In deep with my 68

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Doc Hubler
Posts: 363
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2012 9:37 pm
TOA Membership Number: 992
Years Owned: 1967

Re: In deep with my 68

Postby Doc Hubler » Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:23 am

Jim,

I'm very interested to hear how things go for you on installing final drive. I'm going to be there in a bit myself. Any suggestions you have on CV boots, etc would be appreciated. I'm ready to take mine apart for cleaning and any replacing that needs to be done. My car is torn down pretty much like yours. My conclusion was that I would have the easiest time by putting tranny in, then final drive, then engine. You think tranny/final drive together are best, so I will reevaluate. I have just sent my 3 dash components off for restoration to a place in Medford, OR. Should get them back in about 5 months and will let you know how that goes; another big expense, but I just know I'll regret it if I don't do it as the old has a few minor cracks and will look crappy with everything else looking nice and new! My big complaint about the parts is the fortune it now takes to ship parts. UPS ripped me off on the dash parts as far as I can tell. I'm tempted to take the 2 days and drive down to pick them up myself. Even with a Motel 6 night, food and fuel, it is cheaper. Hobbyists need to come up with their own system to move parts around the country, or we can't afford to fix our cars anymore.

These are definitely a level higher in complexity to restore. In my opinion, cars restored to this level are certainly undervalued currently.

Tim

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Chazzer
Posts: 120
Joined: Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:17 pm
TOA Membership Number: 146
Years Owned: 1968 Ocean Mist Metallic, purchased September 2005. Ripped into a kazillion pieces in 2010 for a full blown resto. A few more kinks to work out and she’s almost done.
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: In deep with my 68

Postby Chazzer » Sun Jan 27, 2013 6:38 am

Hi Tim,
I think your plan of tranny, then final drive then engine is the way to go. In fact after I read your message, I remembered that was my thinking after I finished installing the final drive in my 68.
I bought a set of rebuilt cv axels here in Canada. They were sent to Edmonton Alberta. I had to send out my originals as cores, I am not sure if the ones I have now are actual my originals. The right axel does not have the rubber dampener anymore. They actually look pretty good. Interesting that they replaced the inner boot with a different material other then rubber. It almost looks like it's some kind of alloy. I will post a picture when my laptop returns.

I had a brand new axels first made in China from the Fenco brand. I did not like the looks of them, both axels looked slightly different from each other. Then I heard Fenco got out of the axel buisness so I returned them.

Believe me...I feel your pain on the shipping! Having stuff sent to Canada costs more, some shipping firms charge brokerage fees...and then believe it or not we here in Ontario have to pay the 13% HST tax!
Cheers, Jim

TOA# 146

bcroe
Posts: 305
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:25 pm
TOA Membership Number: 378
Years Owned: 79 Toronado or Eldorado

In deep with my 68

Postby bcroe » Sun Jan 27, 2013 8:37 pm

Here is the switch pitch trans & final drive ready to go into my
79. This worked very well for me; the front of the final drive was
chained up until the engine was in place.

The trans weighs about 260 lb with converter; the final drive 106.
Bruce Roe
Attachments
79TrFd.jpg
79TrFd.jpg (85.24 KiB) Viewed 19659 times

User avatar
Chazzer
Posts: 120
Joined: Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:17 pm
TOA Membership Number: 146
Years Owned: 1968 Ocean Mist Metallic, purchased September 2005. Ripped into a kazillion pieces in 2010 for a full blown resto. A few more kinks to work out and she’s almost done.
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: In deep with my 68

Postby Chazzer » Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:05 am

Kool!
Cheers, Jim

TOA# 146

User avatar
Chazzer
Posts: 120
Joined: Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:17 pm
TOA Membership Number: 146
Years Owned: 1968 Ocean Mist Metallic, purchased September 2005. Ripped into a kazillion pieces in 2010 for a full blown resto. A few more kinks to work out and she’s almost done.
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: In deep with my 68

Postby Chazzer » Tue Jan 29, 2013 5:44 am

Bruce,
Forgive my ignorance but I did not know that the 79s had the same tranny and final drive as the 66~78. For some reason I thought they changed the platform when they down sized the cars in 78. How long did they use this setup?
Cheers, Jim

TOA# 146

bcroe
Posts: 305
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:25 pm
TOA Membership Number: 378
Years Owned: 79 Toronado or Eldorado

In deep with my 68

Postby bcroe » Tue Jan 29, 2013 6:42 am

Chazzer wrote:Bruce,
Forgive my ignorance but I did not know that the 79s had the same tranny and final drive as the 66~78. For some reason I thought they changed the platform when they down sized the cars in 78. How long did they use this setup?

That is correct, except for MY 79. After many years of planning, I managed to adapt
a 78 Toro drive train (converted to switch pitch) into the 79. I modified the original
Eldo fuel injection to work on the larger engine. Note the extra holes in the drive
plates, for my half shaft adapter plates. Even changed the steering column to use a
cable shift linkage. Bruce Roe

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Eightballz
Posts: 125
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2010 2:15 pm
TOA Membership Number: 826
Years Owned: 1970 Olds Toronado GT

Re: In deep with my 68

Postby Eightballz » Tue Jan 29, 2013 12:03 pm

sounds great...

can you tell us more about the switch-pitch convertion?

bcroe
Posts: 305
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:25 pm
TOA Membership Number: 378
Years Owned: 79 Toronado or Eldorado

In deep with my 68

Postby bcroe » Tue Jan 29, 2013 3:18 pm

Eightballz wrote:sounds great...can you tell us more about the switch-pitch convertion?


You can see more about that project & switch pitch on this SUB ALBUM of my
PHOTOBUCKET site, user bcroe

http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l71/b ... smissions/

To convert a TH425, you really need a trans from a 66/67 Toro or a 67 Eldo, I used
the pump/chain assembly from the latter. 67 Eldo case isn't BOP pattern. I had the
assembly rebuilt as a GMC motor home POWER DRIVE, but reversed. The 65:57
ratio with a 2.733:1 final drive gives me a 2.40 overall ratio in high for fuel economy.
The switch pitch with the bigger engine gives me plenty of power, what a wheel spinner
it is. I always put early switch pitch trans together with an early 70s trans to get the
best of all years, see sub album BUILD A SWITCH PITCH TRANSMISSION. Bruce

http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l71/b ... H%20TRANS/

User avatar
Chazzer
Posts: 120
Joined: Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:17 pm
TOA Membership Number: 146
Years Owned: 1968 Ocean Mist Metallic, purchased September 2005. Ripped into a kazillion pieces in 2010 for a full blown resto. A few more kinks to work out and she’s almost done.
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: In deep with my 68

Postby Chazzer » Tue Jan 29, 2013 5:18 pm

Bruce, did you have to do frame mods and that sort of thing for the conversion?
Cheers, Jim

TOA# 146

bcroe
Posts: 305
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:25 pm
TOA Membership Number: 378
Years Owned: 79 Toronado or Eldorado

In deep with my 68

Postby bcroe » Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:04 pm

Chazzer wrote:Bruce, did you have to do frame mods and that sort of thing for the conversion?

There were lots of trims. Only one little piece of frame was removed, part of left A arm
support. But the floor was cut as shown, and a bit of the trans case trimmed. The cover
for the final drive is adjusted (slightly slotted bolt holes) to barely miss the ring gear. The
package is so tight, it would hit something before being moved 1/2" in any of 6 directions.
Oil filter was relocated. Lots of special brackets, custom trans shift shaft. The whole
setup has the engine moved left and back to get needed clearance. But it looks stock
when opening the hood. Bruce


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