Snake Skin Green Challenger Restoration

[magoo426]

The factory exhaust manifolds are there only for the cam break in which i already did. I will be installing TTi headers soon. Juat havent got to that point yet.

[quapman]

10-4. I should have figured on something like that.

You have me thinking "green" on my next car instead of orange. hmmmmmm

[magoo426]

No problem quapman. Im always willing to take advice from people on here!

Right now im working on my clutch engagment and clutch pedal distance, grrrr.  To get enough travel to disengage the clutch requires the clutch pedal to be pretty high compared to my brake pedal. I looked at the throw out bearing as the clutch was pressed and noticed i had probably 1/8" of travel before the bearing made contact to the fingers on the clutch. How in the hell am I off again, grrrrrr. I assume that there should be less 1/8" gap between the bearing when fully colapsed and the clutch fingers. I'll  need to read my manual again from Hurst Drivline conversions for the TKO 600 transmission.

The other thing i noticed was while pudhing the clutch pedal in the firewall in that are is flexing a little bit. I know im loosing some travel there to. Just really frustrated right now.

[Cudakiller70]

No problem quapman. Im always willing to take advice from people on here!

Right now im working on my clutch engagment and clutch pedal distance, grrrr.  To get enough travel to disengage the clutch requires the clutch pedal to be pretty high compared to my brake pedal. I looked at the throw out bearing as the clutch was pressed and noticed i had probably 1/8" of travel before the bearing made contact to the fingers on the clutch. How in the hell am I off again, grrrrrr. I assume that there should be less 1/8" gap between the bearing when fully colapsed and the clutch fingers. I'll  need to read my manual again from Hurst Drivline conversions for the TKO 600 transmission.

The other thing i noticed was while pudhing the clutch pedal in the firewall in that are is flexing a little bit. I know im loosing some travel there to. Just really frustrated right now.

I can identify with being frustrated, sometimes one thing turns into 2 or 3. I gotta say you are being very thorough which is the only way to be, it'll show in the final results. Hang in there it'll be awesome when done. I Hope when I do mine it comes out half as good.

[magoo426]

Well it looks like the measurements I took were correct.  Everything was in spec for the throw out bearing, yea!

Now on to the next item, the fire wall has a little bit of flex when the clutch is pushed in.  I am making a reinforcing plate right now to strengthen that area up so it doesn't flex.  It will bolt to the fire wall and also to the inner fender support bracket that the inner fender is welded to.  This area is much thicker and will prevent it from flexing as well.  I think I'm loosing about 1/16"~1/8" of travel.  So when that is fixed then I can move onto the clutch pedal and the location hole for the master cylinder rod.  I now it won't be factory looking, but I'll paint black like the other parts so hopefully it will look alright. 

[magoo426]

The clutch issue is fixed. The bracket helped. Jacked up the rear end and shifted through the gears with no problems!!!

On to the next issue:
Tried to install my tti 1-7/8 headers. Could not get them to install, so i decided to undo the through bolt on each engine mount to raise the engine an inch and a half as tti's instructions said. Got the bolts out, but when i lift the engine up the body starts to come up with it to. Grrr... Anybody run i to that before? Was thinking the mount might be slightly bound up, but it should have released by now i would have thought. Any suggestions folks? I made sure i was hitting the body somewhere else. I made a fixture that jacks up the engine by pushing on  the oil pan bolt flange and not the oil pan itself.  This was easy to do on a 4 post lift with a hydraulic jack built in to the lift already.

Im thinking about unbolting the other engine mount bolts so the engine is free then. The other problem im running into is i cant reinstall the single through bolts on each side right now. So i definitely need to figure out whats going on there.

At least im making some progress today!

Any suggestions on my issue are appreciated.
Thanks!

[70chall440]

as you are applying upward pressure on the engine (slight, nothing too extreme), use a screw driver (large one) or pry bar to help the mounts off the pads; this is pretty common as they seem to bind a little when in the seated position. if you put too much upward pressure the engine will "pop" up and smash into your firewall (ask me how I know). Just a little pressure, then try and pry up on it until it begins to move, then add a little more pressure upward until it is where you want it.

[YellowThumper]

Are you sure it is lifting and not just raising because engine weight is lifting?

[magoo426]

Hey YellowThumper. I put a ratchet strap on the front frame area to hold the body down while i tried jacking the engine up. So i dont think that the body is rising because the engine load is being reduced. But i thought the same thing as you did earlier in the day and that's why I tried the ratchet strap. I think my mounts are a little bound up as 70chall440 has described.

[70chall440]

like I stated, very common issue; It isn't a problem just the way it is. I have had to pry many engines off the mounting pads over the years to include my Challenger when I swapped out the headers.

[magoo426]

Finally installed one of the tti headers last night. Everything cleared.  Right now the engine is sitting about 3/4 of an inch low since i dont have the engine bolted to the mount right now. On to the other side tonight, expect this side to be a lot harder to install.

[magoo426]

Both headers are now on. If i didnt have to deal with the starter on the driver's side, it would have been an easier install then the passenger's side. At least it's done. Clearance is much better on the passenger side now to.

[magoo426]

Finally plumbed in my Wilwood brake combination valve.  I made an adapter plate to help offset the valve a little bit so the rear brake adjusting knob is easier to turn.  I still have the paint the adapter plate, but at least everything is plumbed in now.  I'll be painting the plate flat black.

This coming week the rest of my TTI exhaust will show up, yea!!

[TelisSE440]

Very nice, clean install on the brake valve. 

[magoo426]

My TTi Exhaust showed up today, awesome.

I have a questions for those who put wilwood disc brakes on all 4 wheels.  I realized that my original parking brake cables will not work with the rear parking brakes.  What has everyone used for parking brake cables?