The Cell Block Chronicles (PMC's 40 Project) (1 Viewer)

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Jesus.
 
One benefit of being a a member of a hostile and widely-feared mini-bike gang is that you can generally get pretty much anything you want via bribes or violence.....

But this was no ordinary mission like hookers and blow.... What I needed was a 3 speed transfer case to mate to my 4 speed transmission (and such an animal is pretty rare). But sure enough, within a couple of weeks, the boys showed up with the product, told me it was a really messy job and not to ask any questions.

I scored some EZ off oven cleaner from the guys in the kitchen and got to work:

Here is the donor unit (the transmission is as it arrived caked in mud, grease and potentially the victim's DNA and T-case is after sitting an evening in oven cleaner). In all seriousness that stuff works (and the contact high from the fumes makes it pretty marketable on the inside too):

Donor T Case.jpg



Now began the chore of separating it, because the transmission it was attached to was seized and my exiting transmission was fine (as a reminder, I'm using the Downey adapter to mate the toyota stuff to the GM muscle).

Sidebar: For those that don't know, a 1-piece case is attached to the transmission with 5 bolts (3 longs ones on the outside of the case and 2 short ones on the inside that are only accessible after removing the inspection plate). See below:

tranny bolts.jpg



Even after finding those 2 hidden bolts, getting the 2 units to separate was a chore. After trying gravity (engine hoist), heat and a few other tricks, I finally rigged up a puller on the output shaft to do the trick:

pull apart.jpg


You can see why it took some biker-style "threats and coercion" to get it to let go:


seized shaft.jpg


Back at the cell block, I repeated the same trick on the unit that came out of the truck to free my working transmission:

2nd try.jpg


Now, I get to try and build a working transfer case out of one bad one (and 1 of unknown utility) and mate it all back up.
 
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Started to break down the transfer case. Although the e-brake housing was pristine, I decided to keep going.

e brake housing.jpg


Pro Tip: That little lever that is attached to the back of the brake shoes and connects to the cable. Yeah, you need to detach that and hold onto it before you toss the shoes (in my case, twice). Specter off Road charges a stupid tax of 65 seppo for people like me, but fortunately @wngrog bailed me out with a spare.


When I got to this point, I gave the guard towers a quick scan and then stuffed this choking wire in my pocket for a rainy day:

spindle.jpg


Pressed out all the goodies on both cases, cleaned it all up and took inventory of what I had:






T case parts.JPG


There is also an Easter Egg in the above picture for those that are lookers.
 
Started to break down the transfer case. Although the e-brake housing was pristine, I decided to keep going.

View attachment 2470126

Pro Tip: That little lever that is attached to the back of the brake shoes and connects to the cable. Yeah, you need to detach that and hold onto it before you toss the shoes (in my case, twice). Specter off Road charges a stupid tax of 65 seppo for people like me, but fortunately @wngrog bailed me out with a spare.


When I got to this point, I gave the guard towers a quick scan and then stuffed this choking wire in my pocket for a rainy day:

View attachment 2470129

Pressed out all the goodies on both cases, cleaned it all up and took inventory of what I had:






View attachment 2470149

There is also an Easter Egg in the above picture for those that are lookers.


Looks like a cell mate is tryna sneak into the picture.
 
cleaned up the housing;

B21ECF29-C4A4-4692-AAB4-559C4079723F.jpeg

cherry picked the best parts; pressed in new bearings and seals from a rebuild kit and cobbled it back together. its a little delicate getting grown man hands inside a one piece case and using the feeler gauges for the right clearances....

94E62910-39AF-43C7-B5C0-97F24567362C.jpeg


cleaned up the transmission:
0FB7D8BB-8D2B-4813-A652-D410D1F3CFE1.jpeg


mated it back up:

02D84513-4003-4193-A372-EFD4279A812D.jpeg


E1EFD826-BD8C-4AF7-A694-E745879292BE.jpeg


and yes, i like red RTV.

seemed legit, but probably even money on it blowing up when the driving day ever comes:



NOTE: edited this post to include a link to the following Step-by-step which was really helpful to me in the tear down and re-assembly.

 
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cleaned up the hosing;

View attachment 2473408
cherry picked the best parts and cobbled it back together. its a little delicate getting grown man hands inside a one piece case and using the feeler gauges for the right clearances....

View attachment 2473407

cleaned up the transmission:
View attachment 2473411

mated it back up:

View attachment 2473418
View attachment 2473418
View attachment 2473417

and yes, i like red RTV.
lots of tech in the post. I see you are on your way to a prison diploma...
 
lots of tech in the post. I see you are on your way to a prison diploma...

they let me check out a haynes manual from the library. between writing my parole officers and petitioning the judge for a retrial (ineffective assistance of counsel), i was able to able to get it back together with no spare legos (that i am aware of).
 
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i had been prettying up the engine for a couple months with new gaskets all around, new water pump and deleted the AC compressor with a pulley from general JEGS; also moved it to an engine mount stand for the probing to follow:

484897E4-EDD5-4886-8699-001B230A944B.jpeg


popped in a new pilot bushing and rear main seal and got that flywheel turnt:

79DC21E5-26F2-4B60-B396-984BE087A415.jpeg


cleaned up the bellhousing:

866B424F-CE13-4ABE-AB98-339035A3885B.jpeg


new clutch parts (because this is where Mr. Toyata meets Mr GM, you have to have a specific friction disc and pressure plate). all documented extensively on Mud but happy to specify if anyone comes along with questions.

DAE20CA9-5B85-4BCD-9498-FA23F382AA3C.jpeg


a couple of guys from the local prison ministry (@wngrog & @under_psi) came by and helped with the stab and the transport back to san quentin:

68EE4494-D7DD-45AF-8A17-6A3C54A65708.jpeg
 
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i had been prettying up the engine for a couple months with new gaskets all around, new water pump and deleted the AC compressor with a pulley from general JEGS; also moved it to an engine mount stand for the probing to follow:

View attachment 2473443

popped in a new pilot bushing and rear main seal and got that flywheel turnt:

View attachment 2473441

cleaned up the bellhousing:

View attachment 2473437

new clutch parts (because this is where Mr. Toyata meets Mr GM, you have to have a specific friction disc and pressure plate). all documented extensively on Mud but happy to specify if anyone comes along with questions.

View attachment 2473442

a couple of guys from the local prison ministry (@wngrog & @under_psi) came by and helped with the stab and the transport back to san quentin:

View attachment 2473459

Thats When I saw

“Brooks was here” written in Braille on the ceiling
 
When weighing my options for potential alliances, I was pleased to discover a thriving #EAF culture within the joint. You should see how these guys have outfitted their units: memory foam mattresses, led strand lights, eno hammocks, trasharoos, etc...

they even have their own cook book:

CDADB127-37D1-4524-BF19-9C9BE936DD70.jpeg
 

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