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How to ruin a perfectly good muscle car
I feel like I should apologize up front for what I'm about to do... but you can't talk me out of it. Every muscle-car guy out there is gonna hate me pretty soon. :meyou: But I can at least explain why I'm doing this:
These days I have a fairly long commute. 35 miles each way, most of it at 80 mph. My car gets reasonable gas mileage, but it does add up. My daily driver costs almost nothing in terms of purchase price and repairs- over time I've spent five times the money on fuel that I spent on the car (my sad old Chevy Lumina is old enough to vote, has 309,000 miles... I just rebuilt the engine back in the spring). So I was thinking the other day that it'd be nice to have a small diesel to cut down on fuel costs. But those are hard to come by in the U.S., and I don't want a Volkswagen. I've worked on enough Mercedes heavy truck engines to develop an opinion on German engineering... and I won't be buying any of that. This isn't *really* about saving money though. That would be a nice side effect. But really I just like to tinker and build stuff. I read up on different possibilities for an engine swap. Small diesels are hard to come by here in the U.S. as you all know... and especially small diesels that have the features I want. I want direct injection- I hate waiting for glow plugs, plus I want to be able to roll start the thing even if the battery is stone cold dead (not saying that's a feature one really needs... it's just a feature I want). I want an inline pump- something sturdy enough that it won't blow chunks if I do something stupid like run (well filtered) used motor oil through it sometime. Needs to be cheap. Doesn't need a whole lot of power, but it has to be able to maintain 80mph on level, going into a hard wind. In my experience that means about 90hp minimum in a small to medium sized car. 100hp is definitely enough- I had an old Buick V6 many years ago with a whopping 105 horsepower, and it did just fine at 80mph. What I've settled on is a Yanmar 4TNE86 out of a Thermoking reefer unit (aka TK486). Matter of fact I got the idea from this site- that guy who swapped one of these engines into a 1999 Ford Ranger (Rangemar). Granted, he blew that engine via excessive propane and swapped over to a Kubota... but I still think it's a good idea. I've read up on these engines- there are even complete service manuals available for download if you google around some- and I think it can pretty safely make 90hp if I add a turbo. Maybe 100 if I'm feeling brave... but this will be a butt-dyno situation so that'll only be a guess. They use these engines up to 3600 RPM in some applications, so that should be enough for easy shifting. There is a 4TNE106T version that makes 110hp (same basic engine but with a 106mm bore and a turbo), so I don't think 90hp is a huge stretch for this 86mm bore engine if I add a turbo. And these things are cheap on Ebay. I mean, cheap as running diesel engines go. Having decided on an engine, I spent quite a bit of time thinking about what vehicle I want to put it in. A small front wheel drive would be a good choice in some ways... but I've checked out overdrive ratios, final drive ratios, and tire sizes- threw them into a spreadsheet for quite a few different vehicles- and there are very few available front wheel drive vehicles that will go 80mph at the RPM range where I want to run this engine. I want this engine to hum along at about 2000 RPM while at 80mph. I mean, what's the point of all this if I can't brag about the fuel mileage? Having looked up the final drive ratio of every small car I can think of (and that would likely be cheap on Craigslist)... I've concluded that the *only* thing out there that's geared high enough (and would probably hold together) is an 87-90 Dodge Omni and/or assorted clones. That's it... that's the only one. A few others are close- like early 90's Ford Escorts are close... but the engine will still be spinning faster than I want at 80mph unless I add monster truck tires. Those Omnis were dirt cheap and plentiful 20 years ago, but that's no longer the case. I could find one if I keep searching and if I'm willing to travel for it... but I had this nagging problem. I can't start on another project car while I've already got one torn down in the garage. I have a '72 Nova that's languished in my garage for a few years. The thing is all original and in pretty good condition... a quintessential grandma car. It literally was my grandma's car. And now that's it's mine... so of course it needs an L92 engine, T56 transmission, 3.73 limited slip rear, etc., etc., and all will be right with the world. That was the plan anyhow. But life happens. Changed jobs, finances weren't always great. I was lazy and occasionally drunk. Tore the car down, sold the engine and trans... and I just haven't made a whole lot of progress on it for a few years. I did get a great deal on a Viper T56 transmission out of a 2006 SRT-10 truck. It's a basket-case, but I've put transmissions together before. Problem is what while a fast car would be fun- the idea just wasn't motivating me, and I haven't felt like dropping $4K on an L92. I need motivation to get this thing back together. The idea didn't occur to me at first. But while sitting at work, watching the clock the other day I thought... ****it- I'm gonna put that Yanmar in the Nova. And really it's not a bad car for this project. Not ideal, but not bad. The thing only weighs about 3000 pounds- less than a modern Honda Civic. I've already got a double-overdrive transmission and 3.73 rear axle. Granted they'll hold up to easily five times the horsepower that this little Yanmar could possibly make- but I already have the parts. And at 80mph, even with stock tires the engine RPM will be *under* 2000. I don't know if I'll leave it this way permanently or if this will just be a proof-of-concept (and motivation to put the car back together). But the Nova will clatter to life in an even *slower* incarnation than its original anemic 307/automatic. The engine is sitting in my garage. Updates will be trickling in. |
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The engine. It's pretty rusty, but a good price. Had it shipped in from Canada. All 34 horsepower.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...fa113df3fd.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...cd02fc9c20.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...114f36ccfd.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...20a2a8155c.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...ed79e6a2e5.jpg |
The engine is pretty rusty. Looks like the sort of Canada-rust you would expect, plus it looks to have been sitting in the rain for a couple years. They shipped it with oil still in it :D
I need to check it out before I put too much work and money into this. The primer pump was seized, broke off when I tried to use it. So I started it on ether and cracked a couple lines. Started pretty easy. No miss or smoke. Oil pressure looks ok: I was a little concerned though that the crank turns really easily. Starts and runs ok, but didn't feel like it had any compression. So I pulled the rusty-ass nozzles out, made a homemade compression test adapter, and did a compression test: https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...47b3c9fe85.jpg It's some pretty serious rust. But they need to come out while the engine is on a stand anyway- much easier that way. I'll re-seal them and gob antiseize all over them, they'll come out easy next time. Here's the homemade compression adapter. I chucked the hose barb on the end in the drill press and filed a cone on it to seal against the shoulder in the injector bore: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...017da1f520.jpg Internal volume in the tool is way too much to get accurate results for absolute pressure, but I can compare percentages between cylinders. First time I tried it the gauge red ZERO. No compression at all. I pulled the valve cover and checked the valves- intake valves on cylinders 1, 3, and 4 were tight. No gap at all. I did a quick valve adjustment and checked compression again- now all cylinders have pressure and difference between lowest and highest is 4% :up: I'll pull the oil pan and make sure the cylinders look ok from the bottom, remove and inspect a couple of bearings... but I think this engine is good. |
Testing
More updates shortly. I've begun work on the bellhousing, such as it is.
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I went ahead and removed two rod caps. Bearings look nearly new. Checked them with plasti-gauge. Both were at .002" clearance. I reinstalled the rod caps. This engine needs some gaskets, cleanup, valve adjustment, and paint. Otherwise this is a good engine.
Got the flywheel back from the machine shop. I did some research and found that a clutch and pressure plate for a 96-ish S10 with the 4 cylinder will work for what I'm doing here. The clutch and pressure plate can be made to fit the flywheel- and strangely enough the clutch fits right on to the Viper T-56 splines. They use the same 1-1/8" diameter shaft, 26 splines. Now this flywheel isn't exactly ideal- there are holes where the drive pins for some kind of Thermo King coupler were installed. So now I have a 'cross drilled' friction surface on the flywheel. Not what I'd prefer, but it'll work. Ricers do it and it seems to work ok for them. For the friction surface I had them cut the flywheel down until it was flat, and drill six holes evenly spaced on a 10.551" base circle. Then figured out the pilot bearing depth from there. For the pilot bearing, I had the machine shop cut the center bore to a usable size- in this case 1.375. Then I used a drill bushing to bring that down to 1", and installed an oilite bushing. There are a lot of different ways this could be done. I went with the drill bushing because they're cheap and precise, and I could use it to space the pilot bearing however I want. I don't really care for the roller type bearings that ride directly on the shaft- seen those fail too many times and take out the shaft. Plus I think a bushing will be more tolerant of misalignment... which is good since I'm cobbling together an engine and transmission that were never meant to join. Before: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...7328592cf4.jpg After https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...c3fccc5ffe.jpg |
I've decided to go with the Yanmar's flywheel housing an build and adapter from there. There are other ways this could be done, but this looks to be the simplest approach. I test fitted the engine just to see what the oil pan and flywheel housing look like... this oil pan has got to go. I pretty well knew that... just wanted to see it. Also there are two large engine mount bosses toward the top of the flywheel housing. Those have got to go if I'm going to set this engine reasonably far back.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...cdd80a299d.jpg First I tried a sawzall. This thing isn't your typical cast iron... it destroyed the blade in seconds. I'd never tried a torch on cast iron before... so gave that a try. And learned that an oxy-acetylene torch is pretty well useless for cutting cast. So I had to go with an old school dirty trick... mounted an abrasive wheel in an old skil saw. Made short work of those chunks of cast iron: https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...b7a13c0c3d.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...6f84939894.jpg Also started on the oil pan. Just the rail is done for now. I'll weld up the rest once I get the engine mounted in place so I can take measurements and tack things in place: https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...576c6f6c89.jpg |
Now that the flywheel and clutch have been set up, I can start mocking up my DIY bellhousing. A spacing of exactly 4" from the flywheel housing to the transmission front plate will put the input shaft at the right depth. Built a plate for the flywheel housing and a plate for the transmission from 1/4" steel. I have some 3.5 x 1/4 flatbar, so that will add up to 4". The transmission is apart anyway, so I have the front plate. The plan is that I'll use a dial indicator or the like to align the front plate, then get everything welded together.
Years ago I worked at a Cummins shop. Not quite the dark ages, but electronic engines were a pretty new thing at the time- we still worked on a lot of the old 855's and the like. When you replace the flywheel housing on those, you have to align it with a dial indicator and then ream holes for the dowel pins. The spec is that it needs to be concentric within .010". That's how I did it anyway... but I know for a fact that a lot of people would just bolt the new housing on and go. Granted we're talking about class 8 trucks here... but the point is that you can get away with more misalignment than you might think. If I can get this within .010", IMO it'll be fine. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...1b33cb1670.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...997c975c67.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...7fb9eb6cb5.jpg |
Ok, my 'bellhousing' is pretty well done. Just need to finish up a few minor details and paint it. Here's how I did it:
Welded some 3.5" flat bar onto the engine side plate, allowing for clearance for the clutch, trans mounting bolts, etc. Then ground and filed everything nice and flat: https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...19be605532.jpg I made a tool to check alignment. Basically just a bar that bolts to the crankshaft, and has a threaded hole on the end: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...b2b64753bb.jpg Bolted the transmission front plate onto its 1/4" steel plate, and held the assembly in place temporarily with some all-thread. Just tight enough to that everything is held together, but you can still tap things around with a hammer to get the right location: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...7d681ae3cc.jpg Didn't want to take any chances on gouging the soft aluminum that the input shaft bearing race rides in, so I made a pointer out of some plexiglass I had laying around. I used some thin feeler gauges to check the distance between the pointer and the bore. Turned the crank and checked in four locations, tapped the transmission plate until it was centered within about .002". Also used a dial indicator to check the flatness of the steel plate. Had to file a little more until that was within .005": https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...0094b4a866.jpg I tack welded everything in place. Drilled the engine side plate and the engine flywheel housing and drove in a 1/4" roll pin on each side to keep this alignment. Then removed it and welded everything solid, and trimmed all the excess off both plates. Things tend to move around when you weld, so the 'bellhousing' got some love from a BFH until everything checked pretty flat with a straight edge. Next I mounted the throwout bearing/slave cylinder. On your typical T56 trans installation the slave cylinder will ride on the front transmission plate, which also centers it. In this case I'm not using the Dodge Viper throwout bearing, so the hydraulic line and bleeder are at different angles (using a slave cylinder for an S10). Also the Viper T56 has a very long input shaft... but the S10 clutch isn't very deep. So the slave cylinder needs to be roughly 1.5" further forward than it would be in a Viper. When fully compressed, there should be approx. 1/8" gap between the throwout bearing and the pressure plate fingers. So rather than using the transmission front plate, I mounted it in the bellhousing. Welded in some 3/4" thick flat bar which will make that gap just a hair over 1/8". This chunk of steel is massive overkill for what I'm doing... but it's a quick and dirty spacer. The slave cylinder won't be aligned via a machined surface on the transmission like an OEM installation... this will just be aligned via the bolts. I taped up the input shaft with electric tape, large enough to center the slave cylinder. Installed the bellhousing with the input shaft and slave cylinder Then marked the location, drilled and tapped the holes. Also I've cut a window into the side of the bellhousing to allow clearance for the bleeder and line. I'll make a cover when I get around to it: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...84e63211d7.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...45ad8b8503.jpg At this point, I re-installed the bellhousing and front transmission plate, and re-checked flatness and concentricity. After welding, concentricity is within about .004". Flatness is still within about .005". Not perfect, but this will work. It's well within the Cummins spec of .010" :U: https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...f4c21d1c99.jpg I made it a point to keep my homemade bellhousing from sticking out past either the engine flywheel housing or the transmission front plate. Trans tunnel clearance will likely be tight, so I'm not making it any worse than it has to be. This was a lot of welding, cutting, bolting/unbolting, measuring, filing, grinding, beating, measuring again, drilling, tapping... I think I'll order parts to put this transmission together and then work on something easier for a while. This is essentially a tractor engine... I think I'm going to paint it red. I don't care enough to hunt down Yanmar Red paint, so it's probably going to be Rustoleum red. |
2004-2006 Ram SRT-10 T56 assembly
Took a break for a while, but I'm back at it.
The transmission I'm using here is complete and utter overkill. But I already have it. It has nearly ideal gear ratios for what I want to do here. And part of the reasoning behind this project is that I'm interested in it... so that provides motivation to put this transmission back together. I bought this transmission off Craigslist for $600 as a box of parts. Of course anything you're told by craigslist people or the like should be taken with a grain of salt, but for what it's worth, here's his story: He's fixing up a Dodge Challenger. I can't say what year it was exactly... 2008/9 would be my guess. It was in his garage. He's putting some bigger/better mopar engine in it. I don't know mopars well enough to say what it was... could've been a 6.1 Hemi. I didn't ask. This transmission is from a 2005 Ram SRT-10, and he had intended to put it in said challenger. But decided to go with an auto instead because it was too much trouble. Said the shifter was in the wrong location among other things (needed to be further back). Said he bought it from a friend at a dodge dealer. The story is that it was jumping out of gear- he didn't know which gear. Said the only thing he found wrong with it was some worn/broken shift pads... which I could see that it did have. So I looked it over, didn't see anything else particularly wrong. Everything seemed to be there as far as I could tell. So I took a chance and gave him $600 for it... which is a great price for this thing assuming it pans out. That was a few years back. Now that I'm putting this thing back together, inspecting closely and doing some research- I think he was entirely honest. First of all, the Dodge Challengers never used a T56. They used a TR6060 which not only had a shifter location further to the rear- but they also used some short little cables and a remote shifter to put it even further back. So shifter location definitely would've been a problem. As for the completeness and condition of the parts- I've yet to find anything missing. It's not entirely back together, but I've made good progress. The only real problem I've found with any hard parts is the reverse gear- it's engagement teeth are a bit chewed up: https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...0ba93f4894.jpg If this was an old truck or something, I'd make it work. But I plan to do a fair amount of driving with this car/transmission, whatever the final configuration ends up being. So I replaced it. Same part number as the relatively common Camaro/Mustang T56 transmissions. Not sure that that's true of any other gear in this transmission since it has a larger main shaft and a one piece countershaft. But this one was only about $100. Also there's a little wear on the 6th gear engagement teeth and synchro slider, but not really anything to worry about. I went ahead and ordered a new slider for 5th/6th. Also the same as the camaro version. Other than that, all this thing has needed so far are seals, shims, shift rail bushings, etc. Minor little wear parts. I'm taking my time though, inspecting, researching, and fitting up one part at a time since I've never had one of these things apart. And this is a particularly oddball version with the one piece countershaft- I've yet to find a parts manual, a service manual, a youtube video, a forum post, or ANYTHING that shows in detail how you assemble the rear section of this transmission. It's similar to both the old style T56 with the two piece countershaft, and also similar to the TR6060 which also has a (different) one piece contershaft. It's a baby-step in between the two. But I don't think it'll be too difficult. One of the main reasons for this thread is to help out the next guy who wants to do a strange engine swap like this. Because other forum posts have helped me out a lot, so I have an idea of what will be useful. But I'm not going to go into a lot of detail on the front section of this transmission. Because though some parts are different, assembly is almost exactly the same as the T56 transmissions used in the Camaro/Firebird/CTS/SSR/Corvette, GTO, Mustang, and a few others. There's no shortage of information out there for the 4-speed section of a T56. But since I've yet to find detailed, step-by-step instructions for the 5th/6th/reverse section of this transmission anywhere, I'll post that in detail. Maybe somebody will google that up along the way based on the title of this post. Also I've learned that some (or maybe all) T56 transmissions have a built-in problem where the reverse synchro hub doesn't fully engage. There are some youtube videos and forum posts out there showing it. That could account for the nasty condition of this transmission's reverse gear and popping out of reverse. So I'll take a look at that and decide what I want to do with it. The fix that some people are doing is to grind the reverse shift fork and add a spacer of approx. .110-.120 inch so that the reverse hub will fully engage. That might be the way to go, but I'll have to take a look. I have to wonder if that spacer will still allow the shift fork to center. You don't want to keep pressure on this shift pads for obvious reasons. Anyway, here's where I'm at so far: https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...5fed4831ac.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...f181e9c7d8.jpg Nearly everybody recommends Ultra Black, Ultra Gray, or Right Stuff RTV. Nothing wrong with those, but I like anaerobic sealant. I spent quite a few years as a heavy equipment mechanic before going into engineering, and I've put together a ton of gearboxes with Locktite 515 and the like. This stuff 'hardens' to a plastic about as tough as leather. It's good stuff. Locktite 504 is also good. |
This has been a slow project... and not just because I'm lazy. I've never put one of these things together, so putting it together from a box of parts takes time. Inspecting and researching each little piece, I keep turning up minor problems as it goes together. So I'll put the trans together a little way, then find another little part or two I need to order... then it's on hold for several days. But I've made progress:
Here's where I left off last time. You can see the inner bearing races for the rear bearings on both the main shaft and the countershaft. I'll start stacking things on top of that one at a time: https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...e492f82aaf.jpg If anybody is reading through this as a guide, that's good. That's why I'm putting this together. But take it with a grain of salt. I've assembled plenty of transmissions over the years- most from Case backhoes and John Deere tractors. But never a T56. When you go back together with a transmission, if you're unsure about what part goes on the shaft next, a lot of times you can take a close look at the wear patterns on adjoining parts. That doesn't translate well into photos, but a lot of times you can see where there's a shiny area where two parts ride against each other. I've had to rely on that in a few cases here since I've yet to run across a single detailed assembly guide for this 2004-2006 Dodge Ram SRT-10 version of the transmission. I think the 2004-2006 Viper transmission are basically the same, with a slight difference in the tailshaft housing that I'll cover later. But take this with a grain of salt. And if I've put something together wrong here, I'd welcome any corrections: Install the 6th gear thrust washer. Big side toward the rear of the trans. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...02c60e062b.jpg Set 6th gear and the roller bearing in place: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...11864bda39.jpg Install the blocker ring. No thrust washer for this roller bearing because it rides on two nice smooth surfaces (6th gear thrust washer and the 5/6 synchro hub): https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...d2db8990db.jpg Set the 5/6 synchro hub and shift fork into place, and tap it gently down with a punch until it seats. Notice that slider is darker than the stock piece. That's a new slider from AMP because the old one had some chewed up teeth. Same part as used by the Camaro/Mustang/Corvette versions, so hub assembly is the same. Make sure you align the blocker ring with the synchro keys as you tap the hub assembly down into place: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...0377bfdbce.jpg Once the synchro hub is tapped into place, install the snap ring to retain the synchro hub, and the snap ring on the 5/6 shift fork: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...d6ba072ecc.jpg Actually I ended up sanding that snap ring a little bit since a thrust washer will ride against it. A thrust washer that I almost left out... |
Don't forget this little thrust washer that lays on top of the snap ring like I almost did. You don't want a plastic roller bearing race riding against the jagged ends of a snap ring...
Also install the 5th gear blocker ring: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...1562043c82.jpg Install 5th gear and the roller bearing. Then install the thick thrust washer and snap ring. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...828b7ab485.jpg Tap the 5/6 driven gear into place. Apparently this is very tight on some transmission, but not on this one. It was a little tight, but I was able to tap it into place with a small hammer and a drift. If it was any tighter I would've had to make a proper pusher tool. This 5/6 driven gear rides right against the inner bearing race for the rear main shaft bearing: https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...5891da840b.jpg Put the Reverse synchro in place along with the reverse shift fork. This goes right up against the 5/6 driven gear (and the 5/6 driven gear holds that stupid little retainer for the reverse synchro keys in place). The reverse synchro hub just slid into place. Seems like it should've been tight, but I don't really care. Splines look good... it'll work. Also install the plastic reverse thrust washer. This reverse synchro is what held me up for a while. I had the hub apart to inspect everything and turn the hub around. You can turn these around once for a rebuild as only one side is actually used. There's a goofy stamped steel retainer that holds the synchro hub keys in place. The old one was loose... had to order a new one that would stay in place. So far this is the only thing I've seen in the design where I'm really unimpressed. It's a cheesy little part- and if it fails, it'll likely take out the whole transmission as synchro keys get churned through the gears. So I was careful with it. It'll work. But it's a shit design, and it could've been better with minimal cost/effort. Same part as used in all other T56 transmissions. [/rant] Once the synchro hub is in place, install the snap ring to retain it, and set the roller bearing on top. This roller bearing can ride against a snap ring with no thrust washer because it has a metal retainer. There's no room for a thrust washer, so I'm assuming this must be right.. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...ff943e31cd.jpg Install the Reverse blocker ring, wave washer, and the snap ring for the reverse shift fork: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...c4ed98be3e.jpg Install the reverse gear, thrust washer (same as used on the countershaft), and snap ring. This is the new reverse gear from USA Standard Gear. Which by all accounts is made in China: https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...9ecc43625f.jpg Like I mentioned earlier, the teeth on the engagement teeth on the original revers gear looked pretty nasty, which is why I replaced it. I've read several accounts of T56 transmissions not fully engaging reverse due to insufficient travel of the reverse shift fork, and kinda assumed that that's what I'd find with this transmission. But that's not what I found... it engages fully. No reason to make any modification. So I can't say why the original reverse engagement teeth were chewed up, but there's no need to modify the shift fork position here. Reverse seems to be a weak point with any T56. So I guess I'll just be careful with it:https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...ea6d431073.jpg |
Also I found a turbo- arrived a couple days ago. I've researched different ideas on what I'd want for a turbo, and it appears to me that no matter how much research you do, a lot of it comes down to guess-work, trial & error, etc. when it comes to getting the right turbo. So I came up with the following criteria:
1. A reasonable guess at the correct size and configuration. Should be used on an engine of similar size, with similar horsepower. 2. OEM quality. No remans, no made-in-china bullshit. Needs to be built by a major turbo manufacturer, and in good condition. 3. Not German. 4. Cheap. Because I don't like spending money. And I'm kinda just screwing around with this project. I found this little turbo on Ebay, for a late-80's Isuzu Imark turbo. A pretty rare car, 1.5L gas engine with a turbo. This is a brand new IHI RHB5 turbo that's apparently been sitting in a box for 20+ years. Hard to say why, but apparently those Imark's are pretty rare, so maybe they never sold it. Regardless, IHI makes turbochargers for just about every Japanese engine out there. There are dozens of versions of the RHB5 used on both gas an diesel engines, anywhere from about 80 to 130 horsepower. Including but not limited to Mazda, Massey Ferguson, Toyota, Ford, Isuzu, Yanmar, Subaru, and Shibaura. So this is as good a guess as any... and it's new in the box for $71. :up: If it needs to be replaced at some point, it's very similar to the RHB5 turbos used on the Isuzu 2.8L diesel engines. And nearly identical to the RHB5 turbo used on the early/mid 90's Ford Probe and Mazda MX6. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...2b6fa5c527.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...144a4c34ab.jpg |
Ok, I installed the little reverse gear and snap ring on the countershaft. Also installed the spacer, roller bearing, other spacer, and snap ring onto the output shaft. Reverse gear on the countershaft was a little tight, but not too bad:
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...14dcda6a40.jpg Also removed the bearings, reverse idler, and shaft. Cleaned everything up and reassembled. Based on the crud and rust in the tailshaft housing, I think this transmission was sitting in a damp corner of some parts room for a few years before some mechanic got a hold of it. Everything in the tailshaft housing was good though, except I replaced a shift fail bushing: https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...c42e50b67c.jpg I haven't seen any evidence so far that this transmission has ever been apart before. No scraper marks or sanding pad marks on the gasket surfaces. No parts that weren't OEM. Looks like they just swapped in a new transmission at some point and never returned the core for whatever reason. I also triple-checked the travel on the reverse synchro hub, since lots of T56's seem to have a problem with the engagement there. I could get away with grinding/spacing the reverse fork back about .040" if I was ambitious. But that's really not much, and a little clearance for max travel probably a good thing. I'll leave it alone. So now this project is on hold until I get a few more parts. Tailshaft is ready to go on, but I want to check the fit of a few parts first. The tailshaft on this transmission is really an oddball design, no longer available anywhere. Only made for 2005 and 2006 far as I can tell, and only in the SRT-10 trucks. This thing has the same tailshaft as the Viper car transmission, but for 2005 and 2006 they increased the OD of the slip yoke to 1.885" (car version was 1.680). They also added a goofy vibration damper on the back of the tailhousing. The drive shaft yoke was a little hard to find, but still available from Dana/Spicer as part number 3-3-02231X. Seems to be the correct size anyway... hopefully it fits. Bushing appears to be in good condition, but I want to check that with the new yoke before I install the tailshaft housing. It's not clear exactly what rear seal this thing is supposed to take. I ordered two of them from two different sources, and got the Viper car version both times. So I looked through a Timken catalog and found a seal that should be the right size and configuration- used in Ford transfer cases from the late 90's through the 2000's. And of course after I ordered that seal, I found reason to believe that Mopar part number 5166053AA is the correct seal... but there's no way to be sure without just ordering the seal and checking it. So I'll probably just use that Timken/Ford seal I ordered unless I see any problems with it. If something ins't right, I'll order 5166053AA. Also ordered a bronze bushing for the shifter- the plastic one wasn't totally shot, but it's seen better days. I've never dealt with Mopar vehicles much at all over the years. I did work on some of their diesels at a Cummins dealership for a few years, but that's not really Mopar. Gotta say that I'm really NOT impressed with their parts availability or documentation. Their parts book uses photos that are flat-out WRONG in several cases (shows a two-piece countersshaft in this transmission for instance). Part numbers appear to be correct, but in many cases you'd never know until you order them. And lots of the parts just aren't available anymore. This transmission is only 14 years old. You'd never have this problem with a GM. And rarely with a Ford though it may be a little more difficult to track down the correct part. |
Not much left to show on the transmission. The Dana/Spicer yoke fits. Tailshaft bushing is good. That Timken seal for a Ford transfer case fit like it was made for this transmission. So the transmission is all together. Only thing left on the transmission is that I'm going to do a mod to the reverse lockout solenoid spring.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...e304657ead.jpg Just in case anybody runs across this thread, trying to figure out what parts are needed for this oddball version of the T56... I kept a spreadsheet. As you can see, most of the parts I needed are the same as a Camaro T-56. Others would be shared with the Viper T56 from 2004-2005. The only thing unique to the Ram SRT-10 T-56 as far as I can tell is the extension housing and bushing, rear seal, and drive yoke: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...80a6920d62.jpg |
This is cool to me.
I saw this thread at the end of last year and it's part of what gave me inspiration to start my unconventional(though not as unconventional as yours): putting a Mitsubishi 4d55t into my Mazda b2600i. Thanks for the thorough documentation! |
Originally Posted by brighammer
(Post 1153072)
This is cool to me.
I saw this thread at the end of last year and it's part of what gave me inspiration to start my unconventional(though not as unconventional as yours): putting a Mitsubishi 4d55t into my Mazda b2600i. Thanks for the thorough documentation! Got a thread for your swap? I'm not familiar with the 4D55T, but I gather from a quick google search that it's an IDI motor with a Bosch VE pump, used in Ram 50's and Rangers in the 80's. Should be a good fit. |
Originally Posted by Mechanimal
(Post 1153287)
Got a thread for your swap? I'm not familiar with the 4D55T, but I gather from a quick google search that it's an IDI motor with a Bosch VE pump, used in Ram 50's and Rangers in the 80's. Should be a good fit. |
Yeah, I'm not sure how that pending approval thing works. I bothered a couple of mods about it and never got an answer. For the first half dozen posts or maybe 10, they wouldn't show up at all on this forum. For DAYS... until some mod somewhere approved them. Then they'd show up. Pretty frustrating, and I suspect it's why there are so many threads here abandoned after one or two posts.
There's probably a minimum number of posts set up in the forum software, such that your posts won't show up without mod approval until you hit that number. The board works fine for me now... just didn't at first. |
Here it is!
My build thread |
It's been a long winter. I've been at various times sick, drunk, lazy, and depressed. Sometimes all of the above. And I really don't like cleaning stuff. I like building stuff... but cleaning is not fun. This engine was a ball of grease, dirt, and rust- so I engaged my professional-grade procrastination abilities for a while.
But it's clean now. I took some time with a wire wheel, wire brush, sanding pad, hammer and chisel (no shit, this rust was thick), gasoline and a solvent brush, leftover paint thinner and an air nozzle. It's finally clean. Also replaced the leaking valve cover gasket. It looks good in primer, but ultimately it'll be red. That's what people expect of a compact tractor engine, and I wouldn't want to disappoint: https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...7698b43cd3.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...6e50aba2fc.jpg |
Looks good in red. I used a $15 HVLP paint gun from Harbor Freight. Worked fine... I think I could paint a car with this thing no problem.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...c04e17a62a.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...be318c93a3.jpg |
What Is and What Should Never Be
An engine/transmission combination that was never meant to exist. Never before, and likely never again will you see a Yanmar engine bolted to a Viper T56:
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...1a0b5d5d68.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...d840207665.jpg This is just a mock-up to set up motor mounts, transmission crossmember, shifter hole, oil pan clearance, etc. I've driven some of these 4TNE Yanmar engines in John Deere skidsteers and utility tractors, and in Case excavators. I don't remember them being particularly shaky... but this is a 4 cylinder diesel with no balance shafts. So I wanted some nice squishy motor mounts to absorb vibration... mounts that will fit where I want, allow adjustment, and allow the engine to be mounted as low as possible for driveline angle purposes. With some googling, I came up with motor mounts for an early 2000's Nissan Altima. I just had to drill one additional hole in the engine crossmember on each side, and they fit like they were made for this application: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...fe15193228.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...861cc038f1.jpg I think I'll put a 1/2" spacer under each motor mount to bring the engine up approx. 3/8". That should make about 3/4" clearance for the oil pan, or a little more. Also I welded up a transmission crossmember. Not what I'd call an elegant design, nor light. But this was the steel I had laying around the garage, so it cost pretty much nothing. And plenty of clearance for the exhaust to go through. You can't really see the transmission mount, but it's a mount for a GM P30 step van chassis. It was cheap and the size I needed. Also notice that the mount is at a funny angle. Viper transmissions were mounted at an angle, so the transmission mount surface is at an angle. I mounted the transmission to the engine vertically, so the mount is crooked: https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...54ba1d99a5.jpg Cut a hole in the floor for the shifter. By mounting engine as low as possible, and the transmission a little further forward than stock location (or 'typical location' might be a better description), there's no need to cut up the transmission tunnel except for the shifter hole. Plus it'll be far enough forward to use the bench seat. I may have to beat on it a little with a hammer for clearance in a couple spots, and I'll have to modify how the reverse lockout solenoid is mounted... but all relatively minor stuff compared to the transmission tunnel surgery you see with a lot of Nova engine swaps. But I'm using a different version of the transmission than most (shifter further forward), and of course this odd little engine that allows the transmission to be mounted further forward than typical. The transmission hangs down a little over an inch lower than the frame rails. I'm ok with that since I don't intend to lower this car. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...4328fd2d64.jpg So at this point, I'm going to take some measurements for oil pan clearance. Then remove the engine. Paint lots of parts, find and mark TDC on the engine, install injectors, injector lines, intake, flywheel, clutch... and weld up an oil pan. I have a plasma cutter on the way- been meaning to get one for a while. It's chinese junk of course... but for $220 I'm ok with that :up: |
Not dead yet
Good evening. I'm checking in to let all two or so people who read this thread know that I still exist... and progress continues. I just haven't updated the thread in a while. And who can blame me? Nobody reads this as far as I can tell.
First of all, I would like to thank China for building an awesome plasma cutter at an awesome price. I regret only that I didn't buy it sooner: https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...4f0a07b95d.jpg That's the one I bought, and I have nothing but praise for it. Yeah sure it's cheap Chinese junk. But it works as well as any Miller or Lincoln I've used, and it cost $230. It cuts anything up to 3/8" like it's nothing. With some practice there's hardly any grinding needed. It's a little more messy with 5/8" flat bar, but it works. As of my last post, I had reinstalled the engine to mock up the mounts and such. Also took measurements for an oil pan. There exists no oil pan that will make a Yanmar fit in a Nova... or at least that was true until I built one. Now one exists. One. In the entire wold. Don't look yet... you need to be prepared for this. This isn't just any oil pan. Have you seen the Cadillac CTS-V "bat-wing" oil pan? The idea is that there are extensions out to each side... to increase oil pan capacity without making the pan deeper (and hence less ground clearance). Well if you're not familiar with that, then I'd recommend that you google it... to prepare yourself for what you're about to see. That was the inspiration, so blame Cadillac, not me. The point of all this is that I want to maintain the original oil capacity of at least 2 gallons. I'll be pushing this engine harder than it was ever intended to be pushed, so a reduction in oil capacity just wouldn't be a good idea IMO. And this is what I built. Steel yourselves: Tacking pieces in place: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...38edf96cc5.jpg Testing for leaks: https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...e919aff89b.jpg Installed: https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...94fed8fa00.jpg Yes, I took detailed measurements when I first mocked up the engine installation. It fits well: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...9cb79fae08.jpg I"m pretty happy with how it turned out. The low mark on the dipstick will be 2 gallons, high mark will be 3 gallons. And I almost forgot... you'll need to see what I did with the oil pickup before installing my custom oil pan (sealed with RTV): I chewed on several different ideas on how to do this. Finally I decided that due to clearance issues, the only real way to set up the oil pickup was to tap the block for pipe threads. I tapped the hole to a 3/8" NPT thread. Was very careful to clean out any metal shavings... you don't want that in the oil pump of course. Also I used steel pipe fittings because this engine is going to be shaking around... can't have a brittle cast fitting crack on the oil suction pipe. That wouldn't be acceptable. So here's what I built before installing that kickass oil pan: https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...0e7d70a775.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...c2760a7b6f.jpg The pipe is cheap steel water pipe from Home Depot. Installed with locktite to seal the threads. It's steel and bends without cracking... and that was the extent of my requirements. The supports are just some scrap metal I had laying around. Didn't care much about the welds... nobody is going to see them except for this thread. And I welded the original pickup screen to a piece of water pipe, placed it about 7/16" above the bottom of the oil pan. |
Next up: I need an exhaust manifold. I've kept an eye out on Ebay for an exhaust manifold for some time. Needs to fit a 4TNE series engine or similar and be able to mount a turbo. Seems like that shouldn't be too difficult to find... but it is. I've only found two exhaust manifolds that *might* do what I need. One of them cost $325, and mounted the turbo lower than I'd prefer. Hard no. The other one had broken at some point and the turbo flange welded back into place... also mounting the turbo lower than I'd like. Again, hard no.
So like the oil pan, I'm building my own. The steel I have laying around the garage isn't quite ideal, but it's close enough. An intelligent but not exactly wise man once said "you go to war with the army you have"... and it's a valid point like certain quotes of his that are ridiculed as easy targets, but astute none the less (I'm looking at you, "known unknowns" and "unknown unknowns"). Doesn't matter what you want to build, the steel you have sitting around is never quite ideal. You can waste a lot of time getting the exact right steel... only to find out half way through the job that it's not quite ideal. So you build the parts with the steel you have. In this case, I'm building this exhaust manifold out of 3.5" x 5/8" flat bar, and 2" x 1/4" flat bar. It's almost done... but here are the starting pieces: https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...bddaccd373.jpg The exhaust ports were a huge pain in the ass to make. The rest was simple... just drill, tap, hole saw, etc. For the exhaust ports, I tried several different methods. Tried drilling adjoining holes, tried a sawzall, tried the plasma cutter, tried plunge-cutting with an end mill. All said and done, I found no better method than the tried and true farmer-technique for cutting a slotted hole: Drill a series of close or adjoining holes. Bust it out with cut-off wheel and/or chisel. File it smooth. Not easy and certainly not quick. But effective. Would've been a lot easier if I had used 3/8" thick flat bar. |
Its really coming along nicely, dont not post just because we arent commenting. Ive been following this from day one. That oil pan reminds me of the batwing corvette pan, great fab work and great idea here. Keep up the solid wotk!
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Thanks. Don't worry about my idle complaining... just a comment that there isn't much traffic around here. I'll keep documenting though because it's handy to be able to send people a single link for all the details.
I've installed the exhaust manifold and turbo. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...4d0cbd432c.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...eb0f60d151.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...f7f6e9e63c.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...7001d3a09c.jpg I went by the junkyard and got some Hyundai transmission cooler lines for the water lines on this turbo. I think it was probably an Elantra... didn't really pay attention. Also I set up the oil drain line and fittings for the supply line. I'll have to decide where to mount the oil filter and then run a 5/16" steel line from there. Probably bigger than necessary... but you wouldn't want to go too small. I did some research- this is a journal bearing version of the RHB5, so no oil restrictor needed. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...7b0a21c9b2.jpg Been working on accessory brackets. The power steering bracket is one of those parts that makes no sense until you see it installed: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...47720d05ca.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...477b2b7e84.jpg I've started on the alternator bracket. Belt should be here tomorrow. This engine's RPM shouldn't be THAT much slower than the original 307, especially when my grandma was driving it. Idle RPM should be about the same, and I'm going to turn the governor up to around 3600. But the problem here is that the crank pulley is really small... at least the one that turns the water pump is quite small. I don't want to add an idler for that belt... I want to use the alternator. So I got a smaller pulley to speed it up. This pulley was actually made for this sort of thing- people use them to put a relatively modern Delco alternator onto old tractors... Ford 8N's and the like. Original pulley was 3" OD. This one is 2.25" OD: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...c55aaac17a.jpg Also I've re-drilled and installed the Nova's crank pulleys onto this engine: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...d7ed3cf9af.jpg The a/c compressor will be up high, above the intake manifold. I may not get the a/c working right away... but if I'm going to spend any significant amount of time driving this car, it WILL have working a/c. That's non-negotiable. Life without air conditioning is not a life worth living. |
You have another spectator (stalker). I appreciate your commitment to the fabrication.
Keep up the project! Artie |
Thanks, glad to hear that I'm not just talking to myself.
So... about brackets. They're pretty simple things, or at least you'd think so. But it's time-consuming to fab them up from scratch- lots of measuring, cutting, welding, drilling, test fitting, modifying, screwing up, fixing those screwups, re-fitting, cleaning, painting. The power steering bracket was pretty simple if a little unconventional. But this alternator bracket has turned into kindof a monstrosity. This engine doesn't have a whole lot of accessory bolt holes/bosses designed into it, so I've had to be creative. In this case the alternator bracket will replace the cover in front of the fuel pump gear. You'd think that all an alternator bracket would have to do is hold up an alternator. But that's not the case here. After looking this over, I need a part that will do the following: 1. Hold up the alternator. 2. Provide an attachment for the p/s belt tensioner arm. 3. Seal oil like the old cover plate did. 4. Possibly provide attachments for the a/c compressor bracket. 5. Attach to two more gear housing bolts because those four little 8mm bolts might not be enough for all this. 6. Support the rear alternator bracket. 7. Needs a pipe thread hole for an alternate oil fill, because the alternator is in the way of the original oil fill. Getting a bit crowded up front, but I think it'll work well. And it's only going to get more crowded. Next I'll make the a/c compressor bracket, and figure out where I want to mount the fuel filter and the remote mount oil filter. I guess I could mount them on the inner fender. I'd like to be able to get to the injection pump without removing parts. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.die...38aa03459c.jpg |
How's this project going? There was a magazine article with a Nova vs a VW for a mpg competition back in the day. The 153 cid nova got 33 mpg if memory serves. Can't wait to hear what yours gets.
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Great build, I'm impressed with the fab work. Sure hope it does what you expect it to do Seems like a very small engine. There is a Nova somewhere with a full Cummins/Dodge 6 cyl. that's pretty neat. My choice would have been a Duramax, just to keep it GM. Keep the thread going, yes we are watching... LOL
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Thanks for the support. The project lives on, but I've been traveling for work and battling a serious lack of motivation the past few weeks. Next few weeks I'm going to be in France for reasons that still aren't entirely clear to me... but I can't turn down a trip like that. Should be a little more interesting than my previous destination of Oklahoma.
It'll probably be October before I'll be able to put much time into this project again. I've been getting the hydraulic clutch set up along with the new brake master cylinder- converting this car to 4 wheel manual disc brakes. I don't want a booster or vacuum pump. Ultimately I want this car to be able to run without any electricity whatsoever. |
Cool project! My first car was a 72’ nova, same blue paint too!
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Originally Posted by Whitenightmare666
(Post 1167486)
Cool project! My first car was a 72’ nova, same blue paint too!
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I hope all is well with the build. The ingenuity and wit of the build and write up are great. Can't wait to hear how it ends up.
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Awesome build. How did this end up working out. I’ve recently acquired 7 of these motors looking to do something with them
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