My Gear Vendors Install Thread - '67 Barracuda Notchback 340/416 Stroker
Well, my work schedule for today changed a little, so I made some more time to work on the Overdrive installation.
I transferred the paper template to a thin cardboard (beer case) and took some more careful measurements with the centering rod and angle finder in place.
I set it at a slightly higher angle than what my trans output is actually at which is 3 degrees down. I figured this would help make sure I gained adequate clearance.
I also made some minor adjustments to the rubber trans mount area to make sure the trans was centered better which shifted it over toward the passenger side by about 3/16". This made a nice difference. I always knew it was off a little. Old car tolerances weren't the best! I used a highlighter marker to show where I opened up the rubber trans mount holes just a little.
I used my heavy-duty air hammer with a dimpling tool to slowly work the driver's side of the tunnel out a little and it did a great job without beating up the lizard skin coating and paint, which made me very happy.
See the photos below as well as a boring 9 minute youtube video showing the air hammer work and the results. I tried my best to get good angles on the photos and video but because of shadows and lighting, it's not always easy to see exactly how much clearance is really there.
I ended up with about 1/4" to 3/8" of clearance all the way around which I will call good unless I find out otherwise when I bolt the overdrive up and raise it all back into place. I'm going to try to get to that this afternoon if time permits and post some more updates.
Thanks for looking! I hope this helps somebody who is considering pulling the trigger on one of these. I know every car and setup is different. I spent a good amount of time checking all my engine and trans mounts, etc. to make sure I started off on the best foot with the transmission point down the center of the tunnel as much as possible.
Next up is to remove the driveshaft loop so I can slide it rearward about 8 inches and then I'll lower the tailshaft back down and bolt up the overdrive portion & see how it fits.
Here's that video of the air hammer work:
Well, my work schedule for today changed a little, so I made some more time to work on the Overdrive installation.
I transferred the paper template to a thin cardboard (beer case) and took some more careful measurements with the centering rod and angle finder in place.
I set it at a slightly higher angle than what my trans output is actually at which is 3 degrees down. I figured this would help make sure I gained adequate clearance.
I also made some minor adjustments to the rubber trans mount area to make sure the trans was centered better which shifted it over toward the passenger side by about 3/16". This made a nice difference. I always knew it was off a little. Old car tolerances weren't the best! I used a highlighter marker to show where I opened up the rubber trans mount holes just a little.
I used my heavy-duty air hammer with a dimpling tool to slowly work the driver's side of the tunnel out a little and it did a great job without beating up the lizard skin coating and paint, which made me very happy.
See the photos below as well as a boring 9 minute youtube video showing the air hammer work and the results. I tried my best to get good angles on the photos and video but because of shadows and lighting, it's not always easy to see exactly how much clearance is really there.
I ended up with about 1/4" to 3/8" of clearance all the way around which I will call good unless I find out otherwise when I bolt the overdrive up and raise it all back into place. I'm going to try to get to that this afternoon if time permits and post some more updates.
Thanks for looking! I hope this helps somebody who is considering pulling the trigger on one of these. I know every car and setup is different. I spent a good amount of time checking all my engine and trans mounts, etc. to make sure I started off on the best foot with the transmission point down the center of the tunnel as much as possible.
Next up is to remove the driveshaft loop so I can slide it rearward about 8 inches and then I'll lower the tailshaft back down and bolt up the overdrive portion & see how it fits.
Here's that video of the air hammer work: