DeTomaso Mailing List: December 2000, Message #134

Yesterday afternoon, with only a little wailing and gnashing of teeth, and
with the help of a couple of friends (SOB from the list and my friend Bob
who's into Corvettes and couldn't stop saying how great a Chevy big block
would look in there) I finally dropped the engine BACK in. Hopefully it's
for good! It's been out for 3 months or so (my how time flies) while I
finished up the engine compartment. For those who don't know (or have
forgotten) I'm putting in a '99 Cobra 4.6L DOHC with Steve Wilkinson's
parts and help. I'll be updating my web site soon, but for now the old
pictures look a lot like the new ones!
(http://home.earthlink.net/~rbarkley/Pantera). I'll have pictures at the
So. Cal. Xmas party this weekend.

The wailing and gnashing occurred when we got the trans hooked to the
engine and discovered that the flywheel couldn't be turned! There
originally been an interference with the interior bolts which I thought I'd
solved by grinding them down and installing the engine/trans splash shield
which had been left off on the original install. After grinding and
installing them twice, Bill got the idea that maybe there was something
else. Sure enough! There was an interference fit between the stamped
openings of the pressure plate cover with the top of the bell housing. A
quick call to Wilkinson confirmed that, of course, this had never been a
problem before! A couple of minutes on the grinder beveled them all off
(hopefully it's still balanced!) so now it fits. Guess I won't know about
the balance 'till I rev it up. In retrospect, I probably have ground out
the bell housing. Oh, well!

Now all I have to do is put the rest of the car together!

Richard Barkley