54 Plymouth Donor car & overdrive pull example

[pflaming]

Here's the story. Last December I bought the 53 Ply Convertible but it did not have a rear axle. I saw that this car had an overdrive so I took the overdrive instead of a rear axle.  Items that were agreed to in the swap were: OD, Steering wheel, trim I needed, radiator, wing window shades, parking lights, so those will now get removed. Since then I have been trying to get these items out of the car. It was at an inventory yard, so. . . finally I said, let me pick up the car, take it home, remove the items and bring it back. So today I picked up the car!

 

Gotta love this hobby. Now there may be a few other items I can pick. Anyone need something. We'll document what we remove or what we want and get a price. I'll pick and you pay shipping or whatever. 

 

 

Edited October 29, 2013 by pflaming

[hendo0601]

That is pretty rad that they just let you take the whole car home and pick it over for parts at your own pace! I need to find a place like that around here lol

[pflaming]

Try a CASE of Michelob!

[hendo0601]

Michelob....hmmmm....never tried that one before. May have to give that a whirl!!

[DCurrent]

Just return the VIN tag to the yard! That way you would have all the time in the world to remove it all. LOL

[pflaming]

SOMETIMES!!! I spent the day under the car. I jack it high on the trailer, put two sets of car jacks under and then went to work.  With a good friend helping,  the use of a 2 X 6 and a sledge hammer we were able to get the tranny to rotate. Then 'rotating' the tranny I put pressure on it with two 36" crow bars and got it to start its journey out. We got a strong 1/2" and it stopped.  

 

So we hooked two cable pullers on to the E-drum and pulled it from the opposite spring hangers. That way we could pull straight.  I tightened those cables TAUNT then with two large punches one opposing sides, I drove those punches in till they 'sang'. Still no movement. We left it in that state and i soaked the inside with liquid wrench and put it all to bed which is where I 'm going now. 

 

Question: What have I overlooked? All things connected to that tranny are unhooked. 

 

 

[GlennCraven]

That is pretty rad that they just let you take the whole car home and pick it over for parts at your own pace! I need to find a place like that around here lol

 

 

No doubt!

[hendo0601]

how far does the trans rotate? if you can rotate it all the way around, unbolt the torque converter.

[Don Coatney]

how far does the trans rotate? if you can rotate it all the way around, unbolt the torque converter.

What torque converter?

[Don Coatney]

SOMETIMES!!! I spent the day under the car. I jack it high on the trailer, put two sets of car jacks under and then went to work.  With a good friend helping,  the use of a 2 X 6 and a sledge hammer we were able to get the tranny to rotate. Then 'rotating' the tranny I put pressure on it with two 36" crow bars and got it to start its journey out. We got a strong 1/2" and it stopped.  

 

So we hooked two cable pullers on to the E-drum and pulled it from the opposite spring hangers. That way we could pull straight.  I tightened those cables TAUNT then with two large punches one opposing sides, I drove those punches in till they 'sang'. Still no movement. We left it in that state and i soaked the inside with liquid wrench and put it all to bed which is where I 'm going now. 

 

Question: What have I overlooked? All things connected to that tranny are unhooked. 

 

 

 

Sounds as if the clutch disc is rusted fast to the transmission input shaft. I suggest you unbolt the pressure plate from the flywheel, then un bolt the bellhousing from the block, slightly jack up the rear of the engine just enough to remove the rear engine mounts, then pull the bellhousing/pressure plate/disc/and transmission out as a unit.

[pflaming]

1.Unbolt the pressure plate from the flywheel,

2. Unbolt the bell housing from the block,

3. Jack up the rear of the engine just enough to remove the rear engine mounts,

4. Pull the bell housing/pressure plate/disc/and transmission out as a unit.

 

DAMN!

 

Got to do it. I think it starts by removing the clutch cover from its housing, then probably have to turn the engine to get to the pressure plate bolts. I think there are three of them. I was sort of drowsy when I first read this post, I'm wide awake now!

 

Don't know if i want to thank Don or not. YET THANKS DON, will report back in the morning. 

[Desotodav]

I hope that it all goes well for you Paul. I've been watching this topic with interest as I think that I have a similar problem with a spare motor that I have just pulled out of a 53 truck. I have removed all of the bolts and fittings of the 3 speed transmission and can rotate the transmission til it gets caught up on other things. I have applied backward pressure (as you did) to try and separate the transmission and engine to no avail. I'm thinking that something must be caught up inside (as in your scenario) possibly on the spline. Be sure to post the outcome here so that I may be all the wiser from your venture.

[Young Ed]

Paul the other trick you can do after you get it somewhat pulled apart is to drive the dowels out of the bellhousing to allow it to be rotated to access the top side of the clutch. I bought a 46 pickup engine that had been sitting in the dirt long enough to rust the bottom off the clutch cover. Dad and I drove the pins out to get the bellhousing off. Removed the flywheel and eventually torched the clutch apart one piece at a time. The final hub was driven off the trans with an air punch.

[Don Coatney]

There are 6 bolts holding the pressure plate to the flywheel. You may have to remove the flywheel and or drive in the dowell pins for clearance.

 

[pflaming]

"Dammit I'm Mad" is "Dammit I'm Mad"     spelled backwards.

 

How appropriate is that saying this morning. Might be easier just to pull the engine and tranny and then take it all apart. Well, Mom said there would be days like this, she just didn't tell me there would be so many.

 

This may drive me back to reading poetry. Shakespeare, Chaucer, Donne, Wordsworth, Paradise Lost are child's play in comparison to this hobby. 

 

Even so, thanks Don, I'll be back on it in a couple of hours.

[JerseyHarold]

Could the clutch fork/throwout bearing be the hang-up?

[pflaming]

I was not in a hurry to attack the tranny per the last suggestions, so I waited and thought two nights and a day. What I did was to add a 16' 4 x 4 by running it under the car up to the tranny E-brake drum. Then I chained it to that housing just as close as I could get it. I put a short 4x4 on the top of the long 4x4 then with eight strong sledge hammer blows it came loose. I then pulled it fully out with the come-alongs. I guess it's an example of 'mind over matter'.  Then my wife brought me lunch.

 

One picture shows the comparison of a standard 3 speed and a 3 speed tranny with overdrive. Now I can get back to the body work on my suburban.  

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 1, 2013 by pflaming

[hendo0601]

Good job on getting that thing out of there!!! If I ask nicely enough, will your wife bring me lunch too?

[Desotodav]

Judging by the rust marks Paul, would I be correct in assuming that your clutch plate was rusted to the spline?

[Niel Hoback]

   Yeah, I bet you find a severly bent clutch disk in there.

[GlennCraven]

Then my wife brought me lunch.

 

 

 

 

Best part of any project, and a fine reward for a job well done.

[austinsailor]

You were luckier than I was. My 48 B1B was stuck so bad that I had to torch out the pressure plate, then the clutch. I had to whittle down the clutch center with the torch until the remains would go through the throw out bearing. Once out, I thought I could heat that remaining circle on the input shaft and drive it off. No, it took splitting it three ways with a die grinder, then driving off each piece.

 

I was able to save the transmission input shaft, though.

 

Gene G.

[RobertKB]

Not sure what kind of climate those cars are in but I have pulled lots of trannies easily on cars that have sat for 20+ years. I wouldn't want to go to the trouble some of you have had to. Good luck with the project.

[austinsailor]

I could use the left inner fender if it's in good shape. Mine is rusted out around the battery. If it is in good shape and you want to mess with it let's talk. I'd rather buy a good one than patch up the old one.

Gene G.

[pflaming]

I'll take a good look on Monday and report back to you. Maybe I should buy this car and part it out! After I bought the last car I noticed the yellow pages were opened to the "L" section.

Edited November 2, 2013 by pflaming