- Thread starter
- #81
Wow! I can't believe it has been that long since I last posted on my build thread. I have been busy and have moved things along a bit but most of my time over the past 4 months has been taken up with working on the two 55's. But I thought it was time that I got back and did a few things on the 40.
So when I last left you I had decided to change adapters between my trans and t/c which meant I needed to fab up a new support cross member and I was trying to decide how to do that. Then, with all the changing around I cracked one of the bolt holes on my transmission. I think that's where I was.
So I looked at several option on the trans case and finally decided to do it right, and the only way that I felt good about doing that was to get a whole new case and have all the guts moved over into that. It took quite some time and doing to find another "K" case which I learned was from the trucks and the stronger cases but I finally did and had a successful transplant perofrmed. So now it is sitting in a brand new case and was ready to botl everything to it.
Then I had to decide on the cross member. Once I ge going I usually do a good job on the fabrication but to say I am slow would be an understatement. I have to measure and test so many times that it takes me days to get everything right.
I finally decided to go with a cross member where there was a heavy duty plat that connected the transmission with the t/c case at the support points for both. I felt this created a nice solid bond between the two and located the support in a pretty central location. Then that plate would sit on a solid rubber mount on the crossmember. I decided to also put the crossmember on poly bushings where they connected to the frame on both sides.
I also wanted to try and fabricate it so that the crossmember when up and over the front output of the t/c so that I would not lose any ground clearance. This created the biggest headache for me.
Finally the finished product. So far so good. It is very solid and seems to have clarance wherever I need it. All the linkages fit up with plenty of clearance and I have clearance for the front drive shaft etc... and it seems to give it plenty of support.
Here are a few pics of the finished product.
So when I last left you I had decided to change adapters between my trans and t/c which meant I needed to fab up a new support cross member and I was trying to decide how to do that. Then, with all the changing around I cracked one of the bolt holes on my transmission. I think that's where I was.
So I looked at several option on the trans case and finally decided to do it right, and the only way that I felt good about doing that was to get a whole new case and have all the guts moved over into that. It took quite some time and doing to find another "K" case which I learned was from the trucks and the stronger cases but I finally did and had a successful transplant perofrmed. So now it is sitting in a brand new case and was ready to botl everything to it.
Then I had to decide on the cross member. Once I ge going I usually do a good job on the fabrication but to say I am slow would be an understatement. I have to measure and test so many times that it takes me days to get everything right.
I finally decided to go with a cross member where there was a heavy duty plat that connected the transmission with the t/c case at the support points for both. I felt this created a nice solid bond between the two and located the support in a pretty central location. Then that plate would sit on a solid rubber mount on the crossmember. I decided to also put the crossmember on poly bushings where they connected to the frame on both sides.
I also wanted to try and fabricate it so that the crossmember when up and over the front output of the t/c so that I would not lose any ground clearance. This created the biggest headache for me.
Finally the finished product. So far so good. It is very solid and seems to have clarance wherever I need it. All the linkages fit up with plenty of clearance and I have clearance for the front drive shaft etc... and it seems to give it plenty of support.
Here are a few pics of the finished product.
