywheel showing timing BB painted white and layout of firing order next to ring gear.

New motor mounts installed, although only hand tightened right now.

Quite a transformation, I must say.  However, only cosmetic to this point.  I was concerned that the flywheel wouldn't fit under the clutch housing, while the engine was on the stand.  I was correct.  Once I figured out that it wouldn't fit without lifting the engine in the rear, I was too tired and it was too late in the day to continue.  So I called it a day.  Next time, I'll torque down the rear motor mounts shown above and use them as a hoisting point to raise the rear of the engine a bit.  I don't need much room, maybe 2 inches...then I'll be able to maneuver the flywheel into place and be able to bolt it down.  Once the flywheel is in place, I'll remount the starter and reconnect those electrical connections that I figured out in my last post.  From there, I'll add the new clutch assembly and reinstall the transmission.  Once that is done...it's time for that engine to go into the truck!  I'm literally one good garage session away from being ready to install the engine in the truck!

It's been a long time coming.  That first picture above was taken in August 2010.  Yes, I know what you're thinking.  This guy moves about as fast as pond water.  You may be right!  But when I really work at it, I can make some progress.  In fact, it's all the off topic work that makes these work sessions go so fast.  Examples are documented in earlier (sometimes much earlier) posts, where I talk about getting the clutch housing hot tanked and then doing the painting myself or getting the heavy duty flywheel in an auction and finding a 90 year old machinist that would resurface it for me.  All of those things were done, literally, years ago and the finished products were stored in my basement.  All of them waiting for the day.  Today.

I'll get another 3 day weekend in two weeks.  Apart from the joy of having a 3 day weekend, I'll likely get some time to raise up the rear of the engine and get that flywheel installed.  From there, it's just a hop, skip and a jump to engine transplant day!  Wish me luck!

The Heat Finally Breaks...Time To Get Into The Garage.

Hello Gray Ghost Fans!

It's been a long hot summer, but the heat has finally broken!  I had a day off, so with some good temps, it was time to head into the garage!  Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I haven't taken the whole summer off.  In fact, I was cleaning and prepping the engine bay for when it was time to transplant that replacement engine.  I was actually really happy with just how clean it came.  Turns out that all that oily crud is really good at preserving metal!  Who knew?  Sadly, though, not all of the metal was covered.  So there is some rust and although it looks like a lot of rust, it's really not that bad.  Here are a couple of pics to show what I'm talking about:

To the left of each pic is the radiator support frame.  Next to that is the front engine mount crossmember.  Next to that, you can see the front axle and drag link.  Here's a shot that I thought was funny:

Nothing like having complete access with the engine gone!  I may have published this pic before...but it does show how I went about the business of getting everything cleaned.  It also shows the reality of doing this kind of work without the benefit of a garden shed.  Hopefully, I can remedy that situation next spring!  Anyway, back to the garage.

So, yes, I did have some activity this summer.  Just not as much as I would have liked.  Today, I would change that.  First order of business was to fire up the 235 and make sure that there weren't any hidden failures.  After making room in the garage, connecting the battery and adding some gas, off we went.  She smoked pretty good until it warmed up.  Seemed fine after that.  Good news, she's still a runner!  Second order of business, swap out the original solenoid based starter for an old foot stomp starter!  I just happened to have one laying around, so off I went.  The swap was easy.  The old one was a gnarly mess, as I wasn't ever able to clean it due to it's close proximity to the engine block.  Now it was off and set aside.  Bolting up the stomp starter was equally easy.  Now comes the hard part.  Taking 4 wires from the starter switch and figuring out which ones I need and where they go on a switch that only has 2 terminals.  After some head scratching, I thought I had it.  Hook up the battery, turn the key to the on position, reach down and push on the starter button and it tries to fire!  It actually startled me, which caused me to let go.  No problem, I'll just try again.  Reach down and push the button and nothing.  Check the keys, switch, wires, battery charge all to no avail.  It won't make a single sound.  Well that sucks!  Now what?  Time to clean the old solenoid based starter.  At least that one works.  So I did and then reversed everything that I had just done.  Good grief.

Yes, one step forward and one step backward, but maybe I can salvage something from this disappointment.  Even though the solenoid based starter would start the engine, I knew that something was wrong, because it would shoot out a large spark every time I turned the key to activate it.  Kinda looked like arc welding....  Also, the engine was hard to start.  Meaning that it would have to crank a bunch before it would light off.  I had been told some time ago that if I had an "internally resisted" coil, it would be a problem with starting.  For whatever reason, I never got around to checking.  Then one day this summer I decided to check.  Guess what I found:

No external resistor required.  Engineering talk for internally resisted.  Clear as day, you can also see it is a 12V coil.  So...if it is a 12V coil, why would you need a resistor???  Because GM never changed the points and condenser.  They still operated at 6V!  It wasn't until the advent of HEI ignition systems that we got true 12V ignition!  So, armed with this knowledge, it was off to the flaps to get a coil that needs a ballast resistor, which means that it does not have an internal resistor.  Of course, I would also need a ballast resistor.

How this all works:  When the current flows from the ignition switch, it will flow to the ballast resistor, which will lower it from 12V to 6V, thus preserving the points and condenser.  To overcome the hard starting issue, there is a bypass circuit from the starter solenoid directly to the coil.  This bypass circuit provides true 12V to make starting easier.  Since it is for a short duration, it does not damage the points or condenser.  Once you let go of the key, the bypass circuit is shut off and the engine runs off the ballast resistor and 6V.  The rest of the truck's electric needs are for 12V and are met through a different circuit that runs from the ignition switch through the accessory leg.  Plain as day, right?

To preserve my day in the garage, I decided to wire up the new coil and ballast resistor while the engine was on the test stand and see if it would work.  Logically, it wasn't too hard to figure out which wires went where, so it was off to the races.  With everything wired up, it was time to test it all out.  Let me just say that the results were stunning.  The engine fired up in less that one second!  I'll repeat that:  less that one second of cranking!  Clearly, problem solved.  In case you are wondering, there is no embellishment here.  From there, I let it run until I drained the small gas tank (salvaged from an old Honda lawn mower, but that's a different story for a different day, unless I already covered it way back in the beginning of the blog....)

So there you have it.  Progress, even if it wasn't what I was planning/hoping for.  Decisions that fell out from the day's efforts:  sticking with the solenoid starter, adding the externally resisted coil and ballast resistor and sticking with the one wire alternator.  I now know exactly how to wire them up and the wire harness that I installed some time ago is set up for all of it.

With the cooler weather and progress in the garage today, I am energized to make the last preparations for getting the engine ready for transplant.  Stay tuned....

OBTW, one other thing did get done and I completely forgot about it!  I installed the first piece of equipment necessary to transform the engine from an automatic transmission to one with a manual.  I'll show you all the pic and see who knows what it is.  Here you go:

I'll give you a clue:  I'm referring to the bright, bronze piece in the center of the pic.  The tip of the transmission input shaft rides inside it.