Sometimes, you just have to laugh at yourself

[GoVetteGo]

3 or 4 week ago, I started the task of installing my new TKO600 in my Darth Vader Vette. Bell housing was powder coated black, set up my dial indicator and checked to make sure it was within spec for the TKO. Borrowed a tranny jack from a friend - the 4 wheel type that uses a ½" ratchet to raise and lower.

All is going well, raise the transmission, line it up with the throw out bearing as I have done many times before. I wiggle the jack and little by little the transmission slides in - THEN STOPS. I wiggle, raise/lower the jack - NADA. After a while I get frustrated and crawl out from under the car.

Today I have some time, the monsoon rains have stopped and it is in the 70's!!! Good day to look at the transmission again. WTF!!! The transmission jack is hitting the bell housing!!!!! Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees!!

So I supported the transmission with a bottle jack and moved the transmission jack back about 3 inches. The transmission was HOME a minute later!!! DOH!!!

Yes - sometimes you just gotta laugh!!!:thumbs::thumbs:

John

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

no, I don't think you always have to laugh...

 

[mrvette]

I get agitated working on a car, and everyone around walks away, they can't take all the cussing, eff this/that/POS/shit engineering/crappy QC/etc......


:smash::surrender:

Decades ago, I got SO pissed I tossed a wrench with such velocity it made a hole in the fender with the tine of the open end.....

it was not a huge hole, but enough to see light through the split.....I bet I could toss that wrench 50,000 times and not duplicate that.....

 

[7t9l82]

i watched two know it alls installing a trans mission, they clearly did not want helpful suggestions, after saying i think you guys should check at that point i was told we don't need any help a few minutes later i said you clowns should, again we know what we are doing. sooo i left and came back just in time to see the job completed and as they hit the key the starter fee spinning i said maybe you morons should listen when someone tries to tell you you forgot the flywheel and convertor.

 

[GoVetteGo]

I get agitated working on a car, and everyone around walks away, they can't take all the cussing, eff this/that/POS/shit engineering/crappy QC/etc......


:smash::surrender:

Decades ago, I got SO pissed I tossed a wrench with such velocity it made a hole in the fender with the tine of the open end.....

it was not a huge hole, but enough to see light through the split.....I bet I could toss that wrench 50,000 times and not duplicate that.....

I can honestly say I have never thrown anything while working on one of the Vettes. For me anyway, this is for fun and relaxation. No deadlines - no time lines to maintain. If I get frustrated, I just walk away. When I return to work on the car, head is clearer and the issue is generally more clear.

It's all good!!!

 

[mrvette]

i watched two know it alls installing a trans mission, they clearly did not want helpful suggestions, after saying i think you guys should check at that point i was told we don't need any help a few minutes later i said you clowns should, again we know what we are doing. sooo i left and came back just in time to see the job completed and as they hit the key the starter fee spinning i said maybe you morons should listen when someone tries to tell you you forgot the flywheel and convertor.

YGTBFKM......no WAY man......:harhar::twitch::rofl::rofl:

 

[mrvette]

I get agitated working on a car, and everyone around walks away, they can't take all the cussing, eff this/that/POS/shit engineering/crappy QC/etc......


:smash::surrender:

Decades ago, I got SO pissed I tossed a wrench with such velocity it made a hole in the fender with the tine of the open end.....

it was not a huge hole, but enough to see light through the split.....I bet I could toss that wrench 50,000 times and not duplicate that.....

I can honestly say I have never thrown anything while working on one of the Vettes. For me anyway, this is for fun and relaxation. No deadlines - no time lines to maintain. If I get frustrated, I just walk away. When I return to work on the car, head is clearer and the issue is generally more clear.

It's all good!!!

I have never killed the vette either, because since I have felt free to modify hell outta it, I have done so, for instance.....6 bolts and my entire exhaust is on the ground, except headers of course, which slide in/out from under the SBC rather easy on both sides.....the frame was cut from the welded Muncie cross support, and so I can drop it out with only 6 more bolts.....I cut an access panel in both sides of the trans tunnel for cooling lines and speedo/sender cable......and the pasty resistance.....I put a plug on back of my main speedo panel, I can drop that POS in/out in 20 minits now....no sweat.....GOD, I"m lazy.....:smash::thumbs:

 

[68/70Vette]

KUDOS to those who can install a manual trannie ..working underneath the car with the fixed C3 trannie crossmember and maybe moving the engine/bellhousing a couple of inches forward. ...and then again, installing TOK600 which is a more fussy installation than the Muncie.

I've done my trannie installs by bolting up the engine outside of the car and then dropping the engine/bellhousing/trannie stack into the car as a whole. No way will I ever lay under a car and try to install a trannie with the engine/bellhousing in place...and then slide the trannie into up to mate........About 30 years ago, I was in this situation and I had to find someone to come in and do the install. I couldn't do it and will never attempt to do it...even though for some people its apparently a standard procedure.

Another thing. Those plastic shaft alignment tools you get with your clutch housing/disk to align the center of the clutch disk with the crank hole. GET RID OF THOSE PLASTIC THINGS. Get a real input trannie shaft to align the clutch disk. For installing Muncies, I have a spare Muncie input shaft, for installing TKO 600's with their higher spline count I bought an input shaft for $110 from eBay. Working on a open frame car with engine and trannie, it was fussy to get my TKO 600 mounted up to a McLeod dual disk clutch. I'd be really impressed that someone could do this laying on their back. ...but I continue to read some people can do this!!!!

 

[GoVetteGo]

KUDOS to those who can install a manual trannie ..working underneath the car with the fixed C3 trannie crossmember and maybe moving the engine/bellhousing a couple of inches forward. ...and then again, installing TOK600 which is a more fussy installation than the Muncie.

I've done my trannie installs by bolting up the engine outside of the car and then dropping the engine/bellhousing/trannie stack into the car as a whole. No way will I ever lay under a car and try to install a trannie with the engine/bellhousing in place...and then slide the trannie into up to mate........About 30 years ago, I was in this situation and I had to find someone to come in and do the install. I couldn't do it and will never attempt to do it...even though for some people its apparently a standard procedure.

Another thing. Those plastic shaft alignment tools you get with your clutch housing/disk to align the center of the clutch disk with the crank hole. GET RID OF THOSE PLASTIC THINGS. Get a real input trannie shaft to align the clutch disk. For installing Muncies, I have a spare Muncie input shaft, for installing TKO 600's with their higher spline count I bought an input shaft for $110 from eBay. Working on a open frame car with engine and trannie, it was fussy to get my TKO 600 mounted up to a McLeod dual disk clutch. I'd be really impressed that someone could do this laying on their back. ...but I continue to read some people can do this!!!!

Other than the tranny jack getting in the way, it really wasn't all that bad. The car was an automatic originally so the cross member was out of the way.

This is the first time i have used a transmission jack - I did the Muncie in my 69 once and the ST10 in my 76 (too many time) laying on my back and rolled the tranny up onto my chest. Lifted it from there. Never had an issue.

I used a ST10 input shaft for the clutch alignment. I blew the ST10 in my 76 so it cost more than $100!!:smash::smash: I used the jack this time because the TKO600 is larger, there is less room in the tunnel and I am 67!! Not the guy I used to be but maybe smarter LOL.

The fact of the matter is: I have a very small garage and there is no room for a lift. All the work I have done have been jack stands and laying on the back (on a high density foam mat now).

It is what it is and its all GOOD!

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

KUDOS to those who can install a manual trannie ..working underneath the car with the fixed C3 trannie crossmember and maybe moving the engine/bellhousing a couple of inches forward. ...and then again, installing TOK600 which is a more fussy installation than the Muncie.

I've done my trannie installs by bolting up the engine outside of the car and then dropping the engine/bellhousing/trannie stack into the car as a whole. No way will I ever lay under a car and try to install a trannie with the engine/bellhousing in place...and then slide the trannie into up to mate........About 30 years ago, I was in this situation and I had to find someone to come in and do the install. I couldn't do it and will never attempt to do it...even though for some people its apparently a standard procedure.

Another thing. Those plastic shaft alignment tools you get with your clutch housing/disk to align the center of the clutch disk with the crank hole. GET RID OF THOSE PLASTIC THINGS. Get a real input trannie shaft to align the clutch disk. For installing Muncies, I have a spare Muncie input shaft, for installing TKO 600's with their higher spline count I bought an input shaft for $110 from eBay. Working on a open frame car with engine and trannie, it was fussy to get my TKO 600 mounted up to a McLeod dual disk clutch. I'd be really impressed that someone could do this laying on their back. ...but I continue to read some people can do this!!!!

car hoists completely change that issue :thankyou:

It's been at least 20 years since I've hoisted an automatic transmission into a car on jack stands - but I bet I still have transmission oil impregnated in my skin from those days...