bjhines Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I have set the engine and tranny in place to fit the tranny crossmember and clearance the tunnel. I have a few questions about the fitment on first inspection. This is a Jags That Run kit installation with a 1964 Corvette 327 engine and a World Class BW-T5 from a 1988 Camaro complete with everything I wanted from the flywheel to the driveshaft. The conversion is on a 1973 240Z. The Harmonic balancer is 6.75" and is sitting 1/4" off the steering rack. I was hoping for a little more clearance considering this is a realatively small dia. balancer. Is this typical clearance over the rack? The engine setback is great. The engine-to-tranny mounting plane is just a little forward of the 240Z's firewall. The gearshift is well located front to rear in the stock 1973 shifter opening. I have no complaints here. The gearshift is highly offset toward the driver's side due to the angled bellhousing on the Camaro tranny. I can adjust the lateral position of the tailhousing for plenty of clearance, but I am concerned that the driveshaft angles will be way off. The JTR crossmember is shifted to the right side by at least one inch just to get in the ballpark for lateral position. Did you guys center the crossmember in your installation? or did you need to shift it to the right considerably??? This is the ~ballpark~ position in neutral and centered This is second gear. It has plenty of clearance but the JTR crossmember is shifted an inch to the right. This is 5th gear. It sits slightly angled to the right of vertical by ~5 degrees. Any ideas on this initial fitment would be welcome. I will still need to check driveshaft angles and adjust to suit but this seems pretty close. It just concerns me that the JTR crossmember is not centered between the floor rails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted July 17, 2007 Author Share Posted July 17, 2007 It looks like the PRO 5.0 shifter for the Camaros will angle/offset the shift handle toward the passenger side. http://pro50shifters.meridian1.net/default.asp?S=E3&Document=all+years+**Camaro&NID=2884321 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonZ Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Yes that shifter does offset the handle to the right. The threads on the handle are a large dia. M16x1.5 I think so a standard shift knob won't fit. just one of those little things that pisses you off when you think you have every part that you will ever need. Very stout shifter, I got mine on ebay for about $165 new. Can't remember the vendor right now. I don't have my drivetrain in just yet so I can't comment on your alignment. Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest loosecannonzs Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 As for your question about the Harmonic balancer. I purchased an incomplete JTR 73 Z car. The guy that started the project left the factory style SBC 400 balancer on the 383 stroker motor in the car (I think the balancer was almost 8") That balancer prevented the motor from sitting on the engine mounts properly because it was hitting the steering rack. I would venture to say if your tranny mount prevents the tailend of the tranny from raising up under any conditions, the 1/4" of clearance should be fine. People may not agree. Lets see if they chime in here. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a6t8vw Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 i have the small balancer as well and have the same clearance, no worrys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strotter Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 My original swap was set up virtually identically to yours, including both a 327 and the WC T-5. Everything looks very similar, and just fine. The small diameter balancer is positioned similarly to mine, and as stated above no problem. The shifter is also similarly positioned. I aligned the driveshaft straight, then modified the tunnel opening to fit the shifter, cutting it on the driver's side to provide plenty of clearance. I used the donor car's rubber shifter boot, which was twice the size of the Datsun one, along with its' mounting hold-down plate, with short little sheetmetal screws to hold it in place. With regards to the shifter itself, I cut it off so that it was about 4 inches long, then ran a die I had laying around over it so that I could put the original knob on it. The die didn't match the threads on the shaft (I gave it a shot!) so I disassembled the whole thing, heated it red-hot with a torch, and shoved the knob into place. The shorter shifter fits more appropriately in the cockpit, and makes for nice short throws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1 Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Good to see you making progress John! I'm not by the way, but anyway... The 1/4" from the damper to the rack is about right. If you use a HEI, it will be pretty close to the firewall, about 1/2", so that's about where it needs to be. With a smaller dist you could move the motor back a little more, maybe 3/4" if desired. The JTR trans crossmember is offset because the motor is also offset to the right 1". To eliminate vibration the pinion shaft and crank/trans shaft need to be parallel, so you need the offset. Pete's laser pointer idea is the best way I've seen to check this. Looking Good!!!! jt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 I got 2 laser pens from Radio Shack. They were on sale for $10 each. They are quite bright for a cheap laser pointer. The laser lenses are not particularly well aligned in the bodies. I considered using gunsmith boresighting laser pointers but they are 10 times as expensive. I cut most of the battery holding portion of the bodies off on the lathe to get a nice perpendicular mounting surface. I soldered wires to connect a battery pack and I kept the push button switches intact. I notched the bottom of the housings to allow the wires to pass through. Then I glued them on a magnet(mounted in the chuck). I used the tailstock center to align the laser spot while the epoxy hardened. I also packed the end of the pointer's body with epoxy to keep the circuit board and inner parts still when the push-button switch is depressed. This is where the laser spot hits the rearmost crossmember before I have even begun to align the angles. I still have to mount the diff and build the second pointer. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators BRAAP Posted July 18, 2007 Administrators Share Posted July 18, 2007 Very nice. Thank you for the "how to DIY laser driveline aligner thing-a-ma-bahb".. Very cool and simple to build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 The credit for the laser pointer goes to another HybridZ member. JT1 pointed out that PParaska was one who has written this up before. I have run across this technique on several occasions. the lasers seemed like a good way to do this rather than worrying with even more expensive magnetic angle finders. The laser pointers allow for vertical AND horizontal adjustments simultaneously without hassle. I am still working out in my head some of the finer points to this. I am thinking that a piece of elastic string put through the lens housings(as close to center as possible without blocking the beams), will give me a center point to shoot around. The idea is to put a paper or cellophane target midway on the elastic string. Then as you move things around the centerline(target on string) moves with every adjustment. This will make things even easier to deal with than constantly re-marking centerline for every adjustment. The idea(I think) is to keep the 2 laser spots equidistant from the centerline AND diametrically opposed. I also wonder if the laser lens should be placed at exactly the hinge point for each universal joint. The actual solid length of the driveshaft would be exactly what is being referenced. I could have cut the tubes at specific lengths but the misaligned lenses would have made using the original pointer bodies at a longer length pointless. Even as short as they are I still had to offset the base to keep the actual lens on centerline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1 Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Damn John... I don't reckon you're interested in my pic of how I duct taped the laser pointer to the trans yoke. I don't think the error introduced by the pointer not being at the hinge point (if any) is enough to worry about. My driveshaft isn't quite perfect, I think I was about 1/2" off, but it doesn't vibrate enough to notice, at least not with all the other commotion going on in my car. It's tough to be real precise picking the center, although the smaller the circle the easier it gets. jt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Damn. You people don't use the search button? http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=109413 Threads get tool sheded for that type of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 Thanks for sorting that one out P-N-W... As far as toolshedding the thread.. That is a little harsh considering it isn't really about the alignment tools specifically. I managed to find a $40 boresight laser that is accurately aligned in it's case. That would really be the shiznits to make an adjustable length apparataus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 "Quick Dan, save this thread from the dreaded T.S.!" O.k., back on track. Like Scott Trotter, I have the same set-up and did the same trimming of the tunnel opening and shortening of the shifter shaft. I like the off-set of the shifter toward the driver. I think the positioning is perfect for driving with drama. Just feels good, dang it. I recently drove a friends 356 Speedster kit/replica. It's a spectacular reproduction for <$30k. I was very impressed with the quality but the shifter was all out of whack. It would work well for a guy with four foot arms and an extra elbow. Maybe that is how the original came, but cripes! After two blocks I wanted to park it and just look at it. A fast car has to feel good in your hands. B.J.'s laser dot on the rear crossmember is just about right as well. You wont get a perfect alignment (and you don't need it). If you choose not to use the front crossmember spacers it will be harder, with the T5, to get the tailshaft of the tranny up high enough to get good angles. Use a Ron Tyler diff mount and notch out the top of the rear crossmember and you can get small, equal angles and no vibration. An aluminum driveshaft helps too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 I formed the 1988 Camaro boot to fit the tunnel. What a great idea! I bet this boot would work great for guys doing other tranny swaps with less than ideal shifter locations. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators BRAAP Posted July 18, 2007 Administrators Share Posted July 18, 2007 Damn. You people don't use the search button? http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=109413 Threads get tool sheded for that type of thing. OOPPS. Thanks PnW. That was close. I almost threw myself in the tool shed.. Maybe SuperDan will only take my “behind†the tool shed for a spanking.. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 2 pointers complete! now to mount the differential and see what happens with my new Ron Tyler mount. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted July 20, 2007 Author Share Posted July 20, 2007 ok... I got the damn differential mounted. The R200 is MUCH!!! heavier than the R180s I am used to. I had to slot 2 holes to get everything bolted up properly but all in all it fits VERY well with the Ron Tyler mount. I will have to clearance the bottom crossmember a little bit to bolt it back in. I still have to modify it to allow dual exhausts as well. I slapped the laser tools on the tranny and diff just the way they bolted up. I was dumbfounded that everything lines up evenly without any adjustments. A. The laser on the tranny points backwards and hits the diff flange an inch low and to the right. B. The laser on the differential points forward and hits the tranny an inch high and to the left. Correct me if I am wrong.. but that is dead on the spot. It is horizontally and vertically EVEN on both ends. Probably 2 degrees of driveshaft yoke angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1 Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 Sounds like you're right where you want to be. Did you spin the diff and trans to see if the laser stays in one spot or describes a circle? If you get a circle, the center of the circle is the point you use. jt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillZ260 Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 Thanks for posting that 88 Camaro Boot, that's exaclty what I've been looking for!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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