Day one of my nightmare 3-4 hour clutch change.

[yosemiddysam]

:cussing: Ok well it started out great. I started on the inside of myt 83 GT. I got all the lil sensors unpluged for the dummy light instrument panel. Got the center console outta the way. Undid the 4 bolts to the top of the shifter boots and whaaa laaaaa inside was done. Jacked the car up head high on a lift and proceeded to undo starter and exhaust which by the way the exhaust on this thing is piddefull. All that went off without a hitch. Well one exhaust bolt kicked my ass for about ten minutes. Ya know that one you cant get too. Yeah that one. Then the tranny came out easy as pie. Go to put the new
King Cobra clutch on and the damned bolt holes wont line up. Call up the store I got the clutch from and he says oh man I am sorry you dont have a 10 1/2 inch flywheel so you will have to buy on or put a stock piece of shit clutch back in. No choice there so he says I can have it by Monday. I say my car is on a lift costing me 4.00 and hour and monday aint quick enough. He makes some calls and whammo he has me a new flywheel. I go to mount the clutch and while I installed all the bolts bolts by hand I go to tighten them they decide to get tight. I am thinkin new flywheel maybe this is normal. WRONG about another half turn and SNAP went a bolt in the new flywheel. Here the new flywheel takes metric shit whereas the old one had standard bolts. So off to the local Kragen/ Auto zone to get new bolts....... WRONG they "only had what was on the shelf" none of the right ones. So off I go to Home Depot. They was my saviors for the day they had em. I even got two spares. So at 0800 in the morn on my sunday of rest I get to go get started once again on this once loved now dreaded car. I hope tommorro goes better than today. SORRY JUST FELT LIKE VENTING A LIL. ANY OF YOU HAD SOME SHIT LIKE THIS HAPPEN TO YOU??????? :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: :cussing:

[yosemiddysam]

Eh tommorro's another day and we will see what happens I guess. Wish me luck please!!!!!!!

[crimsonblack]

Hope it goes well.

It's always something for most people. A screwed up bolt, one can't get to or a bolt requiring a special tool - damaged new parts, etc.

[yosemiddysam]

Well today went ten times better. I went in used the new bolts I bought at Home Depot and everything torqued up nicely. I had the tranny in in 2 hours and then I noticed the clutch cable was too long so I cut a thick piece of rubber from an exhaust hanger and made a shim. Works like a champ. All I can say is wow. I have a centerforce dual friction clutch combo in my 02 and I went with the King Cobra combo this time and man does that clutch feel good. It is pretty stiff but boy does it grab and right when you want it too to. The wifey even had the balls to try a side by side with the 02. Of course I let her get a two car length head start but when the screetch from the beast's tires when it hit second spelled disaster for her and any chance of gaining lol. It made her feel good just to get the lead for a few seconds anyways. For an 83 that thing has some nuts. What kinda HP numbers did they have back then. 180 or so to the wheels is what I am guessing. Ok well venting is over and I am a broke but very happy man.

[AmericanMetal]

Nothing like a new clutch to make ya love your ride again... my adventure last week was trying to explain to the spouse why I couldn't have saved money by getting an exact stock replacement instead of an upgrade. (Because I trashed the stock one, that's why.) If I could've installed it myself, maybe I'd be in less hot water right now! :-)

[yosemiddysam]

It firly easy to do but there are some ghost in the closets just waiting to pounce if ya let em. Atleast ya got your new one though.

[91GT347]

The '83 5.0 carried over many components from the 1982 HO engine, with the most notable change coming in the form of a 4-barrel Holley manufactured carburetor with 600 cfm rating. The engine used a Ford marine camshaft with 260' intake/ 278' exhaust, with a valve lift of .416 intake/ .444 exhaust. Pistons were cast aluminum with 8.4:1 compression. A cast iron exhaust manifold with a 2 in. outlet fed to a 2.25 in. Y-pipe and catalytic convertor, which in turn ran through a single muffler with twin outlets. 1983 also marked the year that the Borg-Warner T-5 Manual transmission was introduced. The rear axle consisted of a 7.5 in. Traction-Lock differential with 3.08 ratio.



HORSEPOWER : 175 @ 4200 rpm
TORQUE : 245 ft-lbs. @ 2400 rpm
Thats from http://bellsouthpwp.net/j/c/jcchaconjr/4v50faq.html

[yosemiddysam]

Damn 91 you are good. Well atleast I was close I said 180 and it was 175 HP.

[91GT347]

Thanks man. You were close enough !! NOW. Get that damn exhaust changed !! Thats just sick.

[yosemiddysam]

As soon as the $$$$$$$$$ comes in it will be gone!!!!!!!

[91GT347]

Oh you got it sam !! Pry that wallet open a little.lmao

[Nicoleb3x3]

...the only thing that really got tough on my project swap was broken water pump bolts, and broken bolts again in the lower intake, and then more broken bolts in the 2nd lower intake I got for free...

yes people, if you break a bolt, don't waste your time with Auto Parts stores, and not even Summit or Jegs, don't waste any time and go straight to the home depot :)

[yosemiddysam]

Nicole is a person who knows her nuts and bolts.lol But she is right they have all kinds of em and the right strength.

[Nicoleb3x3]

if only I knew that BEFORE I wasted a WHOLE PRECIOUS WEEK looking for water pump bolts....
even ARP's kit was the wrong sizes and only half worked! and they cost 10x more money!