Cruiserdrew
On the way there
I picked up my re-sized driveshafts today and installed them after work. The drive shaft shop installed a shorter heavy duty main tube in the rear and a longer main tube in the front. They were cleaned up, painted and greased. Nice. Both ends for $140.
I also fixed a coolant leak that was caused by me moving the motor up and down pivoting the motor on the front mounts to install the tranny. There was one 21 year old hose left on the driver side of the motor at the back, the added stress ended it's life.
I took the beast out for a drive, though I still have a bit of finish work to do. Amazingly, there were no issues. No weird noises, no grinding, perfect. 3rd gear is notchy, but seems to get better with each shift. If anything, the H55 shifts smoother than the H42, I had heard the opposite. The reverse takes a bit of getting used to-it's in an unfamiliar position. The t-case seems to be working fine with no extra noise or slop. The clutch adjustment was super easy with the inspection cover off-you can visualize the correct freeplay. Even the new speedo cable is doing it's job with no fuss. I shifted the t-case into 4 high and 4 low, worked just fine as well. I also lost a low growling noise that I had before-it was minor and didn't get worse, but it's gone. Weird.
The first gear of the H55f is much better suited for getting the 33 inch tires moving, so the actual driving is easier starting from a standing stop. I only drove 1 mile on the freeway, but the 5th gear drops the RPM from 3000 to 2500. It feels like the motor isn't working as hard.
Low range 1st gear is noticably slower with the almost 5:1 first gear of the H55. It isn't an SM420, but it's much better than an H42.
My only complaint, and it's minor, is that the shifter in 1st and 2nd is a bit closer to my right leg. I would like it to be 2 inches to the right. I'm sure I'll get used to it. My arms are long, and the shifter position feels like it's made for someone with short arms.
I'm posting this because this is by far the biggest Cruiser project I've tackled. Only other Cruiserheads would understand. I should be fully done tomorrow. Now I need a new skid plate to cover the rear of the transfer case.
I also fixed a coolant leak that was caused by me moving the motor up and down pivoting the motor on the front mounts to install the tranny. There was one 21 year old hose left on the driver side of the motor at the back, the added stress ended it's life.
I took the beast out for a drive, though I still have a bit of finish work to do. Amazingly, there were no issues. No weird noises, no grinding, perfect. 3rd gear is notchy, but seems to get better with each shift. If anything, the H55 shifts smoother than the H42, I had heard the opposite. The reverse takes a bit of getting used to-it's in an unfamiliar position. The t-case seems to be working fine with no extra noise or slop. The clutch adjustment was super easy with the inspection cover off-you can visualize the correct freeplay. Even the new speedo cable is doing it's job with no fuss. I shifted the t-case into 4 high and 4 low, worked just fine as well. I also lost a low growling noise that I had before-it was minor and didn't get worse, but it's gone. Weird.
The first gear of the H55f is much better suited for getting the 33 inch tires moving, so the actual driving is easier starting from a standing stop. I only drove 1 mile on the freeway, but the 5th gear drops the RPM from 3000 to 2500. It feels like the motor isn't working as hard.
Low range 1st gear is noticably slower with the almost 5:1 first gear of the H55. It isn't an SM420, but it's much better than an H42.
My only complaint, and it's minor, is that the shifter in 1st and 2nd is a bit closer to my right leg. I would like it to be 2 inches to the right. I'm sure I'll get used to it. My arms are long, and the shifter position feels like it's made for someone with short arms.
I'm posting this because this is by far the biggest Cruiser project I've tackled. Only other Cruiserheads would understand. I should be fully done tomorrow. Now I need a new skid plate to cover the rear of the transfer case.
