Avalanche325
10-25-2013, 09:56 PM
I did my own build from a FordStrokers DIY kit. I got the engine done, but went to New Zealand for a month (I know, poor me) before I got a change to drop it in. All of my friends there were asking me about the car and having me show them pictures which actually made it painful being away.
I planned on getting it installed last weekend. I put the flywheel on. I then got the clutch in place and went to put the pressure plate on. I started the bolts by hand and then went to tighten them. They went in a couple turns and then just didn't feel right. Hmmm....
Ford Racing billit flywheel and Ram clutch. The magic thing popped into my head. Those great semi-metric years. I got some extra bolts out and checked. The holes in the flywheel are metric. Damn. I have been using ARP fasteners, so I had to wait to get them in. Anyhow, got the fasteners and it all went right together.
Just a couple issues along the way. I had to stop 3/4 of the way to put a 2x4 under each front tire. The engine hoist hit the frame. Even though I had the rubber plug in the TKO600 and a rubber glove over the end, it still managed to dump close to a 1/2 quart of transmission fluid under the car when the load leveler put the engine at a pretty steep angle.
The engine slid in easily. I had to loosen the passenger side motor mount to get the pins to drop in the holes.
Then the transmission mounting frame. Checked the manual to see which way was up. Got under the car, after wiping up the tranny fluid, and it doesnt fit. I moved it around and said all of the bad words I could think of, but it still didn't fit. I flipped it over (upside down from the pictures in the manual) and it fit like a glove. The transmission is hitting the 4" cross tube so I will need to make a spacer from some steel. Apparantly a common thing.
Now I have to go to California for a couple weeks. So hooking everything up will have to wait.
So here are a few pictures. I am very excited to have an engine in.
http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t474/Avalanche325/IMG_0432_zpscf3cbaa3.jpg (http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/Avalanche325/media/IMG_0432_zpscf3cbaa3.jpg.html)
http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t474/Avalanche325/IMG_0453_zpsfa28c01d.jpg (http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/Avalanche325/media/IMG_0453_zpsfa28c01d.jpg.html)
http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t474/Avalanche325/IMG_0459_zps70f78d21.jpg (http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/Avalanche325/media/IMG_0459_zps70f78d21.jpg.html)
http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t474/Avalanche325/IMG_0462_zps85901b05.jpg (http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/Avalanche325/media/IMG_0462_zps85901b05.jpg.html)
http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t474/Avalanche325/IMG_0463_zps36254701.jpg (http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/Avalanche325/media/IMG_0463_zps36254701.jpg.html)
I planned on getting it installed last weekend. I put the flywheel on. I then got the clutch in place and went to put the pressure plate on. I started the bolts by hand and then went to tighten them. They went in a couple turns and then just didn't feel right. Hmmm....
Ford Racing billit flywheel and Ram clutch. The magic thing popped into my head. Those great semi-metric years. I got some extra bolts out and checked. The holes in the flywheel are metric. Damn. I have been using ARP fasteners, so I had to wait to get them in. Anyhow, got the fasteners and it all went right together.
Just a couple issues along the way. I had to stop 3/4 of the way to put a 2x4 under each front tire. The engine hoist hit the frame. Even though I had the rubber plug in the TKO600 and a rubber glove over the end, it still managed to dump close to a 1/2 quart of transmission fluid under the car when the load leveler put the engine at a pretty steep angle.
The engine slid in easily. I had to loosen the passenger side motor mount to get the pins to drop in the holes.
Then the transmission mounting frame. Checked the manual to see which way was up. Got under the car, after wiping up the tranny fluid, and it doesnt fit. I moved it around and said all of the bad words I could think of, but it still didn't fit. I flipped it over (upside down from the pictures in the manual) and it fit like a glove. The transmission is hitting the 4" cross tube so I will need to make a spacer from some steel. Apparantly a common thing.
Now I have to go to California for a couple weeks. So hooking everything up will have to wait.
So here are a few pictures. I am very excited to have an engine in.
http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t474/Avalanche325/IMG_0432_zpscf3cbaa3.jpg (http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/Avalanche325/media/IMG_0432_zpscf3cbaa3.jpg.html)
http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t474/Avalanche325/IMG_0453_zpsfa28c01d.jpg (http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/Avalanche325/media/IMG_0453_zpsfa28c01d.jpg.html)
http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t474/Avalanche325/IMG_0459_zps70f78d21.jpg (http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/Avalanche325/media/IMG_0459_zps70f78d21.jpg.html)
http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t474/Avalanche325/IMG_0462_zps85901b05.jpg (http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/Avalanche325/media/IMG_0462_zps85901b05.jpg.html)
http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t474/Avalanche325/IMG_0463_zps36254701.jpg (http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/Avalanche325/media/IMG_0463_zps36254701.jpg.html)