UPDATE! My t56 and ford 8.8 swap! FINALLY onto rear swap!

[marcar1993]

Re: My t56 and ford 8.8 swap!

So Saturday I got the clutch bled out. Everything was working and a friend lent me a nearly right size unbalanced driveshaft so I slapped it in for a quick on the stands test. Trans works fine! But when trying to get the car into gear with the brake on (simulating tires on the ground with resistance) the clutch won't disengage enough to get into gear... so the trans will come back out. I though I might have to shim the hydraulic throwout forwards, and yes I do. With the throwout fully compressed there's a big gap between the pressure plate fingers and it. It should only be a .100 gap. Hopefully after that it'll function right and I can get this thing moving!

 

[jlcustomz]

Re: My t56 and ford 8.8 swap!

Also keep in mind that you can make a factory master cylinder adjustable by cutting the factory rod & threading for a coupler nut. If you do , you just have to be sure to have a positive stop for the pedal & also set the rod to not completely bottom out the cylinder.
Have fun repulling things. :x

 

[marcar1993]

Re: My t56 and ford 8.8 swap!

I actually have full bore travel, and I'm going to need a stop now! The cylinder is fully out when the pedal is up, and the cylinder bottoms out when the pedal is depressed.

 

[jlcustomz]

Re: My t56 and ford 8.8 swap!

In all honesty, with that large a list of swap parts, coming out almost working on the first try minus needing spacers ain't bad at all.

If it was easy, any idiot could do it.

 

[marcar1993]

Re: My t56 and ford 8.8 swap!

Well, after much fussing with it I've realized I either need a different master or different throwout. I shimmed it up to a .107 air gap, but I'm only getting 1/4 of the bearing travel with my 3/4" bore master. After much discussion with Weir Performance, I can either use the 1" master they suggest with MUCH modification to try and make it line up with a pedal (john b) designed to work with the 3rd/4th gen master, or get the McLeod slip on bearing which I am promised by the McLeod tech to have work with my master. So I ordered my new throwout bearing tonight, it'll be here friday or monday and maybe next week I can DRIVE MY CAR!

I have decided to put off my 8.8 swap until the winter so I can enjoy my car some this summer. However the rear is basically done, made up spring buckets, gotta weld on some reinforcements, and make up some brake lines. It *should* go in without a problem.

 

[pontiacgp]

Re: My t56 and ford 8.8 swap!

If you need a stop for the pedal I use an appliance level adjuster and just drill a hole in the firewall for it with a nut on each side of the firewall

 

[FE3X CLONE]

Re: My t56 and ford 8.8 swap!

I had to take my clutch pedal back out to add a flat spot for the cruise control switch and then to re-powder coat it. So I snapped a picture of what I added to it for a pedal stop and the little bracket that activates the neutral safety switch.





Might give you some ideas.

 

[marcar1993]

Re: My t56 and ford 8.8 swap!

Last night a friend and I put in the new McLeod throwout, bled it in 10 minutes, and guess what! The clutch both releases and engages! Today I'll drop off my drive shaft to get cut. Maybe get some of the interior back together. I'm hoping to be driving it this weekend. Still gotta put on my new pypes exhaust, hoping that goes fairly easy.

 

[RocketGremlin455]

Re: My t56 and ford 8.8 swap!

Won't be long before you're blasting up and down the Garden State. Make sure you post when the bugs are ironed out of that T56 swap.

 

[marcar1993]

Re: My t56 and ford 8.8 swap!

I'm so close now its killing me! I wanna drive it! Got my exhaust on, just need to make pipes to connect from my headers to the new pypes system. Put my interior back together. Shortened driveshaft is in. Some pics, but some pics don't show all the progress.