Cato
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Progress is progress.About 3 hours work since Xmas….
- Thread starter Morrisman
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Morrisman
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Having dropped mentally and emotionally to new depths recently I had a revelation today, an epiphany maybe, and I picked up the phone to Real Steel and ordered a torque converter and flex plate, and when it arrives I shall bolt them all together and start work on the trike again.
I had nearly ordered them from the US a few months back, as many people told me it’s far cheaper than Real Steel, but with the purchase, postage and packing, import duties, VAT etc etc it would have been £150 more expensive to buy from Summit or Speedway.
I had nearly ordered them from the US a few months back, as many people told me it’s far cheaper than Real Steel, but with the purchase, postage and packing, import duties, VAT etc etc it would have been £150 more expensive to buy from Summit or Speedway.
Real Steel are real people, nice and friendly, or they were last time I dealt with them.
Morrisman
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Yes, I called them up and spoke to a really helpful guy. I even joined the Gold Card club, saves 10% on anything I buy.
The good thing about buying off them rather than Summit etc, is if I order the wrong part, or there’s a fault, it hasn’t got to be shipped back to the US.
Morrisman
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I had a closer look at the back end of the crank today. There’s a small abused looking piece of tube poking out. I’m assuming it’s some sort of pilot bearing that was codged up by the previous owner, who had it in a rear engined kit car.
I’m thinking I can weld a piece of bar to it and make a draw hammer, to pull it out?
I’m thinking I can weld a piece of bar to it and make a draw hammer, to pull it out?
jsf55
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Last edited:
Morrisman
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So, I headed to the garage, with a loaf of bread, and cleaned up the hole as best I could. Which was when I discovered it has a thread in it. A 3/8” UNF thread to be exact, in good condition. Presumably for removal services. I didn’t have a bolt with long enough thread to do the job, so I relieved the back end of one so it would have enough range. I could have just run a die nut down it, but I’m brain dead.
A minute or two with my little Makita impact driver and the bung was out.
I’d guess it is an extension to suit a different transmission and it got battered when someone was installing it.
I had a long complex letter from the neurologist at the hospital this morning, full of long complex works, which knocked the wind out of my sails something awful, but this little garage win has restored my outlook on the world.
A minute or two with my little Makita impact driver and the bung was out.
I’d guess it is an extension to suit a different transmission and it got battered when someone was installing it.
I had a long complex letter from the neurologist at the hospital this morning, full of long complex works, which knocked the wind out of my sails something awful, but this little garage win has restored my outlook on the world.
Gareth_16V
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Well done on the win. Glad to hear you're back on this - can't wait to see the progress.this little garage win has restored my outlook on the world.
finyuk2005
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did the last owner fit the gearbox with a sledge hammer or something?!
that bush thing didnt half get a beating!!
that bush thing didnt half get a beating!!
Morrisman
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The guy was an enormous body builder, so that might explain it.
He got rid of the Chevy motor as he couldn’t make it run properly, it kept fouling up plugs. He had a double pumper 850cfm carb on it, and no thermostat in it either, which might explain why…
Morrisman
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The torque converter has turned up today. Looking at it, it doesn’t look brand new to me. Would it be a rebuilt one, even coming from B&M? 
And the flex plate has a balance weight on it, for external balancing, which I thought was just for the 400 SBC, not the 350?
And the flex plate has a balance weight on it, for external balancing, which I thought was just for the 400 SBC, not the 350?
Smallfry
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Don't know anything about Chevy Engines, just a bit about Ford small blocks and 351C and 400M.
I heard a long time ago that B&M do not manufacture, but remanufacture. Don't know if this is true, but that certainly does not look new to me.
I heard a long time ago that B&M do not manufacture, but remanufacture. Don't know if this is true, but that certainly does not look new to me.
Morrisman
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I’d imagine they simply cut old ones open and rework the internals. I just saw on the Real Steel web page it does say something about having new parts installed. GM built over 100,000,000 of them, so it would make sense to utilise existing casings.
Morrisman
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Fitting up the flywheel and mini-starter, no shimming required, but I did manage to knock some bark off a couple of knuckles on the razor sharp machined edges on the starter. Five minutes with a file will sort that out. 
I also test fitted the torque converter to make sure it did fit the Powerglide and not foul the casing. The ‘glide has a th350 input shaft as torque convertors are far more plentiful and cheaper for the th350.
I also test fitted the torque converter to make sure it did fit the Powerglide and not foul the casing. The ‘glide has a th350 input shaft as torque convertors are far more plentiful and cheaper for the th350.
