1969 GTX....The T stands for tetanus

[threewood]

Game on!!!!

 

[daytona kid]

Sweet!.. What's the stall rpm?

 

[threewood]

Sweet!.. What's the stall rpm?

3400 if I remember correctly. John said it would drive around town like a sweetheart but ehen you get on it, it will flash to 3400 snd roast the tires off lol.

 

[threewood]

This was exciting! I lined up the flexplate and tc and marked the offset leg. After it was marked I lifted the motor from the surly bonds of Earth and attached the flexplate to the motor. I used blue locktite on the bolts and ran them in with care using my impact. Torquing bolts on a swinging motor is no fun.

Torque converter fit well and clunked in past the bell housing.

Moment of truth.....

It has a heart again!!!!
The pass side motor mount hung a bit on the stud but went in eventually. The headers seem to fit good but may be a little bit flared outboard as they are close to the tortion bars. Free swinging on 2 bolts there is plenty of room but once they are tightened the headers push toward the outside. I should be able to fix it with a ratchet strap. I am super happy with them for the price.
Also, the pass side trans dowel is hung up but just needs worked to get it to drop hopefully. I have 3 trans to engine bolts in so it is close. I ran out of time as I had to get ready for work but I will be at it tomorrow.

 

[69 GTX]

Looking good! Takes a little time and patience by your self but doable. Looking good. Is your oil sending unit for the warning light or gauge. I know there is a different one for each.

 

[threewood]

Looking good! Takes a little time and patience by your self but doable. Looking good. Is your oil sending unit for the warning light or gauge. I know there is a different one for each.

The dash light. The sender for the gauge is larger.
It isn't a bad one man job. I gotta get under it and mess with the trans alignment to get the pin to drop into the pocket. Otherwise it is right there. After it is fully bolted up, I need to figure out how the best way to get the starter in.

 

[69 GTX]

Let the header hang as low as possible. Luckily I didn't have my steering column in and I could fit it in between the tubes to install.

 

[68GTXNH]

The dash light. The sender for the gauge is larger.
It isn't a bad one man job. I gotta get under it and mess with the trans alignment to get the pin to drop into the pocket. Otherwise it is right there. After it is fully bolted up, I need to figure out how the best way to get the starter in.

i hate to rain on your parade, and do as you will with it, but ive seen it enough to be concerned and just want you to be aware of it, especially given how high that stall converter is, itll load down right through the crank pretty tough when it rips free. ive seen a lot of badluck coming from using an impact to trust the tightness on flex plate bolts. its fine on a little no torque small block but with that much torque in a heavy car you really outta use a torque wrench on the flex plate. theres two reasons why, thread and bolts,. number 1 is most cranks are just cast iron, threads in them are fairly questionable to begin with. off hand i can think of 4 different times ive personally seen "over tightened" via impact wrench flexplate bolts rip out under hard loading. granted it was at the strip three times and once on the road. but the common denominator through discussion in the pits was "they shouldve been tight enough i used the impact gun on em" only to see at closer inspection the bolts didnt come free, they ripped out leaving 6 smooth holes. they only need to be tightened to 55 ft/lbs, thats hardly anything. wheel lug nuts need more then that. impact guns are WAY more capable then that. a thread formed in a soft metal thats being pulled on by a couple hundred ftlbs is waiting to rip out. then you throw 3400rpm of 450ish foot of torque multiplied with a 3700lbs car twisting and yanking at it. if the flexplate rips off youll either have to band aid it with helicoils or rebuild the motor with a new crank
the number 2 reason is, without reading all the way back into when you built the motor i cant remember if you have a cast or a forged crank. say you do have a forged crank, they are still only 7/16ths bolts holding them on, designed for that 55ft lbs. even top of the line arp forged bolts, preloading them that much with the impact gun is a bad idea. even grade 8 life depended on it 7/16th bolts in a a plane or a tank or something are are rated at a maximum recommended of 58ft lbs. at least you have an automatic so if the heads pop off they dont mangle a clutch.

just my 2 cents. all that work and money and the weak link could be in those 6 little bolts. to me, a swinging motor is always worth the hassle to properly torque something.

 

[threewood]

i hate to rain on your parade, and do as you will with it, but ive seen it enough to be concerned and just want you to be aware of it, especially given how high that stall converter is, itll load down right through the crank pretty tough when it rips free. ive seen a lot of badluck coming from using an impact to trust the tightness on flex plate bolts. its fine on a little no torque small block but with that much torque in a heavy car you really outta use a torque wrench on the flex plate. theres two reasons why, thread and bolts,. number 1 is most cranks are just cast iron, threads in them are fairly questionable to begin with. off hand i can think of 4 different times ive personally seen "over tightened" via impact wrench flexplate bolts rip out under hard loading. granted it was at the strip three times and once on the road. but the common denominator through discussion in the pits was "they shouldve been tight enough i used the impact gun on em" only to see at closer inspection the bolts didnt come free, they ripped out leaving 6 smooth holes. they only need to be tightened to 55 ft/lbs, thats hardly anything. wheel lug nuts need more then that. impact guns are WAY more capable then that. a thread formed in a soft metal thats being pulled on by a couple hundred ftlbs is waiting to rip out. then you throw 3400rpm of 450ish foot of torque multiplied with a 3700lbs car twisting and yanking at it. if the flexplate rips off youll either have to band aid it with helicoils or rebuild the motor with a new crank
the number 2 reason is, without reading all the way back into when you built the motor i cant remember if you have a cast or a forged crank. say you do have a forged crank, they are still only 7/16ths bolts holding them on, designed for that 55ft lbs. even top of the line arp forged bolts, preloading them that much with the impact gun is a bad idea. even grade 8 life depended on it 7/16th bolts in a a plane or a tank or something are are rated at a maximum recommended of 58ft lbs. at least you have an automatic so if the heads pop off they dont mangle a clutch.

just my 2 cents. all that work and money and the weak link could be in those 6 little bolts. to me, a swinging motor is always worth the hassle to properly torque something.

I appreciate the input. The crank is forged. I did not rattle the bolts on full force. Low setting on the gun, until contact and one or two quick bumps. I'm not gojng to say they are exact at 55ft/lbs but they are not excessive and should be pretty close.

 

[68GTXNH]

I appreciate the input. The crank is forged. I did not rattle the bolts on full force. Low setting on the gun, until contact and one or two quick bumps. I'm not gojng to say they are exact at 55ft/lbs but they are not excessive and should be pretty close.

well at least you didnt hammer them in till the gun stopped spinning. in that case they'll probably be fine. .

 

[threewood]

well at least you didnt hammer them in till the gun stopped spinning. in that case they'll probably be fine. .

Thanks. When I say I ran them in with care that's what I meant. I was really leary of torquing the motor around on my chinese made hoist and chain. I get really nervous with motors in the air.

 

[threewood]

Well, today sucked!!
Went out this afternoon and got the last alignment dowel in place. Tightened yhe rest of the bolts, crossmember in and....... the f'n torque converter would not move. I layed there a few minutes and then started unbolting everything.

So, I pulled the motor to see what was up. My measurement gave me 3/16" wiggle room and I tried the old converter...same measurements, 1 1/4" to the flywheel. Looked at the snout thinking maybe something was different between yhe two. The only difference I saw was the pump engagement slots. Stock tc was wider so I modified the PTC tc. I also cleaned the crank end and applied more lube.

Dropped everything back in, popped the engine and trans together and threw some bolts in and checked the tc. 3/16" and free spinning!! So I got the rest of the bolts tightened, checked again. ....good!

Got all the mount bolts back in. While the engine was out I re-torqued the flex plate bolts to 55 ft/lbs and hammered out some some clearance dents in the headers. Cripes!!!!

 

[threewood]

well at least you didnt hammer them in till the gun stopped spinning. in that case they'll probably be fine. .

I had to pull the motor so I re-torqued them to 55 ft/lbs

 

[threewood]

I worked on the shift linkage today. The one I had was for a column shift car so I cut and welded the end onto a piece of 5/16" steel rod. After a couple of bends and tweeks it works pretty good. I forgot how awesome it is working on a car with headers :/

 

[threewood]

I installed my torque converter to flexplate bolts today as well as a bunch of odds and ends such as radiator fittings, heater hose, alternator, belt, spark plugs, trans inspection cover. I fabricated the heater hose fender retainer. I still need to clearance my headers some more.

 

[69 GTX]

Looking good. Things get tight on the driverside around the trans linkage, lines, headers & neutral safety switch.

 

[threewood]

I started working on hooking up my trans cooler and bending lines. I am running the line from the trans to the radiator, from the radiator to the top cooler inlet, from the cooler back to the trans. I am using 5/16" hardlines throughout.

 

[threewood]

Finished up for the night. I need to get a flare connector and a tube nut on the transmission end to complete the return line. I split the line up front because it is about impossible to snake it in otherwise and it will make removal so much easier.

 

[69 GTX]

Good progress.

 

[showard]

Wow! you are moving right along. That engine sure looks good back in where it should be.