The "Whatever" Project

[Captain]

I will find it Somewhere.....
from my Hazardous Materials FD Training
About Scene Responses and Post it Here Later...

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

I could be Wrong,
but T5's for Ford has the Speedometer cable port on the opposite side of a Chevy T5.
Just a meer another Whole Trans Purchase for a tail housing. Guaranteed it will be Cheaper that just buying a tail housing though.

I have enough parts, just have to get motorvated.

It's amazing how the body reacts to foreign matter invading it. A lot of the work, published or not, that I did researching emissions involved alcohol in the blends. Didn't always get ppe on. And I probably should have used charcoal filter respirators every time. But it was just a quick run into the dyno cell, or Iwas only adding a liter of blender fuel, and clocks atickin'. So 200 ml ethanol (hey we drink it right?) in 800 ml of blend stock.

Well anyway, now I have reactions to the fuel AND alcohols. Triggers migraines and I mean right now! And I did something really stupid at a road course one weekend. A formula car did an eggbeater, shedding parts along the track. In our section! So while the medical personnel were dealing with the driver, I was picking up the parts, not realizing that those things that were squarish and made of felt were the AGM material out of the battery. All of a sudden my hands felt like they were on fire! Then I realized what I had stumbled into. Finding a puddle I soaked my hands. Then was told to get to medical. 20-25 minutes with running COLD water running on my hands! Now they were numb! And today? My hands crack and dry out so bad...

[Captain]

I could be Wrong,
but T5's for Ford has the Speedometer cable port on the opposite side of a Chevy T5.
Just a meer another Whole Trans Purchase for a tail housing. Guaranteed it will be Cheaper that just buying a tail housing though.

[Russell]

I have to protect myself a lot more than I used to including masking up before I cut metal. Somehow I've become allergic - go figure. Old age is interesting.

I am sorry to hear that. Never heard of a metal allergy. That's a good reason to go ahead and buy new dust masks. I know a gearhead who is allergic to oil and grease. I assume it's from exposure, and now he reacts to it. I try to wear latex gloves when doing dirty work. I start off good then they break or I have to take them off and I get dirty the rest of job.

[DanStokes]

I have to protect myself a lot more than I used to including masking up before I cut metal. Somehow I've become allergic - go figure. Old age is interesting.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Dan covered me on the TV cable. The current rage in stick shift drag racing is face plated transmissions and shifting by bouncing off the rev limiter. This would require fewer times you would need to push the clutch in!

I do think moving the speedo gear on the shaft of a T5 just requires drilling a hole in the main shaft? I assume it hardened so might not drill easily?

Probably surface hardened by carburizing or so similar process. Got an index full of solid carbide drill bits. They cut thru hardened stuff just fine. I've read all of the stuff I could find on the internet about that. I suppose once I have them apart I can see if I can get the speedometer drive for the S10 T5 tailhousing moved without fudging things up. As the week wears on, my goals are to get all of the current transmission choices up on benches, and take a look see at them.

I don't lift things, so even that becomes a little bit of a chore. Engine crane, lifting straps, then get aligned with the bench. These kinds of projects were so easy when I was young and dumb. Just pick it up and throw it on the bench. But then I blew out a couple of discs, then surgery, then 2 more discs, and here we are...

[Russell]

Dan covered me on the TV cable. The current rage in stick shift drag racing is face plated transmissions and shifting by bouncing off the rev limiter. This would require fewer times you would need to push the clutch in!

I do think moving the speedo gear on the shaft of a T5 just requires drilling a hole in the main shaft? I assume it hardened so might not drill easily?

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

The garage is cleaned up! Now there's a good chance that I won't be able to find anything. I did, however, get a new roll-around for under my big top box. And it didn't take long for it to fill up! Still haven't figured out what to do with the power tools. Currently the grinding types are on top of the welding bench. And one of the small folding benches has hardware to be sorted and re-stored, while the other one has 2/3 of a T10 on it. Ran out of steam, so I didn't get the shorty T10 up on it. Need to get the engine hoist for that. No lifting for my antique back...

So once I have one of those benches empty again, it'll be time for the 2 T5 transmissions to be altercated. Swapping out the tailhousings between the two to get the shift lever in a better position. And I don't care that the speedometer drives don't match, hence I'll just plug the hole. I'll be using some kind of electronic system, and besides that with the quick change, I'd be changing parts frequently...

And I survived Armageddon and the eclipse! In fact I slept thru it. Oh well, when Dan and I were employed by the government in Ann Arbor, there was an eclipse then that everyone at the lab at the time were outside watching it. And I remember one in the 60s and making a pinhole camera thing to see that one. And I seem to remember seeing another one between then and now. It could have been the mushrooms however

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

TV cable is a throttle valve cable that give the trans info on how far down you've mashed the accelerator so it can make (hopefully) appropriate decisions. Some transmissions use them. Remember - an automatic trans is basically a hydraulic computer so whether the hydraulics are doing the computing or some electronics are doing the computing, computing IS taking place to make the decisions you would otherwise be making with a shift lever.

If Whatever will mostly chug around town a nicely built TH350 ought to be fine and they're pretty compact - and frugal. They don't offer a lockup converter or an overdrive gear (strictly a 3-speed) but it might get you what you want. If you want a lockup converter and/or a 4th gear (overdrive) I'd call Gearvendors or similar and ask for their input. We have a great trans guy here in town and if I get by that way I'll stop in and ask for his input.

Yeah, if you have a chance and want to discuss this with the guy, I'd appreciate it. 1600 pounds, Jack is thinking 400 hp, 6500 rpm max, but mostly midrange torque. Rear gearing is obviously not a problem, what with the quick change. I'm going to start fettling the manual transmissions regardless of the ultimate decision, as either way it needs to be done. More peddleable if fettled. Useable in case the decision making process leads to a manual transmission.

[DanStokes]

TV cable is a throttle valve cable that give the trans info on how far down you've mashed the accelerator so it can make (hopefully) appropriate decisions. Some transmissions use them. Remember - an automatic trans is basically a hydraulic computer so whether the hydraulics are doing the computing or some electronics are doing the computing, computing IS taking place to make the decisions you would otherwise be making with a shift lever.

If Whatever will mostly chug around town a nicely built TH350 ought to be fine and they're pretty compact - and frugal. They don't offer a lockup converter or an overdrive gear (strictly a 3-speed) but it might get you what you want. If you want a lockup converter and/or a 4th gear (overdrive) I'd call Gearvendors or similar and ask for their input. We have a great trans guy here in town and if I get by that way I'll stop in and ask for his input.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Here in Iron Triangle of AREA BFE in the Frozen Tundra.....it is something you can tap onto at the Public Library.....
.

I don't think that's the one! I got one of those in the living room. Watch Full Custom Garage on it whenever new episodes air. Today I've been given orders to get a new space heater for the bathroom. The old one, 20 odd years old, has a faulty tipover/thermostat switch. And the bastards discontinued it 15 years or so ago! is with them? Don't they know that we Scots are frugal?

And I am going to look at new roll-arounds while at the store. Don't anybody tell SWMBO tho, so if it comes home with me, it'll be a surprise! Got to get the tools finalized and put away. Then one bench will be clear so I can get to the transmission issues, rebuilding something. Still haven't decided on the choices that are available to me so I'm going to make the manual transmissions available... my use or otherwise!

[Captain]

Thanks. So what exactly is a TV cable? What's it control? And where does it connect to on the engine?

Here in Iron Triangle of AREA BFE in the Frozen Tundra.....it is something you can tap onto at the Public Library.....
.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

I will be listening. I have never had an auto that I thought was "right". Mostly I blame having to tight converter.

I don't remember what will this primarily use be? If you plan on doing a lot of interstate driving then OD or tall gears maybe nice. I assume what ever is pretty light so I would think strength will not be much of an issue.

So the guy who drag races a T5, recommends a loose converter and a shift kit. If you get something with a TV cable it has to be tight or you will kill it. Check it early and often.

Thanks. So what exactly is a TV cable? What's it control? And where does it connect to on the engine?

[Russell]

I will be listening. I have never had an auto that I thought was "right". Mostly I blame having to tight converter.

I don't remember what will this primarily use be? If you plan on doing a lot of interstate driving then OD or tall gears maybe nice. I assume what ever is pretty light so I would think strength will not be much of an issue.

So the guy who drag races a T5, recommends a loose converter and a shift kit. If you get something with a TV cable it has to be tight or you will kill it. Check it early and often.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Now that I have settled down a little bit, time for an update on the Whatever project. I got the 327 to the engine shop today! Regardless of the weather (rain, sleet, snow, wind...) and earthquakes (there was a 4.something down in New Jersey today around 10:30 am), I toughed it out and finally actually really got the block, crank and rods over to Boyd's this afternoon. Now for the good news. Jack has a complete 327, same basic engine, i.e. large journal 327, ready to assemble with heads, double hump also, he's had in storage for a while now. And here's the good news: he's going to work up what he's got in it and get me a price for it! Plus if my engine and components pass muster, I'm going to have him build it up the same way! Like Smokey Yunick used to say, have a pair and a spare. I'll have a pair of 327s, and the 283 becomes the spare! Life is good!

But now let's talk transmission. As you know from reading all of the diatribes and whiny stuff that I've written so far, my back issues have caused other issues. And lately I've been given to ruminating, cogitating and postulating on some of the potential remedies that would make driving the Whatever project easier on into the future. The obvious answer is to rethink my choice of transmission, electing an automatic over the 3 manual transmissions currently in the Whatever project future. So which one?

And I said to myself, self, let's see what the collective wisdom and experience on bangshift has to say. Here's where it gets interesting. I don't have any experience with automatic transmissions other than in daily drivers. So here's some questions for you all.

1- 2, 3, 4, or more gears? Why? I can gear appropriately regardless, so #2 might be more important.

2- given available gearing, and number of gears, which is the smallest practical package that is 400 hp capable? A Powerglide is tiny, and it can take some serious power, but... And I don't know what the buts are.

3- ease of setting up. Again, no experience with them. What linkages and adjustments are required and how critical are same.

4- I'd like to stay away from electronic control, but if in the BIG picture life is easier with, then make that argument.

5- cost! I really don't have a clue how much the different choices cost, but I'd like to be a little bit thrifty.

And look at the brighter side: someone else will be able to make a deal for the leftover transmissions. WC S10 T5, NWC V-8 T5, and a close ratio T10 and enough parts to put it back together with reverse gear, and 2 aluminum cases as well.

So let the kibitzing begin!