**Update - The Star Chief has been sold, my 51 Pontiac project will be starting on page 2** It's been a while since I posted, thought I'd post the 54 Star Chief project I got after I sold my 51 Chieftain last year. I found the 54 on craigslist in Raeford, NC last year. Its originally an Oklahoma car so it's pretty solid. I was told it was a running, yard driving car, but wouldn't start one day.. previous owner told me he assumed something electrical. I pulled the head when i got it home and found the engine was going to need a full rebuild. Plans are just to build a family cruiser, no show car. *will take a few posts to catch up
I pulled the the engine and trans out to make way for a 55 287, hydramatic swap.. cleaned and painted the frame and firewall while I was at it.
55 287 Mounted.. Very easy swap.. got my 55 cross member from a member here so other than drilling some holes, it's pretty much a bolt in swap. I had to have a driveshaft made for it.. ended up being 64.5" long. I was originally going to split it, but after some research I believe it'll be fine as a one piece. It's about .5" longer than a stock 55 star chief drive shaft.
Hardly anything worked on this car when i got it so I picked up a rebel 9+3 wire harness for it.. this will be the second kit of theirs I've installed.. great harness! I've got most of the electrical done.. I used asphalt coated loom under the hood, and as well routing wires to the back.
The engine runs great.. however I knew when I bought it the trans supposidly slipped. In hopes it was an possibly an adjustment issue, I installed everything. I tried testing it out and it has no gears at all. Nothing forward or reverse.. I tried flushing the pump, checked the pressure regulator.. everything seemed ok. However when I dropped the pan, I noticed it was polluted with RTV. The trans had been rebuilt at some point, but whoever installed it used lots of RTV around the torus and it got everywhere in the trans. No big deal, I pulled it back out and disassembled it. I knew I'd probably end up in it anyhow. I found that stuff everywhere in it. Will order a kit and rebuild it.. most parts in it are still like new. This is where I'm at currently...
Drive shaft I believe you can go all the way 72 length. Just thought I mention that. Also man you come a long ways with that puppy looks good. Great work. Sent from my Z981 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
You may be able to help with my question on the assembly of the steering wheel. Sent from my SM-G360G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Ya know....a 59 or a 60 Pontiac 389 will bolt in where the 287 fits now...no changes except a little grinding on the crank shoulder...a nothin deal. love the car. I'd love to see it when you get it done.
Ill look and see if I have a breakdown of it for you. Thanks.. If I ever come across a good 59-60 389 locally I'll definitely pick it up. The 287 I put in it for now, I've had started and it does sound good.
Been working on my hydra-matic rebuild.. found a couple bad bushings, and a broken thrust washer in addition to the silicone that was everywhere. Fortunately I was able to salvage some spare parts out of the original 1954 hydra-matic for use in the 55 trans. So far I got the front and rear clutches done, and reverse unit rebuilt. I've gone through the front pump also, should have that in soon. Hope to have this thing back finished up within the next week or two.
Other than installing the screen (waiting on a new one come in the mail), pans and levers I've home rebuilt my first hydramatic! Hopefully it works lol. Adjustment of front band (screw) Special servo gauge required to properly adjust front band. Mine is an NBM AH-11. One of a few different old brands out there.
Thanks.. I'm hoping to have it driveable to take to a rod run in October. Then tear back into it over the winter months.
Transmission finally done, just waiting on a new torus gasket now so I can get it back in the car. Hopefully it works so I can move onto something else.
Now you have to join the Hydro Group here on the HAMB. Interesting color for the trans; there's been a rebuilt slant pan on E-Bay for a couple of years now, same color too. I here you loud and clear on the RTV. The Super Comp rear motored dragster I bought years ago had the stuff everywhere too; I guess they must have been a major sponsor for the guy. The strangest thing I found, was in the bottom of the homebuilt dragster pan on the engine; it was an unused DENTAL DAM, just loose in the pan. How it did't get sucked up against the modified BBC oil pump on the SBC engine is hard to believe. A 4 inch by 4 inch piece of sheet rubber in the oil pan! Everything about that dragster needed work; hard to think it was running 8.15 E.T.'s. I rebuilt and updated everything. Keep up the good work on your Tin Indian. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Thanks - The paint I used on the engine was from Bill Hirsch. It's supposed to be the correct color for the 55 287. He has a website hirschauto.com I've seen that one on ebay - the color does look close. I just used what I had on the shelf that was green. I'd like to had used the same paint I used on the engine, but I didn't have enough left. What made things even worse on mine was someone had taken a pick, or screwdriver and punched a bunch holes in the pickup screen. Made it kinda pointless to have it on there in the first place. A friend of mine had a NOS one he sent me. Wow-on that dragster engine story. It's funny what some people will do to fill a gap.
Nice work on the Hydramatic. So many people post here looking for shops in their area that will rebuild old auto transmissions, I like it when people give it a go. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Thanks - I've noticed that as well while I was reading through threads on here about transmission rebuilds. I spent some time reading and researching what was needed before I jumped into it.
My best friend in high school (66-69) had a 51 or 52 Pontiac Hardtop, with a straight eight and Hydra-Matic. Smoked like a coal burning train, and at least once a year, he and his dad would have to drop the oil pan to clean out the pickup screen. He also used to stop by my work (Standard Chevron Dealer) to get the drained-out oil from the stations oil display cabinets, and just dump it in the engine (ATF, mixed weight oils, it did't mater). We had another friend, the artist of the group, who painted "GTO" on each fender and trunk lid (in the GTO font of the time). G-T-O!!!!! I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
^ I've heard similar stories before. My cousin used to tell me stories about how he would stop at stations and get bulk oil or mixed leaked oil out of the display cabinets for his 1950 Ford. I don't think he ever cleaned it out though. Pretty cool about the GTO on the old Pontiac! - I put the transmission back in the car yesterday. I now have forward drive and reverse. I still have a good bit to do before I can drive the car and see how it shifts, but I'm relieved to see I do have forward and reverse now. And it doesn't leak anywhere. This thing is HEAVY, it was a chore to get back in there with no help and no regular transmission jack. I made a base using an old brake rotor for my floor jack to support it and lift it into place. Under the hood, 287 V8.
You just rattled a memory from 1968 when I was in tech school auto mechanics class. A guy in our class had a 55 Ford with a 272 that he blew a rod out the side of the block. He had 4 or 5 gallons of used oil in the trunk at all times. He drove that thing for 2 months putting a drip pan under it every time he parked it, dumping a gsllon of used oil in it when he took off in it. We couldn't believe how long it lasted til it finally locked up.
I got a 1954 Chieftain 2 door car so I sold the 4 door Star Chief. I plan to Take a similar approach to the 2 door Chieftain also. I had all the hard stuff done on the V8 swap. I have a lot of pictures if you plan on doing a similar swap sometime. Here's the 2 door Chieftain special I got.
The Jalopy Journal
