Projects '63 Falcon, and '39 Chev gassers

Thanks for the link. I notice they're made for 3" axle tube. Did you have to add shims to make it fit the rear axle (explorer right )? Im assuming the explorer axle is less than 3" dia



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Actually I had to open it up! The explorer 8.8" is a huge axle, with 3.25" tubes. They are internally identical to a 12 bolt Chevy with the exception of having 31 spline axles, instead of 30 spline.

 

Picked up a inexpensive video action camera to use at the drags or to watch the car's chassis as I launch. The Emerson at $31 from Amazon actually had very good reviews, and if I lose or break it, not out much. Surprised at how well it records, and it even came with a waterproof case, and several bases for different mounting. I discovered it blocks the mic when I mounted it on the inside windshield of the Austin gasser and being so close you can't hear the engine much until I got into it once and broke the tires loose. I'll have to mount it on the rollbar and do another test run.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZJpryA7xUc&feature=em-upload_owner

 

Your car kinda reminds me of my old '61 Falcon with a 312 Y block, 3 speed and 9" rear.
Only a lot more bad ass!

 

That's a pretty cool swap with a Y block!

 

That's one cool falcon.

 

Thank you!

 

Got the new Lakewood bell in, and trans mounted. I've decided to redo the clutch setup, as the heavy pressure plate is not conducive to my bum left knee. I'm swapping in a hydraulic master and slave, operated from the stock pedal. (I Hope!!)
Haven't been able to find anyone selling a bracket to mount the pull style slave cylinder, so I guess I'll have to build something that can mount on either the 4 speed, or the bell, and locate the slave in the pull position.
Anyone done a pull type hydraulic slave with an old style 4 speed, and might have pics of what they did for a bracket?

 

IIRC,there was a thread on here about push and pull slave cylinders.Just don`t remember where or on what thread.Hope this helps.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

I did a search, but only found a little info on Mustang cable type operator, and push type slave cylinders. The push type might have been a better choice, as the Lakewood has a bracket for an old GM truck slave there. But since I chose the pull style, I'd like to try and get something working with it, or end up sending it back to Speedway and ordering a push type.

 

Nice work on the Falcon.

Can you provide a link or model # for the video cam....for that kinda money,I'd like to try one.

Thanks Warren

 

I mounted one of these in my 49 Olds/Muncie 4 spd , I welded a piece of1 inch tubing off the frame, notching one end to slide the heim end into. I welded a second brace from the back of the tubing (back side of the notch)to the frame( same 1 inch tubing) at a 45 degree angle (facing towards the back of the car) for added strength. I have put a few of these in. Work great. Sorry I don't have any pictures.

 

Thanks. So no problem with movement differences between the frame and the trans/bell? I was a little concerned on a hard launch there may be some movement? My engine is mounted solid, but trans has a rubber mount. Not sure it moves much. Think I need some sort of ball on the fork end? I was thinking that I might use a rocker arm pivot ball on the fork so it rested in the indent, after I drill a hole for the threaded rod to go through.
Hope I'm not over thinking this.

 

Yeah, I got it at Amazon. Camera $31, needs and SD micro chip $11, and I got the suction base for $6. The universal base, handlebar base, and waterproof housing all came with it. The suction base and SD Card are at the bottom of the page. You have to buy the card, but suction base is optional. Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Tele...words=action cam emerson&tag=viglink127632-20

The picture at Amazon is with the camera inside it's waterproof case. It's pretty easy to use in or out of the case.

 

The Wilwood unit I bought came with a pivot (that looked just like a rocker arm ball). I had to use a die grinder to open the hole in the clutch fork. Drill wouldn't touch it. My motor has stock 425 mounts, so the although the motor moves around a bit, the clutch works perfect. And there is not a bit of vibration transferred through the solid mounted bracket. One of the best feeling clutches I have had in any car.
Some tips for your master cylinder install.
Master Cylinder Mount info
A 6 to 1 ratio is recommended with a 3/4" or 13/16” bore master cylinder. Example: If your
pedal measures 12" from the pivot point to the pedal foot pad, you should NOT connect your
push rod to the pedal any further than 2" down from the pivot point of the pedal.
IMPORTANT** Accurately measure the distance between the pedal and the firewall, and
adjust travel stop so pedal does not exceed the distance of full clutch release. If your vehicle
does not have an adjustment for pedal travel, then you will have to fabricate a pedal stop.
Excess pedal travel after clutch disengagement can cause the master cylinder or slave
cylinder to fail.

 

Now this quality hot rodding

 

Thanks so much! Great info! I figured I'd have to use a burr to get a hole through the fork. My slave doesn't come with a heim or the ball, unless they just aren't listed. I've got a few small heims here, so if I need it to mount the end I'm covered.

 

With the cold beginning to break, I'm getting pieces together to begin the swap to hydraulic clutch setup. I have the parts from Speedway; slave, master, and line. I have to grind a hole in the clutch fork to accept the shaft and pivot ball (it did come with one!) for the pull style slave. Too hard to drill, so die grinder is the only way to get a hole bored in the fork.
The master has about 1 3/8" travel on the piston, so needs to be mounted to the pedal at a point where the pedal travel is equal to that length before it hits the floor, or slightly longer pedal travel. I'll use a heim on the pedal end to make it work better and have some pivot ability.

The slave piston is about 1.25" travel, and a pull type slave, so need to mount it off the frame, behind the bellhousing. I'll build up a removable bracket there, so it can be mocked up and removed for servicing the trans or clutch. I ordered some small stamped steel gussets from Speedway to use in building my bracket, and on other projects. 25 pieces for $5, and a big time saver vs. making them up.

 

Looks like you're good to go. I ran a spring from the clutch fork back to the bracket to keep the fork tight against the slave pull rod.

 

Yeah, I'll probably run a spring forward to keep the fork against the pivot ball, and keep the throwout bearing from spinning against the pressure plate.

 

The engineering is more than half the problem! So your 95% there right!

 

Thanks! I'll get it figured out. It's half the fun just mocking things up and figuring what needs to go where.
Little disappointed with the two piece scattershield, as I thought the lower half would be easier to remove with trans in place. It's a bit of a booger to access those two allens with the trans in place!

 

Yes it is I had that problem with a SBC scattershield in a Chevy II made a special wobble allen extension. Made it just a little bit easier let it go with the car to the new owner.

 

Guess it's better than the alternative of pulling the whole bellhousing!

 

I dropped the lower half of the Lakewood bell today, to see what I needed to do to get the hydraulic release installed. I also wanted to see why my felt pressure at the pedal had increased when I went to the Lakewood from the stock bell.
After removing the clutch linkage I operated the clutch fork by hand, and noticed a catch or restriction as I moved the fork. I had taken the clutch fork from the stock bell (as it was new) and re-used it in the Lakewood bell. I retrieved the Lakewood fork and after some work, removed the fork off the pivot ball. Comparing the two forks I saw the stock fork was longer from pivot point to throwout bearing, and also longer from pivot point to end of the arm!
I worked the old Lakewood fork up into position, and snapped it in. Then reinstalled the linkage and the lower bell half, and tested the clutch pedal. It's a huge improvement over anything I've had since I put the car together, and I can't help but wonder if the new fork I originally put on was always wrong, and causing the heavy pedal feel!
Fired the engine up, and checked operation, and it goes through all the gears fine. So I'm not going to do the hydraulic release for now. I'll put the parts up, and save them for another time, or another project.

 

Perhaps that fork was what caused the trans to break? Maybe too much pressure on the front end of input shaft?

 

No, I think the wrong bellhousing, plus 464 c.i. of BBC and 4,000 rpm launches was what broke the ears. But that should also be fixed with the new Lakewood and nice repair Chris did.

 

YEP! Horsepower can have that effect for sure! But I bet it's a FUN time dropping the hammer!

 

Yes it certainly is! I should have known something was wrong though. At the Billetproof drags this summer I noticed it was a little tougher to shift under hard acceleration, and it had always shifted well before that. Probably because of the broken ears letting the trans get out of alignment. I'm just glad it didn't spit the trans out on the ground!

 

Started the rear springs pulled out today. Got them out, but the fronts were a real battle on the passenger side! Ended up having to cut the bolt, which wasn't good, as it's a special stepped bolt that is 5/8" shank, with a 7/16" or 3/8" threaded section that goes through the frame. I think I can buy a 6.5" long 5/8" bolt, and turn the 3" of it down to size and thread it, but I wish I didn't have to. Had to also cut down the sleeves for the poly bushings, and narrow the front bushing shoulder to fit inside the perch. Should be ready to start reassembly tomorrow, if I can whip out the one bolt.
I compared the old springs to the new, and there's a lot more arc. I wanted a little more, so I could adjust the springs with less air in the shocks, so hope it's not so much that I end up higher in the rear!