Thread: 1929 Essex Highboy

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That tranny is not going to ride there..............RIGHT

Originally Posted by to-qwk

That tranny is not going to ride there..............RIGHT

haaahaaaa I hope NOT. I am working (still) on the transmission mount which when done should pick it up about 2 1/2 inches. If that doesn't look like it'll clear the Maine Roads, I'll have to raise the motor mounts and redrill the holes in the tranny mount drop-out. Fingers Crossed!
Perley

Here is what greeted me when we got back from Thanksgiving week at our Daughter's in Connecticutt. UGH. Big wind storm split my roof into many pieces. Long blue strings hanging from all the trees around, looks like Christmas! And from inside, look at all the pretty stars at night. And before I could get another tarp 40 ft. x 60 ft. and get it on, we had snow, of course. Good old Murphy! Luckily I had most things (of importance) covered up inside. REAL DEPRESSING! Got a cheapie tarp ($72.00) from local discount store and put it on, before the week was out, this one was abraded at the top where it rubs on the steel bows of the greenhouse structure! So--------gonna have to buy another, and another day of removing all the laths and pull on another cover, staple and put laths back on! Sometimes the stress catches up with ya, don'tchaknow?

So here's most of the story on the drive train. The motor is from a '69 camaro, a 230 ci inline 6. It had a 2 speed powerglide behind it in that application. Here is a pic of the flex plate that came on it. I wanted a Borg Warner T-5 from a Chevy S-10, so..........needed to find; 13 inch flywheel, matching pressure plate, clutch disc to fit pressure plate [B]AND[B] the 14 tooth shaft of the T-5. What a process! I read every thread on every forum I could find about T-5's. WHEW. I finally found a bell housing from an older small block chevy, came cracked as I mentioned before, but OK. A friend had a 13 inch flywheel and pressure plate from a '72 Chevy pickup truck that he sold me (the clutch disc was NOT a 14 tooth though. Then I read more and could not come up with the right clutch disc. I was near ready to use the 8 inch disc from the S-10 when I found an ebay ad for Fort Wayne Clutch and Driveline in Indiana. I emailed them and right away got a reply that they had it. So a few days and 40 odd bucks and I had it. Nice job. Thanks Ft. Wayne Folks. Nice to do business with. Photos of parts! Also of input shaft of T-5 and throw-out bearing retainer, both of which had to be cut 9/16 of an inch.

More pics of drive train parts. Enjoy!

Upon learning of all the diffugalties involving the clutch et al, I figured what the heck, I'll use the stuff from the S-10 engine, which was a 2.8 V6. No dice. Flywheel was an 11 inch, so would not fit my 13 inch bell housing nor would my starter engage it. So after finding the 13 inch flywheel and no clutch disc, I figured I'd use the 8 inch clutch from the S-10. No dice! heeheee. Bolt holes in pressure plate wouldn't fit holes in Flywheel. In the end (almost) I was gonna use the 8 inch S-10 disc with the 10 1/2" pressure plate (that fit the flywheel) but then found the good folks at Fort Wayne Clutch. Hooorrraaaaay! This Hot Rodding thing is sure a challenge.

Perley, I have totally been missing this build, but I just went through and read all of it and have to say I am very impressed. Nice work and it is going to make a really nice hot rod............and sure different. Different is good.

My life for the past four months has consisted of work, eat, sleep........work, eat, sleep........etc. I breeze through here for a few minutes before bed, so I have not been catching all the threads.

Please keep this one going, you have all the right ingredients........a cool build, a couple of dogs and cats thrown in, and you are explaining each step in a fun, clear manner. I enjoyed it a lot and now have something new to check in on each night. Sometimes people enjoy a thread without having anything to add, so don't think we aren't loving every update.

Don