[455 pontiac]

Originally Posted by David Jones

No issues with rubbing? I'd love to think I'd not have to cut.

None at all. I used a 1/4'' rubber hose to check for clerance between the trans and the tunnel. My car was an original 4spd car,not sure if that makes a difference or not.

[David Jones]

Originally Posted by 455 pontiac

None at all. I used a 1/4'' rubber hose to check for clerance between the trans and the tunnel. My car was an original 4spd car,not sure if that makes a difference or not.

I'm told the 4sp cars have some sort of advantage in room, but find that hard to completely believe. I wonder if the difference is that one has a shifter "porch" and one doesn't? A side to side comparison between the T400 and the Tremec shows not that much difference. The Tremec is square and that'll be the problem.

I'll soon see. I hope to get the runout checked today.

I was going to try to get by with a board on my floor jack as a trans adapter but chickened out and ordered a trans adapter http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...D-_-707-_-CONF for my floor jack from Northern tool. Probably be here early next week.

[455 pontiac]

Good luck checking your run out,mine was out .011 but I cheated and used this.

[David Jones]

I think mine is .009.
I found the "low" spot and marked it zero with some painters tape and a Sharpie. I rotated the engine 90 degrees and marked each spot. 180 degrees across from zero was + 19 thousands. I checked it every way I could and came up with those same numbers. I want to get my son to pull the engine through and I want to watch the dial indicator rotate, just for laughs. Make sure my zero is really the zero. Keisler wants those numbers documented so I'm going to take a picture of the results.

[GOAT WHORE]

455 Pontiac, what is that in your pictures?

[David Jones]

It's a Brownell alignment tool. I read about it as I was looking in to doing this swap.
http://www.camaros.org/bellhousings.shtml

RobbMc .007 offset dowels ordered.
.019 divided by 2 is .0095. RobbMc's .007 dowels will bring that down to .0025 which is under Tremec's .005 requirement.

[69Customs]

Looks like me be making another tool on the lathe!

Neat inspection tool!

[Stuckinda60s]

Originally Posted by 69Customs

Looks like me be making another tool on the lathe!

Neat inspection tool!

I would suggest that you machine the tip to fit into the bushing or needle bearing. Doing that and bolting it down gives you the truest center you can get. If the hole for the bushing isn't parallel to the shaft's centerline, that will contribute to misalignment but won't show up if you just use the surface of the flywheel with a center rather than a centerline

[TheMonkey]

that Browell tool would be perfect for the method of leaving straight pins in the block and relocating the bellhousing alignment holes with welded washers/bushings.

[Hammered]

I just installed my RobbMc dowels (same 0.007") Tuesday and can say they're an exceptional product. Just make sure you carefully mark the direction of maximum off center before you install them. I didn't and it added to the time it took.

BTW, I used your method to pull the old dowels after the grease zerk method failed. I thought I was going to blow a seal on my grease gun. They came out easy with the bold and socket method.

[Gas455]

Do you have a parts list that you can post up for someone looking to do similar to what you are doing?

Very good info so far.

[David Jones]

Originally Posted by Gas455

Do you have a parts list that you can post up for someone looking to do similar to what you are doing?

Very good info so far.

No list really. If you look at Keilser's web sight you can get picture of the various parts required. It would be easy enough to duplicate the "kit" I bought from that. Keisler does modify the Tremec somewhat and I think that will help with the fit and the transmission operation. Keisler installed my hyd throw-out bearing, so I don't really know whats involved in selecting and installing one of those. I know more than one company produces them and going hyd is not required. It's just something I wanted. I have a set of aftermarket pedals that I won't use. After taking the OEM auto pedal out and comparing it to the new aftermarket unit, I found a set of used OEM clutch and brake pedals and installed them. The aftermarket stuff seemed to carry to many re-engineering opportunities for me. I haven't installed the clutch heim joint connector yet but it looks pretty straight forward, you'd need to source that if you used hyd's. You'd need a drive shaft....no big deal. My "kit" came with a manual transmission hump sheet metaland some pre-cut trans hump sheet metal. I'm not sure I'll use either. Probably not. Maybe parts of those items simply as handy sheet metal. Keisler will supply me with a driveshaft, when I get to that point. Doing that locally is not that hard if you have the correct measurements. I don't know if the trans mount is something special or is easily available. Bolts supplied are readily available and nothing special.
A more adventurous mechanically inclined person could source and install an aftermarket or junkyard 5 or 6 speed manual trans in their car for substantially less than any companies pre-engineered kit. Having a little tech support behind you is an advantage with a Keisler, American Power Train or Hurst purchase but quite frankly having a forum like Performance Years and it's wide array users is, I think, of more benefit. Guys on here have attacked installations like this from every angle possible and have some incredible insights on how to do things.
A kit was right for me. Looking back (which is pretty easy to do) I could have done most of this with a credit card and a little time on Summit's website selecting the right parts. If I were to do it again I might do that, but then I'd have the benefit of having installed one before.

[David Jones]

Just got my RobbMc offset alignment dowels in. I ordered part number 1011, GM .007 offset. No guesswork here because they are neatly lazer engraved with 1011 at the top. They have a groove cut in them showing proper depth and have flat spots on either side for turning them with an open end wrench. Once positioned, lock them in place with the allen screw at the top and off you go. I have a RobbMc fuel filter in my fuel system and also start the car with one of their starters.

These guys produce some quality stuff.

[Scarebird]

note: I was notified today by my credit card company (Nordstrom Bank) that the dispute over the lack of refund of the down payment to Keisler was resolved in my favor and will be credited back. I tried to do this with Keisler and they were not helpful.

[David Jones]

What was that 3 months for a refund? That sucks.

[GOAT WHORE]

Keisler sucks!!!!!!!!

[David Jones]

I climbed back under the car to verify my readings and can't seem to do that now. After a couple of hours of sliding back and forth and rotating the engine in quarter turns and then back to the dial indicator I pulled the Rube Goldberg contraption out and tightened it all back up. I stuck it back onto the flywheel and will start fresh again, maybe tomorrow. This whole process has been somewhat....frustrating.
I've got to get a good reading or I've read of all manner of issues that can arise down the road.
I'd love to be able to fab a bolt on bracket to replace the magnet in attaching to the flywheel but can't see how once I did that how any adjustments could be made to properly position the pointer.
Shower time.......

[David Jones]

OK, so after a Top Gear/Peanut M&M breather I slid back under the car and tried to look at it freshly. I took all my tape markings off and started where I know the zero spot is. On the second trip around I realize that something has mechanically moved the dial indicator. Then I see the mechanical throwout bearing pivot that is still screwed into the scattershield. I take it out. No more interference. I spin the engine around about a dozen times and get the same numbers I got that led me to order the .007 dowels.......0095 out.

NOW the shower calls. Next time the scattershield comes down and I'll swap dowels and re-check.

[David Jones]

Progress tonight......I pulled the dial indicator, scattershield, flywheel and the new longer dowel I put in a few days ago. The driver side OEM dowel is pretty tight. I've moved it a little (vice grips) but not much. This dowel is in a harder to get at spot. No way to get a drill in at it straight. I have managed to get a hole in it fairly straight but before I attempt to thread it I need a new tap. I'll get that tomorrow. Right now I have the dowel soaking with a little PB Blaster and will hit it again a time or two before I leave for Chicago Thursday morning. I also heated it up pretty good just to try to loosen up some of the 40+ year old crud. No more real time to work until one day next week.

[highrisk]

Originally Posted by David Jones

Thank you John. You've looked at Keisler's site recently? I wonder how much emphasis they are putting on the new SS700 they are picturing vs the RS600 or TKO?

I have been considering the RS-600 and looked at their site a few days ago and it is gone. Sent them an email and Chris said it has been pulled until late fall because of availability issues. After reading all of your problems, as well as others, with Keisler's reliability, with emphasis on the lie, I will probably look elsewhere for a TKO-600. I have read good things about the American Powertrain company and their units.

Dale