ClasSix Part 8: Drivetrain Installation

(KEVIN)>> HEY, WELCOME TO TRUCKS. WELL WE'RE BACK ON PROJECT CLASSIX, WHICH IS GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO BECOMING A DRIVER AGAIN, AND A COOL ONE AT THAT. AND THIS IS THE 235 BLUE FLAME SIX THAT WE TOOK OUT OF THE TRUCK. ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT THE ORIGINAL ENGINE, IT'S STILL A GREAT CHOICE. IT'S NOT THE BAP STYLE ENGINE. IT'S GOT THE BETTER OILING SYSTEM IN IT. SO WE DECIDED TO RUN WITH IT, AND WE ADDED A 700 RFOUR AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE TRANSMISSION, CONNECTED IT TO THE ENGINE WITH A BENSON'S TRANSMISSION ADAPTER. BUT WHAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE SEEN IS WHAT THE GUYS OVER AT HORSEPOWER DID TO FRESHEN IT UP. AFTER EXTRACTING THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION FROM THE CHASSIS, MIKE AND JOE WENT TO WORK DOING THE FORENSICS INVOLVED IN DISASSEMBLY. THEN THE ROTATING ASSEMBLY AND ENGINE BLOCK WERE SUBJECTED TO THE TYPICAL MACHINING THAT A REFRESHED ENGINE GOES THROUGH. WITH THE BLOCK CLEANED UP, THEY WENT TO WORK INSTALLING AN ENGINE REBUILD KIT THAT THEY GOT FROM CHEVS OF THE '40'S STREET ROD HEADQUARTERS.

NOW WE CHANGED UP THE CAM SHAFT PROFILE AND OF COURSE PUT IN LARGER PISTONS TO MATCH THE OVERBORE. WITH THE HEAD, A NEW VALVE TRAIN CAME FROM PIONEER, AND OF COURSE EVERYTHING WAS REASSEMBLED BACK TO FACTORY SPECS. SO BETWEEN FRESHENING EVERYTHING UP, SOME NICE MILD HIGH PERFORMANCE PARTS, WE WOULD GET A NICE BUMP IN PERFORMANCE OF THIS ENGINE AND STILL REMAIN CLASSIC LOOKING, EVERYTHING DOWN TO THE CRANK CASE VENT TUBE.

(RYAN)>> NOW OBVIOUSLY OUR REBUILT ENGINE'S GONNA FIT IN THIS TRUCK. IT CAME OUT OF HERE, BUT THE ORIGINAL ENGINE MOUNT SETUP UTILIZED THREE DIFFERENT MOUNTS. ONE AT THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE AND TWO ON THE BELL HOUSING, ONE ON EACH SIDE TO CONTROL ENGINE TORQUE. THE PROBLEM IS THE STOCK BELL HOUSING IS LONG GONE. SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING TO CONTROL ENGINE ROTATION OR TORQUE. NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS GONNA BE SUPPORTED WITH AN AFTERMARKET CROSS MEMBER, AND WE ARE GONNA UTILIZE THE FRONT MOUNT BUT JUST TO LINE UP THE ENGINE AND THE PLACEMENT OF IT IN THE ENGINE BAY. THAT WAY WE CAN MAINTAIN GOOD RADIATOR AND FAN CLEARANCE.

(KEVIN)>> MOST OF THE CROSS MEMBERS AND MOUNTS ON THIS FRAME ARE RIVETED IN. THE REAR CROSS MEMBER IS BOLTED IN BUT IT'S STILL PRETTY TIGHT. BFH BABY!

NOW WE KNEW WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SOME MODIFICATIONS JUST BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENCES, BUT THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO REALLY TELL WHERE TO START, AND THAT'S TO STAB THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION IN. HOW'S THE FRONT LINED UP?

(RYAN)>> WE'RE ABOUT A FOOT AND A HALF SHORT.

(KEVIN)>> OKAY, SO THIS CROSS MEMBER'S GOTTA GO TOO. QUITE A FEW YEARS SEPARATE THE OLD THREE ON THE TREE STANDARD TRANSMISSION AND THE NEW 700 RFOUR MONSTER AUTOMATIC FOUR SPEED TRANSMISSION. SO THE OLD CROSS MEMBER, IT JUST HAS TO GO AWAY. NOW THIS SECOND CROSS MEMBER, WELL GENERAL MOTORS NEVER INTENDED THIS TO EVER LEAVE EVER! IT'S RIVETED IN AND WE ACTUALLY HAD TO CUT IT OUT TO RELIEVE SOME OF THE PRESSURE. EVEN THEN, IT TOOK A WHOLE LOT OF TECHNOLOGY AND SOME GOOD OLE FASHIONED SWEAT EQUITY TO REMOVE IT. JUST LIKE THAT, EASY. GET YOUR OWN TRUCK TO WORK ON. OKAY, WITH THAT STUFF OUT OF THE WAY, INSTALLING THE NEW TRANSMISSION CROSS MEMBER OUGHT TO BE A BOATLOAD EASIER. PRIMARILY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT FIGHTING 50 PLUS YEARS OF CRUD AND CRUST, BUT ALSO TOUCHING ON WHAT RYAN SAID, THE AFTERMARKET HAS KICKED IN AND GIVEN US EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED IN THE FORM OF THIS CROSS MEMBER WE GOT FROM CLASSIC PARTS OF AMERICA. IT'S DESIGNED TO FIT '47 THROUGH '59 MODEL CHEVY TRUCKS AND OUR TRANSMISSION. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IT GIVES US LOTS OF OPTIONS FOR PLACEMENT AND FOR FITMENT NO MATTER HOW WIDE YOUR FRAME RAILS ARE. WE ALSO HAD THEM SEND US THIS PROTHANE TRANSMISSION MOUNT. SO BETWEEN THESE TWO PIECES, WE OUGHT TO BE A LOT FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD LOCATING OUR NEW ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION COMBO IN CLASSIX. ALRIGHT WE'RE GONNA SET OUR CROSS MEMBER IN RIGHT HERE JUST FOR NOW CAUSE WE'RE NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT ORIENTATION OR WHAT THE FINAL PLACEMENT IS GONNA BE, BUT IT'S GONNA SERVE THE PURPOSE OF HOLDING UP OUR TRANSMISSION.

(RYAN)>> AND WITH THE ULTRA STUBBORN CROSS MEMBERS OUT OF THE WAY, WE WENT AHEAD AND INSTALLED OUR POLYURETHANE PROTHANE TRANSMISSION MOUNT AND TRY IT AGAIN. ALRIGHT COME DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE.

(KEVIN)>> WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, UP, UP, UP, ALRIGHT, THERE YOU GO.

(RYAN)>> AND THIS TIME WE MADE IT A LITTLE BIT FARTHER BEFORE WE RAN INTO ANOTHER PROBLEM, THE BOTTOM OF THE CAB.

(KEVIN)>> OKAY, WITH THAT FLOOR ACCESS PANEL OUT OF THE WAY, WE CAN SEE CLEARLY WHERE WE NEED TO DO OUR TRIMMING, WHICH IS RIGHT HERE. AND WITH THE PANEL OUT OF THE WAY, WE CAN JUST TRIM UNTIL IT FITS. NOW THIS IS OBVIOUSLY JUST A ROUGH CUT TO GAIN CLEARANCE FOR THE GIANT BELL HOUSING. WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO FINISH IT OFF LATER ON.

(RYAN)>> MY WAY!

(KEVIN)>> NOW WITH THE FLOOR CLEARANCE, BOTH THE OLD CROSS MEMBERS OUT OF THE WAY, AND THE NEW ONE MOCKED IN PLACE, THE THIRD TIME WAS THE CHARM. MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS IS A PROCESS THAT IS GONNA HAVE TO BE REPEATED. BUT HEY, THAT'S HOT RODDING! COME BACK, BACK TOWARDS ME. OKAY, WE'RE GETTING CLOSE.

ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT! WOW!

GOOD ENOUGH FOR NOW. ALRIGHT, LETS SEE WHAT WE'VE GOT. WELL THE GOOD NEWS IS THE ENGINE'S IN AND IT'S KINDA WHERE IT SUPPOSED TO BE. THE BAD NEWS IS WE'RE SHOWING ABOUT EIGHT DEGREES OF TILT BACK. WE NEED ABOUT THREE FOR PROPER BEARING ALIGNMENT. THE PROBLEM IS WE DON'T WANT TO GO DOWN ANY FURTHER ON THE FRONT BECAUSE WE WANT GOOD RACK CLEARANCE AND I DON'T WANT TO HAVE SECTION THE OIL PAN. SO ALL THAT MEANS IS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TRIM A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE FIREWALL THAN THAT TOE BOARD.

(RYAN)>> HEY GUYS, WELCOME BACK TO TRUCKS. WELL WE FINALLY HAVE OUR BLUE FLAME SIX AND AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE TRANSMISSION MOCKED UP AND SITTING WHERE WE WANT IT. WE'VE GOT ABOUT A HALF OF AN INCH IN BETWEEN THE STEERING RACK AND THE OIL PAN, AND THERE'S SOME WIGGLE ROOM IN BETWEEN THE BACK OF THE CYLINDER HEAD AND THE FIREWALL. NOW ALL WE'VE GOT TO DO IS LOCK IT INTO PLACE BY FABRICATING SOME NEW ENGINE MOUNTS. HOWEVER, THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE NEW BELL HOUSING HITTING THE FLOOR BOARD, BUT KEVIN'S GOT A PRETTY SLICK SOLUTION FOR THAT.

(KEVIN)>> NOW THE ACCESS PLATE, LIKE THE FLOOR, IS ALMOST COMPLETELY FLAT EXCEPT FOR THIS LITTLE KICK UP AT THE END WHERE IT MEETS THE TOE BOARD. SO OUR PROBLEM WAS THAT THE BELL HOUSING IS A LITTLE BIT WIDER THAN THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION. THE SOLUTION, VERY SIMPLE, WE JUST TRIMMED IT OUT TO MATCH THE CONTOUR, CREATED A FLAT FLANGE, AND TRIMMED THE PIECE OFF THE ORIGINAL. I CREATED A DOMED PIECE JUST WITH SOME SIMPLE HAND FORMING SHEET METALS TECHNIQUES THAT SITS RIGHT IN THE PLACE OF THE FACTORY ORIGINAL. YOU'RE NEVER EVEN GONNA NOTICE THIS ONCE THERE'S CARPET OR A MAT ON IT.

(RYAN)>> NOW LIKE WE TOLD YOU EARLIER, TWO OF THE THREE ORIGINAL ENGINE MOUNTS ARE HISTORY, BUT LUCKILY FOR US THERE WAS THREE UNUSED BOLT HOLES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. AND AFTER MAKING A TEMPLATE FOR THE MOUNTING PLATES, WE MEASURED THE BOLT HOLE SPACING. AND AS FAR AS THE BOLT HOLES GO, WELL THEY'RE ABOUT AN INCH DEEP. SO WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF THREAD ENGAGEMENT AND THEY SHOULD BE PLENTY STRONG. THEN WE JUST TRANSFERRED OUR MEASUREMENTS OVER TO THE QUARTER INCH PLATE USED FOR THE ENGINE MOUNT.

NOW THE REST OF THESE CUSTOM MOUNTS ARE GONNA CONSIST OF TWO SMALL PIECES OF DOM TUBING. AND SINCE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ROOM IN BETWEEN THE BOLT HOLES AND THE TUBING, WE DECIDED TO DITCH THE MIG WELDING AND GO FOR TIG WELDING. IT TAKES US LESS SPACE AND WILL ALLOW FOR PLENTY OF BOLTS AND WASHER CLEARANCE. NOW IT ALSO MEANS THAT WE'VE GOT TO CONCENTRATE ON CLEANLINESS AND GET RID OF ALL THE MILL SCALE ON BOTH THE FLAT PLATE AND THE ROUND TUBING FOR A NICE CLEAN WELD.

NOW MORE THAN LIKELY THIS ENGINE MOUNT WOULD HAVE BEEN STRONG ENOUGH WITH JUST THE DOM TUBING. BUT SINCE THAT OLD STRAIGHT SIX ISN'T EXACTLY LIGHT, WE ADDED A SMALL TRIANGULAR GUSSET JUST FOR EXTRA INSURANCE. NOW HERE'S THE REASON WE WENT WITH INCH AND A HALF 120 WALL DOM. THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE TUBING HAPPENS TO MATCH THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF THESE POLYURETHANE BUSHINGS. THAT'LL PROVIDE A GOOD FIRM MOUNT FOR OUR ENGINE WHILE STILL ISOLATING THE REST OF THE CHASSIS FROM THE HARMONICS AND VIBRATIONS THAT THE ENGINE'S GONNA PRODUCE.

(KEVIN)>> HEY, WELCOME BACK TO TRUCKS. WITH THE TRANSMISSION CROSS MEMBER BOLTED IN AND THE ENGINE LOCATED, NOW WE CAN FINISH OFF THE ENGINE MOUNTS LEFT AND RIGHT.

NOW USING THE TYPICAL TEMPLATING PROCESS, WE TRACED OUT OUR TEMPLATES ONTO QUARTER INCH STEEL. THEN OF COURSE MARKED THE BOLT HOLE LOCATION WITH THE ENGINE IN ITS PROPER MOUNTING PLACE.

NOW WHEN DRILLING THE HOLES, WE'RE USING A BIT THAT'S ONE SIXTEENTH OF INCH LARGER DIAMETER THAN THE THROUGH BOLT THAT HOLDS THE ENGINE TO MOUNTS. THIS IS TO GIVE US JUST A LITTLE BIT OF ADJUSTABILITY IN CASE WE NEED IT AND STILL RETAIN A TIGHT FIT.

NOW FOR BOTH THE MOUNTS TO THE BLOCK AND THE THROUGH BOLTS TO THE FRAME MOUNTS, WE'RE USING GRADE EIGHT FASTENERS THAT WE GOT FROM OUR FRIENDS AT INDUSTRIAL DEPOT JUST SO WE'RE SAFE.

NOW OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA STRIP THE PAINT OFF THE FRAME RAILS BEFORE WE WELD THE MOUNTS INTO PLACE, BUT WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CLOSE OFF THE HOLES IN THE CRANK CASE SO WE DON'T GET A BUNCH OF GRINDING DUST IN THE ENGINE.

(RYAN)>> NOW KEVIN'S JUST SNUGGING THE ENGINE THROUGH BOLT DOWN BY HAND SO HE CAN TACK WELD THE PLATES INTO POSITION. YOU DON'T WANT TO OVER TIGHTEN THE BOLT WITH A COUPLE OF WRENCHES AND CLAMP THE BUSHING INTO PLACE. THAT WOULD JUST MAKE THE ENGINE DIFFICULT TO REMOVE AND INSTALL.

NOW WE'RE ALSO ADDING A TOP PLATE TO OUR CUSTOM ENGINE MOUNTS. NOT ONLY WILL IT LOOK BETTER, IT'S GONNA ADD SOME STRENGTH BY TYING THE TWO HALVES TOGETHER. NOW TO FORM THAT TOP PLATE, KEVIN'S KINDA GOING OLD SCHOOL ON IT AND USING AN ADJUSTABLE WRENCH AND A SHORT SECTION OF AXLE TUBE CLAMPED INTO THE VICE. THEN HE'S JUST USING THE ADJUSTABLE WRENCH TO SLOWLY PERSUADE THE EIGHTH IN PLATE TO FORM AND FOLLOW THE CONTOUR OF THE AXLE TUBE. AND ONCE THE CURVE OF THE TOP PLATE MATCHES HIS WIRE JIG, WELL HE CAN WELD IT IN PLACE.

AND AFTER TACK WELDING THREE OF THE FOUR CORNERS INTO POSITION, HE USES A CCLAMP TO FORCE THE REMAINING CORNER INTO POSITION SO HE CAN WELD THAT ONE AS WELL. A LITTLE REINFORCING TACK WELD NEVER HURTS. AND NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THE FINAL WELDING WITH THE POLYURETHANE BUSHINGS IN PLACE. WE DON'T WANT TO MELT THEM, SO THEY'LL GET REMOVED.

(RYAN)>> HEY GUYS, WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOP. WELL WE'VE GOT OUR ENGINE MOUNTS FABRICATED AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF WELDING THEM TO THE FRAME. ONCE WE GET DONE WITH THAT, ALL WE'VE GOT TO DO IS HIT THEM WITH SOME PAINT TO PREVENT THEM FROM RUSTING. THEN WE'LL COME IN HERE AND KNOCK OUT OUR WOODEN LOCATING AND SPACER BLOCK. AND WITH THE RELIEF CUTS KEVIN MADE TO THE FIREWALL AND THE NEW TRANSMISSION TUNNEL COVER PLATE, WE'VE EVEN GOT PLENTY OF ROOM IN BETWEEN THE BELL HOUSING AND THE BODY.

(KEVIN)>> NOW THE TRANSMISSION CROSS MEMBER IS LOCKED INTO PLACE, PERMANENTLY BOLTED IN, AND RYAN RAN A TIG WELD AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE TUBE SO IT DOESN'T ROTATE. BUT WHAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE US DO IS REINSTALL THE ANTIQUE SINGLE POT BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. INSTEAD WE'RE GONNA MOUNT A FRAME RAIL MOUNTED POWER DISC BRAKE CONVERSION KIT RIGHT HERE. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER SHOW, SO YOU'LL HAVE TO KEEP WATCHING.

(RYAN)>> ALRIGHT, WITH THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION LOCKED INTO PLACE, WE TOOK A FEW SECONDS TO THROW ON OUR OFFENHAUSER VALVE COVER AND INTAKE MANIFOLD, ALONG WITH OUR FENTON SPLIT EXHAUST MANIFOLDS THAT WE PICKED UP FROM CHEVS OF THE '40'S. SO NOW OUR DRIVE TRAIN IS IN PLACE, OUR REAR AXLE IS THERE, WE'VE GOT BRAKES AT ALL FOUR CORNERS, SUSPENSION, AND THE PAINT JOB IS DONE. SO ALL THE BIG PIECES ARE IN PLACE. WE'RE LEFT WITH KINDA THE LITTLE THINGS THAT SEEM TO TAKE FOREVER. WE'VE GOT INTERIOR WORK TO DO, STEERING COLUMN, AND SOME PLUMBING AND WIRING. BUT WE'RE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, AND THIS TRUCK'S GETTING CLOSER TO MOVING UNDER ITS OWN POWER. NOW OUR '49 CHEVY CAME TO US WITH A 12 VOLT CONVERSION ALREADY COMPLETED, BUT IT STILL HAD THE OLD SCHOOL BREAKER POINTS TYPE IGNITION. SO WE'RE GONNA UPGRADE TO THE PERTRONIX IGNITER ELECTRONIC IGNITION. IT'S EASY TO INSTALL, AND WITH NO MOVING PARTS, RELIABILITY WILL BE DRASTICALLY INCREASED. NOW TO CREATE THE SPARK, WE'RE GONNA BE USING THE FLAME THROWER HIGH PERFORMANCE COIL. IT'S CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 40,000 VOLTS AND WILL ALLOW YOU TO OPEN UP THE SPARK PLUG GAP, INCREASING BOTH POWER AND EFFICIENCY. AND TO MAKE SURE MAXIMUM SPARK ENERGY GETS FROM THE COIL TO THE SPARK PLUGS, WE'RE USING THEIR SEVEN MILLIMETER PLAIN BLACK PLUG WIRES. AND BY USING THESE PERTRONIX PRODUCTS ON OUR 67 YEAR OLD TRUCK, WE'RE GONNA MODERNIZE IT AND BRING IT UP TO TODAY'S STANDARDS.

(KEVIN)>> NOW WHETHER YOU'RE REBUILDING AN ENGINE OR JUST ADDING ON AFTERMARKET COMPONENTS, THERE'S CERTAIN FASTENERS THAT ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT BE USED A SECOND TIME, ESPECIALLY ON SOME OF TODAY'S MODERN ENGINES. THAT'S WHERE A COMPANY LIKE ARP COMES IN. FORMED IN 1968 TO FILL A NEED IN THE RACING INDUSTRY, ARP HAS BECOME WORLD RENOWNED FOR THEIR HIGH ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND SUPERIOR QUALITY IN ENGINE FASTENERS. NOW WHETHER IT'S A RACE APPLICATION OR A STREET ENGINE, THE KEY TO ENGINE RELIABILITY IS CONSISTENCY, AND ARP POURS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES INTO DOING JUST THAT WITH THEIR ENGINE FASTENERS. SO IF YOU WANT THE SAME RELIABILITY AND PERFORMANCE AS NASCAR, NHRA, INDY CAR, AND FORMULA ONE, REACH FOR ARP, IT'S THAT SIMPLE.