The Deuce Build Thread

[Gary Lewis]

Transmission got put in the truck yesterday. There was more than one time during the install when I said "this just doesn't fit!" This trans is SO much larger than the C6. Turns out it does fit, but just.

Before I could put the trans in, I had to get the engine in the right location. It had to move back about 3 inches and onto the V8 perches. That went pretty smooth and now it sits lower and further back.

Unfortunately that made it so the passenger side header would no longer fit, so for now it's back to the factory manifolds, but that's a problem for a different day.

I was working alone and with no lift, so I had to make sure I could lift the trans up into place without incident. So first up was to build a cradle for it to sit on the jack. I flipped the trans up side down and used some spare 2x4s.

And the right side up view.

Wrestled the trans under the truck, which was sitting on its wheels. Got the torque converter in place, then got the trans onto the cradle. Now I had to get the cradle about 5 inches high to get the jack under it. Lifting one side, then the other, with a longer 2x4, I was able to stack some blocks under each side, high enough to get a jack rolled under.

Keeping this whole thing stable while getting enough blocks under it until I could use something better was tricky.

With the cradle high enough, I was able to bring in some RV jacks to keep things from going south.

With this arrangement, I could pick the cradle up just off the jacks, move it to where I needed, and let it back down onto the jacks. Or adjust the jacks up instead. Since I had a jack on each corner, I could control front to back and side to side tilt. The engine also needed some tilt adjustment, which was accomplished with a jack and a 2x4 up to the area between the harmonic damper and the pulleys.

Getting the 4 torque converter to flexplate bolts lined up, then getting the trans bolts themselves lined up, was a major juggling act. I really hope the trans works flawlessly, because I really don't want to do this again.

Once the trans bolts were in place and tightened, the last task of the evening was to make a flywheel locking tool out of some angle iron, and use it in the starter hole so I could tighten the 4 converter to flexplate bolts.

The trans is still supported by the cradle, today I need to get the transfer case up and installed. I will probably use the same approach and build some type of cradle for it. Then I will need to get the 4WD cross-member installed. It does not appear the chassis has the holes drilled for that, so that will be its own fun.

Man, I really need to get a lift.

Yes! I could not have done what I've done or am doing w/o the lift. I tried doing things like you did and gave up. I was just way too tricky and difficult. Now, with the lift and a tranny jack it is not too bad.

Now for what I fear is going to be the next "challenge". The t-case is going to hit the floor of the truck. I ran into that on Dad's truck w/the E4OD. You can read about it starting here, but the bottom line is that I had to cut a piece out of a donor cab and patch the floor in Dad's cab.

And there's some info on the E4OD tranny crossmember here. You do have that crossmember, right?

[Pete Whitstone]

Now for what I fear is going to be the next "challenge". The t-case is going to hit the floor of the truck. I ran into that on Dad's truck w/the E4OD. You can read about it starting here, but the bottom line is that I had to cut a piece out of a donor cab and patch the floor in Dad's cab.

Gary, thanks for the heads up. I'll trim that little block off the TC before doing anything else, and see where everything falls. With this particular truck, I'm not at all opposed to the BFH approach, so we'll see if I can attack it that way.

I really need to get the truck rollable again today. My shop is full of equipment and my other project car, and so I can only get the truck halfway in. So I can't lock it up. I live in a pretty good neighborhood, crime-wise, but it still makes me nervous.

And there's some info on the E4OD tranny crossmember here. You do have that crossmember, right?

Yes, that looks like the crossmember I pulled out of the '95 donor truck. I'll have to go look at it and figure out which way round it is installed. It looks like from your photo that the 2-piece end is drivers and the part that goes on the outside of the chassis is passenger.

As always, thanks for the input!

[Gary Lewis]

Now for what I fear is going to be the next "challenge". The t-case is going to hit the floor of the truck. I ran into that on Dad's truck w/the E4OD. You can read about it starting here, but the bottom line is that I had to cut a piece out of a donor cab and patch the floor in Dad's cab.

Gary, thanks for the heads up. I'll trim that little block off the TC before doing anything else, and see where everything falls. With this particular truck, I'm not at all opposed to the BFH approach, so we'll see if I can attack it that way.

I really need to get the truck rollable again today. My shop is full of equipment and my other project car, and so I can only get the truck halfway in. So I can't lock it up. I live in a pretty good neighborhood, crime-wise, but it still makes me nervous.

And there's some info on the E4OD tranny crossmember here. You do have that crossmember, right?

Yes, that looks like the crossmember I pulled out of the '95 donor truck. I'll have to go look at it and figure out which way round it is installed. It looks like from your photo that the 2-piece end is drivers and the part that goes on the outside of the chassis is passenger.

As always, thanks for the input!

Good luck getting it rollable. I'd be nervous too!

And yes, the part of the crossmember that goes outside is on the right/passenger's side.

[grumpin]

Transmission got put in the truck yesterday. There was more than one time during the install when I said "this just doesn't fit!" This trans is SO much larger than the C6. Turns out it does fit, but just.

Before I could put the trans in, I had to get the engine in the right location. It had to move back about 3 inches and onto the V8 perches. That went pretty smooth and now it sits lower and further back.

Unfortunately that made it so the passenger side header would no longer fit, so for now it's back to the factory manifolds, but that's a problem for a different day.

I was working alone and with no lift, so I had to make sure I could lift the trans up into place without incident. So first up was to build a cradle for it to sit on the jack. I flipped the trans up side down and used some spare 2x4s.

And the right side up view.

Wrestled the trans under the truck, which was sitting on its wheels. Got the torque converter in place, then got the trans onto the cradle. Now I had to get the cradle about 5 inches high to get the jack under it. Lifting one side, then the other, with a longer 2x4, I was able to stack some blocks under each side, high enough to get a jack rolled under.

Keeping this whole thing stable while getting enough blocks under it until I could use something better was tricky.

With the cradle high enough, I was able to bring in some RV jacks to keep things from going south.

With this arrangement, I could pick the cradle up just off the jacks, move it to where I needed, and let it back down onto the jacks. Or adjust the jacks up instead. Since I had a jack on each corner, I could control front to back and side to side tilt. The engine also needed some tilt adjustment, which was accomplished with a jack and a 2x4 up to the area between the harmonic damper and the pulleys.

Getting the 4 torque converter to flexplate bolts lined up, then getting the trans bolts themselves lined up, was a major juggling act. I really hope the trans works flawlessly, because I really don't want to do this again.

Once the trans bolts were in place and tightened, the last task of the evening was to make a flywheel locking tool out of some angle iron, and use it in the starter hole so I could tighten the 4 converter to flexplate bolts.

The trans is still supported by the cradle, today I need to get the transfer case up and installed. I will probably use the same approach and build some type of cradle for it. Then I will need to get the 4WD cross-member installed. It does not appear the chassis has the holes drilled for that, so that will be its own fun.

Man, I really need to get a lift.

That’s great!

Good thinking on getting it up and in there. Those RV jacks are a good idea.

[Pete Whitstone]

Transmission got put in the truck yesterday. There was more than one time during the install when I said "this just doesn't fit!" This trans is SO much larger than the C6. Turns out it does fit, but just.

Before I could put the trans in, I had to get the engine in the right location. It had to move back about 3 inches and onto the V8 perches. That went pretty smooth and now it sits lower and further back.

Unfortunately that made it so the passenger side header would no longer fit, so for now it's back to the factory manifolds, but that's a problem for a different day.

I was working alone and with no lift, so I had to make sure I could lift the trans up into place without incident. So first up was to build a cradle for it to sit on the jack. I flipped the trans up side down and used some spare 2x4s.

And the right side up view.

Wrestled the trans under the truck, which was sitting on its wheels. Got the torque converter in place, then got the trans onto the cradle. Now I had to get the cradle about 5 inches high to get the jack under it. Lifting one side, then the other, with a longer 2x4, I was able to stack some blocks under each side, high enough to get a jack rolled under.

Keeping this whole thing stable while getting enough blocks under it until I could use something better was tricky.

With the cradle high enough, I was able to bring in some RV jacks to keep things from going south.

With this arrangement, I could pick the cradle up just off the jacks, move it to where I needed, and let it back down onto the jacks. Or adjust the jacks up instead. Since I had a jack on each corner, I could control front to back and side to side tilt. The engine also needed some tilt adjustment, which was accomplished with a jack and a 2x4 up to the area between the harmonic damper and the pulleys.

Getting the 4 torque converter to flexplate bolts lined up, then getting the trans bolts themselves lined up, was a major juggling act. I really hope the trans works flawlessly, because I really don't want to do this again.

Once the trans bolts were in place and tightened, the last task of the evening was to make a flywheel locking tool out of some angle iron, and use it in the starter hole so I could tighten the 4 converter to flexplate bolts.

The trans is still supported by the cradle, today I need to get the transfer case up and installed. I will probably use the same approach and build some type of cradle for it. Then I will need to get the 4WD cross-member installed. It does not appear the chassis has the holes drilled for that, so that will be its own fun.

Man, I really need to get a lift.

Transfer case is on. That was just as much fun as the transmission before it. At least it was somewhat lighter and I could actually heave it around a bit. Not that there was much room to.

Lesson 1 - when installing or removing the TC, drop the gas tank first.

Getting it installed started with pretty much the same steps as the trans - build a cradle. I was running low on lumber so metal became the medium of choice. Here's the initial design.

Which fits on the case like this.

And when flipped right side up, sits like this.

My initial plan was to use some lumber underneath it, but that seemed sketchy, and besides, that meant I had to raise it another 1.5 inches before I could get a jack underneath it. So I added another metal support and used some 16 ga sheet for the bottom instead.

With that sorted, I could start the install. Like with the trans, I used wooden blocks on each side to get it up onto the jack.

From there, it was just a game of what interferes with what. The motor that activates 4wd and low was not going to play nice with the gas tank, so drop it. The gas tank is still interfering with the TC itself, so drop the tank down and try to scooch it rearward an inch or two... still no good, well I guess drop the $%#$ tank... finally got it installed. Sheesh.

Now I could look at installing the crossmember. Took a trip out behind the shop to look at the donor truck chassis to see how high up those holes are.

Pretty obvious how low the sun was getting to be by this time. The bottom two holes show that the crossmember is not mounted all that high in the chassis, which was good. There was a brake-line-looking thing running along the chassis on the passenger side on the 81 that is not present on the 95. I don't think it's actually a brake line, I think it is probably a gas tank vent line that runs up to the charcoal canister or something. I was able to bend it down so it runs just underneath the chassis in that area, to make room for the crossmember.

I punched the 2 lower holes and got the crossmember bolted in place enough to support the trans/TC, so now the truck is rollable again and I can get it out of the shop.

I had hammer-massaged the areas I thought I would have clearance problems in - the area Gary pointed out above. But after the crossmember was in place, I found that I probably could have gotten away without it. As it is now, I can pass my hand through the area - just barely. So maybe an inch of clearance.

I have 4 more bolt holes to drill to finish the crossmember installation, and 3 of those are "blind", in that I will be guessing where the hole has to land. OK maybe better than guessing, I will be carefully measuring, but still, it would be easier if I could see exactly where they needed to go.

I don't think there is room for the gas tank up there with the TC and activation motor in place. I don't know if the later trucks had a modified gas tank, or maybe they didn't have SWB standard cab 4WD trucks by the time the motor came out, so the gas tank sits further back, I don't know. Some research is needed to figure out if I need a different gas tank, or if it's safe to "clearance" this one.

That is the first of a long list of items that need addressing before the truck can be driven again. That list looks like this currently.

- Gas tank

- Crossmember bolts

- Shift linkage

- Install factory manifolds

- Modify exhaust system to use factory manifolds

- Extend or replace trans cooler lines

- Install trans cooler

- Get correct length drive shaft made (33.5")

- Install front drive shaft (new u-joints too)

- Rebuild 9 inch with 3.55 gears and posi

- Install 4x4/Low switch in cab

- Install new longer speedo cable

- Install trans controller computer

- Wiring for 4x4 switch, computer

- Install TPS on carb for trans control computer

- Install wiring harness for trans control computer

I am probably forgetting some stuff, I'll edit the post as I think of it.

[Gary Lewis]

Transfer case is on. That was just as much fun as the transmission before it. At least it was somewhat lighter and I could actually heave it around a bit. Not that there was much room to.

Lesson 1 - when installing or removing the TC, drop the gas tank first.

Getting it installed started with pretty much the same steps as the trans - build a cradle. I was running low on lumber so metal became the medium of choice. Here's the initial design.

Which fits on the case like this.

And when flipped right side up, sits like this.

My initial plan was to use some lumber underneath it, but that seemed sketchy, and besides, that meant I had to raise it another 1.5 inches before I could get a jack underneath it. So I added another metal support and used some 16 ga sheet for the bottom instead.

With that sorted, I could start the install. Like with the trans, I used wooden blocks on each side to get it up onto the jack.

From there, it was just a game of what interferes with what. The motor that activates 4wd and low was not going to play nice with the gas tank, so drop it. The gas tank is still interfering with the TC itself, so drop the tank down and try to scooch it rearward an inch or two... still no good, well I guess drop the $%#$ tank... finally got it installed. Sheesh.

Now I could look at installing the crossmember. Took a trip out behind the shop to look at the donor truck chassis to see how high up those holes are.

Pretty obvious how low the sun was getting to be by this time. The bottom two holes show that the crossmember is not mounted all that high in the chassis, which was good. There was a brake-line-looking thing running along the chassis on the passenger side on the 81 that is not present on the 95. I don't think it's actually a brake line, I think it is probably a gas tank vent line that runs up to the charcoal canister or something. I was able to bend it down so it runs just underneath the chassis in that area, to make room for the crossmember.

I punched the 2 lower holes and got the crossmember bolted in place enough to support the trans/TC, so now the truck is rollable again and I can get it out of the shop.

I had hammer-massaged the areas I thought I would have clearance problems in - the area Gary pointed out above. But after the crossmember was in place, I found that I probably could have gotten away without it. As it is now, I can pass my hand through the area - just barely. So maybe an inch of clearance.

I have 4 more bolt holes to drill to finish the crossmember installation, and 3 of those are "blind", in that I will be guessing where the hole has to land. OK maybe better than guessing, I will be carefully measuring, but still, it would be easier if I could see exactly where they needed to go.

I don't think there is room for the gas tank up there with the TC and activation motor in place. I don't know if the later trucks had a modified gas tank, or maybe they didn't have SWB standard cab 4WD trucks by the time the motor came out, so the gas tank sits further back, I don't know. Some research is needed to figure out if I need a different gas tank, or if it's safe to "clearance" this one.

That is the first of a long list of items that need addressing before the truck can be driven again. That list looks like this currently.

- Gas tank

- Crossmember bolts

- Shift linkage

- Install factory manifolds

- Modify exhaust system to use factory manifolds

- Extend or replace trans cooler lines

- Install trans cooler

- Get correct length drive shaft made (33.5")

- Install front drive shaft (new u-joints too)

- Rebuild 9 inch with 3.55 gears and posi

- Install 4x4/Low switch in cab

- Install new longer speedo cable

- Install trans controller computer

- Wiring for 4x4 switch, computer

- Install TPS on carb for trans control computer

- Install wiring harness for trans control computer

I am probably forgetting some stuff, I'll edit the post as I think of it.

What transfer case do you have? I didn't think about yours being that different, but it is. Sorry you beat up your floor. But it is good to have that ~1" of clearance since the mounts do allow for movement.

Anyway, you got it rolling. Well done!

[Pete Whitstone]

What transfer case do you have?

Borg Warner 1356, same as you were installing in that thread.

Sorry you beat up your floor. But it is good to have that ~1" of clearance since the mounts do allow for movement.

I didn't beat it up too much, and it's under the seat, so no one is ever going to know. Besides, "beat up" matches most of the body panels!

One difference I saw between my cab floor and the one in the pics from your thread is, for whatever reason, the raised area of the floor fell mostly behind the cut-off tab on the TC on my truck. What clearance problems there were going to be were right on the edge of where the floor came down and turned back to horizontal towards the back. In your pictures it looked like that cut-off-tab was back a little further than it turned out to be on mine. In other words, more into the area after the floor turned horizontal.

Speaking of mounts, I had to order a new one this morning, as the cheapo one I got from Rock Auto or eBay or wherever the heck I got it from, broke. The entire thing was coated with a black paint-like substance, which made spinning the lower nut on somewhat difficult. Not cross-threaded/wrong thread difficult, but a little difficult. Anyway, the mild amount of force required to overcome it, broke the stud out of the tack weld that held it in place. Piece of junk. Yeah I could weld it more fully, and pour water over it before the weld heat starts melting rubber, but why? If it's that poorly constructed in the first place, it won't last long anyway. I need to remember to buy higher quality parts when I go shopping.

[Gary Lewis]

What transfer case do you have?

Borg Warner 1356, same as you were installing in that thread.

Sorry you beat up your floor. But it is good to have that ~1" of clearance since the mounts do allow for movement.

I didn't beat it up too much, and it's under the seat, so no one is ever going to know. Besides, "beat up" matches most of the body panels!

One difference I saw between my cab floor and the one in the pics from your thread is, for whatever reason, the raised area of the floor fell mostly behind the cut-off tab on the TC on my truck. What clearance problems there were going to be were right on the edge of where the floor came down and turned back to horizontal towards the back. In your pictures it looked like that cut-off-tab was back a little further than it turned out to be on mine. In other words, more into the area after the floor turned horizontal.

Speaking of mounts, I had to order a new one this morning, as the cheapo one I got from Rock Auto or eBay or wherever the heck I got it from, broke. The entire thing was coated with a black paint-like substance, which made spinning the lower nut on somewhat difficult. Not cross-threaded/wrong thread difficult, but a little difficult. Anyway, the mild amount of force required to overcome it, broke the stud out of the tack weld that held it in place. Piece of junk. Yeah I could weld it more fully, and pour water over it before the weld heat starts melting rubber, but why? If it's that poorly constructed in the first place, it won't last long anyway. I need to remember to buy higher quality parts when I go shopping.

Interesting. I wonder if the different engine moves things fore/aft a bit. But both cabs are regular 81's.

[Pete Whitstone]

- Gas tank

- Crossmember bolts

- Shift linkage

- Install factory manifolds

- Modify exhaust system to use factory manifolds

- Extend or replace trans cooler lines

- Install trans cooler

- Get correct length drive shaft made (33.5")

- Install front drive shaft (new u-joints too)

- Rebuild 9 inch with 3.55 gears and posi

- Install 4x4/Low switch in cab

- Install new longer speedo cable

- Install trans controller computer

- Wiring for 4x4 switch, computer

- Install TPS on carb for trans control computer

- Install wiring harness for trans control computer

So that was the list to work on this month. I'm happy to say that list looks like this now:

- Rebuild 9 inch with 3.55 gears and posi

- Install 4x4/Low computer under dash

I was able to knock out most of the original list. I have to get the 4x4 controller box mounted under the dash, then put the instrument cluster back together. It's going to be a tight fit to get that box under the dash, as it's piggybacked onto some other items - a small fuse block, a relay, and some power lugs.

However, with the instrument cluster on the floor, I was able to start the truck, fill the trans with fluid, and take it for a quick test drive. Only about 2 miles, but it was enough to verify both the trans and the controller are working fine. Got it up into 4th, verified the kick-down function works, and so on. This thing shifts HARD! Not unpleasantly so, but it definitely does not muck around when it's time to grab the next gear.

Getting the initial test drive out of the way is a huge relief. With the 3.08 gears still in the rear, it was loping along at about 1200 rpm when I was doing about 45. That will go up with the 3.55 gears of course, but I think overall I will get better mileage with the 3.55's and overdrive than I have been with the "straight" (1:1) drive and 3.08's.

Since it rained and the ground by my shop was wet, I did put it in 4x4 mode and moved the truck a few feet. Impossible to tell if the front wheels were actually powered or not though, I guess I need to get it up on jackstands to prove it's all working. I threw it in Low as well, that produced some surprisingly loud mechanical clunks from the transfer case, but it did appear to change the ratio to something lower.

More to come. I'll get pictures when I get it all back together.

 

[Gary Lewis]

- Gas tank

- Crossmember bolts

- Shift linkage

- Install factory manifolds

- Modify exhaust system to use factory manifolds

- Extend or replace trans cooler lines

- Install trans cooler

- Get correct length drive shaft made (33.5")

- Install front drive shaft (new u-joints too)

- Rebuild 9 inch with 3.55 gears and posi

- Install 4x4/Low switch in cab

- Install new longer speedo cable

- Install trans controller computer

- Wiring for 4x4 switch, computer

- Install TPS on carb for trans control computer

- Install wiring harness for trans control computer

So that was the list to work on this month. I'm happy to say that list looks like this now:

- Rebuild 9 inch with 3.55 gears and posi

- Install 4x4/Low computer under dash

I was able to knock out most of the original list. I have to get the 4x4 controller box mounted under the dash, then put the instrument cluster back together. It's going to be a tight fit to get that box under the dash, as it's piggybacked onto some other items - a small fuse block, a relay, and some power lugs.

However, with the instrument cluster on the floor, I was able to start the truck, fill the trans with fluid, and take it for a quick test drive. Only about 2 miles, but it was enough to verify both the trans and the controller are working fine. Got it up into 4th, verified the kick-down function works, and so on. This thing shifts HARD! Not unpleasantly so, but it definitely does not muck around when it's time to grab the next gear.

Getting the initial test drive out of the way is a huge relief. With the 3.08 gears still in the rear, it was loping along at about 1200 rpm when I was doing about 45. That will go up with the 3.55 gears of course, but I think overall I will get better mileage with the 3.55's and overdrive than I have been with the "straight" (1:1) drive and 3.08's.

Since it rained and the ground by my shop was wet, I did put it in 4x4 mode and moved the truck a few feet. Impossible to tell if the front wheels were actually powered or not though, I guess I need to get it up on jackstands to prove it's all working. I threw it in Low as well, that produced some surprisingly loud mechanical clunks from the transfer case, but it did appear to change the ratio to something lower.

More to come. I'll get pictures when I get it all back together.

That is excellent news!!!

Man, that has to have been a huge relief. Well done!