'63 Avanti Conversion to TH700r4

[Corley]

Thanks, you are the second to suggest it should use the Ford 300 starter. I'll be going to the Auto parts store in the next couple days to check that against the adapter plate diameter. By the way, after measuring it, I find the hole is 84.5mm in size. Also, thanks for the tip on the detent tang. I plan to move it with the original Avanti floor shifter if possible to get the throw working correctly. Been away, and haven't had time to mess with it for a week or more.

[Corley]

In all fairness, I did not give the StealTech kit a chance. I had bought it a few years prior from someone else who had not gotten round to using it. By the time I got serious about installing a GM tranny in a Hawk, other kits had came on the market. By then, I had read of others' bad experiences with the ST adapter. In looking at my own ST kit, I could see what they were talking about. Also, in comparing the ST to others, it was so crude I simply gave it away to my bro-in-law, who may still have it laying around. That is the short version.

Yours may work perfectly well. Hopefully you will let us know later, after you have completed the job.

Joe, I'm starting to see where you got the impression that the Steel Tech adapter is not the best. I finally got the engine together, so started looking at the adapter, and I had to file out 3 of the 5 mount holes to make it bolt to the block. Not much, but still... I also had an unfinished weld on the trans side that had to be dressed. The next problem I encountered is that the sleeve between the crank and the flex plate requires longer allen head bolts, in the reverse direction from the originals. (Or I could stick the sleeve in the mill and cut areas for the bolt heads.) Wanting grade 8 bolts there, I'll see what is locally available before I do the mill fix. Can't just turn that sleeve down to provide bolt head room, because it also centers the flex plate. (I previously said the sleeve/crank adapter was welded to the flex plate, however it is not, it just bolts up, being sandwiched between the crank flange and flex plate.)

These are minor annoyances, fiddly things that take a bit of time to resolve, (so far a couple hours), but won't affect the overall performance of the adaptor. I would not recommend it if someone asked and it were still available for purchase, when there are other possibly (probably) better kits available. Still, it is not a throw away, and should do the job...

[Treblig]

Ford made many different sizes (diameters) of starters. I have a friend that restores 65/66 Mustangs, he bought a rebuilt 65 small block V8 starter for one of his projects and it wouldn't fit so he returned it and swapped it for one with smaller diameter. If you take the starter to a local parts store they should be able to compare it to others (in stock) and find one the correct diameter. make sure you have measuring device to ensure that you're buying the correct starter.

treblig

[Corley]

I believe the 300 ford 6 starter is correct albeit installed upside down. be very mindful of the converter fitting nicely in the hub. definitely pin any adapter plate. also, on the 700 they were frequently used with column shifters and the detent spring (tang) has a lot of tension. I had to bend the tang to be able to pull the shifter out of park without pulling so hard that it went all the way to 1st.

After 2 hours in the best auto parts store around these parts, and with the help of an old school counterman, I have finally found a starter that fits in the hole, bolts in place using the pre-chilled holes, but alas, the snout is too short so the gears don't mesh. One thing is for sure, it is NOT a Ford starter. We tried every Ford starter known to man, but no joy. The one that fits the mount, is for a Jeep, with a Chevy v-6, 2.8L. We must have opened 25-30 boxes, but they have at least 50 more to try. They have a book with pictures, but no dimensions.

Such is life...

[Corley]

Mystery starter solved! The starter that the counterman found was for a Jeep YJ, with a 4.2L engine, '87 up. The snout (Bendix) would not engage, as it was too short, but the mount was correct. Back to Google, and the mystery is now solved. Earlier Jeeps, (CJ6, and others), with the 4.2L AMC engine, used a longer snout, and that seems to fit as it should, with correct bendix/ring gear engagement. Seems there are some with 9 tooth bendix drives, and some with 10 tooth bendix drives, but either is supposed to work OK on the Jeep, so I assume either would work OK on this. The one I bought is a 9 tooth, and I've yet to put 12v to it to see if it sounds OK.

SOOO, a CJ6 starter is the answer for the Steeltech adaptor!

[JoeHall]

Congrats Corley,
SOunds like you are about to crack the Steal Tech nut. LOL

[Corley]

Would love to have that nut cracked, but... Still have to worry about the TV cable to Stude carb linkage issue, (or maybe I should just EFI the thing?), shift linkage, Speedo cable, trans mount, and also make sure I can get the exhaust reworked to fit under there. So little time for these projects!!! Once all that is done, I'll move on to the EPAS. (If I live that long, I'm older than dirt already you know.)

In the mean time, the '54 Starliner on S10 chassis is not done, nor is the Champ cab on the Dodge chassis, though both are now driveable and I do use them. Lot's of other projects as well, my wife say's when I croak, it's Funeral at 10:00am, Auction at 12:00pm, and Moving van at 2:00pm.

[Treblig]

Would love to have that nut cracked, but... Still have to worry about the TV cable to Stude carb linkage issue, shift linkage, Speedo cable, trans mount, and also make sure I can get the exhaust reworked to fit under there. So little time for these projects!!! Once all that is done, I'll move on to the EPAS. (If I live that long, I'm older than dirt already you know.)

The internet is full of instructions on how to make the home made set up for the 700R4 gas/TV cable linkage, I did one on my son's '46 Chevy and it worked perfect. The also more important issue is getting the TV cable adjusted properly so you don't ruin your new transmission.

Treblig

[Treblig]

[sweetolbob]

That's the best illustration I've seen about what to do. The radius number let's you mount the cable in the proper location on the carb linkage, if you need to customize it. I've done this on three of them and it's worked well.

Excellent post, Thx. Bob

[Treblig]

If you're resourceful you can buy one of these that has the correct TV cable stud but then you'll have to go through gyrations of positioning it in the exact right spot (clock position wise and distance from center line of carb throttle):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sonnax-AS404K-Throttle-Valve-Cable-Corrector-Bracket-For-Use-w-Holley/112316464256?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D40130%26meid%3D1380b586dba448fdb5228579a2034e57%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D172569791527

Otherwise you just cut a piece of metal the correct shape and make your measurements as per the diagram.
Treblig

[Dan White]

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.

[PackardV8]

I paid the bucks for the Bow Tie Overdrive kit, instructions and pressure gauge, but only after wasting a couple of days trying to CASO it. My fabrication was pretty close, but the concern of frying a new tranny was enough for me to pay for their expertise. Your opinions and results may vary, but some interesting reading here. http://www.tvmadeez.com/article/index.php

jack vines

[wittsend]

I got the shots and took the medicine but it never killed off the CASO in me. This is on an Edelbrock carb. The piece adapted was a TB arm I got at (of course) Pick Your Part. The cable mount is adjustable and made of angle iron. It was lots of fiddling to get the distance and the angles but I do believe it was close enough. No issues and the tranny fluid is still nice and red. I realize it is not for everyone, but I like the challenge and of course the money saved.

[64V-K7]

I paid the bucks for the Bow Tie Overdrive kit, instructions and pressure gauge,
jack vines

I can say the same thing as Jack. My car was being built back in the late 90's and it was a big concern regarding the TV cable setting. Early on, I had the TV cable so tight that you dare not have a cup of coffee with you when starting out or the 1-2 shift would throw it all over the place. Too many nightmares about ruining the trans caused me to ask around and it was Ernie rizzolo who recommended Bow Tie to me. I also used the BowTie Overdrive kit and my application had an R3 airbox with a custom made TV cable stand. The kit has a cam you install on the Edelbrock throttle arm which gives the correct geometry for the TV cable throw. It also had a new spring for the 700R4 valve body, which has to be installed and is very easy The BowTie tech support was on the phone with me when I had the car running on stands, in each gear at 1000 RPM. I would tell them the oil pressure in each gear and they told me how much to set the TV cable. It runs and shifts fine and no problems have ever risen.