My 1972 Comet GT Clone

Well it was in the house ------ for a little while...

Found the flexplate weight was binding on the back plate when it was bolted together, so it's apart again(there's no issue without converter, flexplate and back plate are same one used in video)... I measured depth of flexplate into the bell on the new Boss Hogg converter and got 5/8" while on the original converter measurement is 13/16", apparently there isn't enough clearance between converter and flexplate... Gonna call Summit tomorrow... Tired and pissed at the moment, they don't want me on the line right now...

 

It's always something, isn't it?

 

Yeah,I`ll tell ya what Tom,when you are working w/ after market stuff it seems like the gremlins rear their ugly little hds all the time.I`ve been helping my friend Rob work on a chevy s10 drag truck for 2 wks,finally got all the bugs out yesterday so they could test n tune this Sunday down in Carolina at Northeast drag strip.Between waiting on parts & fabbing a few things it was just one thing after another.Should be a fast trk,mild BB Chevy,trans braked power glide w/ 4.88 gears & a tube chassis,I expect it to go mid 6s in the 1/8,narrowed 9in w/ 13in wide 31 in tall tires.

 

To be sure I can vent my wrath solely at Summit, I reinstalled the stock converter and dropped her back in the hole, all fits fine... I needed to be sure because the flex I'm using is a SFI piece and is probably half again thicker than the stock flexplate I was using for measurement last night...

Unless they acknowledge a issue with this converter that has been corrected(is listed a NEW in the latest cat) I'll go with something else, don't want to chance another one...

 

OK Summit was great, I'm exchanging it for a Hughes 2000-2200 stall converter(said they had no reported problems)... Of course I was drilled about being sure it was fully seated, but in 45 years of installing converters I ain't missed yet...

 

Unless you were going to run Richmond or Petersburg I would not be to concerned about SFI stuff because I`ve been told Northeast does`nt care.Rob found out from a friend of his that Northeast is going to run all the way up until Christmas if the weather holds up.

 

Basically if you're going to run a small bell 157 tooth setup with a 50oz balance, the flexplate will be SFI as there are no factory plates for this application...

If the track stays open for another three weeks I may get there... At least one year, I know they ran through the second/third week before Christmas, I was racing the T-Bird...

 

We be blinging now!!!

Depth in bell measurement for Hughes converter is exactly same as stock and construction is far better than the B.H. I sent back to Summit... No doubt one gets what he pays for...

 

Awesome.

 

It`s looking good Tom,I`ll try to get by soon to see it.

 

Thanks guys, I heaved a giant sigh of relief when depth measured 13/16" same as the stock converter...

OK Dan, I'm gonna be tied up the next couple days and won't be able to work on it again till Monday... I had to try the converter(yep pulled engine for 2nd time), as not knowing if it was going to fit would have about killed me...


Found I need header bolts, the ones that came with the Thorleys are about two threads too long... Also I'm going to replace that piece of trans cooler line and connect together with hose in a non conspicuous place... Assuming no unforeseen setback, I'm shooting for it moving under it's own power by the end of next week...

 

Everything is coming along nicely

 

Hughes performance makes some great stuff. I am going to pick up my transmission from them.

 

Engine is back in the hole and headers on...

There is a slight rub on #8 tube and the steering box, anyone else have this issue???

 

Alot of us with headers have that. I have a different set up and I had a rub also. I ground off a little of the box material and ended up still needing to add a dimple to my tube. I stuck a prybar between there and gently pryed till I had some clearance.