'67 Camaro E/SA redo

[HandOverFist]

Originally Posted by cad

What alternator, crank pulley and bracket are you using?
Thanks
Clark

Clark, we have not had the motor out of this car yet and I'm not sure what pieces were used atm.

[HandOverFist]

While it's down I will install the new battery...five pounds lighter and more cca (755) than the current resident.

[John Musial]

Originally Posted by HandOverFist

Once again, no good news to report. Arrived at the track this afternoon with high hopes, but I was foiled again. I'm fishing for answers so let me set this up in chronological order.

Half way to the track my partner calls and tells us to make sure we check the transmission fluid level when we arrive. We had none in the truck so stopped at a auto parts store and picked up a quart. My buddy comes out and said they had no Dextron 3, so he bought what was available which was Dextron 6. I thought to myself no big deal.

Unloaded the car and ran it up and down the return road to warm everything up. Shifted fine and I stalled the car a couple of times noting nothing irregular. Pulled up to the trailer where my buddy is waiting to check the trans dipstick level...finds it low and puts about 3/4 of a quart in the transmission. Good to go.

After gearing up I pull the car into the staging lanes prepared to make a pass. My buddy is standing beside the car while I do my normal 1-2 shift burnout then ease forward. When stopped I put it into first gear and ease into the beam...stalled about 2700rpm I bump in and the lights come down. Nailed the throttle and it sounds like it blew the tires off the car...not sure what just happened I shut it down. A track hand looks under the car and says no fluid spilled. I restart and back the car into the oval track for a closer inspection. We talk for a moment and he says the tires never turned at the hit....hmmm. I back the car further into the oval track and try first gear again...it barely wants to pull the car. Second, third and reverse gear seem normal.

I ease the car back to the pits in second gear. Got under the car and check the cable adjustment which is dead on correct. We load the car and come back home still not sure what the problem is. While unloading the truck I grab the nearly empty bottle of transmission fluid and it catches my eye...that quart of fluid is a full synthetic. We use Dextron 3 in this transmission.

Question : Is it possible this was a self inflicted wound? Could a quart of synthetic fluid cause this metric 200 to slip that badly in first and have no apparent effect in the other gears? I'm going to pull the pan in the morning and check for any debris, but I can hear no odd noises coming from the transmission when running. I'm sure Thomas Arnett could say what it is off the top of his head, but it will likely be Monday morning before we talk.

Rich,

First off very nice car. My question, did you lose almost a quart of fluid from one week to the next?? If the car launched great when it broke the spring perches last week and the fluid level was fine....what made you think it needed more fluid. When I ran a metric I know they don't like to be brought up to the full mark. Good luck with the car.

[HandOverFist]

Originally Posted by John Musial

Rich,

First off very nice car. My question, did you lose almost a quart of fluid from one week to the next?? If the car launched great when it broke the spring perches last week and the fluid level was fine....what made you think it needed more fluid. When I ran a metric I know they don't like to be brought up to the full mark. Good luck with the car.

John - While we had the car in the air repairing the damage from last week my partner drained the transmission and removed the pan to fix a nagging leak it had in the front gasket area. He caught most of the fluid as it was fresh and poured it back in when he was done. The small amount he lost is what we put in at the track.

[cad]

Thanks. I think I need to space out the lower driver side alternator bracket and go with the long water pump crank pulley. I think that is what yours has.

[HandOverFist]

Originally Posted by cad

Thanks. I think I need to space out the lower driver side alternator bracket and go with the long water pump crank pulley. I think that is what yours has.

Cad - When I next get around the car I'll scope it out and let you know whats what.

[HandOverFist]

Ready for battle duty once again...



Left the house around 4:30 am this morning and drove to Kentucky. As I pulled into Arnett's driveway his little terrier and I both spotted a fox bounding across the field behind the shop...little dog took off like a rocket after it lol.

I showed up unannounced and let Thomas know what had happened. He already knew about the driveshaft/pinion incident and as I suspected already knew what the problem was. He said " let's put it in the fixture and take a look at it." I was shocked...I had every intention of just dropping the transmission off and returning home. Watching Thomas was like observing a watch maker...I believe he could build these with his eyes closed. He took the time to show me every piece that had been modified and the reason for it...very detailed work inside this case for sure. Before leaving he also showed me many other one off parts he had built for others as well as for himself...the man is an artist.

I can't thank Thomas enough for his time...I know full well he had plenty of other work to do this morning. Great guy to talk with and very sharp with these race vehicles. I'll get this back in the car shortly and head somewhere Saturday for some long awaited results.

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by HandOverFist

Ready for battle duty once again...



Left the house around 4:30 am this morning and drove to Kentucky. As I pulled into Arnett's driveway his little terrier and I both spotted a fox bounding across the field behind the shop...little dog took off like a rocket after it lol.

I showed up unannounced and let Thomas know what had happened. He already knew about the driveshaft/pinion incident and as I suspected already knew what the problem was. He said " let's put it in the fixture and take a look at it." I was shocked...I had every intention of just dropping the transmission off and returning home. Watching Thomas was like observing a watch maker...I believe he could build these with his eyes closed. He took the time to show me every piece that had been modified and the reason for it...very detailed work inside this case for sure. Before leaving he also showed me many other one off parts he had built for others as well as for himself...the man is an artist.

I can't thank Thomas enough for his time...I know full well he had plenty of other work to do this morning. Great guy to talk with and very sharp with these race vehicles. I'll get this back in the car shortly and head somewhere Saturday for some long awaited results.

So, what was wrong with the trans?

[HandOverFist]

I had no camera with me this morning as I had every intention of just dropping it off. I'm not fluent in transmission lingo, but it was the first gear bearing spinning sprag cluster thingy closest to the tailshaft...that make any sense? He was confident it happened when the housing/pinion went sky high and hit the floor pan...it was pretty violent.

[Rich Biebel]

Glad to hear you got it fixed so quickly and from your description it sounded like it lost first gear.

I was thinking that driveshaft/rear action could have hurt something but did not feel like it would be in the trans.

Pretty surprising really...

I have never been inside a Metric and don't plan on it anytime soon.

Me and a friend rebuilt my 700R4 many years ago and these days I stick to a Powerglide.......Not much in there....