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Projects 1962 Pontiac Tempest

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by CGkidd, May 4, 2021.

  1. belair
    Joined: Jul 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,013

    belair
    Member

    Cool car. You did it right. But I would still be looking for the other half of that 389.
     
  2. CGkidd
    Joined: Mar 2, 2002
    Posts: 2,908

    CGkidd
    Member

    I got very lucky finding the cam.
    Sent from my E6910 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  3. CGkidd
    Joined: Mar 2, 2002
    Posts: 2,908

    CGkidd
    Member

    Got the gauges and tach installed. Hopefully get the engine in this week. KIMG0889.jpeg KIMG0875.jpeg KIMG0874.jpeg

    Sent from my E6910 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  4. Back in '66/'67 I bought a '63 LeMans with a 326 and 3 or 4 speed (old memory, can't remember s*&t). That car was a runner, and I ran it hard. It had tri power when I bought it, but it couldn't get it to run right, so I put a single 4 barrel on it. Came home one night and parked it in the carport. During the night I heard a loud 'bang', but didn't know what it was. Next morning went out to go to work, started it up, hit reverse, let out the clutch....and nothing!! WTF???? Finally determined that the "rope" driveshaft had broken just forward of the transmission, leaving just a stub sticking out of the trans!!! Learning curve ahead.
    Not bad to work on, but could not find a new driveshaft ANYWHERE. Found 4 cylinder shafts, but they were 5/8" dia vs the 3/4" shaft in the V8 models. Found quite a few broken V8 shafts though. At the time I worked in Engineering for a machine manufacturer that had about 30 Engineers and about 150 VERY knowledgeable and talented machinists. I started asking around for repair advice, thinking we could make a replacement. I finally connected with one machinist who thought we could combine two shafts into one if we did it right, and knew some of the details of the original.
    Being young and innocent, I decided to call Pontiac Engineering. Surprisingly, I managed to get connected to a Drivetrain Engineer who was sympathetic to my plight and found the project interesting. Since Pontiac had stopped producing these shafts for replacement, he got approval to help me out. Over a day or two, he managed to research what I needed: material, heat treat, etc. and called back with what I needed to know. His suggestion was to get a 4 cylinder shaft (5/8") and marry a stub of it to the long portion of the V8 shaft.
    We wound up cutting one 5/8 "shaft right where it tapered down from the transmission input shaft to the 3/4" shaft diameter (they both had the same input shaft diameter), and the other shaft at a point closer to the trans. Turned a 'pin' on one shaft and bored a hole in the other, shrunk them together, preheat, weld, controlled cool, weld area machined smooth, heat treat, etc. and shot peened. It ran straight as a string and last for many years (I sold it and lost track of it for a while, but a guy I knew bought it a few years later). Last I heard (5-6 years after the repair) it was still going strong.
    The most astonishing thing to me was the factory design specs on these shafts was that the 5/8" shaft was designed to twist 3 1/2 times in its length, and the 3/4" shaft 7 or 8 (bad memory again) before failure!! You can't push a rope, but you sure as hell can twist it. Pretty amazing engineering!
     
    triumph 1, wicarnut, Deuces and 3 others like this.
  5. Forgot to mention, a 3 1/2 diameter tach fits perfectly in the dash where the clock would go (right side of the instrument panel)
     
    Deuces, loudbang and CGkidd like this.
  6. Why'd you lay the car on it's side? That'll mess up the paint BIG-TIME :D
     
  7. Simple answer.:confused: So he could stand up and work under the dash instead of being a yoga master.:p
     
  8. CGkidd
    Joined: Mar 2, 2002
    Posts: 2,908

    CGkidd
    Member

    Well the engine is in. Working on finishing up the clutch linkage and exhaust

    Sent from my E6910 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     

    Attached Files:

  9. CGkidd
    Joined: Mar 2, 2002
    Posts: 2,908

    CGkidd
    Member

    For some reason when I attach some pictures they post sideways and sometimes regular. Frustrating

    Sent from my E6910 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  10. I just noticed in your last picture post.... My God, man! Someone stole half your engine!!
     
    Deuces likes this.
  11. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,752

    Deuces

    :(
     
  12. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,752

    Deuces

    Yep! Plenty of room for a 421.....;)
     
  13. wicarnut
    Joined: Oct 29, 2009
    Posts: 9,052

    wicarnut
    Member

    Kool ! Enjoy !
     
    loudbang and Deuces like this.
  14. Elcohaulic
    Joined: Dec 27, 2017
    Posts: 2,212

    Elcohaulic

    I had a 63 Le Mans and put a 389 in it from a 63 Bonneville. So long as the trans-axle was in good shape you were good to go. You had to use your brains driving it though because it wouldn't take any abuse but you could still drive it fast just no speed shifting or any of that BS. I never did any of that anyhow..
    Out on the twisty's, that Pontiac was a good handling car. I put four 15 x 7 wheels on it with four 235/60r15 Pirelli P-7 radials. I had a friend who worked for Pirelli and got me some or there tires with very small blemishes.
    I set the front end up with 4 degrees positive caster, half a degree of negative camber, 1/8 - 1/8 toe in and man did that baby Pontiac go. The transaxle was a great idea. I remember how well that car took turns. It felt like it had a pivot in the center of the car that helped it go around the turn like a train car. That 389 had lots of balls and had a low heavy tone. The car looked and sounded like something special. It was Dark blue with a lighter blue interior. I put duals on it with Corvair turbo mufflers. I wanted to put Douglass SS glass packs on it but I used to take my mom and dad to work in the morning and they didn't like all that noise.. It was hard not putting your foot into it but I had visions of trans axle parts all over the road and I needed that car for transportation to school and to take my girlfriend (now wife) out..

    I remember an older mechanic at the Pontiac dealership suggested I use a qt. of GM EOS in the trans axle. He said this would really make winter shifting so much smoother.. I never tried it... He also used to put it in standard and posi rear ends... I dont know, it doesn't sound right to me. Wouldn't the zinc speed up clutch wear in a posi rear end? I always wondered about that..
     
    Tony Martino, loudbang and Deuces like this.
  15. 2OLD2FAST
    Joined: Feb 3, 2010
    Posts: 5,215

    2OLD2FAST
    Member
    from illinois

    Aggressive driving in sharp corners can yield some surprising results with that rear axle ! Nice looking car !
     
    loudbang and Deuces like this.
  16. Yes, better for our viewing pleasure:D. But now @CGkidd has to act as a contortionist to finish his workup under the dash.:eek:
     
    Deuces, loudbang and lothiandon1940 like this.

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