And here’s the bell before and after grinding…
With the bellhousing aligned, I installed the LS7 clutch assembly and reinstalled the bellhousing for the final time.
With that done, I installed the TO bearing, measured for the air gap, and adjusted it.
Before I put the T56 in, I installed the new Tilton clutch MC and mounting kit I got from Bowler. It’s model specific to the early A-bodies and it fit very good. Because I have a hydroboost, the MC needed to be mounted on its side so the fittings didn’t run into the hydroboost body. The mounting bracket from Bowler has mounting holes so the MC can be upright or on its side without ruining the geometry between it and the clutch pedal. On this version of the MC, there are two outlet ports to choose from, one on top and the other at the end of the MC body. I used the one at the end.
There’s also this little adapter the bolts to the clutch pedal so the linkage rod pushes into the MC at the correct angle. Overall, this is a nice kit and I’ll be sure to install one of these on the Chevelle when I get back to it.
The next big step was getting the T56 installed. Other than having to massage the passenger side of the trans tunnel and trimming two little casting tabs off the side of the trans body, it fit in my custom trans tunnel like a charm!
Because the T56 is longer than the TKO and the trans mount is further back, I had to relocate the crossmember, which also necessitated modifying the exhaust. To relocate the crossmember, I cut the original mounting tabs off the frame to make room for these new tabs I made.
In this final shot, you can see the new tabs on the frame and the modified exaust (the X needed to be moved back to the clear the crossmember in its new location).
I still have to connect the three trans sensors, build a small console, and get the interior finished. Once I get those things knocked out, I think I'll be ready for the 2017 season.