So, I have a King Cobra in the 84 behind the mild 5.0 liter. The King Cobra clutch has ~100K miles. Last few mornings to work, it has felt "funny" a few times. Soft. So Friday, I shift to second a few miles from home and it just feels very weak. And it will not disengage. So I pull over, order a tow truck, get it home.

Today I tore it down. It still appears that I have plenty of disc left. So, either my pressure plate let go, or my clutch cable stretched. I have the stock cable with an aluminum quadrant and a firewall adjuster.

I'll be getting my adjustable cable and KC kit from Astro Performance. They have the best prices I have seen and free shipping!

http://www.astroperformance.com/

Plus, the used WC T5 tranny I picked up needs rebuilding. Hanlon Motorsports has a decent rebuild kit and a video to show how to do it.

http://www.hanlonmotorsports.com/

Plus, I still have those 3.55 gears sitting here in the garage that I can throw in. That will take care of the stuff that I want to do right now.

And if I find a set or 5-lug rims/tires cheap, I can throw in the rear disc kit I have had laying around a while.

And, since I drove the darn thing without oil pressure for 60 miles, I should pull the engine and go through it.

Anyone got some time they wanna play and learn?

 

Sounds like fun! When's the carnage begin?

 

How did the flywheel look??

 

*tapes up knuckles*

Lets go!!!

 

I might have a weekend or so that I can give to the cause.

 

The fun began yesterday. I have the tranny and clutch out.

The flywheel looks fine. I bought it new when I installed the KC 9 or 10 years ago because I had to go from a 10" to a 10.5" when I put it in. It was whenever the KC first came out. Bought all my junk from Keith Foster when he ran Foster Motorosports out in Decatur. Gawd, it has been a while.

I am still leaning towards the pressure plate. You know how you can feel right at the top where the clutch is, then it springs when you push the pedal? It lost that feel.

Anyways, I am shopping. I noticed that Summit has a decent 5.0 rebuild kit with pistons, gaskets, all bearings (inluding cam), freeze plugs, assembly lube, plast-gage, pump, and rings for $299. Federal-Mogul. I have the feeling that I will need rods as well. I have a knock when it is first started and I am pretty sure I know why. I am just hoping the block is good. General Automotive has done me right in the past with my machine work.

I am thinking of tearing into the tranny today. Of course, it is Super Bowl Sunday.

 

Cool, Gary. I imagine that I am just gonna take my time at it. The truck is running, the vert is in great shape, so...

Just drop me an email (puter AT knology DOT net) or a call (number in monthly newsletter).

 

Hey Ralph, Unfortunately General Automotive and Machine closed. The list of machine shops in Huntsville is getting slim. We are looking into a boring bar and head grinding tools just so we can machine what we need to without searching for and driving 50 plus miles to a machinist. Good luck !

 

Hows the bearing retainer look?

 

Dangit, Greg. They were very good. I was impressed with their work several times. I got away with a perfect 5.0 rebuild in the vert for a grand total of $625. That was everything including fluids and spark plugs and wires... They even checked my rods, crank, and turned my flywheel. I will have to go looking.

Ken, I replaced it with a steel one back when I put the KC clutch in 10 years ago. When I swapped the 84 tranny with the used one I bought, I swapped the retainer again. It still looks great.

I have a broken 3-4 shift fork. Gee, no wonder 3rd was a biatch now and then to get into. Some of the teeth on one gear (I am confused which is which at the moment) is rounded bad.

I am mulling over the 2.95 cluster set for another $400. That 2.95 in my 84 was fun! I think if I do that and swap out the 3:08 gears for the 3:55 I have sitting around, the car will be a blast to drive.

 

Andy has a favorite machine shop up near the state line. Might give him a call.

Let's organize a workday in Puter's shop.

 

The engine stuff is a ways in the future. It definitely needs going through. I am thinking...

Tranny
Rear
Engine

Trying to make sure that I do not do this too fast. It came up on me all of a sudden, but I want to do all of this right while I am there. Doesn't make sense to jerk this stuff apart several times.

In looking at what I got with the tranny, I need to replace several parts that are not in a rebuild kit. I figure...

Kit ($200), 2nd and 3rd gear ($170), 3-4 shift fork ($30), KC clutch kit ($160), clutch cable ($40), 3 qts synthetic oil ($35).
$635

Rear end - I need the TracLoc rebuild kit and 3 quarts of oil. I already have gears, installation kit, and speedo gear.

Engine - I need everything.
*chuckles*

Heck, I am taking donations.
*grin*

 

What you need is a Home Equity Line of Credit. It's free money!

 

Ha!
*gives you my mortgage payment*

Hey, it is now free!

 

I still have a few extra Qt's of royal Purple gear oil around....I can give up some for the cause.

 

Parts came in from Astro Performance today. I decided to stave off and stay with the 3.35 gear set. Tony called yesterday due to some Paypal issues (they are in Canada) and we worked something out on the telephone. Looked in the box and I have verything needed! All in all, a very pleasant experience. I will be ordering from them again in the future. It was funny when I mentioned that this was for an 84. I could hear Tony blink, then start telling me the 83-84 had the non-WC tranny. I chuckled and mentioned there is nothing stock on this 84. And in counting the teeth of the 2nd and 3rd gears, I definitely have one of the 91-93 trannies. Yes! They have just launched a new website. I mentioned to him about the super-large pics on some of the parts. Even though they have quit the free shipping, they lowered prices. I got an excelennt deal on these parts.

I also contacted via email Hanlon Motorsports because I have always heard good things about teh T5 and Tremec videos they sell. I was very surprised to actually here back from Bob Hanlon himself. Very nice gentleman. I was surprised that he would take time out in his day for just the ordering of a video. That should be in by Saturday, weather permitting.

So, what happened yesterday? My 87 S10 partsgetter had sympathy pains. It's clutch went out. Since I cannot have two vehciles down, I spent all night last night and today throwing in a new clutch and master/slave hydraulic cylinders for the clutch. I hate hydraulic clutches. And, man, was that tranny hard to wiggle back in place by myself on a cold concrete floor. I am crossing my fingers that the truck decides that it will not share any other bad feelings that the GT has.

Trying to think of how I am going to break loose the bolt on the pinion. I have no air. I guess I could set the parking brake and use an armbreaker?

 

I've got an electric impact wrench if you need to borrow it.

You wouldn't be a little hard on your transmissions, would you?

 

Hmmm... That may work. Not sure if it does enough torque, but it's worth a shot. Another thing I thought of is borrowing a portable 110V compressor and air setup. I'll let you know when I get to that point. It will be too cold to work on it this weekend. And I want to get my tranny together before I start the next project.

*chuckles*
Hard? Aw, c'mon Keith. You know if I expect an engine to run 60 miles with no oil pressure that I expect a LOT out of my stuff.
Darn truck shifts like new today. Duh.

 

Ralph, Are those lefthand or righthand threaded bolt holding the ring gear on ?

 

I believe Mark will remind me that they are normal...

CW to tighten, CCW to loosen.
Is that what is meant by right-handed?

I have a really nice writeup on changing gears and rebuilding the T-lok in an 8.8. You want a copy?