1964 Valiant "Get Runnin & Drivin"

-
Well, as expected, there are at least a few things I'm going to have to fab around. The Z bar needs to be shortened about 1.5". The drive shaft has to be shortened 2.5". Also the transmission tunnel is not made for the bigger A230. With the transmission sitting on the cross member, the nuts that hold the shift levers on are crammed up against the transmission tunnel on the driver's side. Not a huge deal. Nothing some finessing with a large pry bar cannot fix. I may have to look at the later column shift levers, as the low/reverse lever makes contact with the floor and doesn't allow movement, but I believe I can work around it. So far it doesn't look like anything that's going to stop me....just a few things that are going to take a little time to sort out.
 
After some thAnkin I believe what I am going to do is this. I am going to yank the 230 back out. Remove the later 230 bellhousing and put the 170 bellhousing and transmission back in it behind the 225. That will solve every problem I am facing right now. The z bar, the drive shaft and the linkage hitting the transmission tunnel. I don't need the A230 in there yet. I was just gonna go ahead and do it now, so it would be in there for the 400 if I decided to throw that in it at some point. All this will do is slow me down just a little, verses slowing me down a lot and costing money I don't need to spend right now. I'm pretty confident the small transmission will hold up to the 225, especially with me driving like I do. lol So, rather than it be a few weeks before the car is runnin and drivin again, it will probably be around a week.
 
Got the A230 and bellhousing off the 225 and the 170 transmission and bellhousing off the 170. I'm done for today. I'll get the small transmission on the 225 tomorrow.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Got the A230 and bellhousing off the 225 and the 170 transmission and bellhousing off the 170. I'm done for today. I'll get the small transmission on the 225 tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Are you planning to run a column shifter? Is that why you have a 230 clearance problem? Just wondering. I put a 230 trans and floor shifter in a 65 Valiant long time ago, using the original 170 bellhousing as I recall, and didn't have any clearance problems except, of course, cutting the trans tunnel for the shifter and putting in the floor hump.
 
65 Cuda 340 said:
Are you planning to run a column shifter? Is that why you have a 230 clearance problem? Just wondering. I put a 230 trans and floor shifter in a 65 Valiant long time ago, using the original 170 bellhousing as I recall, and didn't have any clearance problems except, of course, cutting the trans tunnel for the shifter and putting in the floor hump.
Click to expand...

Exactly. I am keeping the three on the tree come hell or high water. I don't see how you had clearance, because on mine the nuts retaining the shift levers on the transmission were crammed against the transmission tunnel so hard, it pushed the tunnel out a little and even loosened the nuts. lol
 
RustyRatRod said:
Exactly. I am keeping the three on the tree come hell or high water. I don't see how you had clearance, because on mine the nuts retaining the shift levers on the transmission were crammed against the transmission tunnel so hard, it pushed the tunnel out a little and even loosened the nuts. lol
Click to expand...

Well, I cut the tunnel from just behind the shifter to just ahead of the shift levers, so I reckon that took care of any tunnel interference, and then the hump covered it all up. Later, I swapped the three speed for a four speed. Didn't have to do any more to the floor than I had already done. I have to say, I liked the floor shifter a lot better than the original column shifter, but - hey - whatever floats your boat. LOL
 
65 Cuda 340 said:
Well, I cut the tunnel from just behind the shifter to just ahead of the shift levers, so I reckon that took care of any tunnel interference, and then the hump covered it all up. Later, I swapped the three speed for a four speed. Didn't have to do any more to the floor than I had already done. I have to say, I liked the floor shifter a lot better than the original column shifter, but - hey - whatever floats your boat. LOL
Click to expand...

I like it because you don't see them around much anymore.....and I like it cause I like it. lol It's just a cool reminder of different times.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I like it because you don't see them around much anymore.....and I like it cause I like it. lol It's just a cool reminder of different times.
Click to expand...

Well, I can relate, seeing as how I still have two column shifted manual trans cars.

Worst column shifted car I ever drove was Dad's beater 61 Falcon wagon with a 144 six. Try to hurry the 1-2 shift too much and it would hang up. Many's the time I had to stop, get out, raise the hood and jiggle the shift levers to get them un-hung.

65 Valiant's column shift was much better.

Best manual-trans column shift I've ever experienced is the one in my 49 Dodge. No H pattern; you shift from low to second in a straight line. Very sturdy and very precise.

atcairo2.jpg
 
65 Cuda 340 said:
Well, I can relate, seeing as how I still have two column shifted manual trans cars.

Worst column shifted car I ever drove was Dad's beater 61 Falcon wagon with a 144 six. Try to hurry the 1-2 shift too much and it would hang up. Many's the time I had to stop, get out, raise the hood and jiggle the shift levers to get them un-hung.

65 Valiant's column shift was much better.

Best manual-trans column shift I've ever experienced is the one in my 49 Dodge. No H pattern; you shift from low to second in a straight line. Very sturdy and very precise.

View attachment 1715722181
Click to expand...

....and very cool!
 
Got the small bellhousing and little transmission back in the car tonight. Had about all I can stand for today. Get more done tomorrow.
 
Last edited:
Well, here's how my day went. lol Got out there this mornin and got after it. Got the cross member in, drive shaft in starter, z bar hooked back up. Took a little break thinkin I had gotten a lot done in a short time. Uh huh. Yeah. So then I went to hook up the clutch rod to the Z bar and the clutch pedal rod to the other end of the Z bar and started adjusting the clutch free travel.Got to the end of the threads on the rod and the rod fell apart. Muh huh. So I looked up into the clutch fork hole. What I don't see........the throwout bearing. It was in the bottom of the bellhousing because I knocked it off when I stabbed the transmission back in. So out it came. Got the throwout bearing back on and laid there thinkin about it. Rather than use the jack again which I don't have a dedicated transmission adapter for and risk knocking the throwout bearing back off and really gettin pissed off, I just grabbed the transmission and pressed it up and in. CLUNK. There it is. So now everything's pretty much back where it was last night, but the clutch adjusted out right and the throwout bearing is in right. Dammit all. LOL
 
Last edited:
RustyRatRod said:
Well, here's how my day went. lol Got out there this mornin and got after it. Got the cross member in, drive shaft in starter, z bar hooked back up. Took a little beak thinkin I had gotten a lot done in a short time. Uh huh. Yeah. So then I went to hook up the clutch rod to the Z bar and the clutch pedal rod to the other end of the Z bar and started adjusting the clutch free travel.Got to the end of the threads on the rod and the rod fell apart. Muh huh. So I looked up into the clutch fork hole. What I don't see........the throwout bearing. It was in the bottom of the bellhousing because I knocked it off when I stabbed the transmission back in. So out it came. Got the throwout bearing back on and laid there thinkin about it. Rather than use the jack again which I don't have a dedicated transmission adapter for and risk knocking the throwout bearing back off and really gettin pissed off, I just grabbed the transmission and pressed it up and it. CLUNK. There it is. So now everything's pretty much back where it was last night, but the clutch adjusted out right and the throwout bearing is in right. Dammit all. LOL
Click to expand...
Don’t ya hate it when that happens??
Oh well, suck it up and move past it. Like the bearing i waited 2 hours for,and wasnt in my delivery. Had to go pick it up anyhoo.
 
Tooljunkie said:
Don’t ya hate it when that happens??
Oh well, suck it up and move past it. Like the bearing i waited 2 hours for,and wasnt in my delivery. Had to go pick it up anyhoo.
Click to expand...

Oh I did. I had that beeotch back on the floor in ten minutes. Everything under it was hooked up, too. I was almost ready to put it in the floor. lol
 
RustyRatRod said:
Oh I did. I had that beeotch back on the floor in ten minutes. Everything under it was hooked up, too. I was almost ready to put it in the floor. lol
Click to expand...

Dont feel bad , I was getting ready , once upon a time , getting ready to put a727 up to the block , then remembered to put the torque conv. in first , would have been a bad day !
 
famous bob said:
Dont feel bad , I was getting ready , once upon a time , getting ready to put a727 up to the block , then remembered to put the torque conv. in first , would have been a bad day !
Click to expand...

Yeah, that wouldda sucked. I've never done that but I have put a clutch disc...or two in backwards. LOL
 
Haha. I'm right there with you. I got the bottom end and most of the accessories hung on the truck engine including the oil pan when I look down and see two shiny brass plugs on the assembly cart. What are those I wonder, sez the Idiot Mechanic? Oh, those might be the oil galley plugs, one of which is BARELY accessible on the engine stand side, the other one is buried behind the cam gear so off that stuff comes to get that one screwed in. I just hope the oil pan doesn't leak now from coming off 30-40 minutes after I got it installed. :BangHead:
 
famous bob said:
Dont feel bad , I was getting ready , once upon a time , getting ready to put a727 up to the block , then remembered to put the torque conv. in first , would have been a bad day !
Click to expand...
Or already having the trans bolted up, to realize you have the wrong flex-plate on the engine.
 
Me and Kitty got Billy Badass runnin. Man is it ever nasty. Got a video uploadin now.
 
And just FYI, it was already broken in here. I had it on high idle for like 30 minutes. It's still choppy at 2500. lol
 
Looks like it is going to handle that 4 bbl just fine. Going to be fun to do the road test and let her sing a bit.

☆
 
Last edited:
@RAT ROD AL here is the motor I got from you....with a big twist. LOL I told you I'd do something with it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top