Broken Flex Plate

[babyJay]

Originally Posted by justinburnett

Oh, and the hood. Who needs that though?

YOU DO! Sounds like you live among neighbors you can't trust. Heck, sometimes I leave the keys in mine all nite, and never had a problem.

[justinburnett]

Well, yeah, you're right. I do. I've actually been trying to figure out some sort of lock so you can't just open it from the outside.

So... I DID IT!!!! It starts so smooth now. Well, it turns over so smooth. It doesn't start any better than it used to. new carb is my next goal, but the grinding and clanking and whirring and cursing is over!!!

Oh, and it's LOUD as hell. Still haven't figured out how to get the pipes on so it's just straight out the manifold. Don't know if it'll hurt it to drive like that so I didn't, but I did start it up just to see if it all worked. I think I'm going to end up having to cut the pipes to get them in and then weld them back or put a sleeve on them or something.... don't know yet. Some jackwagon welded them together right past the engine so they won't flex/turn independently at all. Try to push one over the studs and the other is stuck and won't let me. I really want to finish it cause I'm SOOOO close but i'll just have to take my time and figure it out.

Thanks everyone who gave me advice and encouragement! I don't think I wouldn't tried this before without knowing I had people I could turn to for answers if I got stuck. This is the best board ever as far as vehicles go.

[babyJay]

Glad it was a success.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by justinburnett

Well, yeah, you're right. I do. I've actually been trying to figure out some sort of lock so you can't just open it from the outside.

So... I DID IT!!!! It starts so smooth now. Well, it turns over so smooth. It doesn't start any better than it used to. new carb is my next goal, but the grinding and clanking and whirring and cursing is over!!!

Oh, and it's LOUD as hell. Still haven't figured out how to get the pipes on so it's just straight out the manifold. Don't know if it'll hurt it to drive like that so I didn't, but I did start it up just to see if it all worked. I think I'm going to end up having to cut the pipes to get them in and then weld them back or put a sleeve on them or something.... don't know yet. Some jackwagon welded them together right past the engine so they won't flex/turn independently at all. Try to push one over the studs and the other is stuck and won't let me. I really want to finish it cause I'm SOOOO close but i'll just have to take my time and figure it out.

Thanks everyone who gave me advice and encouragement! I don't think I wouldn't tried this before without knowing I had people I could turn to for answers if I got stuck. This is the best board ever as far as vehicles go.

You could try to loosen one exhaust manifold enough that it allows the Y-pipe to get past the mount studs.

I would suggest the passenger side so you don't have to get around the brake booster.

[justinburnett]

Well, I wiggled, I disconnected, I hammered, I bent, I hurt myself, and nothing worked, so.... I grabbed my angle grinder and a cutting wheel

Chopped one of the pipes off so I could get the other one in place, and then re-connected them all ghetto-style (tin cans and hose clamps) because I was out of time and patience. Here's the end result.



Worked great! Doesn't seem to leak, and it's not so loud I can't drive it now, so I'm happy.

Still need my hood on but i don't have an extra set of hands. I work tonight so I'll take the truck and park it where I can see it so I can keep my battery cause I REALLY don't think it'll make it two nights in a row.

[motornut]

congrats ,yup for pass side it's usally the hold up,weird angle

[justinburnett]

Well, I tried to drive it to work last night. New problem.

Started fine, ran fine, put it in reverse and it seemed like it took a hair longer to go in, then back to drive and it shifted, but it won't come out of first gear. I don't know why. Does this sound like something I could have broken or something? How does the trans know when to shift? Is it vacuum or something or is it a cable? Let e know. hopefully I can get it today

[babyJay]

Probably the linkage pivot area came out of the frame. There should be a spring in there too, and it's easy to put back in with no tools required. Look right underneath the driver's floorboard, and make sure the rod goes into the frame rail.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by justinburnett

Well, I tried to drive it to work last night. New problem.

Started fine, ran fine, put it in reverse and it seemed like it took a hair longer to go in, then back to drive and it shifted, but it won't come out of first gear. I don't know why. Does this sound like something I could have broken or something? How does the trans know when to shift? Is it vacuum or something or is it a cable? Let e know. hopefully I can get it today

Most likely the vacuum line feeding the modulator at the trans came off. It won't shift out of first without it. Could be at the trans or at the intake.

Passenger side of the trans usually a metal line with a short rubber hose on both ends that connect to the transmission vacuum modulator on one end and to a vacuum port on the back of the intake or possibly to a port on the carburetor on the other.

[justinburnett]

I remember when I started pulling the engine that there was one line left attached that got pulled out quite a ways before we noticed! It was directly into the intake near the back and went down behind along the firewall. I'll bet it pulled free at the transmission! I forgot about that. It's plugged back into the engine but I'll check right now. Hope that's it! I'll check for the linkage thingy too while I'm down there.

[justinburnett]

Just wriggled back out from underneath, and sure enough, that doodad was unplugged. Shifted the hard line over a twitch, and it lined right back up. it's re-connected and ready to go, but I'm not. Maybe in an hour or so I can get out there and drive it around. Thanks again for all the help!

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by justinburnett

Just wriggled back out from underneath, and sure enough, that doodad was unplugged. Shifted the hard line over a twitch, and it lined right back up. it's re-connected and ready to go, but I'm not. Maybe in an hour or so I can get out there and drive it around. Thanks again for all the help!

Glad I could help and it was something simple to fix.

[justinburnett]

Me too! Just got back from driving around town. Zero problems! Now I can focus on the not-so-important things in life. Like paint, and gauges, and sagging seats, etc. I'm a happy guy right now!