Saving a 71 340 vert

[Morty426]

Yeah my accurate system fit with no problems.

Compare to the TTI systems I have put on two other people's cars it was a dream. 

[GCragtop]

Looks very nice!

[MikeMikeMike]

Alternator question
I have Three wires and two connection points on the alt. Please advise. Thanks. Mike

[anlauto]

You have the wrong alternator, you should have a dual feed alternator....I'm sure there's some way to jerry-rig a jumper wire or something 

[MikeMikeMike]

 Crap. Thanks though for confirming I wasn't crazy. I am now in the market for a restored 71 alternator. Anyone?

[MikeMikeMike]

Two steps forward, a few back, like the alternator, I'm finding some stuff I bought ages ago does not actually fit as intended, but no worries. The rest is going well while I wait for parts and help. I'm currently making a tool for removing the over center spring because the center force clutch says to... but after putting a bunch of side washers in the coils, its still just shy of coming off. If it works I'll post some pics of it. All the large parts that have been hanging around forever are finally installed and I have room to walk around. Its pretty thrilling to see things coming together finally.

Next week I'm getting help to make some adjustments as well as putting on the billboards. Hopefully it'll be ready to crank within a few weeks, fingers crossed.

[MikeMikeMike]

 Worked on the first try... the pipe uses the round retainer as leverage and the cut out and channel guide the spring end up to where you can then wiggle off the over center spring. A drilled hole with a screw driver stick through give you rotational leverage.

[76orangewagon]

Crap. Thanks though for confirming I wasn't crazy. I am now in the market for a restored 71 alternator. Anyone?

I just got one back from Dixie Restorations and just happen to have this extra one lying around, I bought it rebuilt, but it doesn't have the correct rear bearing but works great and doesn't look too terrible, P.M me if your interested. 

[MikeMikeMike]

Taking care of some minor nagging issues while waiting on final bits... thought this may help if anyone else has dealt with trying to re-attach parts with worn out pot metal posts. Its not visually correct if the fastener is being judged, but my alternative was to buy repop parts. I basically rebuild the posts using jb weld and use push nuts / washers as opposed to thread cutting ones.

[anlauto]

Just buy new ones man !   

[MikeMikeMike]

At some point I will. But you gotta spread the cost out man! Right now I'm feeling a little bit poor and counting the dollars I'm shelling out and it's starting to hurt again. Wait for me to heal

In the mean time I just thought I'd share some tricks I came up with along the way that worked out.

I should add that I'm feeling poor partially because I decided not to ground out or 'construct ' a work around clutch safety switch in favor of buying a proper one. My god those are pricey for what they are.

[MikeMikeMike]

Another day another question... we'll, a few actually.

1. Do I need new torsion bars? At first I thought oh cool stance. Now I'm thinking those splash guards look too close...

2. Same closeness on the rear. It looked cool at first but now I'm wondering if I'll hear rubbing at every corner. Is there enough clearance on the back fender?

3. SMS auto made me a column but the red key ignition wires fell out of the plug. They haven't gotten back to me but I'm wondering if there is a way to tell which goes in what plug hole.

Alan, I have a feeling I'm about to become even more poor 

[MikeMikeMike]

@Topcat

A weekend of ups and downs but progress is being made. First those questions above... I'll have to adjust my front suspension to raise it up a bit so that's been added to the list. Second, the wheel clearance in the rear is just too close for my liking. I read somewhere that the repop fender lips are a little deeper than the originals so that is the reason this tire size works so well for others it seems. I'll be swapping them with a more OEM size ralleye's with polyglass rubber soon and selling the set I have soon (less than 50 feet of wear!). Lastly those two red red wires off the column plug for the ignition are interchangeable if anyone else runs into that issue.

So this weekend I met with some of my local cuda support group;

My body guy that did the rear quarter hard top to convertible conversion came over to align the doors and help with the billboards. Bad news was the alignment wasn't so simple and he'll need some time with it at his shop, so the billboards will have to wait. But I did get some more info on that conversion and he said that the upper roof pillar also needed to be massaged, as well as under the forward belt molding. He said that if you had an experienced body guy that they could look at the two quarters and figure it out.

Another buddy went over the car and I made a list of all the items that were still missing or incorrect. Thankfully it wasn't too long. One nagging thing (that I had also battled with already) was the gap in the steering column where you could see the the innards (a couple millimeters of space showing at an angle). Spent the weekend re-diagnosing it. We were hoping the spring clip was at a lower groove, thereby making the column splines higher than they should be and giving me room to bring it down and thus the gap as well. Turns out there are no visible grooves further up for the clip to go into so I may have received a longer column or its just hung up some how. Still diagnosing.   

I have an odd ball power steering pump set up I guess. So, still sorting out the correct hose/ fitting. My box has a smaller than normal fitting.

Adjusted the shift linkages, dialectic grease on all the connections, installed the clutch safety switch ( I still need the clutch pedal plug and wire loop if anyone has one to sell please PM me), filled with break in oil, waiting on tranny oil (thanks for all the suggestions), filled a couple gallons of gas, filled with coolant... I think I may try to start it (not drive it) without the steering pump attached since that's the main hold up at this point. Started hooking up a tach... overall it seems to be going ok? I keep checking underneath expecting to find a pool of fluid.

So, long story short, I haven't tried turning it over yet but we are still close.

[MikeMikeMike]

Well, to recap on some past bumps in the road...

4 speed stuck, won't go into neutral. Turned out the shaft had been pressed into a soft bushing probably during ups transit so Brewers and a friend who works closely with them thought that might be the issue and he applied some steady pressure to the shaft and sure enough she unseated and now rotates in neutral. I had visions of having to pull the tranny.

Crush can was not seating. Well, I compared it to my original column, and turns out I was supplied with the wrong length crush can. Cleaned up the old one and we're good to go. I guess be aware that there are different lengths and the horn ring is inset more on one.

I ended up making a jig to reproduce the clutch switch loops. Took the better part of a day but the end product was darn near perfect.

Steering pump hose was sorted out. It was an odd ball reduction. Pump still doesn't work though. Im guessing its the pressure valve. I know its not working because...

We ran the engine through the first break in period. To hear a car run for the first time after working on it for almost 7 years is a special day. I didn't realize how loud the stock exhaust was! After I address some electrical gremlins we will dial it in. Probably in a week or two. 

[Cuda Cody]

      Congratulations on getting it running.  That's a BIG step and a huge accomplishment.