Technical Life's good, sometimes it sucks, BIG TIME!!

I've never seen one welded like that but it looks like a good repair. Keep us updated!

 

Its Monday morn and the engine and trans are sitting on the floor in the garage. Whew what an afternoon it was yesterday. Jim came over I thought just to see if all the wiring he installed was unhooked as I had them ready to jerk out Saturday. I'd missed a couple hidden where I didn't know they were. I noticed he was in coveralls and figured he was working on his '57 vet with the '88 chassis. Nope not the case, he was here to get this beast of a job behind us. We had to do exactly what I described in my OP, and even more. The interior this morning looks like a bomb went off inside, carpet ripped out, insulation all torn to shit, there are tools laying all over the garage floor, including a box end he had to heat up and bend in order to get on a 9/16 nut that Lokar should have tacked in on the e brake and didn't, (we damned sure will when putting it back together.), trans fluid spill that has to be cleaned up, and I need to pull my Silverado in, unbolt the trans from the hemi and put it in the bed and get it to the trans shop. Looks like the Goodguys run may now be a possibility. (as you all know in our world and our cars, nothing is certain and for sure until it is done and running), and then its still a gamble. I'd post a pic. but its not hamb friendly.

 

Skagit County mmmmmmmmmmm, any chance you know Ben Sebastian, he lives near Arlington and once owned this car, known then as the "Plumb Cheery", purple in color and with real ugly quad headlights?

 

No sir, I don't. But I'm a fairly recent transplant here, only been here about 3 1/2 years. Before that I lived on Whidbey Island.
I'm meeting people but there is a large car loving population up here, it will take awhile.
I'm happy to hear that you made some major progress, sounds like you've got some great friends.
BTW, your description of the garage sounds like mine looks most of the time, lol.
Good luck!

 

TorqueFlites are a bit different than most GM and Ford transmissions in that they don't use a vacuum modulator to control the trans throttle pressure. Throttle pressure, working against governor pressure, is what determines shift timing and firmness when the trans is in Drive. On the TF, the throttle pressure linkage controls the throttle pressure as well as actuating the kickdown/passing gear.

On the earlier TFs the only hiccup with this system was that it required full throttle to engage passing gear. Which could make normal driving seem pretty sluggish, especially with a slant-six or a smaller V-8. But by the early 70s Mopar came up with the previously mentioned part-throttle downshift for the 727s and offered a retrofit kit thru the Direct Connection catalog for the earlier transmissions. Big improvement in driveability when you only need about 2/3rds throttle to make it drop back a gear.

I don't know if you can still get this kit any longer from Mopar or the aftermarket transmission suppliers. But if you've got an earlier, fully automatic TF and you can still get the retrofit parts it's worth adding for the part-throttle downshift function. Otherwise, at least get the throttle valve linkage back in place and adjusted properly.

 

So, my question for the OP is: Now that you have the trans out and have access to the welded in crossmember, are you going to make it removable for the next time, or are you going to leave it as is, so you get to do this mess again some other time? Gene

 

Good question Gene and one many others are wondering I suspect. I proposed this to Jim also, .......... frankly , because at my age and limited abilities now, I was and am not real enthused to do so, (others of my age and limits now because of that might agree.) I of course would if I had the time and youthful enthusiasm which is very fast eroding my desire to get into more fab work. So the answer is no I am not. I do realize most certainly, that this is probably not the route to go considering any need to do the same thing again for future owners of this car. I can only justify leaving it like it is thinking that when and if that happens, that person will learn more about what they have and are driving. If I' still around when the sale takes place I will inform the buyer of the mistake in building the frame. If I'm not I hope they find out when surveying the car before the sale.
BTW my age to day is eighty, with replaced heart, valve, 3 way bypass, type II Diabetes, and on meds to try and prevent mini strokes of which I've had 4.
Thanks for the question Gene I think you ,hopefully on my part.

 

Well I enjoyed a great conversation last evening with lemondana. After doing so I'm l'm pretty sure I have the manual valve. Starting out "D" it never had in power and it never would shift. So being ignorant as a new born I always manually shifted into second, and/or third and shifted up to 1st and it always was that way. I just assumed because it is a B&M that was normally the way it is driven. I like that way, love to go through the gears, with that "chirp " between 3rd to 2nd then into 1st. I'm assuming there is no need for the kick down........... he asks since its manual ??????. Pretty busy today with other house projects but did mange to separate the tyranny from the hemi. Load it in the Silverado first thing in the morning and head for the trans shop.

 

I'm afraid there is no way to separate tyranny from the hemi, it rules with 8 iron fists Larry. Glad you got a program to get your machine back on the road. I'd like to come see it this summer at one of the events.

 

I appreciate the time you took to respond to my question.
I understand that we all have to do, what we have to do, to carry on. I'm 18 years younger then you are, but already I know I don't have the desire to tackle much of the stuff I did when I was a few years younger.

I was working on the truck I built last year and I've discovered when I installed the motor and trans, then built the firewall around it, maybe I should have given myself a little more clearance between the firewall and the back of the motor. I'm not sure I would be able to get all those bellhousing bolts out if I had to drop the trans. That may be an issue I will have to face some day, I wouldn't be ready to cut up the firewall and redo it now, I really doubt I would want to do it in another 10 years. Gene

 

Update ; The trans shop called yesterday asking, "what the hell is this 727 ? Is it some kind of super performance thing or what"? Things have been done that we have never seen before like removing the forward pump and others. "We need the converter also to figure out some things." I'm going in there today to take them the converter and find out what they want to do, it may be scrap I guess, he said there is major damage. I'll keep you updated.

 

Another Update . Just in from the trans shop, it is salvageable, new parts on order, and it will be manual shift. (Hot rods should always have to be shifted IMHO). No $.$$ amount as of yet, no time frame for return because of parts ordering. Met the owner Dave, awesome guy. He introduced me to the tech doing the work, a guy in his late 50's, early 60's who has it torn down and showed me the parts and how damaged they are. Wonderful guy, named Barry who knows these older torqueflites. To say I am extremely pleased is an understatement. Now off to Summit racing web site to order insulation/sound floor matting, intake and exhaust gaskets.

 

Yeah I know your right BB. She' pretty old school rod in most ways, (some would argue not with the Jag IFS/IRS) but I remember a ride over in Renton during cruising the "Reton loop in mid to late 50's with a Jag rear end. Hope to meet you somewhere along the way. I'll try and PM you if and when/where I get it out to.

 

I usually shift first, second, and third.