There is something marvelous about a machine coming alive after a long sleep. It prompts a feeling of creation, almost. That which was inert sloughs off the quiet and resurrects! It is a moment like none other.
That moment happened yesterday afternoon. I finally got the Trans-Am running!
This was supposed to have happened a few days ago, but there was an intervening problem that took a few days to sort out. Everything had been installed, including the driveshaft – which got the new (used) yoke to fit the Super T10 in lieu of the Chinesium new yoke that had the wrong size U joint portholes. I got the correct reverse arm lever so that I could get the T10 into reverse and back out of reverse. The lever arm I tried to use at first was not the correct one; turns out that while the Hurst shifter I got is factory correct, at the factory, GM used its own shift lever arms (these bolt to the case of the transmission) and they differ from the shifter arms Hurst sells to be used with its current line of Hurst shifters.
Well, I had all that sorted. I figured it was time. So I reconnected the battery, sat down behind the Formula steering wheel and turned the ignition key – a thing very different from pushing the “start” button in a modern vehicle.
It did not start.
It made a hideous grinding noise. Not the engine – which wasn’t turning over – but the starter. More finely, the starter’s pinion gear, which was not meshing smoothly with the new flywheel. It needed to be shimmed. Meaning, the starter wasn’t quite lined up correctly with the flywheel. This happens sometimes with older vehicles. The tolerances are more loosey-goosey than they are with modern vehicles. Adding shims – they come in various thicknesses – restores the correct relationship such that the pinion gear on the starter motor engages precisely with the flywheel’s teeth.
It is a lot easier to gauge this with the transmission (and bellhousing) not installed. I wish, in retrospect, I had thought about that while the transmission was not installed. But I didn’t think of it. I assumed that the starter I had used before without having to shim it would work just as well again, without having to shim it. But the new flywheel had other ideas. Probably because it was brand new, with zero wear on the teeth. The old automatic flexplate had been in place for 50 years. Maybe that was why I got the grinding.
To stop that, I had to do some shimming. This is something of a pain-in-the-ass with the transmission and bellhousing installed because you cannot directly see the pinion gear/flywheel meshing, to gauge the clearance and make the fine adjustments. Instead, you have to add (and subtract) shims until you get it right, which is established by the starter engaging smoothly and turning the engine over.
Two shims finally did the trick. After a going-on-four-month sleep, the Trans-Am’s 455 came back to life! I let it warm up and settle into a normal idle. Then it was time to see whether I had bolted everything else together correctly. I got my three ton floor jack and used it to jack up the rear axle enough to let the rear wheels hang freely and got back behind the wheel, pushed the clutch pedal in and moved the Hurst shifter from neutral to first and gently let out the clutch for the very first time.
The wheels turned!
I went for second, then third and fourth. All systems go!
I haven’t actually driven it yet because I didn’t have time to get back under the car to check one more time, to make sure everything’s right before I take it for a drive. I have learned it is sound policy to make sure before you commit. One of life’s great miseries is not making sure and then finding out it wasn’t right.
But I think it’s ready, at last.
. . . .
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Big thumbs up from TN…..congrats Eric….you timed it well, as the necessary parts may become hard to find in the future.
Big thumbs up
Thanks, Dan!
I took the car out for its first drive yesterday; so much to say about that. Expect a report soon!
Ooooh, now that is a beautiful sound (drool, drool)…..
Second set of eyes from 3000 miles away …
The new transmission – you DID fill it with oil, correct?
(Dad had our boat converted to inboard/outboard. First voyage with the new setup, nice quiet engine, smooth cruise to Gig Harbor WA for lunch. Halfway home in the middle of Puget Sound the out drive seized up. Got a tow home, the shop failed to fill the new out drive unit with oil.)
Hi Sparkey,
YES – I made sure the new trans was topped off before starting the engine. Not checking – and forgetting – would have been a day ruiner for sure!
Excellent! Glad your hard work and plans have come together this is gonna be a fun rig! Good for you and enjoy!
Oh that’s an ugly one to miss. In one of my builds I swapped in a Jaguar posi IRS from a XJ12. Drove it 7 miles to the nearest town for gas, then back, only to notice horrible crunching grinding sounds of disintegration coming from the back. That rear end came out of a Pick N Pull in California, and they drained all the hydrocarbons because- California. Won’t make that mistake again.
Su-weeeet! Su-weeet! I am SO envious! Love it!!!!!!!!
The Pumpkin is improved 100%!
[Rolls on floor in ecstasy Woowoowoowoowoo!!!!!
😀 😀 😀 😀 :D]
Congrats Eric, there is nothing quite like rolling out on the road in manual trans 70’s T/A!
Congrats Eric! Sounds like a job well done. I’m a novice mechanic at best, but I bought this old Firebird a few years ago because it was kind of junky, so I could really dig in to it and learn how to do stuff myself.
I recently put on a new intake and carb on the 383, and that’s, believe it or not, the biggest job I’ve ever done on a car. Had a few hiccups along the way:
*After I started putting the intake bolts in, I realized they were not all the same size, so I had to go do some research and figure out which ones go where. (No instructions included)
*Couldn’t get the torque wrench on some of the intake bolts due to clearance. Did the best I could with a swivel extension. So far, it seems to have sealed up good.
*When I took the distributer out, I made sure to mark where it was, but when it was time to reinstall, it wouldn’t drop in the same, so had to start it from TDC and retime it. That was a learning experience in itself!
*The throttle bracket that was on the old intake didn’t work for the new intake. Bought a new bracket that attaches to the carb instead of the intake, it works well.
It’s driving great now! But… noticed a significant oil leak. Leaking valve covers. Did that TWICE to get it to seal. Next test drive revealed a coolant leak. Thought it was coming from the lower hose, but I think it’s actually coming from the water pump. New water pump and hoses is my next job.
Here’s a picture of the new setup:
https://ibb.co/r2zfRB9F
Thanks, Philo!
Your is looking good, too (though I will nag you a little and say I’d have gone with a Quadrajet over that Holley – because while the Holley is great WOT, the Qjet is superior in terms of part-throttle, idle and cold start performance). Watch out for Chinesium water pumps! I’d pony up the extra for a BeCool or similar high quality aftermarket unit.
Thanks, Eric. I called Blueprint Engines and went with the carburetor they recommended for this combo. It’s all dialed in and it runs fantastic, better than that Edelbrock 1406 that was on it previously. I have 0 experience with the Q-Jet.
One thing I have experienced, though, is the closer to stock you are, the more reliable the car will be. It’s endless tinkering with the Firebird which probably hasn’t been stock since the 80’s. On the other hand, my 71 Charger has been the most reliable old car I’ve owned… because it’s completely stock.
Hi Philo,
Yes, that’s true. The engineers generally set things up optimally. What I like about QJets is they can be very finely adjusted, almost like FI. Holleys, on the other hand, are easy to adjust. There are pros and cons to both!
That feeling of bringing one back to life is more addictive than crack. Either kind of crack…
I remember every one. Since I post short, sloppy videos on the tube these days, and they all end up getting thousands of views, it’s apparently a common addiction.
Glad you’re back together in time for driving season. Pick up a set of rear tires and a few new U joints right away… pro tip, donut spares smoke up nicely.
Congratulations! I have experienced the feeling of a new build coming to life many times. It is one of the best feelings in the world knowing that your hard work and expertise has paid off.
Best regards,
Congrats. Looking forward to the video shifting through the gears (with that old-school gear whine). 🙂
Best news I’ve heard in a month of very bad news! Congratulations.
Congratulations. Now drive it enough that you don’t have to worry about the gas going bad.
Thanks, Landru!
I’m hoping to get a chance to do that later today; rain is on its way – and I never allow the TA to get wet!
I’m not any different with my Toys. The advantage to going to cruse ins at a mall is I can do my grocery shopping and as a bonus my toy serves the purpose for which it was actually designed for.
Congrats ! I think a new set of rear tires are in your future.
HUZZAH!!
I know not everyone is a person of faith but, I’ll bet no one ever did major engine work that didn’t say a prayer before the first turn of the key.
I’ve built a couple of long blocks in my days. I’m not too proud to admit the rosary beads came out on the first one. The heat and smells of those new rings setting and bores burnishing is real satisfying though.
Sweet!
On a big job like that there are always a couple of “known unknowns” that pop up before it’s finally done. Did a transmission a few years back, got it installed and drove it. Yay! But then, after I parked it, I noticed it weeping fluid… turns out I didn’t get QUITE enough sealant on the front cover when I put the shafts back in.
Oops. Transmission came back out… more sealant… back in and she was GTG for another five years before I got a new truck.
Four on the floor! Three pedals! Two rear drive wheels!
And one happy owner.
Congratulations, Eric!