Out with the Automatic and in with the Tremec 5 speed
Ok so over the weekend I started cutting the floor out for the Tremec transmission to fit.
I installed the bellhousing and measured to the back of the shifter housing which is about 21". I started with a cut from were the tunnel narrows back to the 21" mark which was were the original housing for the floor shifter was welded to the floor. This cut does go through the torsion bar cross member. I also made the cut about 9 1/2" wide because the transmission is 9" wide and the sides are straight up and down for the most part. There are some tabs on the side of the case which stick out a little farther but I didn't want to have to make the cut too wide and the filler tunnel from American Powertrain won't cover the cut.
I also had to cut the torsion bar crossmember back to the inner bolt holes on both sides. You can see the tube in the one picture. I'm going to weld the tube to whats left of the cross member. Just to hold it in place, but without that much cutting the tabs on the side of the case wouldn't move past the crossmember area. If you had a different engine and the head didn't hit the fire wall you could tilt the engine more and the transmission would slide in easier.
With the transmission in I can almost move it up into position but with the the mount on it, it still hits the floor in the front it looks like I need to cut 4-41/2" forward to get it up a little higher.
I'm also thinking of cutting the replacement tunnel and making the rear section a seperate piece because with the shifter assembly installed I don't think the transmission will drop down enough for the shifter stub to come out of the hole.
So this is were I'm at right now.
Ok so over the weekend I started cutting the floor out for the Tremec transmission to fit.
I installed the bellhousing and measured to the back of the shifter housing which is about 21". I started with a cut from were the tunnel narrows back to the 21" mark which was were the original housing for the floor shifter was welded to the floor. This cut does go through the torsion bar cross member. I also made the cut about 9 1/2" wide because the transmission is 9" wide and the sides are straight up and down for the most part. There are some tabs on the side of the case which stick out a little farther but I didn't want to have to make the cut too wide and the filler tunnel from American Powertrain won't cover the cut.
I also had to cut the torsion bar crossmember back to the inner bolt holes on both sides. You can see the tube in the one picture. I'm going to weld the tube to whats left of the cross member. Just to hold it in place, but without that much cutting the tabs on the side of the case wouldn't move past the crossmember area. If you had a different engine and the head didn't hit the fire wall you could tilt the engine more and the transmission would slide in easier.
With the transmission in I can almost move it up into position but with the the mount on it, it still hits the floor in the front it looks like I need to cut 4-41/2" forward to get it up a little higher.
I'm also thinking of cutting the replacement tunnel and making the rear section a seperate piece because with the shifter assembly installed I don't think the transmission will drop down enough for the shifter stub to come out of the hole.
So this is were I'm at right now.
