'63 Avanti Conversion to TH700r4

[Corley]

This is a very good diagram. I've done a couple of these before, so I'm familure with the need to get it right. Nothing is really all that hard, just time consuming. Thanks for saving me the Google search time to find the geometry again...

[Corley]

The Levesque kit was the first one out there as far as I know for Stude engine to GM trans. Dave was a big AMC guy also and I do remember that the starter was Jeep/AMC based. I had two of the kits and never got around to using either, not for any special reason other than I decided not to make the swap. Yes some of Dave's stuff was a bit crude, but he was responsible for kicking off the brand X components adapted to Stude cars for updating performance and convenience. Sadly, he took a wrong turn and I believe he just oversold what he had and pissed off a lot of folks by charging and not delivering as promised. As I said before I was one of the lucky ones and Dave delivered what he promised to me, but I started buying stuff in the mid 90s before things got out of hand. His Chevy valve conversion heads on my R1 Hawk heads are great and run fine, disk brake kit on my Hawk, never a problem.

Dan, wish you had told me about the AMC connection last week, and saved me a lot of search time on that starter. Ha! I've had to file out a few holes, etc., but I think the adapter is ok.

[JoeHall]

Running a TBI definitely made the install of a 700R go much easier. When it came time to hook up the TVC it took a whole two minutes. LOL

[Treblig]

This is a very good diagram. I've done a couple of these before, so I'm familure with the need to get it right. Nothing is really all that hard, just time consuming. Thanks for saving me the Google search time to find the geometry again...

I used it extensively. It gives great detail, like you wrote, it's not hard if you take your time and measure everything as per the diagram.

Treblig

[Corley]

Finally got a day to play with the Avanti, and got the engine/trans back into it. Made a new rear trans mount, and hooked up the shifter linkage. Had to modify the pass. side X member pass through, to make more room for the exhaust to clear the TH700r4 trans. It's still pretty snug. On the drivers side, I had to create a new header pipe to clear the new AMC starter. Sort of snakes around the tie rod, steering gear arm, starter, etc. While installing that pipe, I found one of the studs on the exhaust manifold was badly stripped, and with only moderate tightening, the nut just spins on the stud. (Funny, that manifold used fine thread nuts, the other side used course thread nuts.) I suppose it was just barely holding before removing it, but now it is no longer serviceable. I suppose this means tearing the exhaust manifold off of the engine to fix this stud, there is very limited room up there. Wish there were a 1/2 size smaller die and nut I could use to avoid pulling the manifold, but alas, no such thing.

So, one step forward, one step back. I'll be glad when the 'forwards' out number the 'backs', but it seems a long time coming... HA!

I'm not sure if some of the wiring issues on this car were factory or later, but it seems there were two sets of wires from the alternator to the regulator. Motorola alternator on the pass side, external regulator on the drivers side. One set of wires goes around the back of the engine, the other crosses over the engine in the front. Some wires came out of the loom, only to be looped back into the loom without connecting to anything. Wierd. I decided to throw it all out and use a Suzuki Samurai alternator instead. really small, 55 amps. Redoing the harness eliminated lot's of unused wires. Much cleaner now.

[Treblig]

Finally got a day to play with the Avanti, and got the engine/trans back into it. Made a new rear trans mount, and hooked up the shifter linkage. Had to modify the pass. side X member pass through, to make more room for the exhaust to clear the TH700r4 trans. It's still pretty snug. On the drivers side, I had to create a new header pipe to clear the new AMC starter. Sort of snakes around the tie rod, steering gear arm, starter, etc. While installing that pipe, I found one of the studs on the exhaust manifold was badly stripped, and with only moderate tightening, the nut just spins on the stud. (Funny, that manifold used fine thread nuts, the other side used course thread nuts.) I suppose it was just barely holding before removing it, but now it is no longer serviceable. I suppose this means tearing the exhaust manifold off of the engine to fix this stud, there is very limited room up there. Wish there were a 1/2 size smaller die and nut I could use to avoid pulling the manifold, but alas, no such thing.

So, one step forward, one step back. I'll be glad when the 'forwards' out number the 'backs', but it seems a long time coming... HA!

I'm not sure if some of the wiring issues on this car were factory or later, but it seems there were two sets of wires from the alternator to the regulator. Motorola alternator on the pass side, external regulator on the drivers side. One set of wires goes around the back of the engine, the other crosses over the engine in the front. Some wires came out of the loom, only to be looped back into the loom without connecting to anything. Wierd. I decided to throw it all out and use a Suzuki Samurai alternator instead. really small, 55 amps. Redoing the harness eliminated lot's of unused wires. Much cleaner now.

When I need to go to an in between size on a hole or stud I use metric tap or die. Metric sizes are normally sizes that are in between SAE sizes. But that's only if you don't mind a metric nut or stud, it certainly beats total disassembly???

Treblig