I received a message regarding flywheel bolts and pressure plate bolts for a 4 speed conversion. The idea came that this info might be good to add to this thread.
The flywheel bolts are somewhat special. The GM number for them is 839756 and they are still available from GM. They use an external star washer under them.
The pressure plate bolts are special because of a bit of a shoulder that fits in a beveled area in the hole in the flywheel. The Gm number for them is 838653, also still available from GM.
This applies to any engine, 6 cyl, small block or big block.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
To add to the post, here's an image of the finished product in car, trimmed out in a Nova boot and trim ring. Carl actually supplied the ring, thanks Carl!
I feel that overall it's a workable facsimile of a 65-66 bench boot and ring. Certainly cheap and easy enough to to come by. It'll never fool anyone, but for a car of this level, I'd say it's just fine don't you think?
To add to the post, here's an image of the finished product in car, trimmed out in a Nova boot and trim ring. It'll never fool anyone, but for a car of this level, I'd say it's just fine don't you think?
Agreed, that costs a small fraction of the correct OEM stuff and looks just fine. If the rest of the car was as-built, matching numbers maybe not but this will fool anyone who doesn't know the cars well. Have you seen how many of the cars for sale online through various sources have the wrong shifter handle, wrong shift knob, wrong boot/trim? I bet more than 1/2 have at least one wrong item.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Exactly. I've seen high end stuff with a laughably incorrect shifter setup. At least I spent the time to find the correct lever (Carl again!), and it even came with some patina to help it all blend in with the look.
And I have to say, with the time spent on setting and shimming the muncie shifter up, it actually shifts beautifully. I'll admit, I did lube it when the boot was off and it did smooth it out. Probably once every 2 years it needs a lube?
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
One thing I was thinking as I was reading this and other 4 speed conversion threads tonight. If anyone is doing this conversion, and you're converting from a Turbo 400 to a Muncie 4 speed, make sure you remember to slide the crossmember forward to the front set of mounting tabs where the crossmember meets the frame. I read a thread on a different site where the person was having trouble getting things to fit and couldn't figure out why. It turned out the issue was he was trying to mount the Muncie too far back because the crossmember was still mounted in the TH400 location on the frame.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
My Grande had a PG so I'm good. It also had an auto console so you lose the middle mount as it attached to the auto shifter. I welded on a used one I had. The after market set comes with a large M shaped bracket that attaches just in front of the shifter. It seems to push the front of the console too far off the floor so Im going to try using the old front bracket from the auto. It screws to the floor.
need to go back through this thread but for now can someone tell me if I can replace just the peddles or do I have to replace the support too to add the clutch peddle
-- Edited by 65 SD L79 on Tuesday 14th of March 2023 04:25:49 PM
need to go back through this thread but for now can someone tell me if I can replace just the peddles or do I have to replace the support too to add the clutch peddle
-- Edited by 65 SD L79 on Tuesday 14th of March 2023 04:25:49 PM
Fwiw, I found this image of a taped template I used for the initial 4 speed floor cut. I had good luck with it, and I think it would accommodate the factory hump. I made my own, and it worked fine. In fact, after the insulation and carpet, you'd never know.
To be safe, start out small inside the purple line, and open it up as required.
No probs Kevin. But just to be sure, it's really just my interpretation of where the rough opening should go. Understand I had no factory hump to go on.
But it should be fine if kept smallish. Enlarge as required.
The 100% best way to center the hump for mounting, is to have the trans and shifter in place when you set it down (with boot) on the tunnel.
I just sort of fabbed up my own hump as I went along. Bending, tacking, adding metal, making sure the boot would sit well as I went, until it was all covered up. I then took it off, welded and cleaned it it up...and it worked!
Mark....WE have seen you do so much on the computer, making wiring diagrams, detailing things. Your helpful hints are outstanding, nobody here will deny that.
Is there anyway you can make that diagram fullsize? I type with 2 fingers, I have trouble some days signing on....Then we could copy it (somehow on a printer,maybe??)
Mark...You are a pc nerd wizard!!!!
One more question... If I copy the pic and save it to my files. I send it to the printer. Will the picture be 100% size or does the printer not print/copy to a 100%?
I know this is an old thread but it's a good one that Mark did, so good it's stickied so it stays at the top. I know guys refer to this thread for 4 speed conversions. As I prepare to do one this winter (hopefully) I'm gathering as much info as I can to do it as I've forgotten a lot of this over the 10 or so years since I last did one on a B body.
I saw something this week in a wrecking yard that I wanted to post in here for guys who are interested. It appears that maybe GM wasn't always bang on with their stuff they installed on the assembly line. Note that the Z bar won't be going perfectly across the indent in the frame for it. The frame end attachment bracket is certainly not perfectly in line with divot. This is on a known factory 4 speed car in a wrecking yard.
Yeah, that looks a little too far forward Carl. Good catch. I think the positioning is of the "general area" type of manufacture wasn't it then. And it looks to be kind of forgiving anyways.
When I mounted my bracket, I actually went to the trouble to attach an empty M21 case with a bellhousing to the crossmember, and hang it by a ratchet strap on a wire V centered on the firewall. I remember asking you to let me know as to where the transmission mount bolts ended up sitting in the crossmember rest slots. You looked under your 66 on the lift and told me they seemed to be about 1/2 way, so thats what I went with. Z bar ended up sitting perfect.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
Yes, I think there's quite a bit of room for error. I didn't even realize it when I was taking the pictures but when I got home tonight and put them on the monitor I went "wow, that's not exactly on centre"! so thought I should post this.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
