Hi Mike
Sorry, but I can't help out this weekend.
My Bugeye comes home from the painter this Friday. I will be
reinstalling everything on Saturday/Sunday (hopefully not Monday). Also
have to work some too (curse of self-employment!).
If you don't have any luck with getting driveshaft in this weekend, let
me know; I probably could come out the following weekend to lend a hand.
Jim Rogers
San Juan Capistrano, CA
Mike MacLean wrote:
> Listers in or near Southern California,
> Are there any of you West Coast O$hit members that attended my
> engine swap a few months ago that might be available for a few hours
> this weekend? When we put the engine and trans in my Bugeye it was
> decided to install the drive shaft later instead of threading it in
> with the transmission. This has proved to be very problematic. I
> have tried several times to install the drive shaft, but the tunnel
> interferes with the u-joint right at the top, causing the female
> splined end of the drive shaft to meet the transmission output splined
> drive at an angle. I loosened the front motor mount bolts and jacked
> the front of the engine up to decrease the angle, but all that got me
> was a broken left motor mount. The broken motor mount gave me the
> idea to unbolt the front motor mounts all together and retry. After
> the fan blades contacted the fan shroud on the radiator, the radiator
> was unbolted to increase travel even more. Now the lower rad hose and
> the exhaust LCB manifold header are the limiting factor. The rear
> trans mount cradle makes the rear of the transmission sit too high in
> the tunnel. The only solution I can see is to lift the engine up and
> out in a forward direction just enough to slip the drive shaft on
> through the gear shift access hole. Removing the exhaust manifold and
> the lower radiator hose will make this very easy. (I hope) I can then
> drop the motor back in place, bolt the front down (I have a new motor
> mount already), then the rear. Paul A. suggest to then put a small
> piece of a broom stick between the yokes of the u-joint and push the
> car back and forth to produce more clearance in the tunnel for the
> u-joint. I know it all sounds good on paper, but short of pulling the
> engine out completely again this sounds do-able. I will provide the
> refreshments of your choice this time. For those that did not attend
> last time I live in San Bernardino. Even if only one guy shows up I
> can get this done. It really is easier with more than one pair of hands.
> Mike MacLean
> 60 Sprite (with a Bitchn' engine but goes nowhere)
> 56 BN2
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