Jazzer The Cat

^ Well, I have a "rough" sound during idle at neutral while clutch is out and is typical of failing bearings on any application. When I push the clutch in, it goes away. I have already replaced my every component of my clutch system on prior work for unrelated reasons and sound did not go away. I get a light howl during all gears, but worse 5th. 4th gear is not as bad as it is 1:1 and least amount of stress on bearings during this time. This sound was also heard by my tuner just PRIOR to the, what is now known as... "The Dyno Incident"

This is relatively common on the T3650 as I understand and always hated my ratios anyway.

Jazzer

Jazzer The Cat

Here she is.... bay-bay







Brand new #1260 with Cobra cross-member and Dynotech alum. DS. Unfortunately, I had to replace my current alum. DS with a 1" shorter one due to the extra length of the T-56. I also have a nice new Pro50 shifter and is red-to-go

This new trans has a reverse lock-out switch and needed to do some "adjustments" to avoid the need to run 12vt. power lines to access reverse:

This was VERY easy to do, actually, and will not need to run any power lines OR completely give up on the nice little safety feature of the switch. Before you start, just try pushing in the button on the end of this switch.... OUCH!!!

Below is a pic of the switch with original parts removed, and new ones below on the RH side:

The clip on the top RH side is the keeper that holds the spring assembly inside the switch over on the LH side. Use some small specialty pliers to collapse and remove this clip. The spring is VERY strong, but held a small "C" clip (see last picture below). The energy will NOT cause it to fly out of housing, so don't wory about it "putting someones eye out" like in school

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Below is a pic of the heavy ORIGINAL spring, the small spring (on bottom) once removed and the replacement springs with some original, but newly oriented, parts to be installed above:

Down inside the tube of switch, there is a small 1/4" pin that is the actuator from the solenoid switch. If you reach down inside, you can easily push this button out of the way. On an OEM car with this switch, power would be applied and this little button would be drawn out of the way. This would allow the "little" spring to be the ONLY resistance to finding reverse with shifter. Without power, the little button holds keeper just behind the small "C" clip and forces the BIG spring to cause MUCH resistance finding reverse with shifter.

We are going to remove the small spring, and collapse the keeper to remove the small "C" clip to then remove the BIG spring.

THIS SPRING IS UNDER SOME PRETTY SERIOUS COMPRESSION. TAKE MUCH CARE IN REMOVING IT AS IT WILL PUT SOMEONES EYE OUT...NO KIDDING. WEAR SAFETY GLASSES WHEN TAKING THIS ASSEMBLY APART!!!.

The above pic also shows the two new springs to be the resistance springs to finding reverse. At this point, the trans is not installed and cannot be sure if this will be a good amount of resistance. It will remain to be seen and may have to experiment with different ones. I could just remove all the guts and go w/o any resistance at all, and the trans would be 100% fine oporationally. This would create zero resistance find reverse when looking for 5th during a downshift. So if you do this swap, you can decide for yourself. I currently have a resistance spring in my T-3650 and kinda like the idea. You could even leave the original spring and would not harm the trans in any way, but would be a little tiresome on your arm when in need to back-up.

To re-install NEW spring assembly, you will have to do a little jiggling go get the keeper/spacer in the bottom of the switch (see LH side of new springs in center pic) This is needed to get by the 1/4" solenoid button, but not difficult. Just push the springs inside, and attach the big clip with the two little holes in the end, and your set. This NEW spring set-up will not be NEARLY as strong so restance to finding reverse will be very much reduced.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is the final product with the original springs and small "C" clip no longer used:


Now try pushing on the end again..... ahhhhh

There you have it, ladies and germs. LMK if I missed something or you think I need help

JTC

NOTE: AT SOME POINT, I WILL DELETE THE LINKS TO PICS. I WILL KEEP THEM ON MY DRIVE AND CAN E-MAIL THEM IF NEEDED, SO PM ME


Jazzer

SMOKE

Nice ... congrats!! Great pics and details.
I'm glad I got mine in the 98. Had to wait on the DS getting cut but it was worth it .... now I just need to add more power to deserve the upgrade.

sftdyna

jazz you will love your t56!!! mine has been trouble free but!! if you got almost 10k change that clutch dude, im surprised you would consider keeping the old one in.... i mean we all know the way the jazz rolls!! and this aint it.

Jazzer The Cat

I have been thinking about a new clutch and will go ahead and replace it. I had to re-use the orginal flywheel b/c the VIN code said it was an 8 bolt on install 10K miles ago. I just scuffed it up and re-installed.

Will do a little research and likely pick one up.

Jazzer

sftdyna

jazz ive got a brand new 8 bolt with a couple hundred miles on it right from mcleod i switched to billet steel when i went with the twin disc, the machining marks are still on it.

pacettr

Nice upgrade!

I am hoping to avoid it for as long as possible...

Jazzer The Cat

Thanks, but I need a 6 bolt fly

When I ordered my clutch for install about 15K miles ago, I confirmed I had an 8 bolt via VIN code. I ordered an 11" Cobra clutch kit complete with billet fly, clutch, PP and T.O. bearing for like $280. Was a fantastic deal, but my VIN code was incorrect and found only had a 6 bolt when we got it all apart. It was a Sunday, so we had no real option as finding a flywheel or getting my original surfaced. We had to scuff it up and reinstall it.

I have ordered a new fly ($265 alone, go figure?) and T.O. bearing and will just continue to use the existing clutch. My last ride went well over 60K on orginal clutch and was still fine when I sold it, so no probs.

All set for Jan. 10th install and coming unglued with exitement to get rid of that howl and not bog going into 5th with less than a 5K shift!

Jazzer

S281 E

Nice pics and good luck on the install.

Jazzer The Cat

OK, pepes.... didn't get done, but MAJOR progress


Ran out of time today as my buddy and I had to spend 1.5 hours JUST making enough room to get my car up on the lift. The shop has 7, count 'em, SEVEN major resto projects going with pretty much zero done on any for many a year! Anyway, we did all the hard stuff today, and even found a missing nut on the passenger side of exhaust manifold causing a small leak and will be fixed. The old trans came right out, and the new one went right in. I had read MANY times of the "massage" work needed in the tunnel for install, but seem to have lots of room. Passenger side has 1/2" all around at closest point and driver side (the side that will see the most movement at WOT), had nearly 1". OK, now some pics:

This is the existing clutch and pressure plate with a new FRPP billet fly. The clutch has about 15K on it and my buddy was pointing out the surface and said it appeared to have about 200 miles on it, at most! Installed a new T.O. bearing and reusing the clutch fork that was installed at same time as clutch, last year.


Here it is just installed and ZERO tunnel work needed to fit. Just the cross-member bracket needed and some wiring for reverse switch needed:


Completely installed along with new aluminum drive-shaft (1" shorter than previous one) and all toqued in. Once it was all installed, the clearance was still really good, so cannot see why all the installs saying tunnel work was required. The cross-member was for a Cobra and may not have even been needed. The "nuts" on the body are actually a sliding part that have alternate holes that are oval to line-up cross-member and would probably have worked with stock one. The Cobra one fits VERY nicely and was worth it either way:



Here is the reverse switch that is now connects on the passenger side. The wires had to be extended 1' to reach over the trans. I just cut the two wires and soldered two 1" pieces of wire inbetween and applied heat-shrink tubing as protection. I then wrapped the two wires with electrical tape so they would remain clean and not tangle up on anything. I also had to rob the reverse switch from my old T-3650 as the connection "posts" of switch were not only too large, but not on the same center:


The speedo connection went right in and don't see any other obsticles so far. We will hit it up tomorrow morning and get 'er done, as we just ran out of time today . We will also have to machine a new clutch spacer as the Ford cable has NO adjustment and is just a solid line with pressed ends on it. Appearantly, the T-3650 bell-housing is just a little deeper or something and the clutch cable is now about 1" too long. This is no prob, as Wes is good at machining stuff.


Will finish up and take a roadie with the galpal tomorrow and give y'all a little review of how it drives.


Jazzer

EDIT: I almost forget.... MAJOR props to Bruce at Modern Driveline for all his help. Bruce was absolutely wonderful from start to finish on this project. He helped me diagnose the "howl" issue I had with my T-3650 and worked with me on how to address it. I mentioned that I was unhappy with the ratio's and was told a T-56 was the way to go. He looked at all the options and came up with the 1260 as a suggestion. I was VERY happy with the ratios and he hooked me up with the cross-member and confirmed a direct fit into my ride. Just this past Tuesday, he spent about 10 minutes on the phone trying to locate me the proper flywheel as the Ford dealer could not locate one in time. I received it the next day and was a perfect fit. Even got me a new set of bolts/dowl pins so it would all go together well as the 10.5" and 11" clutch need different bolts to anchor pressure plate.

Thanks Bruce