My '58 truck needs some work....

[2Loose]

Thought I'd split this project off from the thread about hot rod truck projects, there are earlier posts there on this truck, this just continues them in my own thread:

LINK to Grumpy's thread on hot rod truck projects....

I built this '58 ProStreet Chevy truck in '96-'98, and it has been running the original headers I put on these last 17 years, they needed replacement. I think they were originally from Hedman, but I liked the looks of the Hooker Super Comps for a '70 Chevelle BBC application, as that's where the front frame clip I used for this truck came from, so I ordered a set of Hooker Super Comps to replace the old headers.

I sent the Hooker headers back because they just would not fit the Chevelle frame clip in my pickup, even though Hooker claims they will. So ordered a set of Hedman, the online photos look OK, although they do not sweep back the way my old headers I put in in '97 when I was building this truck....

Here are the original headers compared with the Hookers:

And the new Hedmans I just ordered:

It seems like nothing is ever easy...
I started on the right side with the new Hedman headers, and guess what, they hit the lower rear A-Arm knuckle....

view top down:

bottom view:

This is the same place the Hookers hit with the #4 cylinder tube, but the Hookers also hit the starter with the #2 cylinder tube, there was no chance of making them fit. With these Hedmans there is plenty of room on the starter side, so don't know why they fabbed them to hit the A-Arm knuckle when they could have easily angled those tubes away from the frame enough to miss that knuckle, or swept them back enough to miss all that entirely, like the old headers I put on in 1997 were built.

Hedman, like Hooker, claims these headers will fit a BB 1970 Chevelle, and that's what this frame clip is from, so they should fit with no problems, right? Yeah, right!

So I proceeded to trim that knuckle to get clearance, I could have just taken a ball peen hammer to the header tube, but decided on this method....

I cut a little at a time, it took 3 cuts with fitting the header each time until I got this:
view from the top:

It took a fair amount of cutting, am wondering if I should weld in a support plate inside the cut?

Now to install the left side...
Aloha,
Willy

Link to my '58
web page

 

[grumpyvette]

....
It took a fair amount of cutting, am wondering if I should weld in a support plate inside the cut?

Now to install the left side...
Aloha,
Willy

theres really not much stress there I would not bother with welding in a plate in that particular location, I would suggest spraying it with a galvanize or zinc paint to reduce the tendency to rust.
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=255&p=303&hilit=zinc+paint#p303

 

[2Loose]

It's also a pretty solid looking piece, even with that corner cut off, I'm going to guess that both Hooker and Hedman had that modification in mind, don't see how it could work otherwise. Possibly with that modification the Hooker inside pipe, for the #2 cylinder, would have fit, but awfully close to the starter if it did. I'm glad it went this route. Bad weather here today, wind and rain, and the open air carport I'm working in is pretty wet, maybe it will settle down later today.

I scrubbed it with some thinner, and painted it black, it looks ok to go now....
Willy

 

[2Loose]

Am on the run today, but did work on the 58 truck exhaust a bit yesterday, updated my web page HERE if you want a peek....
Willy

 

[mathd]

Is it me or headers clearance problem are VERY common.
On my camaro, it was the reverse bracket(going from the trans to the steering column for the back-up lights). And then it was the bellhousing and oil filter at like 1/8" from the headers. it dont touch and dont heat/melt anything, just make changing the oil filter a bit more work...
I mean. what are they thinking?, i think its probably easier to fab our own headers.
That and aftermarket subframe connector and traction bar.. they never fit as it should.

 

[Grumpy]

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/building-custom-headers.961/

most manufacturers are far more concerned with low manufacturing cost and having a SINGLE or at least a few limited, and nearly universal designs,being produced, that cover as many different applications as possible to limit the required inventory to as few part numbers as they can to cover as many applications as they can.
thats one reason the primary tube length and collector length on many commercial headers are shorter than they would be if the ideal header were calculated for every application. add to that theres several dozen different cylinder head designs and spark plug locations, different oil pans, different starter designs, different k-frames or cross members and as bad as they do fit its frankly a damn miracle, they fit as well as they do at times, and its also why any serious hot rodder needs a decent MIG, or TIG welder and the skill to use it

 

[87vette81big]

Something happened to the original Headman welding Jig for your headers Willy you bought in 1997-1998.
New Welding Jig used not as Good.

 

[2Loose]

Finally got back to the truck, need to fit cutout wyes in between the headers and the front pipe, and it's a fairly tight fit....

It took quite a bit of trimming and fitting, doing it a little at a time until I got the fit I wanted...

The original exhaust pipes are still in good shape, so am reusing them...

Got a pretty good fit on the left side...

Tack welded everything when it was in place under the truck, then hauled it out and finish welding it...

It all looks good, so cleaned it up nicely, hung it in a tree, and painted it with VHT flat black exhaust paint...

Now to do the right side exactly the same, then figure out the electric cutouts....

More later,
Aloha,
Willy


More pix here (scroll down)

 

[Grumpy]

its very encouraging to see someone who knows how to fabricate and make things fit correctly rather than just complain that the out of the box parts can,t be bolted together effortlessly!
yeah! it would be great if everything fit, but in the real world thats never going to happen on a consistent basis so you need to learn how to fabricate, modify and adjust parts in this hobby if your going to be successful. and its not simply drive train or exhaust, that can be modified

I modified my 1967 fire-bird to use mercury cougar sequential tail lights, and much brighter aftermarket head lights which I felt was a great improvement
viewtopic.php?f=70&t=7666&p=26020&hilit=tail+lights#p26020
I added a 1970 road runner dana 60 differential to a 1965 pontiac lemans
and larger front disc brakes from some later model truck, (can,t remember which truck year or model now)

 

[2Loose]

I'm going to be away from this project for awhile, I sliced the back of my hand pretty badly, severed some finger tendons, having surgery tomorrow to try and fix that, but will not be using my left hand for quite awhile until it heals up!

And I don't think I'll be driving my gasser during this time either, unless I can figure out a way to steer with my left when shifting, without disturbing the healing process!

But my '55 Chevy truck is an automatic, I can still drive that....

At least it wasn't my right hand!
Willy

 

[87vette81big]

Wow. Hang in there Willy.
Getting hurt is no fun I know.

 

[2Loose]

I did put a "suicide knob" on my '55 Chevy gasser, and have been driving that around one handed....

Meanwhile, back to the truck tranny....

A while back I put a different Th400 in this truck to keep it going, and that tranny is a high po piece that eventually is slated for another job. I finally got some time and a lot of help from a couple of good buddies, and we
stripped down the faulty trans I had pulled, and found the new clutch packs worn from excessive slipping. Found a crack in the case where there was internal pressure leaking from a fluid passage, so the clutch pack was not getting full pressure. I did have a spare couple of TH400 cases, but they are BOP bolt pattern. So I ordered an Ultra Bell, which has dual bolt patterns (both Chevy and BOP), and proceeded to fit it to that old BOP case.

First step is to saw off the stock bell, I use a sawzall with a fairly course blade (That's my buddy Jeff, I'm still "one-handed") :

Got most of it on the first cut:

Some more trimming with the sawzall....

Final trim job with a 4-1/2" cut off blade....

The Ultra Bell comes with longer grade 8 bolts and bolts up to the front tranny pump:

Now we'll stuff the good internals from the old leaky tranny case into this one and see how well it runs....

It'll take awhile, I'm still working with one hand, so still need my buddies helping me to make this work....
Aloha,
Willy

 

[Grumpy]

THANK YOU!
FOR POSTING THOSE PICTURES DOCUMENTING THE INSTALL OF THE AFTERMARKET BELL HOUSING ON THE TH400 TRANS

its documenting things like that that many of the newer and younger guys too the hobby have never seen done,
or in many cases probably never even knew could be done,
that makes the tech involved seem far less intimidating, and that's appreciated

RELATED THREADS
http://www.jegs.com/p/JW-Performance/JW-Performance-Ultra-Bell-Bellhousings/748597/10002/-1

http://www.banningcohen.com/buick/th400/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/motor-mounts-adapters-brackets-sources.498/

http://www.campbellenterprises.com/...ance-transmissions/ultra-bell-bellhousing.htm

http://www.atiracing.com/products/adapterk/akit.htm

http://www.advanceadapters.com/categories/adapter-kits/61/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?categories/engine-transmission-swaps-related-info.37/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/links-to-mounts-adapters-etc.1316/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/transmission-size-info.4061/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ectly-installing-bellhousings.584/#post-21690

 

[Indycars]

I'm thinking wow, how do you line up the bell housing with the trans (input shaft) after doing a free hand cut ? Inquiring minds have to know !

Grumpy .... you are right, I never knew there was such a possible modification.

 

[Grumpy]

"how do you line up the bell housing with the trans (input shaft) after doing a free hand cut ? Inquiring minds have to know !"

The Ultra Bell comes with longer grade 8 bolts and bolts up to the front tranny pump: removing the factory bell housing is just done to provide sufficient clearance to allow the new adapter bell housing to bolt to the existing 8 forward facing longer front transmission pump bolts. thus the precision of the cut is not critical as long as it clears the new bell housing.

if you really want old school, they made clutches and there were ways to modify the automatic transmission to use a manual clutch instead of a torque converter
http://bangshift.com/general-news/retro-awesome-dynamic-transmission-s-clutch-hydro-kit/

http://www.lyonsperformance.com/clutch-hydro-p-465.html

http://www.atiracing.com/products/trans/400/

http://www.atiracing.com/products/trans/400/ATI_T400_supercase_flyer_WEB.pdf

 

[2Loose]

My memory is that in the earlier days the torque converters just didn't hold up well in high horsepower applications, and were known to blow, the UltraBell is SFI certified for the track (spec. 30.1), and the clutch adaptation was a way to get things moving with these trannies without the TC. I've considered putting one of those clutch adapters in my '55 gasser with the new hipo th400 (the one currently in this truck) when I replace my Doug Nash 5 speed in that rig. The DN is on it's last legs, it just can't hold up behind the hp my blown Olds is putting into it. Busted and rebuilt it 3 times now, enough already.

 

[87vette81big]

A friend has A Clutch Flite Turbo 400,
Ready to Rock and Roll Race.
Thinking of Buying it later this year.

 

[BetsyRed63]

Yes, thank you for posting this. I had no idea you could modify a transmission like this. I'm always learning amazing things here.
Love the truck, I think maybe you posted a picture in the other thread and it had red wheels... I love the look with those red wheels on it.

 

[2Loose]

Am running those red wheels now, with the "spiders" in the center and chrome rings.

I'm still having problems with my left hand, the one I stuck in a chop saw, but am managing to get some work done. Got the cutouts fitted the way I wanted and welded them up, some more VHT black paint and put it together.

Just before paint:

However, when we cranked up the motor, these Dynomax VT mufflers were way, way too loud!
And we could hear the so-called "valves" clattering around in there, not a good thing at all! I use this truck to haul my surfboards and my ocean going outrigger canoe to the water, at dawn, and need to be quiet when pulling out of the neighborhood at the crack of dawn!

So I ordered a pair of Flowmaster model 70 mufflers, in 3" size, a buddy has had good luck with those, so thought I'd try them on this truck. Now I have to redo this work, oh well....

Aloha,
Willy

LINK to my webpage on this truck exhaust work.

 

[87vette81big]

Nice Work Willie.