DeTomaso Mailing List: March 2001, Message #93

All,

Last nite witnessed the mating of my ZF and my engine block for the first
time in what seems like a gazzillion years... OK, months....  However, it
was shortlived, as the engine went back on the stand for final assembly.....

A buddy helped me with the heavy parts.... as I needed to do a check fit to
see how all my pieces and parts are going to line up once assembled.  Being
a Goose, and using a -1 type ZF, along with some of your early Panteras,
you know about the use of the special pilot bushing adaptor and the
necessity for a special clutch disc! The new bronze bushing was a bit tight
on the ZF nose once it was pushed into the steel adaptor, so my buddy fab'd
up a sanding tool (slotted bolt!)  that we put in the drill press and
applied 600 grit paper to the inside bore of the bushing with until all
felt good! Of course the burr on the end of the input shaft had to be
removed too.... but once it all felt good, we tapped it into the back of
the crank.

My disc hub had been machined for clearance previously, but I wanted a
different style of disc.... plus mine appears warped... or the machining is
off.... let's just call it garbage....

Clutch guy gave me a Cheby clutch disc to play with.... yes, early cars use
a Cheby clutch disc.... until ZF changed the input shaft....?    What we
found last nite, was that if the clutch dude simply reverses the clutch hub
in the center mechanism, that all will fit just fine with no additional
machining required.

Now, this does require busting the center retaining rivets loose, flipping
the hub, and re-riveting the hub bits back together..... more than your
average garage job... considering the rivets appeared to be HARDENED!!!
Must be one damned big press hoozitt they use to assemble these!!!

It was one great evening of slide calipers, straight edges, math, digging
for nuts and bolts... a little bit of clay... some malletizing work...
slippin' clean shiny parts together... all in all, a good nite. Actually
put the engine back on the stand with the flywheel on it!!!! (Good place to
store it instead of the floor.... where the dogs like to lick cast iron
schtuff lying around..... and make it rusty..... gonna hafta check their
dog food for iron content...) Some BS'ing about winning the lottery and
buying a GT40 MKII just because we could.... it was getting late....

I did get my Felpro head gaskets properly modified now for steam passages
etc. I found a new friend in my Dremel box.... tiny cutoff wheels!!!! Cool
little pieces!!! Took pictures of the finished product too. Of course,
right is different from left now....  New late model heads have the steam
slot cut right in the casting, where this used to be done by slots in the
old gaskets.... If anyone is thinking about running Cleveland heads on a
Windsor, you will be doing this too!

Will be looking for 4 new head locating whoozits at lunch today. You know,
the things that go in the bottom outer head bolt locations to hold the
gasket and the head in the proper spot when you set it down....  Mine are a
bit hammered and allow the heads to move a bit.... I'm hoping that is what
it is anyway..... My luck will be that a 302 uses one that is .010" smaller
diameter than a Cleveland.... we'll see!

Once these are cool, THEN, I get to slip the heads over the studs for one
last time and actually torque the mothers down!!! YEA!!!   ....then comes
the front timing cover, water pump, harmonic balancer, lifters, pushrods,
the new roller rockers, an intake manifold.... 

Progress!!!

Rich Barkley generously shipped me a tube of Amzoil moly grease that looks
like it will be the answer for my ball end suspension joints!!!! Goopy
stuff... and it looks like it will stay where you put it too!!!  I need to
get grease into these guys, get my shocks hygiened, apply some paint to the
shabby areas of the frame... and start putting it back together again!!! (I
checked Aircraft Spruce for Mobil 28 aircraft grease but they don't carry
it, or offer it in their massive catalog anyway..) 

...oh yea.... I forgot... I have a kids birthday-bowling-party to
administer tomorrow... plus the wife just called and said that the dryer
won't start up now.... and the lawns need baling, fruit trees need trimming
and they're already blooming.... let's not forget the shower project from
heck either!

...I should be able to get back on this by Tuesday.... next year!!!  HAH!

L8R!
Steve