Right?! It's May!
Really it's only a couple inches and it's going to warm right back up so it'll be gone in a day or two. Wasn't exactly motivational to get started pulling the transmission today though
My "new" '74 Duster- or why I need a project like a hole in the head
- Thread starter 72bluNblu
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Right?! It's May!
Really it's only a couple inches and it's going to warm right back up so it'll be gone in a day or two. Wasn't exactly motivational to get started pulling the transmission today though
racerjoe
Well-Known Member
Nice! Lots of space in there. Interesting that the pilot bearing failed. Has it gotten harder to shift?
340sFastback
Well-Known Member
I thought you used a pilot bushing not a bearing?
Space for the moment, once the electrical is done and I move some projects it’s going to be more full than I’d like already.
It mostly just makes noise, occasionally the gear change isn’t quite as smooth but it’s not really harder to shift.
My current working theory is that I had a rear main seal leak which got progressively worse until I changed the seal last year. So the oil from the rear main may have washed out the grease the bearing came with over the last few years. And then I stopped the leak.
It’s from Advance Adapters. They show a bushing in their pictures, but the actual part is a bearing.
I looked up all the dimensions of the bushing and bought a bronze bushing insert, when I take it apart I may change it over. I have a new bearing/adaptor too if that doesn’t work out, but I’d rather have a bushing.
340sFastback
Well-Known Member
Thanks. I remember looking up part you used showed bushing. Silver Sport sent me a bearing so I put it in. But lot of ppl like bushings cause no way for them to fail like a bearing.
Doesn't your throw out spaces rattle at idle? Mine do when engine cold seems to go away when car warmed up. Its a stack of round plates. If I ever have to take mine apart might see if I can tack plates together or something.
New shop looks great congrats.
Doesn't your throw out spaces rattle at idle? Mine do when engine cold seems to go away when car warmed up. Its a stack of round plates. If I ever have to take mine apart might see if I can tack plates together or something.
New shop looks great congrats.
Yeah I'd rather have the bushing, I went and looked at all the options for the LS T56 and did find that there is a bushing made by one manufacturer so it's not out of the question to use one. Like there's no reason why it can't be a bushing that I can think of but I didn't want to install a bushing if only bearings were used on that input in all the regular applications. So I'll have to see when I get it apart, but I don't see why I can't just press a bushing into that adaptor instead of the bearing as long as it's the same size (ish).
My throw out does not have a space at idle. I use an OE Corvette throw out, not an aftermarket set up with an air gap. This video was super helpful for that, the OE bearings are a different set up than the aftermarket McLeod's etc...
And thanks! It's been quite a deal with trying to cram the largest shop possible on my property and then deal with the manufacturing delays. But it's there now, electrician is scheduled and hopefully soon I'll be setting up all my benches, tool boxes and work areas.
DionR
Well-Known Member
Ever run into an issue with removing that stub? Thinking about doing the same thing to mine.
Nope, haven’t missed it!
The crossmember wasn’t originally designed using a T56 magnum, I believe that tab was added for one of the magnum’s applications but it doesn’t have any use that I’m aware of in an A-body.
DionR
Well-Known Member
It's probably there to hold a wiring harness up in a TR6060 application or something.
It's probably there to hold a wiring harness up in a TR6060 application or something.
It's about the right size for a one of those plastic push fasteners.
It's definitely not in a good spot when trying to slide the T56 forward through the crossmember and into the bell housing. I think you could install the engine and transmission as a unit up from the bottom with it in place, but to install or remove the transmission by itself either the tab has to go or the crossmember would need to be modified.
Well it's time for some updates, hit some milestones! Not really progress related on my Duster, but definitely some things that affect it!
I finally wore out my old Falken's 615K's and they didn't offer them in the same size anymore, so I ended up with some Falken RT660's in the same size, 275/35/18 up front and 295/40/18 out back. Initial impression is that they're pretty nice! They definitely have a nice soft compound, but I think part of the difference is definitely how worn out my old tires were compared to the new ones, probably more about wear and heat cycles than actual compound differences. Still, nice to have some new shoes on the old girl!
Another major milestone was that I finally managed to get my shop squared away enough that the contents of my old shop are now entirely in my new shop, clearing the space for my Duster to be parked in my actual house garage for the first time. Ever. It lived outside as I never had space in my old shop before I moved, and even after the move it was stuck outside until my new shop was up, but now it has an actual garage space. Maybe normal for other folks but it's definitely new to me. I've literally never had a garage space for any of my drivers.
And finally, I did something I haven't done in over 20 years- I bought a new truck. I traded in the '02 Dakota I inherited from my father and got myself a 2024 Ram 2500. It's a Tradesman, so, not a ton of electronic bells and whistles, screens etc, but it has the Power Wagon package, so it does have front and rear lockers, electric sway bar disconnect and a winch, and a bunch of towing add ons to go with the 6.4L Hemi. Should make winter and towing my car trailer a whole bunch easier!
It even fits in the garage, although it'll probably be parked in my shop most of the time since my wife's car has the other spot in the garage.
And no, the goal is not to daily drive the truck. The Duster is still gonna be getting plenty of commuter use, just with a little less pressure on me to keep it up and running all the time! Should make the usual upkeep and maintenance a little less stressful for me.
I finally wore out my old Falken's 615K's and they didn't offer them in the same size anymore, so I ended up with some Falken RT660's in the same size, 275/35/18 up front and 295/40/18 out back. Initial impression is that they're pretty nice! They definitely have a nice soft compound, but I think part of the difference is definitely how worn out my old tires were compared to the new ones, probably more about wear and heat cycles than actual compound differences. Still, nice to have some new shoes on the old girl!
Another major milestone was that I finally managed to get my shop squared away enough that the contents of my old shop are now entirely in my new shop, clearing the space for my Duster to be parked in my actual house garage for the first time. Ever. It lived outside as I never had space in my old shop before I moved, and even after the move it was stuck outside until my new shop was up, but now it has an actual garage space. Maybe normal for other folks but it's definitely new to me. I've literally never had a garage space for any of my drivers.
And finally, I did something I haven't done in over 20 years- I bought a new truck. I traded in the '02 Dakota I inherited from my father and got myself a 2024 Ram 2500. It's a Tradesman, so, not a ton of electronic bells and whistles, screens etc, but it has the Power Wagon package, so it does have front and rear lockers, electric sway bar disconnect and a winch, and a bunch of towing add ons to go with the 6.4L Hemi. Should make winter and towing my car trailer a whole bunch easier!
It even fits in the garage, although it'll probably be parked in my shop most of the time since my wife's car has the other spot in the garage.
And no, the goal is not to daily drive the truck. The Duster is still gonna be getting plenty of commuter use, just with a little less pressure on me to keep it up and running all the time! Should make the usual upkeep and maintenance a little less stressful for me.
DionR
Well-Known Member
Very nice!
Need pictures of the shop now. I assume you already have a project on jack stands in there?
Love the truck. I bought my Dad's F150 after he passed last year but was looking a somewhat similar Ram for 3x as much before my Mom offered it to me. Ok, to be clear, it was a Ram and it was black with a V8 and not much else is close.
Need pictures of the shop now. I assume you already have a project on jack stands in there?
Love the truck. I bought my Dad's F150 after he passed last year but was looking a somewhat similar Ram for 3x as much before my Mom offered it to me. Ok, to be clear, it was a Ram and it was black with a V8 and not much else is close.
340sFastback
Well-Known Member
Major milestones congrats. So much easier to keep up on the cars when they are kept in a garage. Truck is a beast! Congrats!
Yes very nice!!
Can you loan me the few thou!!????
Can you loan me the few thou!!????
Actually haven't dragged my Dart GT or Challenger into the shop yet. The current project is still the shop itself, I wanted to get the Duster into the garage so I have some more organizing to do in the shop with some of the stuff I moved out of the garage. It's still workable but it's a bit more cluttered than I want at the moment until I sort through some more things.
And of course I had to do some things to the truck, I added a cat-back exhaust, the running boards, bed cover and a few other little items. My goal of course is not to do anything major to the truck, which is why the Power Wagon option is so nice, there's nothing really that I need to do to the drivetrain or suspension.
JBrian
Well-Known Member
I also run the Falkin RT660s, 245/40-18x9 35mm offset with a 5mm spacer and 275/35-18x9.5 45mm offset with a 5mm spacer on a 68-70 B-Body 8 3/4"
racerjoe
Well-Known Member
I got some fairly decent life out of my 660s. I think you will like them. I'm on REs now, and the grip is much better than the 660s, but I'm not sure I'd use them on a daily driver. I haven't seen how the new 660+ perform compared to the old ones, but admittedly, I haven't gone looking for that either.
Nice!
I've been happy with them so far. They seem better than the 615's but I kinda think that's mostly because I'm comparing brand new rubber to the old heat cycled rubber of the worn out 615's.
I've been happy with them so far. They seem better than the 615's but I kinda think that's mostly because I'm comparing brand new rubber to the old heat cycled rubber of the worn out 615's.
I’m really happy I chased the rabbit and checked out your thread to see:
1) you properly sealed your car lol
2 and most importantly) man what a cool build. The turn signal lights. The demon tail lamps. The brake upgrades. Suspension. What a cool car. Thanks for sharing.
1) you properly sealed your car lol
2 and most importantly) man what a cool build. The turn signal lights. The demon tail lamps. The brake upgrades. Suspension. What a cool car. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you sir!
She's no show car and I definitely have some work to do still, but I enjoy the hell out of driving this car and I do that quite a bit.
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