|
|
1966 Ford Mustang - Project '66 - Install a DrivetrainProject '66's engine and transmission find their new homes From the September, 2004 issue of Mustang Monthly By Mark Houlahan Photography by Mark Houlahan
|
|
Remember this pretty little... Remember this pretty little thing from the May issue of Mustang Monthly? Its days of hanging around the shop on an engine stand are over as we slide our warmed-up 289 between the fenders of our hardtop. Our destination on the long, hard road to completion is upon us. We've come so far since 1999 when we started with a $300 rusty shell to the nearly completed car on these pages. If it weren't for the continued support of our advertisers and readers, our '66 could have become just another unfinished magazine project car. But we prevailed and the little hardtop is done. Some of you saw the almost finished Project '66 at the Silver Springs Mustang Roundup in January. Others saw the completed car at the Mustang 40th Anniversary Celebration in Nashville. And, of course, the finished car was featured in "How I Restored My Mustang" in the June issue. For this article, we're backtracking a bit to show the process of installing the Mustang's drivetrain. With our 289 dyno-tested and detailed, and our Dynamic Racing C4 sitting patiently in the shop along with our Motive Industries dealer-installed-style dual exhaust system, we only needed to pick up the phone to acquire a few more items to propel our hardtop under its own power. We had ordered much of what we needed for installation, such as motor mounts, starter, and so on from National Parts Depot last year, but we still needed a driveshaft, fluids, and a few other items. We obtained our engine, transmission, and power-steering fluids locally, but when it came to the driveshaft we called Mustangs Plus. We've used its aluminum driveshafts in several projects for their brute strength and perfect balance, so we wanted to use one here as well. After getting the drivetrain bolted in and everything topped off or bled properly, the '66 made its maiden voyage to the alignment shop (see sidebar), then back to Mustang Monthly's shop for further tweaking. All that's left is to install some of our exterior trim (rocker moldings, pin lettering, and so on), refinish the console, and install the rest of the Classic Auto Air concours A/C system. Keep your eyes peeled for these last few stories.  1 Before the undercarriage...  1 Before the undercarriage is full of the engine, transmission, exhaust, and so on, is the perfect time to install the fuel and brake lines. First we installed the stainless steel fuel and brake lines from CJ Pony Parts. The dual exhaust-specific brake-line bracket (obtained from National Parts Depot when detailing the rear axle) has not yet been welded to the floorpan. We'll get the brake hard line in place first, then position the brake line bracket and tack it to the floorpan.  2 After the fuel line has...  2 After the fuel line has been routed, the long, front-to-rear brake line is positioned and tweaked as needed to fit the proper routing locations. Reusing the brake-line retaining clips can be iffy, so we went with the well-known Shafer's Classic Reproduction kit from NPD to secure both lines.  3 Using the shop's engine...  3 Using the shop's engine hoist, our 289 is carefully prepped for installation with several old shirts and some carefully placed duct tape to prevent damage to our detailing efforts by the lift chains. The engine-block plate and flexplate were installed before the engine was lowered. Except for removing the cooling fan and air cleaner, we're able to easily drop the fully dressed 289 into place, with a couple of extra hands and eyeballs checking everything, without a scratch.  4 Before we can install our...  4 Before we can install our Dynamic Racing Transmission C4, the provided 10-inch "street and strip" torque converter from its sister company, Torque Converter Techniques (TCT), needs to be seated onto the input shaft. If you've never installed a torque converter, it can be hard to "feel" the different steps the converter must be aligned with and slid past. A gentle rocking and twisting motion while pushing the converter inward usually gets the job done. Make sure the converter is fully seated before trying to bolt up the transmission. See more on TCT converters in the sidebar.  5 The Mustang Monthly tech...  5 The Mustang Monthly tech shop recently purchased a transmission jack, making our C4 installation a one-man job that took about 25 minutes. But even on a cold garage floor with a floor jack, it isn't the worst job in the world. Line up the flexplate mounting holes and torque-converter studs before slipping the C4 onto the engine's dowel pins. Have your crossmember and mounting bolts ready, and the transmission will be secured in no time; then you can install and adjust the shift linkage.  6 The toughest part of the...  6 The toughest part of the installation is getting the torque-converter studs lined up and through the flexplate. Once the transmission is seated to the engine block, follow the included instructions for the transmission and torque converter package to ensure you have the proper endplay; then secure the converter to the flexplate with the provided locking nuts. To access the remaining studs, turn the engine with a breaker bar and socket on the crankshaft damper bolt. Once on the alignment rack... Once on the alignment rack at Levy's, the technician first checks all of our suspension mounting and pivot points and tightens them accordingly (we left everything "snug" until the drivetrain weight was on the front suspension). With everything tightened, the tech could accurately check ride height and make the proper suspension adjustments.
Line It Up!
Anytime a front suspension component is replaced, it's wise to have the alignment checked and reset. Since our hardtop was sporting new components up front (control arms, springs, shocks, bushings, steering), our maiden voyage was straight to the alignment shop. We use Levy's Imperial Tire (863/688-7131) here in Lakeland, Florida, for many of our projects and have always been happy with their work.
Choosing A Torque Converter Here's a quick tour through... Here's a quick tour through a typical TCT converter. Beginning from left to right, there's the converter cover with the stator and sprag inside it, the turbine and turbine hub, and the front cover (lying face down). Above the converter assembly are the various bearing assemblies used in the converter. TCT uses sealed roller bearings, not sandwich-style, for its converter assemblies since they are more durable and can handle twice the load capacity. The TCT 10-inch street and... The TCT 10-inch street and strip converter for our C4 comes ready to install with new mounting hardware. While most of the trick features are hidden inside the welded case, the anti-ballooning plate is welded around the hub of the converter cover on the exterior. This thick plate prevents the converter from "ballooning" by adding strength to the stamped cover. We'll be honest: We're far from experts on torque converters. Sure, we know their basic operation principles (fluid in an impeller is spun and transferred to the turbine, multiplying torque in the process), but like most of you we had no idea what torque converter to run in our Dynamic Racing Transmission C4. We left it in the capable hands of the people who make them every day. With some basic knowledge of your engine specs, driving style, and so on, the crew at TCT can put together the right converter for your automatic Mustang. We ended up with TCT's 10-inch "street and strip" converter with a 3,000-rpm stall speed. Whether it's for simple cruising or something snappier, TCT can build just what you need. The photos show the inner workings of our 10-inch converter.  13 The dual-exhaust hanger...  13 The dual-exhaust hanger kit includes everything to mount the exhaust under the car. Since our little hardtop was far from being a factory dual exhaust-equipped car, we have to mock up the exhaust and locate the muffler hangers so two holes can be drilled in the rear floor to insert the stud plate and secure the hangers to the underbody. Take your time and measure twice before drilling.  14 The rear tailpipe hangers...  14 The rear tailpipe hangers are a three-piece affair. The L-shaped bracket is secured to the rear framerail with two carriage bolts (our framerails required an extra hole to be drilled). The U-shaped bracket containing the rubber isolator is secured to the bottom of the mounted L-bracket. The J-shaped bracket is secured to the tailpipe via a clamp (not shown), then is secured through the rubber isolator.  15 The tailpipes on most...  15 The tailpipes on most of Motive Industries' kits are long, so the owner can do whatever he or she wishes for tailpipes (GT valance, turn-downs, chrome tips, and so on). We ordered the factory-style non-GT turn-downs, which require only trimming the tailpipe length before being clamped into place.  16 The completed exhaust...  16 The completed exhaust system fits like a glove and looks every bit the correct part for our "dealer-installed dual exhaust" option. The turbo muffler option also adds a sweet, throaty sound to our little 289.  17 While we had the detailing...  17 While we had the detailing paints out, we added a few touches to the underside of our hardtop. Using information from several sources, including Bob Perkins and an MCA Gold card judge or two, we put the right paint daubs, sprays, and stripes where applicable; again more for our own satisfaction than for the judge's.  18 Back on four tires, all...  18 Back on four tires, all that's left is to connect cooling hoses, power-steering hoses, add some fluids, and bleed the brakes. With our 289 previously dyno-tested and tuned, it's a matter of connecting the coil wiring and dropping in a battery to get our '66 to come to life at the first twist of the key. Man, what a beautiful sound that is! Now that she's running, we have only a few details left to close the book on this restoration. Keep an eye out for our remaining stories as we install the Classic Auto Air A/C system, restore a console for the interior, and maybe even add a Rally-Pac.
|
 | We take a glimpse inside the how, what, why, and where of restoring a vintage Mustang |
|
|
|