Restarting My '70 Nova Project

[dodge man]

Can the transmission stay in?

 

[BravoXray]

Can the transmission stay in?

Not really, it's just easier to pull them together so I can mate them up before I reinstall them. Or, I may pull the trans first to make it easier to pull the engine. Putting the trans back in after installing the engine isn't too bad if you have a trans jack, I've done it many times, especially with big, heavy truck transmissions. The key is to get it aligned correctly before trying to slide it into the clutch. I Like to use long alignment bolts or studs threaded unto the bellhousing to get it aligned correctly.

 

[MossRoad]

Not really, it's just easier to pull them together so I can mate them up before I reinstall them. Or, I may pull the trans first to make it easier to pull the engine. Putting the trans back in after installing the engine isn't too bad if you have a trans jack, I've done it many times, especially with big, heavy truck transmissions. The key is to get it aligned correctly before trying to slide it into the clutch. I Like to use long alignment bolts or studs threaded unto the bellhousing to get it aligned correctly.

When I was 17 and skinny (about 130 lbs), I could slide under the 70 Nova and do a lot of work without jack stands.

 

[BravoXray]

Well, I got it out, actually came out pretty easily. I only had a problem with the shifter lever catching on a crossmember as it came forward. As I pulled it forward, the plug in the rear of the trans caught and popped out, lost about a quart of trans oil on the floor and floor jack before I could get it stuck back in. Put a ratchet strap on the crank pulley to raise the front of the engine and lower the rear of the trans. Once I got it out and leveled up to pull the trans, it puked out more coolant, I swear that thing must have had 5 gallons in it, although I only put in 2 1/2 gallons.
Pulled the trans off, pulled the clutch and flywheel, and got it on the engine stand. Drained the oil, which naturally poured oil on my newly powder coated engine stand when the oil got down to the last pint or so. Oh well, that's what Oil-Dri and rags are for, and I have a lot of both.
The rear of the block is completely dry, so no oil was leaking out of the oil galley plugs or the cam plug.
Flipped it over and pulled the pan off, no metal shavings or pieces in the bottom. There was some black stuff though, non-magnetic and not gritty, which I think may be the protective oxide coating off the cam. Took the oil pump off and pulled the main cap. Nope, no sealant on the parting surfaces, that's the source of the leak.
I'll pick up a new rear seal on Monday, I'll just feel better if I put in a new one, even though the old one wasn't leaking. I have a new Fel-Pro pan gasket that I had originally bought for the 350, but it uses the one with the thin front seal, and this uses the thick one.
What I could see of the cam, looks fine, no obvious unusual wear, so that's good.
I also have an eye doctor check-up appointment in the afternoon on Monday, so I probably won't be able to get started putting it back together until Tuesday. There are a couple of changes in routing some wiring I want to make while the engine is out, but that shouldn't take long.
I had bolted a couple of loom clamps to holes in the back of the block that were originally used to hold looms for plug wires. hey were easy to put in when the engine was out, but a real pain to get to in the chassis. I may fasten them to the firewall instead.

Aleve is my friend.

 

[lsgreg]

ll pick up a new rear seal on Monday, I'll just feel better if I put in a new one, even though the old one wasn't leaking.

Great plan.

 

[BravoXray]

Made some progress today, got the new crank seal and installed it with the proper sealant in the proper locations, and torqued down the rear main cap. I also installed the oil pump and drive shaft, and then the oil pan with a new Fel-Pro one piece silicone gasket. I might have been able to reuse the old one, but I had a new on on hand, and I'm not taking any chances at this point.
Next was to get it off the engine stand with the engine lift and install the flywheel, torque the bolts, then install the clutch. I had the installation tool for aligning the clutch disk and used it to get it aligned so it slipped in and out smoothly. Then I put the bellhousing on and bolted it up.
I rolled the cart with the trans on it over, got the engine lined up with it, got the input shaft started in the throw out bearing and installed three 1/2" X 6" bolts through the trans mounting ears and threaded them into the bellhousing. It took some amount of pushing, wiggling and turning the input shaft a little at a time, but it finally slid into place. I removed the alignment bolts and put in the regular bolts and tightened them up.
I hung the starter and also stuck the distributor in and fiddled with it to get the oil pump drive shaft aligned so it would drop back into place, which will make it easier to reinstall once it's in the car.
The last thing was to secure the plug in the rear of the trans with some tape so it doesn't fall our again and make a huge mess.
Just a couple of other things to go, and it's ready to drop back into the car, hopefully tomorrow. I have a computer repair job and a few other errands to run, so it may be later in the afternoon until I can get down to the shop.

Bad thing is it's supposed to be 86° and humid tomorrow, and I hate the heat.

 

[the old grind]

During WW II and since Rolls Royce Merlin V-12 engines were test run and then completely disassembled, blueprinted/inspected, and reassembled before shipment. IMO putting something together right is worth any effort.

btw, Tell me this isn't why we're following this thread and cheering our guy on from afar.

 

[MossRoad]

Made some progress today, got the new crank seal and installed it with the proper sealant in the proper locations, and torqued down the rear main cap. I also installed the oil pump and drive shaft, and then the oil pan with a new Fel-Pro one piece silicone gasket. I might have been able to reuse the old one, but I had a new on on hand, and I'm not taking any chances at this point.
Next was to get it off the engine stand with the engine lift and install the flywheel, torque the bolts, then install the clutch. I had the installation tool for aligning the clutch disk and used it to get it aligned so it slipped in and out smoothly. Then I put the bellhousing on and bolted it up.
I rolled the cart with the trans on it over, got the engine lined up with it, got the input shaft started in the throw out bearing and installed three 1/2" X 6" bolts through the trans mounting ears and threaded them into the bellhousing. It took some amount of pushing, wiggling and turning the input shaft a little at a time, but it finally slid into place. I removed the alignment bolts and put in the regular bolts and tightened them up.
I hung the starter and also stuck the distributor in and fiddled with it to get the oil pump drive shaft aligned so it would drop back into place, which will make it easier to reinstall once it's in the car.
The last thing was to secure the plug in the rear of the trans with some tape so it doesn't fall our again and make a huge mess.
Just a couple of other things to go, and it's ready to drop back into the car, hopefully tomorrow. I have a computer repair job and a few other errands to run, so it may be later in the afternoon until I can get down to the shop.

Bad thing is it's supposed to be 86° and humid tomorrow, and I hate the heat.

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I can't wait until I retire so I have more time to read about people that work so hard.

But seriously, sounds like a very productive day.

 

[BravoXray]

During WW II and since Rolls Royce Merlin V-12 engines were test run and then completely disassembled, blueprinted/inspected, and reassembled before shipment. IMO putting something together right is worth any effort.

btw, Tell me this isn't why we're following this thread and cheering our guy on from afar.

Believe me, no it isn't. I would really rather have been driving it than pulling the engine, pullingit apart and putting it all back together again. I'm not a mechanical sadist.

I did get it back in the car today and a few things reassembled. I'll probably have it done this weekend, if things go well.

 

[Kentuckyfarmer]

Believe me, no it isn't. I would really rather have been driving it than pulling the engine, pullingit apart and putting it all back together again. I'm not a mechanical sadist.

I did get it back in the car today and a few things reassembled. I'll probably have it done this weekend, if things go well.

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Back when I was a kid fresh out of high school I worked at a Chevy dealership for about 6 months. At that time I liked the nova’s the best. Wish I could have had enough money to afford one of the special ones they got thru there. Was late 1972 and early 1973.