TKO 500 Install - 1966 Coronet - SST Kit

[watermelon]

did some miscellaneous work on the 66 and then back onto the TKO500 install

mounted up clutch, clutch cover, and did a hydraulic bearing measurement/install per the instructions. so far so good.


watermelon

 

[watermelon]

bellhousing bolted and hydraulic bearing in. connected up transmission. was curious to see how it was going to slide in with that bearing dangling there but it lined up and with a little patience and finesse slide right in.

now onto underdash area and rest of interior. i want to make sure the car is at full weight before and rested on wheels for a few days before driveshaft measurements


watermelon

 

[Will-Fonkjam]

Patience & Finesse.... I hear you!

 

[watermelon]

got an extra pedal in the car now. onto bleeding the hydraulic master cylinder for the clutch pedal.


watermelon

 

[Herr_Poopschitz]

Great writeup. I just pieced my TKO600 setup together w/ help from SST as I had the trans sitting around from an old turbo’d Mustang I had done years ago. I’m actually at exactly the same stage as you as of your last post, but have had some distractions the last few months hindering my progress.

I must ask, where did you get the heat insulation on the undercarriage?

 

[watermelon]

the dimpled stuff is:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dei-050503

i did a light wash on the undercoat with warm water n soap and let dry for a few weeks while I did other things. then did a light coat of 3M high temp spray adhesive on the areas and applied the material. on the edges of material I applied 3M seam sealer. let everything dry then applied aluminum tape over seams. — the material itself has an adhesive backing

that in conjunction with my two layers of interior sound deadening/heat lining should be good

my goal has always been to make this thing as tight/comfortable as my Dodge Caravan. i am almost there.


watermelon

 

[watermelon]

i missed posting this step. i had to mill down a little material on these plastic bushings to get the pin to slide in across the new clutch and brake pedal holes.

took a drill and some rough grit then some smooth grit to get it to comply. those who know know.


watermelon

 

[watermelon]

original speedo versus new SST speedo cable on the right...not too far off. about a coonhound’s length or about five-six buff *** chihuahua’s. you do the math.

gonna use the gps thing anyhow.



watermelon

 

[watermelon]

center console back in.

still thinking my best modification on this car was adding a few cup holders.

still got some wiring and drilling to do.


watermelon

 

[watermelon]

found a corner to mount the hydraulic master cylinder.



watermelon

 

[watermelon]

ordered a new rubber boot for the manual shift plate. was planning on running with the tattered one

im thinking of tossing on a steering column mounted tach


watermelon

 

[watermelon]

cutout the og starter wiring. wiring up some fresh stuff

i’m sometimes find myself thinking about the auto-to-TKO conversion. the entire internet says it shoulda been done over a weekend. now almost a year later....



watermelon

 

[66 Sat]

I've been thinking about converting mine to a manual box - forgetting the 1 weekend internet bullshit, how long do you reckon this conversion would realistically take if you were working on it consistently say 10 hours per week? How hard are the instructions to follow for the average mechanically minded guy? Cheers.

 

[watermelon]

2-3 months is doable if you don’t have any house projects, honey-do lists, and you resist the temptation to perform other upgrades on the car while undergoing the conversion. the kit from Silver Sport has been great and instructions are comprehensive. in addition to the instructions, the advice given by members here has proved invaluable.

go for it.


watermelon

 

[watermelon]

nothing to post other than have been fixing up a rats nest of wiring

does anyone know if i need to change the starter relay when going from auto to manual?

my thought is that i can ground the connection that used to go between the relay and the neutral safety switch on the 727. would that work?

any feedback is appreciated.




watermelon

 

[watermelon]

got some advice over on the electrical forum here. going to run this car without the NSS.

moved onto fitting up a center console that lived its life with a 727. it will have to get used to a tko500 shifter.

and a random shot of wiring rats nest...cleaning this up might take longer than the tko500 install

ohh...did i mention i started this project last September......damn....September is coming quick. no fault of any vendor...just life giving me priorities.



watermelon

 

[watermelon]

someone is going to have to remind me why I took this thing off and where did the original gasket went. anyhow, glad i have spare Thermo Tec Cool It stuff laying around. making a gasket for it now.

what does this have to do with a 727 to Tko500 conversion anyway....rhetorical question.


watermelon

 

[Kern Dog]

I've been thinking about converting mine to a manual box - forgetting the 1 weekend internet bullshit, how long do you reckon this conversion would realistically take if you were working on it consistently say 10 hours per week? How hard are the instructions to follow for the average mechanically minded guy? Cheers.

My guess is a weekend if you have a car lift and no distractions. That assumes that you have all the tools you need and run into no snags along the way.

 

[Will-Fonkjam]

someone is going to have to remind me why I took this thing off and where did the original gasket went. anyhow, glad i have spare Thermo Tec Cool It stuff laying around. making a gasket for it now.

what does this have to do with a 727 to Tko500 conversion anyway....rhetorical question.


watermelon

View attachment 976739 View attachment 976740

It's just stuff that's in the way when installing that 3rd pedal bracketry.

 

[watermelon]

nothing else to report other than cleaning up wiring and sent in driveshaft measurements to SST. they estimate a few weeks for delivery. i’m ok with that - heck i’ve milked out this conversion for nearly a year.

a few pics

notes for driveshaft on order form (old revision)

correct way to mount shifter bracket for a 66 application - that’s only if you want the shifter in the center of the console shifter opening




watermelon