Goals: Remove 340-2bbl / st300 (110,000 mi) original motor and tranny Rebuild and install 1970 350-4bbl motor, (originally a 2bbl motor) http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=220118&highlight=cam+bearing install 1978 Caddy 200-4r and new 3.73 gears (posi). install dual exhaust saved off a 71 Electra. addition of power steering and power brakes off a 70 LeSabre tilt Column installation, donor 73 Electra. Since this is a 4 dr sedan, driver, I'm going to try to do all this on the cheap. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 350 Motor's all apart, first thing is send the crank out for inspection. The surfaces look good, machinist states if the diameters check out within tolerance he can just polish it.:grin: My own investigation reveled. Crank main diameters are from 2.999" to 3.000" Crank rod diameters 1.999" to 1.9995" Cylinder bores 3.801" to 3.8035" Piston diameters 3.797" to 3.799" Piston to cylinder clearance 0.0055" (worst), 0.0025" (best), manufactures allowable clearance 0.0008" to 0.0014" Looks like an overbore and new pistons are in order. Drive shaft is out, replaced center bearing spline grease plug with grease fitting.
Transmission swap was relatively easy. 200 4R and the st300 are the same length, they use the same spline. I was able to use the st300 transmission mount and cross member. The frame had 4 holes already drilled in it for the 340/4bbl/th400 cross member location. These holes lined up exactly for the 200 4R. I had to massage the floor about 1/4" locally around the 200 4r's governor housing. I have to make up some new cooling lines. Ordered a brake switch and vacuum switch for the 200 4R converter lock up. Now I'm just waiting on gears, bearings, seals, and a posi unit. All the old parts have been removed from the rearend, its been flushed and swabbed out with brake cleaner. Gauges are in, they came out of one of my parts cars. Bruce
Rear bearing removal 101, since I don't own a press.:grin: 8.2 rear end I talked to one local machine shop they stated they didn’t think they had the proper tooling to remove the bearing in a press. The other local machine shop bent the last axle I took to them to change a wheel bearing. Note you must be very careful not to nick the axle or introduce any excessive heat. Cut the outer race with a 3" cutting wheel, 2 places 180 deg apart. Support the bearing outer race, hit the cut groove with a chisel. Peel off the seals and ball carrier. The axle bolt on plate will now slide off Cut the keeper ring with a 3" cutting wheel, 2 places 180 deg apart. Support the keeper ring, hit the cut groove with a chisel. Slide the keeper ring off. Cut the inner race with a 3" cutting wheel, 2 places 180 deg apart. Support the inner race, hit the cut groove with a chisel. Bruce
Last year when I put the car on the road, I put a power bench seat in it out of a 68 Delta, It didnt work very well. After 40 years the old grease in the gearbox gets hard and stops the shafts from rotating and the clutches from pulling in. To get at the drive I unbolted the seat, rear bolts first, the seat is back heavy, if you undo the front bolts first it the seat might tip back bending the rear mounts. I just tipped the seat back in the car after removing all the bolts holding it to the floor. Undo each drive cable at the gear drive, 3 each side, the nuts attaching these are usually finger tight. The drive is held in with 2 Philips head screws. From my experience they are rusted in place and hard to get out. Unplug the proper wires. The gear box is bolted on with two 7/16 shoulder bolts. There is a rubber vibration dampener between the drive frame and gearbox. Remove the cable drives from each side of the gear box, 2 Phillips screws for each side. Separate the two halves of the gearbox, 3 Phillips screws. You can see the hardened grease on the shafts. Disassemble each gear assembly clean the shafts, gears bores and the gear box bearing bores with a solvent. Make sure you use a solvent that wont hurt the gears. After cleaning, apply a thin layer of light grease to all the rotating surfaces and gear faces, reassemble.
Arrrrrrrrrrrggh, I've had this thing in and out about 8 times, getting closer, I think I only have the back lash left to adjust. Bruce
Ok well your first mistake is the backlash ALWAYS has to be adjusted as you try to get the correct pattern ...SAME time.
OK well we need tt tryu to get more pattern as what you have on most are not readable. You have to go around about 6-10 times and try a little gear oil (LITTLE GEAR OIL not loads that wipe off the compound. ) You need enough to squeeze that compound outward where ever the gears touch and slide across each other. From what I can see after the blueing pictures to the right are TOO shallow. Other as stated are very hard to read. KEep the backlash on any changes to about .009 -.011 as this will give the BEST pattern for set-up THEN when you are on your final set up tighten this spec up to .007-.008 for street and freeway use, .006.007 street strip, .004-.005 for strip only. Jim P.S. Welcome to my world of rear diff set-up WHAT shim are you using in each of the pictures? 10 bolt 8.2 start with .030-.033 IF you do not have the original to start with. Jim
Need to spin the heck out of the ring gear looks like you only went around once. We need the positive and negative imprint. DO NOT GET flustered. Go by feel (smoothness... any clunky noise when spin is BAD ) you will feel it in you hand when you spin the ring.
thanks for the reply Jim, I started with the same shim as it came with -.056, the pinion gear rubbed on the carrier, current shim under pinion is -.021. All the pictures are with the same pinion shim. I'll have at it again tonight. Too Shallow meaning, pinion gear too close to the carrier or to far awayuzzled: Edit: Ok trial time, started with a 30 tho pinion shim, then did 25 tho, then 20 tho, then 15 tho, keeping the back lash the same as close as possible for all pinion shims. You can see the progression in the pictures from the toe of the tooth to the heel. I like the 20 tho pinion shim. thanks Bruce
Ok I had to save each one to to see the specs. TRY giving MORE BACKLASH for SET UP .010 the backlash your using is too tight right now to get the pattern. Plus use more oil on the gear face use a oil can on a few of the teeth and spin spin spin both directions. the .006 .007 is giving you a bad pattern for checking The .015 does APPEAR to be the better pattern but with that backlash it could be fooling you. Take your time and work with a certain shim and be sure all the preload and carrier is in the saddle with out dirt etc. we need consistency on each and every change. This is NOT a speed test. Jim
The original shim sure appears to be the best to me .020 -.023 and .010 try that and take your time. Jim If you read the coast side of the .015 it is TOO shallow look where it is off the top of the gear all the way across and then 1/2 moon through the center. Jim
It sure is a test of patience:TU: I get under the car and can here condensation dripping from the top of the gas tank :laugh: Edit: more pictures, I'm looking for the picture perfect set up, I'm not getting it. The shim kit didn't come with shims thinner than .005, if I have to make a finer adjustment I'm going to need thinner shims. these last picture are at 15 tho pinion shim, 10 tho backlash and 20 tho pinion shim, 10 tho backlash thanks Bruce
Bruce .020 looks pretty good on the coast side (20THOP~1)...Drive side just a hair too shallow BUT looks to be a runner. That IS pretty text book in our book. YOU will not get the pattern that goes across the whole gear as you do not have 3000# pressure to do that. See how it goes from valley to peak equally and in the middle ...The more important is to have the valley to peak swipe then the center of the gear deal. JIm Shims You should use the original shim and button it up (original shim being .021 correct?) Keep the backlash .008.009 ish make the pinion preload and carrier preload install the crush sleeve and DO ONE LAST final pattern. Do not worry about the compound it will be fine in the oil and your going to change it in 500-1000 anyway. The .015 is definetely TOO shallow for sure. Jim
Hi Jim, Miles, Kilometers or Hours? You've been a great help , it's greatly appreciated. Especially for supporting a first timer. Which oil should I use in it. Thanks Bruce
So I can tick 2 items off on the list, tranny's in, rearend is rebuilt with 3.73 gears and an Eaton Posi:TU: Edit: I can check 3 things off on the list, the power brakes are installed. Parts arrived for the motor. I'm going to try to modify the tilt column. I changed the bottom shaft from the 73 which is splined to the 67 which is a flange. I had to shorten the column 2 1/4" which is not to hard when the column is disassembled, the shafts and housings can slide one inside the other with some effort, A BIG HAMMER :laugh: Had to make my own pin removal tool , not pretty, but it works:beer Bruce
It's in, WOW only been working at it a week. Had a couple of snags. First time I put it in the steering wheel was 180 deg out, everything is keyed, I got the steering shafts out 180 deg. The second snag, when I shortened the column 2 1/4" the two mating shifter shafts key didn't make contact, had it all installed , was setting up the neutral safety switch, and the shifter stopped moving the linkage. :rant: , take it back out, measure where the shafts should be, disassemble it, tack the shafts together, reassemble, figure there about 1/16" to long, disassemble, break the tacks , adjust shaft lengths, tack weld back up, reassemble, check to make sure it works, disassemble, weld shafts, reassemble, install. Wow I'm out of breath. Edit, tick another item off the list, the power steering box is installed. Bruce
Motor's in, waiting on new rocker shafts, should be here this week. Have to rebuild the cab and fabricate the exhaust system. The 71 Electra tailpipes fit, I'm going tot try to fabricate the front pipes from flanges to mufflers from the 71 front pipes and two 67 single exhaust front pipes I have. Bruce
Nice job on the steering wheel, Bruce. Sure looks funky seeing the older dash with the newer wheel. :TU:
thanks If the car was of notable value I would of found an original tilt column, the 67 steering wheel was shot and hard on the hands, I had the 73 column so the price invested was my time only. For fun I stuck in this knee knocker tach, it's a old Stewart Warner that came out of one of my parts cars. Bruce
