engine/trans swap woes

[bryonbush 85]

well today i pulled the plug on trying to get this done myself. Last week i got it fired up and the kinks worked out of the starting. a week later i go back at it and I cant get the thing started up. I only get one solid day off a week where i can work on it and waking up early to get only a few hours a week to try to get things done was getting old. So today I called the mustang shop in the next town, told em what i had going on and brought it over. Guy who runs the shop looked at it, laughed and said "wife sick of you being gone?" 

--- i dont see how you guys do ground up restos. but even as simple as this is, it really makes me appreciate the heavy duty and long term projects even more

[JayEstes 173]

Don't let them soak you for a lot of bucks.  That comment from the shop guy gives me the hint that he maybe smells some cash to be had.  It ain't easy - some of us have wives who'd rather us be in the shop, so be thankful for what you got, and shop that car around a little bit before you get soaked for a lot of cash.

 

I think none of this stuff is easy.  Engine and tranny swap is one of the hardest.  Fitment and mounting, and exhaust etc - it can be a nightmare.  I would pull the set, take the tranny off, take the engine to a shop that can run the engine on a stand (not a "yellow pages ad" if you know what I mean), and say "I need this engine run correctly."  If you pay more than $250 for that you are getting robbed.  Once you know the engine is good (good fuel, vacuum, timing and spark), you just gotta mount the tranny to it carefully (don't burn out your xmission pump like i did being a bonehead), get the pair back in, and press on with patience. 

 

None of it happens fast.  Trust me, I am almost 3 years in.  And I am.... only GOD know how many months away... from a real drive...

 

Jay

[69volunteer 84]

I will say that if you can farm out some projects then that will definitely help things. I re-did my back seat and it turned out ok but I farmed out the front seats. Headliner I didn't even try. I've built engines before but mine was a mild build and so I farmed it out to a shop that does rebuilds. C-4 trans I didn't touch.

 

It still took me 2.5 years from start to finish and I still have little things to get done. If you can get it on the road, the happier you will be but it takes patience. Good luck.

[machm1970 180]

I feel your pain. I bought my '70 vert back in November. I'm a firefighter and I was working 24 hours on and 48 hours off until January when I got transferred to a regular Monday-Friday schedule. On the old schedule I had alot of time to work in it, now I hardly have any. Since Novemeber I've rebuilt the engine and trans. I have a leak at the back of the block (I'm suspecting rear main) I will be farming that out as I don't have the time (or patience) to deal with it.   

[1969_Mach1 333]

I'm the opposite.  I do as much as I can.  To date, the only mechanical work I farm out is auto transmission rebuilding, tire installation, and engine machining work (not assembly).  I was technician, mostly at a GM dealership and a little at an independent shop for 8 years before I decided to go to college for Mechanical Engineering.  There are some good technicians.  I don't want to offend the good technicians out there.  But most of the time, the person you are paying to work on your car knows less about it than you do.  They certainly care less about it than you do and have very little understanding that for most people, paying for auto repairs is a big expense.  In my opinion, you are usually throwing your money down the toilet.

[bryonbush 85]

so far i have done everything myself. the biggest problem is that if i run into something small, like the thermostat housing being warped, its a 15 min drive into town. its an easy hour wasted for something small. and when you only have limited time, that one hour is like gold. Luckily the shop that i brought it do deals only in mustangs and has a shop full of classics. I was really hoping to have it on the road by now but that didnt happen. hopefully ill be able to post some pics of it running soon

[1969_Mach1 333]

The small stuff can definitely get frustrating.  In my area shop rates are $120 per hour and up.  I don't make that kind of money myself and I certainly don't think they should or are worth it.  So for me, paying for somebody to do the work is a loosing proposition.

 

For future use, to save yourself a trip to the parts store to replace a warped item, such as the thermostat housing in your example, keep some emery paper on hand.  Find a flat surface and lap it using a figure 8 pattern.  I like to also rotate the part a couple of times in addition to the figure 8 pattern to help get an even finished surface.  It might take 10 minutes or so.  Thermostat housing are always warped when you remove them.  They have to be severely warped, pitted etc. to not be repaired and reusable. 

[barnett468 418]

so far i have done everything myself. the biggest problem is that if i run into something small, like the thermostat housing being warped, its a 15 min drive into town. its an easy hour wasted for something small. and when you only have limited time, that one hour is like gold. Luckily the shop that i brought it do deals only in mustangs and has a shop full of classics. I was really hoping to have it on the road by now but that didnt happen. hopefully ill be able to post some pics of it running soon

 

it should not have warped much at all so there may be a problem . . you could have simply put some sand paper on a granite counter top or window pane and sanded it flat in 5 minutes as 69 mach 1 suggested..