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Customs 57 Chevy Budget 4 door build

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by RaginPin3Appl3, Aug 5, 2017.

  1. Sporty45
    Joined: Jun 1, 2015
    Posts: 1,168

    Sporty45
    Member

    I've missed watching you progress and learn on your project. Glad to see you back at it. :cool:
     
  2. Schwanke Engines
    Joined: Jun 12, 2014
    Posts: 781

    Schwanke Engines
    Member

    Honestly as far as shifter goes the Floor Shifter is probably an easier task to get setup, that and It's Floor shift so way cooler. Love the Tri 5 4 Doors, Sold my baby last year and miss it a lot so bought 2 54 chevy 4 doors to replace it and been having fun with them as well as a 66 Caddy 4 Door we picked up last year as well. 4 Doors are where it is at because if you build them young they will not get sold off when you start a family and have kids to fit everyone in them. I daily a 74 Chevy Suburban that is slammed to the ground and my kids love it. Way more fun than the Corvette I had when I first got married.
     
    chryslerfan55 and RaginPin3Appl3 like this.
  3. Bruce A Lyke
    Joined: Jun 21, 2009
    Posts: 2,523

    Bruce A Lyke
    Member

    Good to hear from you again
    I find it helpful to take the list and prioritize it based on what is necessary to get it running and and what each item will cost and degree of difficulty. Sometimes the budget of time and money will dictate the plan.
     
  4. RaginPin3Appl3
    Joined: Mar 31, 2016
    Posts: 1,172

    RaginPin3Appl3
    Member

    For sure. I've prioritized my list up to the point of being able to yard drive it. Everything else can come later but I need to be able to at the very least have the motor running for more than a minute and have the trans functional. There's no way I'm doing body work and brake routing in this crammed garage.
     
  5. woodbutcher
    Joined: Apr 25, 2012
    Posts: 3,310

    woodbutcher
    Member

    :D Welcome back.Life does throw some curve balls for sure.
    Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
    Leo
     
    Sandgroper and RaginPin3Appl3 like this.
  6. RaginPin3Appl3
    Joined: Mar 31, 2016
    Posts: 1,172

    RaginPin3Appl3
    Member

    Not much of an update to post, but I spent about 4 hours working on the linkage today and I’ve come to the conclusion that something is messed up with the tranny itself. I noticed that the 1st/reverse (rear) arm coming out of the transmission seems to be stuck. I can move it into neutral and move the other arm to both positions, but whenever I have the other arm in neutral, I can move the problem arm forwards, back into neutral, and then I can move it a little towards the back but then it jams and I can’t get the arm to go into the other gear. Maybe someone around here who knows these transmissions has a quick fix for that or at least something I can check. I know for a fact when I got the car it wasn’t jammed, because I could freely move the column shift into all 4 gears and also out of gear into full neutral. As far as aligning the column shift, my dad and I made a tool as deacribed in the shop manual out of an old hack saw blade and were able to get the column end aligned. Unfortunately that’s useless if the tranny won’t shift correctly though...

    To finish off the day I managed to get a nice big cut on my grease covered hands. Brushed what I thought was some leaves off the flaking bumper and instead sliced into my finger with a piece of flaked off chrome... had fun washing my hands after that.
     
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  7. Aren't these old cars just so sweet to us. Try and lavish some care on it (brushing off some leaves) and it bit you. The transmission sounds like you have something out of whack as it did move freely and through the gears before. Do you have the linkage hooked up now or just moving the levers on the transmission from bellow?
     
    RaginPin3Appl3 and flatford39 like this.
  8. RaginPin3Appl3
    Joined: Mar 31, 2016
    Posts: 1,172

    RaginPin3Appl3
    Member

    Just moving the arms by hand. I actually took the linkage out because it was binding up and was overall just getting in the way as I tried to figure out why it wouldn’t shift
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  9. With all levers on the trans in neutral and the shifter in neutral will the linkage line up correctly? If it does then connect them and try shifting through the gears from the shifter
     
    Bowtie Coupe likes this.
  10. With the transmission in neutral turn the tailshaft and then try to put it in gear
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2020
    Bowtie Coupe and warhorseracing like this.
  11. redo32
    Joined: Jul 16, 2008
    Posts: 2,137

    redo32
    Member

    The gears are probably lined up tooth to tooth instead of tooth to gap. If the engine was running letting out the clutch would spin the gears so they would engage.
     
  12. RaginPin3Appl3
    Joined: Mar 31, 2016
    Posts: 1,172

    RaginPin3Appl3
    Member

    I’ll try to roll the car a small amount to see if that’s the case. A bit busy now that the week is starting but I may get around to it before next weekend, we’ll see. Thank you for the suggestions. Next I was going to take the 4 bolts off the side plate to see if maybe something was pushed a bit too far in there and now couldn’t return right or something. I’ve watched a guy re assemble one of these on youtube so know roughly what the guts look like but definitely no expert. I guess if it turns out something really is wrong, I can always make that an excuse to get a 4 speed or at least something synchro’d.
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2020
    chryslerfan55 and Sandgroper like this.
  13. Chrisbcritter
    Joined: Sep 11, 2011
    Posts: 1,970

    Chrisbcritter
    Member

    Good to see you back at it, and fingers crossed that you can get it rolling!
     
    RaginPin3Appl3 likes this.
  14. Terrible80
    Joined: Oct 1, 2010
    Posts: 785

    Terrible80
    Member

    RaginPin3Appl3 likes this.
  15. Be careful before jumping into the deep end with a transmission change as it may require a different length driveshaft or clutch assembly, =$. Not sure so investigate.
     
  16. Grabis
    Joined: Jun 3, 2015
    Posts: 124

    Grabis
    Member

    Heeeeey! Pineapples back!
    I can’t believe nobody has abused you yet for not doin what they said or reporting back fast enough. Only joking.

    Glad you still have the project and are finding some time to beat on it. Can’t wait for the day I logon and see a driving video!


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
  17. RaginPin3Appl3
    Joined: Mar 31, 2016
    Posts: 1,172

    RaginPin3Appl3
    Member

    Well, you guys were right about the transmission being tooth to tooth. rolled the car just slightly and now I can move the arms on the transmission correctly. Now there's a new problem. I think I damaged one of the shifter adjustment swivel nut assemblies. I failed to realize I needed to have part of them oriented a certain way so now one of them won't come undone, I think I must have stripped the nut onto the bolt and now I can't back it off. So I'm ordering a new one of those assemblies and I'll probably just hacksaw through the old one, I'm getting really tired of little things taking longer than they should so I'll go the easy way and just buy new parts. That's one of the things I really like about these cars. Any part you want is a click away online and they're almost always cheap.
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2020
  18. RaginPin3Appl3
    Joined: Mar 31, 2016
    Posts: 1,172

    RaginPin3Appl3
    Member

    Small update, I got my parts a few days back and today My dad and I got the column shift working again! I can run through the gears and it’s a but loose but you can definitely feel each gear clicking into place. Next problem to tackle is setting my valve lash. I actually loosened all the rockers a couple years ago when I was originally trying to get the 283 set up because Some of the rockers were stuck, so now I need to go and get them all tightened down again. Spent about a half hour trying to make sense of how to do it but both of us were stumped. My dad’s car experience is even more limited than mine so we gave up for this weekend. It’s been so long since I tried to set timing or any of that that I forgot how to do any of it. Guess it’s time to re-read the thread and watch some youtube videos on this. Anyway, really happy to have a functional shifter again, I’m gonna need yo install new bushings on everything because it’s all dry rotted and fallen apart but it does function!
     
  19. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 13,173

    Budget36
    Member

  20. Gearhead Graphics
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 3,890

    Gearhead Graphics
    Member
    from Denver Co

    initial valve lash, piston to TDC. crank the rocker down to where it wont wiggle, then 1/2 turn further.
     
  21. RaginPin3Appl3
    Joined: Mar 31, 2016
    Posts: 1,172

    RaginPin3Appl3
    Member

    Very small non technical update, Since I'm about to get this engine all set up I'm doing some last minute prep, painted one of the exhaust manifolds just now, I'll do the other in the morning. Nothing fancy just a quick coat of rust oleum, don't care if it doesn't last long, just didn't want to put bare metal in there like that. Oh, and it's also time for new spark plugs. This motor had autolites in it when I bought it, but a few are cracked. what kind of plug would you guys recommend? The heads are '66 power packs, I'm assuming just AC 44s? Do they even still make those? I'm sure they won't be nearly as high quality as the "Made in Flint, USA" set I took out of the 6 cyl ;)


    Oh and to maybe get more exposure, I posted in the wanted section looking for a 3 gauge panel to mount the junkyard Stewart Warner Amp,Oil,Temp gauges in. Just something cheap, doesn't need to be pretty. If anybody has something, give me a holler or reply to that thread I started. I'll be busy most of this week unfortunately, but this weekend I should be able to get my valves lashed and get the distributor back in, maybe wire up the alternator again.
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  22. Probably do in China.:p Whatever you replace them with try and keep them Made in the U.S.A. but that may be impossible. I would suggest cheap to start with and see how they do and if, when they fail get a more expensive set.:cool: Keep in your budget for now and splurge when you are better able or have to. You pretty much have to now so are there any junkyards near where you can go brose around and pocket some?:rolleyes:
     
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  23. RaginPin3Appl3
    Joined: Mar 31, 2016
    Posts: 1,172

    RaginPin3Appl3
    Member

    I figured so, bummer. I'll see what I can scrounge up
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  24. While I am not certain as I have not bought any recently. Is there any junkyards near you that will let you wander through them? We used to stock up on fuses assorted wire and of course spark plugs when we were young on our forays. Some pick your part yards may charge for them but in the day most just watched and shook their heads. On the way out after buying a wheel or whatever they would always ask, did you get enough wire, spark plugs, fuses, or whatever else was hanging out of your pockets?
     
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  25. Grabis
    Joined: Jun 3, 2015
    Posts: 124

    Grabis
    Member

    I’m sure other more knowledgeable people will chime in but this guy makes sense to me. He has the intake off but I don’t see why you couldn’t do the same procedure turning the rod just below the rocker.





    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
  26. RaginPin3Appl3
    Joined: Mar 31, 2016
    Posts: 1,172

    RaginPin3Appl3
    Member

    Got the last few pieces to put together the top end of this engine, the center dump manifolds sure are hard to get bolted in with the motor inside the car. Not sure when I’ll get back out to the garage, hopefully soon but my last couple weekends I’ve had “life” to deal with, helping my dad move, painting my garage before winter, etc. but I got a cheap set of plugs that’ll do the trick to just get the motor going and some gaskets I needed. Hope to get some more done before it gets cold and I don’t feel like being outside as much.


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  27. RaginPin3Appl3
    Joined: Mar 31, 2016
    Posts: 1,172

    RaginPin3Appl3
    Member

    Well, I thought I'd have an update by now, Unfortunately I haven't been able to do much the past couple weeks, and have been having to limit what I do to things that won't put strain on my back. I guess moving the washer and dryer up the stairs at my dad's, then back down to his new place wasn't the best of ideas. And just when I got the urge to work on this car again some more :mad: Go figure. Hopefully I can get back to it before it gets too cold, but for now I'm limiting myself to smaller things I can do without climbing around under the car and over the engine bay. I did get my valve covers ready for install. Used some gasket maker to glue the gaskets to the covers, that way I can take them off easily and can reuse the gasket. I noticed the garage I have this car in collects condensation, so I don't want to leave the covers off since water can easily get into the engine that way. Wish I had noticed sooner....

    I think I'm going to try to restore the steering wheel pretty soon, The dash is pretty decent but the wheel is really worn in places and has several cracks which really spoil the look for me. To anyone who has pulled a tri five wheel before, did you end up having to use a wheel puller? I attempted to get this one off by hand but couldn't get it to budge and don't want to risk cracking it anymore, since it's still repairable. The plan is to paint the wheel probably metal flake, and maybe 2 tone, clean up the horn ring as best as I can, and maybe paint the shifter knob and turn signal knobs to match the wheel. I'm going for a very mild custom look here, plan to nose and deck it and see if I can trade the good rear bumper I have for a wagon bumper, but that's a ways down the road.
     
  28. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 13,173

    Budget36
    Member

    Yes, use a wheel puller. If you’ve never used one, put the nut back on partially and put the puller on the nut. After you get some good tension, whack the top of the puller with a heavy ball peen hammer to pop it loose. Don’t try to keep pulling up, also now the last cheap puller I had to get in a pinch (gremlins misplaced mine) only came with metric pull bolts

    Also, sometimes you get lucky and just a little tension on them and they come right off, but use the nut partially threaded on not to damage the steering shaft threads
     
  29. RaginPin3Appl3
    Joined: Mar 31, 2016
    Posts: 1,172

    RaginPin3Appl3
    Member

    Got it, good advice, thanks!


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  30. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,442

    goldmountain

    If you are going to buy a puller, don't buy a cheap steering wheel puller. Get a cheap harmonic balancer puller instead. It will do the steering wheel and also harmonic balancers later in the game. Before pulling the wheel off, mark the wheel in relation to the steering shaft. That way when you put it back on, the wheel will be centered when you go down the road.
     

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