Build Thread 1978 Fairmont. I bet somebody back home’s thinkin’…I wonder why he don’t write..?

[RaggedGT]

I was gonna recommend to replace the muffed up bushing, but you already made that decision. You also already figured out those inserts in the adapter where junk, you finished the trans mount (unpictured) and opened up your trans tunnel more for further access (unpictured.) All that just to say-Following along, but have not had an opportunity to add my .02 cents yet,and I don’t get up at 3am to pee, unless I was at the bar prior

 

[General karthief]

#1 I, for one, don't know nothin about auto transmissions and #2 the comments I make that are mostly a lame attempt at humor are just to let you know that I'm still following along, #3 from now on I will keep my mostly lame humor to myself #4 I no longer give a red rats bunion hole if you do delete this thread 'cause you already deleted one of the best fukn build threads here.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Mike, stop being so sensitive. You’re acting like a little kid that wants more attention.

After this much time with Stangnet you act all offended about some trivial banter. When has it been that much different?

You like doing stuff that others haven’t done then bitch because we don’t offer enough wisdom in what we haven’t done. Think for a minute before your biting tirade Mike.

I read your and it’s interesting to me, but I have zero experience to offer in help. You get pissy because I would like your post because I’m letting you know I’m reading it. So if I don’t post at least a like on it, how do you know I’m reading? You don’t. Then you get to be a whiny little bitch saying no one reads your posts and you just might delete this thread too.

What the hell are you expecting? Should I stop my life to study every detail of what you’re doing and research every possible solution for that problem for you?

If you don’t get a response that helps your particular issue at the time, maybe I don’t freaking know. Sue me.

Now stop threatening to pick up your toys and go home.

 

[HemiRick]

He's asking guys on a Ford board for info on a GM trans, and complains he gets crickets?

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Further more Mike (you’ve riled me up a bit here), at what stage of your life might you consider yourself to be more of a master technician than just some chump picking up a tool?

You’re 62 freaking years old! You have loads of experience that most guys here don’t have.

You‘re going to be whiny because of DECADES of gd experience you have and we aren’t beyond you and able to tell you what you’re supposed to do with a fckin bushing?! Really?

Should I have got pissed off at you for doing some really stupid with your paintwork and bodywork and threatened to delete my threads?

Then where do I go Mike? What other blog will have painters that are at my skill level? Or do I just go around blog to blog pissing at each one because they can’t tell me how to do certain things? Then deleting a valuable thread because I’m mad, like a four year old. A valuable thread BECAUSE OF ALL THE GOOD KNOWLEDGE THAT WAS ON IT THAT WOULD HELP THE NEXT GENERATION DO WELL! There, it’s all gone now, I’ll just show you bastards I don’t care about anyone else but myself!

No Mike, screw everybody except my own little self. Maybe I’ll just go hold my paint guns and die by myself.

 

[MustangIIMatt]

He's asking guys on a Ford board for info on a GM trans, and complains he gets crickets?

Hush new guy, you know not of which you speak.

 

[95BlueStallion]

This thread has basically 3% of Monster content in it... Almost no pictures, and 56% grumpy members on soap boxes. Can we bring the old one back?

 

[95BlueStallion]

So the old one still exists somewhere in a big sink getting all scrubbed up to shine later? That is great news. I miss my photoshop side scoop examples prior to you deciding on Gila gills.

PS, I don’t know anything about front pumps, transmission bushings, or 2JayZs, so all you’ll get from me is kudos and smart ass replies to let you know I’m still around and reading.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

So the old one still exists somewhere in a big sink getting all scrubbed up to shine later? That is great news. I miss my photoshop side scoop examples prior to you deciding on Gila gills.

PS, I don’t know anything about front pumps, transmission bushings, or 2JayZs, so all you’ll get from me is kudos and smart ass replies to let you know I’m still around and reading.

No,..The old thread is gone,...The pics still exist. I’m still writing the smart ass commentary..and the pic totals are overwhelming.. ( over 3500) I just upgraded my old PB account so that I could get to them ( They were holding me to an 8 dollar a month hosting ransom.)
Its a lot of work..seemingly as much as it took to build the thing,..but once i get some time back where every free day isn’t spent trying to get to where I was a year ago,..maybe I’ll start putting it back together.

 

[droopie85gt]

Maybe you should just have gotten the A340 built and been done with it. I hear they are expensive, but by now you've probably spent that much and from the looks, it was MUCH smaller than the 4L80.

Other than that, not sure what you want from the 'crowd.' I mean, I guess you could get Mod access and just delete all the 'off-topic' comments and make it a BLOG. It's not like you are ASKING for opinions.

Well,...here I am groggy from my conversation with my late night visitor last night. I have the new front pump, now sporting the correct 3/64” diameter hole drilled through one of the fluid channels. The pressure relief valve modified, and the old bushing knocked back in. I go to put the new one in, and because I don’t have a bushing driver, use a 3/4” piece of aluminum, and a small Woden block to get the thing seated. It goes in as expected. I decide to see how tight it will fit on the converter hub, and put it on there.

it’s so tight, that I’m afraid I’ll get it permanently stuck if I force it any further. I tug it back off. I inspect the thing, it looks normal, but I decided to scuff it with a red scotchbrite. I test fit the thing again, still tight as hell. This time I decide to push it further onto the converter hub. Once further down ( where it will ride) it’s looser. I can’t see how I could fck up installing a bushing, but here I am, trying to decide to say fck it, and put this thing back together, or have to wait till next Tuesday to get another, and use the right tool to drive the thing on.I just can’t believe how many obstacles keep popping up stopping me from getting this damn thing running again.

Not a single question. My take is you **** it up and were man enough to come in here and say, HEY I **** this up. I am going to have to replace it and buy or rent the correct tool to get the job done right.

So good job catching everything that was messed up. Yes, you should definitely not install a transmission with a converter that is that tight. You should take measurements, read assembly manuals, and use Google to find out why the converter is so tight. If you want to just replace the bushing without knowing that's the problem, go right ahead. At least test fit the bushing over the snout before hammering it home.

 

[MustangIIMatt]

Mike, the problem with asking for transmission help on the forum in general, and your build thread in particular, is that very few members of the site actually dig into the guts of transmissions at all.

Hell, I'm ASE-certified, work as a technician at a BMW dealership, and have worked on cars for a living for the majority of my adult life, and I've only ever worked on transmission internals maybe a dozen times, and only twice on my own stuff. (Yeah, I farm that out to someone I know who deals with it more often and specializes in it, I trade him other work and/or beer and/or money).

Most of us just aren't going to have an answer on that. Now, when you were asking which transmission, I voiced my opinion that a built 4L60 might be a better choice (factoring in size and weight a great deal more than you did, which is fine, as you're the one doing the work), but it definitely wouldn't have been cheaper, and with your OCD, it probably would've ended up being more difficult.

If you were working on a NAG-1, A580, 545RFE, or a 6R80, I could be more helpful. I've actually done major work on those when my job demanded it.

 

[revhead347]

But at the same time, when I ask for opinion, based on the car ( and I get crickets) I’m just as ready to delete the whole fcking thing all over again..

Pretty sure I gave you solid advice on page 1. I can replace the bucket on my Tremec in the time you spent typing up your transmission pump woes.

I'm sorry you didn't get advice, but most of us aren't as "involved" as you are. If I buy an automatic transmission that was sold in working order, I expect it to work, not tear it apart, much less drill holes out in the pump. You are just overthinking it. There are guys getting 4L80e transmissions out of vans, slapping a converter on them, and running 156mph; why are you messing with it? Next time just run it.

I also do my best pissing at 3am in the morning.

Kurt

 

[Foxslider]

Was just coming to see whatss going on with the car. But by the looks and reads of it, it doesnt appear to be going well.

Just beat the fckn bushing in try to keep it square. Google every question for some lead or picture. Like if the bushing is suppose ld to go all the way down or not. Which side goes where. whatever your question in ur mind is.


Why cant you just tap that plate ir insert helicoles? I assume if use a bigger bolt youll need to drill out the bellhousing?

You got the know how. And the tools im sure. You know what needs to be done. It boils down to being a labor or money issue.

Those inserted nuts are trash for anything over 50ft lb if that, or whatever. looks like it would pull right out and it did?

Cant tig weld nuts on one side? Assuming no.

Id just tap the hole in the nearest size up.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Well,.........I’ll just go stand in this corner for a little while,....Out of all of the people that I’ve riled with my commentary,....I’ve finally woke another sleeping bear.

A bushing in a trans, is a bushing in a trans. It doesn’t matter what it came in, what brand it is, or whats it’s going behind,..beating a bushing in is pretty simple, ( seemingly) and in all of this car guy commonality, I figured somebody would have an opinion on whether or not it could be done wrong.

After all,.....in all of my years of doing sht,...how many times do you spose I’ve beat a bushing into the front pump of a 4l80e,...or to be fair, or a 4R70w?

Hold on Dave,......I gotta get out my abacus for this.....1+1=2,..carry the one, Nought, nought, drop down the subject, add the multiplier,..subtract the interger,...and.....hold on,....Give me a minute,.....I think I got it.....I have it at.....
Exactly 1 more time than the rest of you., and infinitely more common than having a fcking car fall off of a lift.

God, do I feel old.

I said I erased the thread because it was 618 pages of “where is that at exactly?” It had became more of a community thread than a build thread. Even I had to spend an hour trying to find something that I had done in that thread,..even with the index, and having an idea when I was doing it. To be fair to what was all done to the car, I wanted to recreate a dedicated build thread that highlights all that was done to do it. NOT my political beliefs, or arguments about how dorky I think an MII is,...or this conversation with the 3 AMD, or that conversation with some ******* that has accused me of overtightening a bolt.
Additionally I stated that it had become a one sided conversation with myself most of the time.

I also stated that I had every single picture that has been posted in the other thread..If the purpose of that build thread would serve the common good with examples of what I ( and you) had done to this car, that didn’t get mired down in thousands of replies to the day to day comments that I’ve made over the last 7 years....Wouldn’t it be better if it was actually a “ build thread” with just the relevant stuff?

This thread is the BS thread...every pic I put in here will someday get cut, and put in there when I get the time to assemble it.
It still doesnt change the fact that If I posting here, I’m contributing.

You still don’t get it then.

That’s why I have a cliff notes thread that still has in it some explanation of what I’m doing.

Let’s say I bought some complicated new device and is delivered in a million parts. Yet the instructions for assembly are just a series of pictures with no words explaining the details of assembly, like if a certain size capscrew goes in a certain area. Yet there are six different sized cap screws in the package.

It’s even worse than that, let’s say you have an issue with a transmission. You google for help, and all you get is some picture of a close up of a hole drilled into metal with no text even vaguely mentioning why it was done. Damn, I bet that would be useful!

It took me a couple days to make my cliff notes thread, and as you can see, it only has a tenth of the amount of content as my main thread. But I put references every five pages or so roughly where that progress is in the main thread.

So, even if my picture with a brief explanation doesn’t provide a complete enough explanation of why I did what I did (why’s are important Mike), you’ll have a rough guide so you can get the conversation discussing it.

I used your thread several times looking for help on my car. Do you realize how freaking pissy you would have got with me if I asked you every time I wanted to review what you did for help? I must have read you mini tubbing twenty times before I dove in.

Mike! Teaching, passing on of knowledge is important! Even if it doesn’t satisfy the one doing the teaching at the time.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Ok.. @Davedacarpainter

Im wrong.
I am being a pissy little bitch.

After re-reading the last few exchanges, and in the light of the pre-dawn day, I see your point. Clearly, not only do I have Car-Munchausens disease,..I’m probably a little Bi-polar at the same time.

I deleted my counterpoint rant. it served no purpose. But I do stand by the reasoning for deleting the thread..despite all of the good, It had a bunch of completely irrelevant sht in it, and it seemed pointless to let run if I was gonna focus on leaning down a build thread to just meat and potatoes. ( maybe with only a couple of tasty tidbits thrown in every now and then)

Sorry I got you so worked up that you’re still awake at 3 am,...but as you can see..So am I. MOF i’m sorry to everybody here that had to endure my whining..
Suffice it to say, that some of you know me a little better than I think you know me. Sometimes It takes a good bitch slappin’ to help me see the light.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

There’s Mikey!

I‘m actually heading out to work.

You didn’t give me a chance to include an example.

Let‘s say your compressor goes down right in the middle of something critical. So you break out your friendly Google search and you get this picture as a solution:

How many people would find that helpful do you think?

If it had a comment box below it that gave you the choices, Was this photo helpful?.....was this photo not helpful?......wtf is this photo?
Which one would y’all check?

And to think, you probably didn’t think this photo would ever be useful......

 

[lemosley1973]

When you write a post like #74 (quoted below), I see a bunch of statements ending with 'will be running by...' It seems you're telling us what you plans are and keeping us up to date, not soliciting input. You're doing stuff with things probably none of us have ever seen, so it's hard for any of us to have input in that area anyway since we aren't there and can't see it.

If you want input, ask the questions. You'll end up with way more input than you can handle. Like recently when were trying to decide 4L80E vs. A340 vs your old trans.

My only input on automatics is 'don't, unless you can't physically work a clutch or you're trying to break records'. Automatics turn a non-racecar into an appliance. Yes, they go faster. So what? Are you planning on trying to break some records?

Manuals are where it's at - more fun to drive, easier to maintain, don't suck the soul out of the car and it's occupants. I would require everyone in the country to learn to drive a manual. Can't learn to drive a stick? That sucks, I guess you don't drive at all.

(At least you know some people are paying attention - look at the number of responses you've received!)

The more i go, the more I’m starting to think there is a certain “ intervention” that is keeping this thing checked till it’s right.

The front pump bushing that I installed was super tight. I was considering running the thing that way. Internet research reveals that improper installation can cause bushing distortion, a distorted front pump bushing doesn’t allow for proper lubrication, and can wipe out the converter hub,...ultimately, the whole trans.
So commensurately,...i left it unassembled.
Even installing the thing with a bushing driver isn’t the proper way to do this....pressing the thing in is.Trying to find a trans shop that won’t just beat the thing in will be the issue i’m sure, but that’s how i’m going to do it.

It appears that he has a purpose after all.....the 3amd keeps me from burning the thing up.

when I had it in the first time, and the driveshaft wouldn’t turn, the forced removal of the trans revealed the 3 of the inserts that held the transmission had failed, leaving (3) 3/8” bolts holding it in.
And the resulting stress on those three remaining fasteners would just as sure cause those weak ass things to fail as well.

And so there’s that.

Having the trans out made me reconsider my decision to drill a “ too big” hole in the front pump, and that led to discovering that I had completely omitted a check ball in the valve body...all things that would‘ve bit me squarely in the ass had I tried to run it.

And again,...that too.

Today i spent several hours hacking in the trans tunnel’s “ blind fasteners” so that i’ll only have to bolt it back in from the top. Not a very pretty solution. In actuality it’s pretty ugly. But,.......it’s not visible, and it works. I was going to wait to do this after the trans was back in, but had I did that, this would’ve been a major jug phck.

I made two short trans lines that stay with the trans, because the fittings are inaccessible once the pig is in the pen, The tail shaft mount is done, the lines are done, the front pump has got the right hole in it, and soon a properly installed front bushing. the valve body has all 7 check balls installed, and there are now (6) 7/16” nuts that will hold the transmission tightly against the engine...all I freakin need is some sort of a break to stop fcking up...and this thing will be running again by next Sunday.

 

[a91what]

Full manual valve body so he still has to shift the car.
Mike I would have more useful comments or advice for you but you seem to have it worked out by the time I get to posting. Now if you want to talk about the ECU having control of the lockup and the activation requirements or how to wire it I can help. Otherwise I am not qualified to comment on the internals of that transmission.

 

[stanglx2002]

I guess my comment is a little to late, but did you try putting the "new" bushing on the converter before installing it into the front pump? I don't know much about transmissions as well, but I was just thinking at step one of how does the bushing fit not installed. This would answer the main question of "Is it supposed to fit like this".

Just a thought...

 

[lemosley1973]

Full manual valve body so he still has to shift the car.
Mike I would have more useful comments or advice for you but you seem to have it worked out by the time I get to posting. Now if you want to talk about the ECU having control of the lockup and the activation requirements or how to wire it I can help. Otherwise I am not qualified to comment on the internals of that transmission.

I remember the manual valve body and having to shift it, but it's still not the same without that 3rd pedal and a clutch to burn up...