J300 build up thread (motor is here)

[KaiserMan]

So I got my J300 home yesterday (pics tomorrow, but some can be seen here http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showt...t=82755&page=2 ). After giving it a real good look over, I can see it will need both cab corners, and the floor supports. The rest of the body is Very solid.

Is does, however, need a dive train (currently a dead 307 and a T90/D20).
I want to run a 400/Th400/D20 set up. I have part of that covered. Just came back from a 300 or so mile trip in the 71 and borught back a rebuilt Chevy 2WD long shaft Th400. This is what the owner told me about it.

"Heavy sprag clutches done up right, all kevlar. 6th clutch pack. Trans-Star MR. Shift shift kit for street/strip. Heavy springs in vavle body. New stock torque converter. HD case" (meaning it has the bolt on aluminum cover).

The guy needed it gone by today, and I walked away with it for $175.

So, I can't hook it up to a D20. Okay, so an hour away I pick up a TH400/D20 from a 6? Jeepster. Came with the flex plate for a 225 V6 and the BOP adapter. Th400 is a three year old rebuild. $150.

I'm going to take both to a tranny shop (haven't found one yet) and have them swap the tailshaft from the Jeep 400 into the Chevy 400, then bolt the D20/adapter to it.

As for brakes, I may just leave it a single circut system for now. I would like to find the correct Midland-Ross power brake system. It used a slave cylinder and booster mounted on the fire wall.

Steering. Question. Can I use a later (saginaw) column with my ross box if I ditch the lower shaft? I have an auto column from a 68 Wag I'd like to use.

I am going to leave the Ross bellcrank setup there.

Guess that's it for now.

[KaiserMan]

Oh, I just did some calculations, and the Gladiator was getting 12mpg. Not bad with an average speed of 60 mph.

[KaiserMan]

Okay, so I don't have any pics yet, tomorrow, promise.

I do have progress updates though.

I now have on my work been an almost completely disasembled D20. PITN to have to pull a part a case just to change the shift rail/front bearing cap housing.

I want to swap it out for the one in the truck now, so I can run the original remote shifter, to keep a stock look. Plus, I won't have to lean over into my passengers lap to shift.

I also dug out my spare Ramsey PTO. It's going to go on my t-case. I'll probably use it to power some lift cylinders for the flat bed.

I hope to pull, and disasemble the D20 in the J300 by this time tomorrow. And get the case all back together Thursday. I really hope I can make the remote shifter work around the Th400, as it goes right under the T90 now.

[Wagabond]

I'll give that BOP adapter a good home if you don't want it. I've been thinking of putting a Turbo Buick into something....

[willam]

Thom, just out of curiousity; how did you get the case D20 apart. Both of the shafts on mine are giving me problems. Did you use a press, or special puller?

By the way, the guy who rebuilt my transmission had a flawless 71 with the thriftside box. All black, running a Chevy 400/th400/NP 208 combo. Really nice truck.

[KaiserMan]

Bill, I followed the intructions in my TSM, and the D20 came right apart. The intermediate shaft just taps out after removing the lock plate (watch out for the needle bearings).

I didn't remove the front output shaft, I don't need to takeit apart that far.

Wagabond, I'm not sure if I want to selll the adpater jsut yet, if I do I'll let you know.

Sorry if things are spelled wrong. My cat is in front of the screen and I really can't see what I'm typing.

[Gambler68]

Gimmie a shout when you are ready to do your corners. I'm cutting up the 68 cab soonish. (its firewall is tweaked and have a replacement)

[KaiserMan]

If you want to cut them off, I 100% want them. I've been trying to think of a good way to fab them, and none of them are easy. I might be interested in the floors (with braces, if you want to go that far.

That cowl's teaked by cow, right?

[Elliott]

What... GARY DOESN'T HAVE CAB CORNERS ON THE MARKET YET... WTF?

[KaiserMan]

What... GARY DOESN'T HAVE CAB CORNERS ON THE MARKET YET... WTF?

What can I say...he's a slacker!


Also, I have a question here.

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=85136

I'm a little behind schedule. Instead of tearing the manual D20 apart tonight/this morning, I pulled it out from under the truck.

[Gambler68]

If you want to cut them off, I 100% want them. I've been trying to think of a good way to fab them, and none of them are easy. I might be interested in the floors (with braces, if you want to go that far.

That cowl's teaked by cow, right?

yarp. gana save the brow/roof section and the cab corners/rockers and das eet.

[KaiserMan]

I just heard back from my local tranny shop, with no warrenty on his work, he wants $425 to swap tailshafts, and any gaskets/seals he removes! BS! I'll do it my self for that kind of money.

Looks like I found a motor. Not a 400, but it's not bad.

1970 Chevy 350 still in a Chevelle, 255HP 2bbl. Ran when my buddy bought the car, turns over now. He thinks it needs points. I'm going to go look at it this weekend, he only wants $250 for the complete motor with accesories.

[Gambler68]

Awesome. I'm an hour into stripping my 68 for the J300 body swap Got pix of the cab corners and rockers for ya. Hey I have some Ram Horns for your 350 if you want to try em, haven't removed yet so I wont know if there's cracks till I do. (off a 70ish chevy 307 that came in the J300..was sad to see it wasnt a Chevy 327 )

[KaiserMan]

Lol. Just called AAMCO. $200 to start+ the price any parts they replace. Automatically, I wanted a seal kit. They would not say what they wanted for that, and they wanted to bake the case to super clean it, kept on mentioning replaceing parts, blah blah blah, and would not give me any real idea of what the final cost would be.

Not going there either.

Gambler, sounds great. I have a couple of sets of ram horn manifild myself, so I'll pass on those, but I'll take the croners, and if you want to cut out the floors from the tranny hump to the rocker, I'd take those as well.

[willam]

Those AMMCO guys are pure snake oil salesman. Lots of bait n switch ( A least the one down here)

I had my BOP Th400 out of a 73 Caddy rebuilt with all new steels/seals/torque converter, etc... and a transgo shift kit rebuilt for 750 in Clifton NJ. Guy said once I get it installed come over, he will verify everything (No $ involved in that) and he'll stand behind his work.

Maybe a little pricey, but i'm happy.

Make sure they keep all your old parts for you, some might be salable. If they are worth anything they'll sell them back to the parts supplier, or keep them and sell them to the next guy that needs them.