NOT AGAIN!!!
Would you believe that on the way home from Reno, we hit a HUGE pavement transition (STUPID CALTRANS didn't put up any BUMP SIGNS!!!!) and seemingly bottomed the car on all 4 corners!
Once I got home and started looking around.... I found a crack on the passenger side shock tower now!!! Not as bad as what I started with on the driver's side...but a crack! It would appear that the addition of the two extra bosses on the ladder bar (shock to shock support bar) did it's job!
So, I get to take it all apart again. Now, before you feel sorry for me for this.....you also need to understand that after a short side trip on the way home to see family out in the valley, they called after we were out on the road to tell me that I "left a good oil puddle"..... This was pre-bump!
Apparently, my trans front seal took to leaking somewhere along the trip.... along with noticeable spooge emanating from the bellhousing, which ended up all over the RH side of the chassis... which is how I found the aforementioned crack.... Now it leaves a good tablespoon of 80/90W every time you park it...
So, I think this explains why second gear took to grabbing on me.....all of a sudden. I think the clutch disc is grabbing because it is oily....which, since it is Kevlar, I can simply soak in parts cleaner and reinstall......
EDIT 040620: I eventually pulled the ZF to take the engine apart for the bad crank journal finish, and I believe at that time I took the ZF apart and replaced the front seal, as well as a synchro ring or two and the front needle bearing in the case. Also stopped filling it so darn full of oil! Also stopped using a friction modifier (for posi units!) as I think that's what got on the clutch and caused it to slip. Other posts covered these bits....... End Edit
But wait! There's more!
Also trans related....my 4th gear just isn't happy. It was always a little funny feeling....but it would work. This time, after changing the rear gear oil before the trip, it now jumps out of gear very easily. It just doesn't feel like the lever is moving far enough that the gear is engaged fully. I suspect something in the synchronizer assy is amiss, and is not allowing the sliding hub to move fully onto 4th gear.
EDIT 040620: This 4th gear issue was self induced as I have mentioned elsewhere in other corrections. Shifter shaft support trunion adjusted improperly! Transmission was fine! End edit.
Trans needs to come out.
OK great! BUT WAIT!!! THERE IS STILL MORE!!!
When I built my 331 stroker on the 5.0L block some 3-4 years ago, there was a problem with some of the crankshaft finishing of the units in circulation, namely in the thrust bearing surface of the #3 main bearing in the block. The rumor mill would have you believe that as crank blanks were distributed to various shops for final finishing, that a shop, or multiple...didn't do such a great job of finishing the surface on the #3 thrust bearing!
(I feel pretty good that I got 800-1400 miles out of my car so far! Some have never made it out of the shop before excessive movement was noted and required replacing!)
We had checked this out during the dyno run and noticed some movement.... Later, I found my build sheet spec's from assembly, and I had noted that I measured .005" of freeplay, or movement fore/aft of the crankshaft. The "some movement" was definitely more than .005" which is about the thickness of a thick sheet of paper, or two thin ones!
Being the "damn the torpedoes" sort of character that I am, I was going to Reno, even if I had to come home on a tow truck! The car had already made 800 miles and a long blast into the Valley (Sacramento Area) last year on it's maiden voyage of sorts.....
We made the trip just fine and got at least 20MPG on the way home to boot!
When I changed the oil pan, I had found particles of metal, copper colored that stuck to a magnet.... in the old oil pan. I know I cleaned the oil pan out before I installed it....as I am particularly anal that way..... so I know these bits came from the inside of my new motor!
Finally, last month, before the PCNC meeting, I put the car up on stands and got underneath it with some precision measuring tools and determined that I had between .015" and .019" of fore-aft movement in the crank now.
While it isn't dramatically increasing, this is bad, and will need to be dealt with!!!! The fix is to pull the crank, have this one area (or whatever offending area I find) re-polished to a finer surface, and install it with a new thrust bearing.
SOOOOO!!!!
1) I pull the trans.
2) Pull the motor.
3) Send out the crank
4) Fix the shock tower crack and repaint...
5) Pop the trans open and see what the hell is going on with 4th gear. Second probably needs a new blocking ring as well... May also put in the ring gear bolts with the safety wire provisions.
6) Reassemble motor and install
7) Reinstall trans!
8) Drive the car with no further issues....from the drivetrain....
Should be a piece of cake!!!!
Why you ask?
BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT CAME OUT WILL GO BACK IN WITH NO FURTHER MODIFICATION!!!! Or at least that is what I keep telling myself...."it was in there before, it should go back in just fine!" No milling machine, metal lathe, machine shop, BFHammer, or trips to Fastenal will be required!
Keep drinking the kool-aid.....!
Have a great week!! Get out and drive your cars!!!! I'll take the car out one last time to the PCNC meeting tomorrow nite, and then I believe it is time to bust it apart again! Goal is to be back together for a Sept 23rd run up to a car show in Murphy CA!!!
We'll see!
Steve
PS: I will not be documenting any of this portion of this adventure on this post....but if you have any questions or concerns, please ask!