Un-race-car-ing the 68 Chevelle

[yellomalibu]

New power steering gearbox and high pressure hose on order. Should be here tomorrow. Fixed one leak on the old gear box, to create another... perhaps the Lucas stop leak softens things up a bit too much - or perhaps it was just time.

I can't wait to drive this thing somewhere more than a few miles away. Since the speedometer is off by an unknown amount, I'll have to download an app for my phone to track my driving in order to check gas mileage (just for curiosity).

[SuperBuickGuy]

use your gps to figure out how far off your speedo is?

[yellomalibu]

use your gps to figure out how far off your speedo is?

Yep. I don't know if any of the apps that came loaded on my phone do that (show speed).

Any Verizon Android users know if the phones come with a decent app for this, or one to download?

[Russell]

I downloaded one call GPS speedometer. Does pretty good rear time I have never tired to find an odometer app

[yellomalibu]

I'm replacing the leaky power steering gear box. I've already swapped over the return line, the pittman arm, and the hose bracket that holds the return hose.

Stupid Question: Does that nipple on the input shaft of the old one matter? The input shaft of the new one is solid - doesn't have a hole for it to go into.

The new one is a 2.5 turn / tight ratio unit, if that matters in this situation.



*Remind me to tighten pittman arm nut after it's all together.

[yellomalibu]

Got done with work early today, so I finished installing the new gear box. No surprises, I even flushed out the pump before hooking up the pressure hose to the gear box, as the (re) manufacturer recommended.

It's considerably different feeling. Rather than the super easy, 1 finger luxury feel, it's firm - about half as firm as a manual box. Not sure if they set the box up too tight or if the 2.5 turn ratio box is just that much different feeling.

While I was out cruising, I checked the speedo against the GPS Speedometer app I downloaded into my phone. When the speedo says I'm going 50 the GPS says I'm going 60. I can do the math with that easy enough. If or when I make a decision to keep the 3.31 gear, then I may look into correcting it with a new speedometer gear.

[Scott Liggett]

I was given this website which helps get you to the right amount of teeth on the speedo gear for accuracy.

http://www.transmissioncenter.net/speedometer_calibration_______va.htm

[yellomalibu]

I've been watching Craigslist for a couple years* for a pair of 15x7" Centerline AutoDrag wheels for this car. Perhaps longer. I've had the large sway bars on it for a few years now, so I'm sure I wanted to get rid of the skinnies before then.
This past spring, I found some - but I also had to buy 2 15x8.5's with the "deep dish" or "reverse offset" - the guy wouldn't break up the set. 4 rims for $200 or $250 (I don't remember).
One of the 15x7's turned out to be bent. Grrr. So I've been watching Craigslist and even Ebay for another used one... but nothing in the size/ bolt pattern/ backspacing/ finish I need has come up for sale.
* A couple years? Yikes, I just checked the dates on this thread, and it's been more than "a couple years" since I've been looking to swap to wider front wheels.
About a month ago, I took the Chevelle out for a spin. A half a block from my house, FLAPPITY FLAPPITY FLAP FLAP FLAP. One of the front skinny tires goes out on me. Tread separation. Yes, they were about 15 years old, so it wasn't really a surprise. To force me to do something about getting the 7" wheels I want, I removed the tires from the skinny wheels and sold the wheels.

Last week I finally used the gift cards I've been hoarding and the cash from selling some other wheels I had - and bought 1 new ( NEW ) wheel. $272 for ONE wheel.

Ordered the tires from a local shop that I deal with, and picked them up this morning.

235/60/15 BFG's on 7" rims. These are the largest tires I've had on it since owning it in 1994.... and I'm really liking the new look! I love the fit, I love the stance, I love the sidewall bulge. I love that I can turn kinda fast :D .

[Huskinhano]

Looks good! Back in August 07 I bought 4 American Racing Torque Thrust D's for my 66 Mustang. When they came to the house I opened up ONE box and all was fine. Things got sidetracked and by this summer, 8 years later, I bought 4 tires so I could put them on. As I opened the last box to my horror it was the wrong wheel in the box! My wheels were made in the USA, they are now made in China. That bugged me that I would end up with 1 Chinese wheel and possibly not quite matching but I had to get a new wheel. A quick look on eBay I found the right size wheel that was a display wheel in a store that just happened to be an older wheel made in the USA but looking at the date of manufacturing on the box, it was 1 day after the other 3 wheels I had. That set me back $160.

[Deaf Bob]

Looks really nice..
I like that style of having MEAT on the rims!
Had F-60-14 on the 57.. Liked that low look..

[yellomalibu]

I have to get going, but here's a hint of what I did last weekend, and continuing this weekend...




Big Jim, may he rest in peace, welded the 2 diagonal bars to the body, while the other bars were through the floor to the frame. What were you thinking, Big Jim?

Also, FYI, chrome moly bars cut with a sawzall with little difficulty, but when cutting through the welds - I believe he used mig to weld the chrome molly to the steel frame - that eats sawzall blades fast. After going through 4 blue Irwin blades (2 medium metal, 2 thick metal) I went back to the store and bought a pack of Milwaukee blades called "The Torch". They worked much better; only 1 blade per bar/weld cut.

[Deaf Bob]

Use a candle for lube while cutting.. Heat kills blades!

[yellomalibu]

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the tip.

[DanStokes]

Actually, that weld-to-floor thing can be OK IF you have a 6x5 plate (I try to use 6x6) to support the floor metal. The actual rule (this is LSR, of course) is based on the outside circumference of the plate but 6x5 get it. Just welded to the floor wouldn't pass our tech. You can even bolt them thru the floor with a 6x5 on the inside and a slightly bigger plate on the underside so that the upper plate can't punch thru (makes sense when you think about it). NHRA, not so much as I understand it. Maybe there was a rule change since Big Jim did those?

EDIT: Oh, and I use a cut-off wheel on the 4 1/2" grinder for cutting out roll bar tubes. Very quick.

Dan

[STINEY]

I see it as less about the 6x6 unibody rule, and more about a rubber body mount issue. The frame and frame mounted cage are moving separately from the body and body mounted diagonals.

Something about movement is coming to mind....