Project Orange Crush (57 3100)

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Looks good Valarious . Wire wheels are sure hazardous. Never had one break a finger though they are wicked at impaling me with wires.

it wasn't the wire wheel that did it it was the housing itself

[Kim57]

Looks good.
Kim

[lower50's]

Looking real good!!!! My danger tool is a sanding wheel on my angle grinder (got scar to prove it)

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Well gentleman I am looking for a muligan on this engine build I knew it went to smooth to have not done anything wrong a fellow board member pointed out something none of use noticed.......

Drumroll









I put my pistons in upside down...






I fixed it last night and it's now done valves set done

[Valarius_Starchaser]

On to the transmission I ordered some ckperformance parts from Feebay they shipped today got a decent deal even with free shipping for just the price of the upgraded piston

http://www.ckperformance.com/View/4L...PRING-ASSEMBLY

http://www.ckperformance.com/View/4L...PRING-ASSEMBLY

[Valarius_Starchaser]

I see how it is I scared everyone away with my stupidity everyone's afraid to say anything

I have 6 packages full of trans parts descending on my address so by the end of next week it will be ready to put back together less a few gaskets and fluid/filter

On to more exciting things "I think?"

It was so nice after work today I could help but sand down the hood and a fender at least a little bit it looks pretty straight a few dings and scratches and the lower dogleg hack job the PO did but all in all just a few hours of prep on the entirety of the front clip

Wednesday night I cut out the other side window channel what a fight that was even got a battle scar (man can this guy ever not hurt himself)



Just feather edging some scratches in the original surfacer

This section looked like a beaver was used in place of sand paper not sure why no dents or body work on either side PBR must have been involved in this part of the build

[Valarius_Starchaser]

And just a bit of etching primer to cover up the bare metal before later surfacing

[lower50's]

Who ever found your F%#@ up with the pistons good thing someone did. At least it was found before you spun it over. We all make mistakes. Body work is looking great so far.

[Kim57]

Body is looking good.
In my opinion the hood would look better with the chopped top if it were pie cut to take out some of its bulk at the front. I took an inch out of mine and like it.
Kim

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Originally Posted by Kim57

Body is looking good.
In my opinion the hood would look better with the chopped top if it were pie cut to take out some of its bulk at the front. I took an inch out of mine and like it.
Kim

I've been thinking about that a lot actually just haven't done the research enough to be confident yet and really not sure I'm completely sold on that mod yet

[ptc]

Originally Posted by Valarius_Starchaser

Well gentleman I am looking for a muligan on this engine build I knew it went to smooth to have not done anything wrong a fellow board member pointed out something none of use noticed....... Drumroll


put my pistons in upside down...

Just thought I would make this OBVIOUS.... since that is what we all were lacking in looking at your pictures!!!! I went back and PAID ATTENTION to what I was seeing and then it became quite clear.... Its a testament to what we all probably do all day long.... we go thru the motions of life without paying attention to the details of everything around us.....

But whoever it was that caught it.... KUDOS TO THEM!!!! for taking the time to look at what you presented..... and good thing they did!

See what happens when you get sleep deprived??? good luck going forward and cant wait to hear this thing roar to life!

[ptc]

X2 on that hood ..... needs a chop job! I see the doors are suicide ? thats cool too.... and extremely custom....

The steering clumn seems like it is way too far up into the cab and needs to be shortened or re-directed.

See Val... all this talk with us guys just makes your "TO DO LIST" longer and longer!!!!

[Valarius_Starchaser]

I will look into the pie cut more today anybody know of a good write up/step by step of it beginning to end and showing the finished product?

steering column needs work for sure the angles on it are all wrong just slapped in to be able to turn the front tires if needed

Now for yesterday we were terribly slow so I started looking into tire sizes and have a rear of 31/10.5r15 the front is giving me trouble I don't want 75 series I've been looking at 60 series maybe a 235/60r15 but I cant find anything near there that my rears come in as well (General HTS Grabber)... aghhhhh

My head hurts already....

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Originally Posted by ptc

See Val... all this talk with us guys just makes your "TO DO LIST" longer and longer!!!!

Well don't expect much this weekend until Saturday night as Tomorrow is Engagement photo day and as such I was prohibited from truck work since Wednesday

So I just did so light sanding (What she don't know won't hurt her right? )

[Valarius_Starchaser]

found a good image of a truck with a 3 inch chop and 1 3/4 pancaked hood not sure how much a care for any two tone on a TF truck but its the best finished image I could find
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=612090

Then I found Kims cut progress pics in his build thread starting at page 12 post 297 on his build thread at
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=283107

and I think I'm sold 1 1/2 inch pie cut it is

You guys aren't helping my deadline or my sanity but its only metal so what could go wrong?

[ptc]

Originally Posted by Valarius_Starchaser

found a good image of a truck with a 3 inch chop and 1 3/4 pancaked hood not sure how much a care for any two tone on a TF truck but its the best finished image I could find
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=612090

Then I found Kims cut progress pics in his build thread starting at page 12 post 297 on his build thread at
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=283107

and I think I'm sold 1 1/2 inch pie cut it is

You guys aren't helping my deadline or my sanity but its only metal so what could go wrong?

I was gonna say follow Kims build thread instructions- it is very good and detailed as it gets... and hes on here alot to answer your questions too!

[Kim57]

Originally Posted by ptc

I was gonna say follow Kims build thread instructions- it is very good and detailed as it gets... and hes on here alot to answer your questions too!

Thanks for the kind words.
Seems I'm on here too much and should be in the garage trying to get mine done.
Kim

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Thanks for the ideas guys I spent Saturday doing engagment photos then the second half o fthe day I worked on the truck

Started to finish cutting out the upper door and began on the drip rail delete as I moved along only got 6 inches done but progress is progress

Today I got 5 packages full of transmission parts just waiting on 2 more now

On a side note I now have a 2000 Grand Prix in the driveway for a side job so some more money will hopefully be directed at the truck

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Started reassembling the trans last nigh learned that the direct clutch piston I ordered in fact did not come with lip seals even though they claimed the unit included everything required for installation what a crock of s*!t.

I quick put in the cup plug and removed a seal on the center support to complete the dual feed mod for a firmer apply

Also got my intermediate apply/release spring kit installed no problem with some quick grip bars and some sockets to compress the springs

Found my separator plate was beat up by the original steel check balls which is why I got my Torlon check balls for better seating and less wear of the new plate so I ordered a new plate from GM today

A look at the piston in person notice it was machined down .090 for an added 6th friction and steel

TH400 intermediate spring retainer plate (is that what you call it?)

stock 4L80e version is 1/4 the thickness

installed

roller sprag and planetaries all look immaculate every bushing looks brand new I'm starting to wonder if this unit wasn't refreshed recently before it was pulled

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Cup plug installed I used red lock tight on it as well

second center support seal removed

And just a few of the drip rail delete before I started welding the upper seam I got that done as well that day and coated in filler but never did take a photo

I also got the rest of the upper window channel cut out just didn't take a photo for some reason I must have been in the zone

[Advanced Design]

Cool transmission work. It has been a long time since I've been in one.

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Cool transmission work. It has been a long time since I've been in one.

Thanks been a long time for me too (if you can even say that) I was a freshman in high school and got a part time job at my best friends dads trans shop all he had me doing was flushes and filter changes though I couldn't be trusted with any "real work" then and I can't say I blame him looking back but boy was I upset then about it

Continuing the refresh today I picked up some ATP trans lube and a gallon of Dexron VI from work so I could start soaking the new clutch and reverse band while I prepped other things.

Ahhhh the good stuff

A look at things up top first I only have the apply pistons installed for now while I gather funds to finish off with a reseal kit

A look at the worn out separator plate and the reason we are doing away with the steel check balls this wear would have caused major shifting issues in the future

A look at the fix for the above problem these will form to the separator plate hole actually resulting in a better seal

A look at the stock reverse boost valve next to the SONNAX unit I got the one on the right is the stocker and can cause runaway line pressure that causes case failure (oh that sounds lovely they all said)

[Valarius_Starchaser]

A look inside the case I am now up the intermediate clutches and have installed my Spiral lock in place of the stock snap ring due to high apply pressure in high torque applications (like yours truly) the stock one can deflect and turn a case lug into a hand grenade being sent directly toward the front pump at warp speed so this removes the gap and solves the problem for next to nothing
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/1820906...&ul_noapp=true

A quick look at the base of the valve body the accumulators all look good and the valve body shows no signs of bore wear in any solenoids so I am good to go with that

And finally a sweet AD I saw driving home for lunch anyone notice the truck from the forum I can't say I have seen anyone else in my town on here that I know of

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Getting really frustrated with ckperformance they claimed on the page of the piston I bought that
a. It came with everything required for installation (no lip seals were included)
b. It can run a full set of SIX (one more then stock) clutches and steels at .090 a steel and .080 a clutch when I have 5 .090 steels and one .075 steel and 6 .080 clutches and the thing is somewhere around .175 to tall even with the wave plate removed the unit was clearly machined down and is installed fully but I would need to reduce my clutch and steel count to 4 to even fit the thing and that's not even safe in my opinion I don't know what kind of a fast one they are trying to pull but I fully intend to either get it fixed or get my money back

Unfortunately I have called three times during business hours (no call backs) and emailed them twice now the second time just today at 5 we will see what happens I'm not sure what else to do about the situation super bummed I can't have stupid vendors slow me down like this.....

Suggestions anyone delt with this before?

[Valarius_Starchaser]

I finally was able to get a person from ckperformance to answer BUT their "guy" isn't in until 3pm what kind of trans part supplier doesn't have people on hand that know about transmissions and the parts they are selling?

Needless to say if they call me back I will be surprised

In better news I got a BBC power steering bracket on order from GM of all things they still have 16 14015392 laying around I can only imagine how dusty the thing will be