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Enjoy.
Now I'm in for it.
- Thread starter Aladin Sane
- Start date
Aladin Sane
Platinum Level Sponsor
Back to working on the glove box. I searched the forums for ideas on how to latch this type of wood door. I ended up ordering an RV push button latch from Amazon. It involved drilling a 20mm hole in the door. I lined everything up and carefully drilled the hole with a forstner bit.
Everything was going fine until I held the new latch in the hole and went to swing the door shut. The shoulder on the top, back side of the latch body hit the arch at the top of the opening. I had a minor panic attack. I had just drilled a massive hole in the door, and didn't have an immediate fix for the latch hitting the frame.
I decided the only thing I could do is grind down the part of the latch that was hitting the frame. I went at it with my belt sander. I had to take quite a bit of plastic off, but fortunately none of the works for the latch were impacted.
In the end, I got it all working and I am happy with the end result. Here is the latched position of the knob.
And here is the unlatched position.
I think it looks pretty good. At least from the outside.
Everything was going fine until I held the new latch in the hole and went to swing the door shut. The shoulder on the top, back side of the latch body hit the arch at the top of the opening. I had a minor panic attack. I had just drilled a massive hole in the door, and didn't have an immediate fix for the latch hitting the frame.
I decided the only thing I could do is grind down the part of the latch that was hitting the frame. I went at it with my belt sander. I had to take quite a bit of plastic off, but fortunately none of the works for the latch were impacted.
In the end, I got it all working and I am happy with the end result. Here is the latched position of the knob.
And here is the unlatched position.
I think it looks pretty good. At least from the outside.
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Aladin Sane
Platinum Level Sponsor
And here is the finished product with the glove box attached to the dashboard.
Aladin Sane
Platinum Level Sponsor
So, heat wave here in the Midwest this weekend let me comfortably get back in to the garage. I got the engine and mounts pulled back out of the car. I will put the mounts on the block, followed by the headers and then try stuffing that all back in the engine bay. I think getting the bolts through the mounts and fenders will be easier. I guess I will see if I can get the bolts between the block and the mount.
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Aladin Sane
Platinum Level Sponsor
The mounts and headers went on easy. I will have to disconnect the rod from the steering column to the rack, but then I think I will have the space I need to drop the engine back in. No problem getting the bolts through the mounts.
I am now wondering if I should mount the transmission and drop it all in at once. I dont think I will, but will put the car back on the cribbing and raise the transmission in from below. I have a trans jack that should make the go OK.
I am now wondering if I should mount the transmission and drop it all in at once. I dont think I will, but will put the car back on the cribbing and raise the transmission in from below. I have a trans jack that should make the go OK.
Aladin Sane
Platinum Level Sponsor
So today I get everything ready to put the engine back in the car. I swapped out to a new set of valve covers. One of the originals had a cracked flange and was going to leak. The Scott Drake replacements have a much thicker flange at the gasket. I torqued all the header bolts to the proper spec. I installed the temp and oil pressure senders. I removed the steering rod between the column and the rack to provide maximum space. Tomorrow, it should just be lift the engine, slide the car under, drop the engine down and put four bolts through the mounts and fenders.
Aladin Sane
Platinum Level Sponsor
I happen to have a removable transmission tunnel, so no problem accessing any of the tail. I am actually thinking I may drop the transmission in from the top through the cockpit. (so much for that idea. See below)
Anyway, as planned, the engine is back in the car. I tried dropping it in with the headers and mounts attached to the block. It wasn't going well, so I took the passenger side header back off as well as the flange on the mount that bolts to the frame on each side. I lowered the engine down a little past the choke point that was holding things back.
I was then able to push the engine far enough to the drivers side and then fish the header down into place. I pulled the engine back up to where it needed to sit. Then the engine was hanging in roughly the right position. I was able to bolt the mount flange back onto the rubber mount on the engine. Next I fished the four bolts through the frame into the fender wells. Tightened everything up and called it a day. The engine bay is going to need a little touch up paint.
Again, so glad I had the engine gone over before I went through all of this. I would really not want to pull it again to fix the problems the engine shop found during the checkout
Anyway, as planned, the engine is back in the car. I tried dropping it in with the headers and mounts attached to the block. It wasn't going well, so I took the passenger side header back off as well as the flange on the mount that bolts to the frame on each side. I lowered the engine down a little past the choke point that was holding things back.
I was then able to push the engine far enough to the drivers side and then fish the header down into place. I pulled the engine back up to where it needed to sit. Then the engine was hanging in roughly the right position. I was able to bolt the mount flange back onto the rubber mount on the engine. Next I fished the four bolts through the frame into the fender wells. Tightened everything up and called it a day. The engine bay is going to need a little touch up paint.
Again, so glad I had the engine gone over before I went through all of this. I would really not want to pull it again to fix the problems the engine shop found during the checkout
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Aladin Sane
Platinum Level Sponsor
No, I dont think that would be possible. They extend at least two inches beyond the firewall, and there is only about half an inch clearance above them.
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Aladin Sane
Platinum Level Sponsor
As usual, something I think will be easy, isn't so easy. I can't get the trans in from the top through my removable trans tunnel. With the engine in place, I dont have enough room to get the tail piece into the tunnel without the bell housing hitting the flex plate. It looks like I will have to drop the trans cross member and bring the trans in from below. That means I need to put the front wheels up on cribbing, slide the trans under the car and lower the car back over it and use my transmission jack to lift the trans up tail high to get it in the tunnel.
In a tiger, with stock valve covers, you can remove them with the engine in the car. I did a head gasket replacement that way.
Crows foot wrench and cussing up a blue streak is SOP.
The one bolt in the back was nearly impossible to tighten. So I got an extra long bolt and machined a spacer and tack welded it to the bolt head.
This raised the head high enough I could get an end wrench on it and snug it up.
Crows foot wrench and cussing up a blue streak is SOP.
The one bolt in the back was nearly impossible to tighten. So I got an extra long bolt and machined a spacer and tack welded it to the bolt head.
This raised the head high enough I could get an end wrench on it and snug it up.
Aladin Sane
Platinum Level Sponsor
The firewall mods were done before I got the car. There is no doubt that a little more clearance would have been good.
I now have the trans under the car. My next move is to get the tail piece up into tunnel and jack the trans up. Going to watch a little basketball before I get back to it.
I now have the trans under the car. My next move is to get the tail piece up into tunnel and jack the trans up. Going to watch a little basketball before I get back to it.
Aladin Sane
Platinum Level Sponsor
So not a great day in the garage. I am having a geometry problem. When I put the tail piece up into the tunnel, I hit the top of the tunnel while at the same time the top of the bell housing catches the bottom of the flex plate.
This stops me from rotating the front of the transmission up and the tailpiece down. I have tried tipping the engine forward, but it does not create enough space. My next move is to take the flexplate off the back of the crank. I think this will give me enough room to rotate the tranny up and slide it back far enough so that I can get the flexplate bolts back in.
I also noticed that I have not gotten a sender for my VDO speedometer, I got that ordered. I think I want take a look at how that will fit before I have to attempt the install blind in the tunnel in the middle of the x frame.
This stops me from rotating the front of the transmission up and the tailpiece down. I have tried tipping the engine forward, but it does not create enough space. My next move is to take the flexplate off the back of the crank. I think this will give me enough room to rotate the tranny up and slide it back far enough so that I can get the flexplate bolts back in.
I also noticed that I have not gotten a sender for my VDO speedometer, I got that ordered. I think I want take a look at how that will fit before I have to attempt the install blind in the tunnel in the middle of the x frame.
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Aladin Sane
Platinum Level Sponsor
I could. I'm going to try the flex plate first. If it does not get me the result I need, I will break out the cutting wheel. Thanks for providing another option.