Should be a straight shot. The booster might be the issue, but I still thing there is room down there for a small cordless impact screw gun if you have one.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
Remember that temporary teck screw method of retaining the bracket.
It beats trying to clamp it through the wheelwell, and really holds it tight and square for welding.
AND.... remember the placement is not that critical as you know Carl ( you posted the pictures). The only "critical" point I think is getting cross rod so that it does not bind. So if you mocked up the bellhouse, hung the cross shaft WITH the frame bracket on the end and then scribed a line around it.
Another thought, What if you used some epoxy to place the bracket first, then welded it after?
Remember that temporary teck screw method of retaining the bracket.
It beats trying to clamp it through the wheelwell, and really holds it tight and square for welding.
AND.... remember the placement is not that critical as you know Carl ( you posted the pictures). The only "critical" point I think is getting cross rod so that it does not bind. So if you mocked up the bellhouse, hung the cross shaft WITH the frame bracket on the end and then scribed a line around it.
Another thought, What if you used some epoxy to place the bracket first, then welded it after?
Yes, I was looking at those pictures yesterday and laughing at how far off they can be from one car to the next. Anyway, I think I have a way figured out to hold it in place for a couple of tack welds. I loosened the inner fender and that has gained me some advantage in the work area.
I'm going to take my little cordless driver in there though and check it Mark because a screw holding it would be ideal, yes.
I have a blank Muncie case and tail so I'll mount a trans in there for the placement.
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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
Finally got a few hours this afternoon to work on my car again. I've been dreading the tab on the frame for the Z-bar but they say the best thing to do is tackle your fears head on, so I did!
I have an empty Muncie case and tail housing so I put in the bellhousing, bolted up the "Muncie" and started test fitting.
I loosened up the inner fender to give me a bit more work space and that was a good move. I blocked it up with a couple of 2X4 chunks.
When I was working in there I noticed one bad word molded into the rubber body mount cushion! Hopefully you can read it...
I tried positioning the Z bar nicely over the divot and didn't like that location, it seemed off a touch. I have the good fortune of having my factory manual trans Strato Chief in the same garage, so I went to look at it. Yup. Z bar is about 1/2" back of centre on the frame divot, just like some of those factory ones pictured in the 4 speed conversion sticky thread here in the power train tech forum.
After lunch, my afternoon ritual of a 4km walk, then nap time with my red blankie with our kid's trusty little pooch (as pictured) that we are babysitting, then it was back to the garage.
Armed with my big old C clamp which was just barely big enough I was able to clamp the tab down very firmly and tack welded it.
Removed the C clamp and gave it all I had with my little mig, which was hopefully enough. I'm very happy with the fit, it seems to line up great.
Now to the inside of the car and started using a carbide bit in the die grinder to remove the welds holding down the automatic hump. I have those cut out, all that is left to do is drill out the last spot weld but it was suppertime.
Anyway, time to walk away from this computer and get back to work.
-- Edited by 4SPEED427 on Thursday 25th of January 2024 08:18:20 PM
I got the auto hump removed. Interesting, it had 7 welds that looked like arc welds holding it on, and one lonely spot weld. I'm wondering it got spot welded on just to hold it in place and then at some later point on the line the finish welding was done?
After that I just hacked a hole in the floor big enough to mount the shifter adapter plate and shifter body. I'll do the proper cut once I am able to determine the correct location for the hump.
At the rear of the auto hump opening you can see where I drilled out the one spot weld.
After I was done for the night, it was time to empty the rock tumbler that was running all day cleaning my U joint hardware. I love how it is my hired man and I can do other stuff while it works! It does a way nicer job than the wire wheel or whatever I used to clean parts with.
This job is so easy and worthwhile, Im sure there will be a big supply of automatics at junk yards across Canada.
Great job and pictures Carl. That bad word means you can have a 427 in your Cdn Poncho, and I can have a 409 in mine.
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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
Well, I'm happy to say the reproduction hump I got this time (it's from Luttys) is far superior to the one I bought (it's from The Parts Place) for the Strato Chief.
I spent maybe an hour with it and it's all done except the area at the back where I'll have to fill in the hole from the automatic hump. The front needed a bit more curve put into it and the lower flange from front to back was curved too much, I had to make the curve much less pronounced. It won't need much seam sealer at all to make it nice and weather proof. I can't do the back section until I get a section of floor to do that repair but already I can see this hump will fit much better there than the Parts Place hump. And this time the guy who cut the hole made it the right size and cut it in the right spot...
Good to see they are getting closer to making a better part.
Truth be told, after the insulation and carpet go down, any wonky shape will be much muted. Only the builder knows...
Yes and the shape isn't even my biggest worry but on the other one the opening was so far off in size and shape I was trying to screw the boot down running some of the screws into nothing but air!
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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
I didn't get much time to work on it. Between running errands, my two 4 km daily walks, helping my wife in the house preparing for a gang of 15 here tomorrow (delayed Christmas gathering with our family and our friends with their family) all I had time for was to get the holes made for the clutch rod boot at the firewall. Oh, and I cleaned up all my tools. Not sure about you guys but usually on a project I get to the point that I just have to do a major cleanup and put all the tools away. I know I'll have to start fresh again pulling tools out when I start at it again on Monday but it had to be done.
Bummer of it all is it looks like there will be 2 days this week that I will have little or no time to work on it. Some of my days this week had me into the garage until close to midnight. I'm loving it, this is how I used to do it when 30-40 years ago when I had a project going.
I hope to get back at in Monday morning. Next on the list will be swap that big ugly pedal out for 2 smaller pedals, cut the hole in the floor to proper size, install flywheel, clutch, clutch linkage, 2 new u-joints in the correct driveshaft etc. Once I get a piece of metal to patch the hole from the automatic hump and weld it in, then it will be Muncie installation time! Once the trans is in, install the shifter and linkage, back up lamp switch with wiring and then put the seats/console back in.
My goal is to have the conversion mostly complete by about the 10th of Feb, but we'll see if that happens. Because of my wife's physical limitations I'm needed in the house frequently so there is no such thing as continuity or a full work day for me. And that's not complaining, just stating facts. I have a wonderful wife who puts up with me being in my garage working an awful lot of hours when she'd likely prefer my company in the house!
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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
All i can say is holy moley you have some energy for an old man. I just spin records and walk. Quite a job to turn that sows ear back into a silk one!
That is going be something else!
Haha, who are you calling old.................it seems to me I'm way younger than you (likely maybe about a year younger!)
And just to say, if you wouldn't do that stupid radio show I'd have 2 more hours per week to work on my car..... instead because of the show I sit in my chair with my headphones on listening every Monday night, totally addicted...
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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
Kevin.. Not a derail, all this info is pertinent stuff that maybe the "next" guy will read. Hopefully he won't have the pitfalls we have had to do this swap.
Maybe this thread can be a sticky too, to go along with the other huge pile of info...
