[njsteve]

I used the purple stuff degreaser and water and let it soak in a tub for about 8 hours. Then a lot of scrubbing with a nylon bristle brush. The problem is that the bell housing is so big you have to cut the degreaser with water otherwise it would take 10 gallons of the stuff to do the proper 100% degreaser on a part that big.

[2manyT/A'S]

Originally Posted by njsteve

I glass beaded the intake. Even though it will be painted the correct 1972 Pontiac egg-shell blue, I still had to get the old clear coat residue off. I then soaked it and blasted it with water to get any little glass particles flushed out.

I also washed out out the oil pan. It was remarkably non-dented on the bottom. (Running out of things to clean...)

This is kind of a "no brainer" but hopefully you will be using a later 70's pan with a baffle in it (around the pick-up) to prevent oil starvation during hard cornering......

You can actually make one up in "welding class",quite easily....

[njsteve]

I may actually have an old dented pan with the baffle. I will go check. Thanks for giving me the heads up. Sometimes you're so busy doing something, you just don't notice the obvious things that are missing!

[njsteve]

I just checked out the garage. The dented old pan I have was the original pan from my 72 T/A. No baffle.

Didn't the later model pan also have a different rear seal? Anyone got a photo of the pan baffle (next to a ruler would be perfect)...or better yet, have an extra, loose pan baffle? The original pans usually have the oil drain plug in a different spot than the later/aftermarket ones. So I am trying to look original on the outside, at least.

[njsteve]

Here's a photo of a baffled pan but it is at an angle. If someone could post a photo from directly overhead and get me some measurements, I could create one at the votech metalshop next tuesday night.

[2manyT/A'S]

I'll check later,,I MAY have one handy to photograph,etc.

On the exhaust manfold coatings.......I been pretty happy with the Bill Hirsh (brush on) coating....it looks pretty good,lasts ALONG time & can be touched up OR recoated at any point in time.....GREAT for a car you are planning on actually DRIVING...

[2manyT/A'S]

OK,here ya go!

Length appears to be 12 1/4......add another 1" or so for the back mounting tab

Width " " 8" .... with mounting tabs 10"

[njsteve]

Excellent. How about the depth from the top of the mounting rail on the pan?

[2manyT/A'S]

Howzat..................?

[rexs73gto]

One thing you may want to do is to weld a small brace over the edgs of the clutch fork to give it some more strength. Welding it across the edges in the back to about the center will keep it from bending while in use. The brace will keep it from flexing when you push in the clutch. You can really tell the difference when you push in the clutch , it's closer to a hyd. clutch then a manual clutch because it doesn't flex anymore. As far as the paint I really do like the eastwood true Alum. paint to paint the trans & the intake. It looks natural but the grease & oil doesn't stain it the way natural alum. does. All the dirt, grease oil & about anything that splills on them after painted wipes right off, or hosed off when cleaned.

[njsteve]

Howziz?

[eaglesan13]

That baffle looks like it would be fairly easy to make. Is anyone reproducing them? Norwood???

[Formulabruce]

Originally Posted by rexs73gto

One thing you may want to do is to weld a small brace over the edgs of the clutch fork to give it some more strength. Welding it across the edges in the back to about the center will keep it from bending while in use. The brace will keep it from flexing when you push in the clutch. You can really tell the difference when you push in the clutch , it's closer to a hyd. clutch then a manual clutch because it doesn't flex anymore. As far as the paint I really do like the eastwood true Alum. paint to paint the trans & the intake. It looks natural but the grease & oil doesn't stain it the way natural alum. does. All the dirt, grease oil & about anything that splills on them after painted wipes right off, or hosed off when cleaned.

This is excellent advice, I have done this on many GM forks.
Steve, usually procedure for me also involves chasing all the threads on the timing cover ... IF your bored! looking good!

[njsteve]

Anyone have a photo of the modified fork? I want to see how long of a reinforcement you used.

[njsteve]

I dragged my 12 year old, engine building apprentice out to the garage today (it's about 38 degrees or so at the moment). I had him measure the top and second ring gaps in the cylinders. I had to keep reminding him not to "saw" the feeler gauge but gently see if it passes between the ring ends. Only had to remind him 16 times. :-)

Top gaps were .016 and second ring gaps were .020 after doing some mix and matching between the cylinders.

[3tas4me]

Originally Posted by njsteve

Anyone have a photo of the modified fork? I want to see how long of a reinforcement you used.

Use the heavy duty Corvette fork.

[njsteve]

I ended up getting a McLeod 673-16931 heavy duty clutch fork to replace the stock unit with the broken tab. http://www.jegs.com/i/McLeod/673/16931/10002/-1#

I did have to do a little trimming of the flared out portion on the top edge of the fork to clear the interior bolt mounting boss.

[njsteve]

Back from shop class with the revised oil pan. Took about an hour to fabricate and weld in the baffle. Gotta love those plasma cutters. Man those things cut the labor time into seconds. It took longer to trace the template onto the steel with a magic marker than it did to cut it out with the plasma cutter. Then I used a hammer and an anvil to bend the tabs and form the lip on the interior edges.

It's not too pretty but it fits and clears the oil pump perfectly.

[LeighP]

That'll do....not like anyone at a car show is going to see it, lol.

[Rocky Rotella]

Looks like it'll provide the functionality you're after. Just wait until someone opens that engine years down the road and sees it. We'll then hear, "My '72 Formula has a prototype oil pan on it!"