Trans Back In!!!

[55 Fargo]

Hi all, fixed the anchor bolt on the ebrake, used the one from my parts car, cleaned up the bolt, intsalled new safety wire and adjusted it to .005 on the brake band, used a gasket for the trans to bell housing, smeared permatex around the oil hole.

Use 2 guide bolts on the bell housing, installed trans myself, with my hands only, was real fun trying to line up splines. Did not think I could get the trans in, but eventually she slid in to about a 1/2 " from it's final position. Used the bolts to ever so carefully pull the trans into position, it slid along no problem. Clutch appears to be working good, but looks like it will need more adjusting, both overcenter spring and throw out rod. Hooked up the shifter linkage, this is not working too great all of a sudden, and nothing was messed with, will investigate further tonight.

The only other things to be done are, install bell housing pan,hook up ebrake cable and spring,install driveshaft, correct shifter linkage, add gear oil to trans, go for a test drive.

Thanx everyone fo your help throughout this repair..........Fred

[55 Fargo]

Here is a pic of the trans back in, the driveshaft is connected now, drove the car down the driveway tonight, sounds and works okay, starter is still spinning and not engaging properly............Fred

[Don Coatney]

starter is still spinning and not engaging properly............Fred

What engine are you using? What flywheel are you using? What bell housing are you using? Was your car originally a fluid drive?

[55 Fargo]

Don, the engine, trans clutch, and diff are from a 1951 Canadian Dodge Coronet. The engine is a 25 inch, 230 or 218,all Canadian built flat head 6s are the same block casting, made in Windsor Ontario. So a 218 can be a 265 with different pistons,rods and crank. The flywheel, bellhousing and the whole set-up is from the 1951 Dodge, nothing from the drivetrain is from a 48 Chrysler. The car was originally a fluid drive, 251 engine, it is a Royal, so it could have been a 3spd and fluid drive as many were in Canada, or it could have had the M5 clunkomatic with the fluid drive. I do have the fluid drive and M5 here in a parts car, but don't plan on returning to this at anytime soon or ever...........Fred PS the starter was doing this before I took everything apart for this job, it is still doing it now, the starter drive may be at fault, but don't know for sure

[Don Coatney]

The reason I ask is because of what I learned while mixing and matching parts. I used a Desoto long block engine that originally had fluid drive. To this engine I coupled a Plymouth flywheel and Plymouth bell housing that were non fluid drive. Once I had everything mocked up on the bench I observed that the flywheel flange where it bolts to the crank shaft sits about 3/8" further back than it did in when bolted up tp the Plymouth engine. This in turn did not allow the starter to fully engage the ring gear on the flywheel. My fix was to mill about 3/8" from the area on the bell housing where the starter bolts on. This effecitvely moved the starter 3/8" closer to the flywheel and it now works well. I wonder if you have the same issue with your setup?

[55 Fargo]

Don, very ingenious fix, as everything on my set-up is the same, don't think it's my issue, but a bad starter drive sure could be.........Thanx again Fred

[Don Coatney]

Fred;

If you had the problem before you disassembled everything and you used the same parts for reassembly the starter placement could still be your problem.