Finished out the nitrous system with a window switch. Not really needed with a manual trans but more or less required for launching an auto with a WOT switch. Torque converter stalls around 2300 and need to hold off nitrous until ~3000 RPM. Window switch allows going WOT from idle/stop. EFI is crisp and no bog/hesitation.

I tested with bottle off to make sure activation RPM was correct. Took my dad for a test drive and did a few launches. After purge the system comes on as expected and feels more like step function I expect, as throttle plates are already fully open. My dad commented on how much the truck leans/pulls left front up from torque, and then even more when nitrous kicks in. Good times.



Went with a Lingenfelter box as it had a positive N/O output, simple and priced reasonably.

 

sounds fun Man your starting to have a lot packed under that old dash! looks like it's laid out well, not much real-estate to work with under there.

 

Awesome! We need a video. It could be hard to capture the feel though.

 

Ya the electronics are piling up behind the cluster. Rock light relay box is next. Luckily the cluster come out easy (no speedo cable) so access is quick.

Yes I do need to take a few more. Hard to capture SOTP feeling.

 

This is one of the nicest builds I've seen on a bump side hands down.... Only thing missing is some Westcoast tow mirrors. Well done sir..! You want to help me build mine? I'm down in Tucson haha

 

Thanks! I looked for a long time for a set of west coast Jr's. They pop up on ebay now and again but not cheap for an old set that needs a resto. Maybe some day.
Using bullnose mirrors

What year is your truck?

 

Damn this is a sweet build!!!

 

I was looking at the last pics and wondering how you got those tires under there. I want to run 37's on my next truck. Now I know how. Great work!!

 

I think 37s would fit OK without stretching the front fenders. Could just trim the valence and the front lower edge. The rear wheel wells will likely be the issue.

 

Well the c6 only made it 3200 miles before having shift issues due to it being full of shaving. So it is done. Had really bad luck with rebuilt autos.
Instead of wasting another 1500 to be back in same spot I decided to go 6 speed auto 6r80....

Prep for pulling drivetrain.

Bumper in the way, heavy with winch. Used fab table and jack to remove without lifting.


Rolled it over to the bed and slid it in to store for now. One man show.


Spiffed up the driveshafts. Rear wasn't repainted when first installed. It was boxed up and shipped before original paint dried, so did some prep and painted.


Hacked up the core support to allow the A/C condenser to be left attached to the rest of the system. Glad I converted to 134 but would rather not open the system. Going to make some type of removable patch/reinforcement panel. Core support didn't have much attached to it and came off easy enough.


Pulled most of the accessories off the motor in prep for removal. Wiring is all connectorized, but will make some changes to how things are secured to engine. P/S and electrical system left intact. Headers had to come off. Ready to come out.









Before moving truck out of lift bay I addresses the cab/transfer case interference issue. The original cab cross member support did not allow TC to be slid back and removed.
Before:


So fix was to cut the rest of the way through and widen the notch considerably.
After:


Cut out the old and weld in the new. When overhead welding it is worth the time to REALLY CLEAN everything to minimize splatter onto one's self.


Rattle can satin black and done.






Pull the motor without too much trouble. Had to find the right chain link to balance the assembly at the right angle to pull it up and out.


Built a engine stand out of some scraps to support from chassis mounts, so I can fart with transmission adapters.


Then the big question, where is that MF'n oil leak from? Rear main?
It appears to be the oil pan gasket and the right valve cover. There are a few rust spots on the rear of the crank that would suggest it was not coming from the rear main seal. The thin separator plate had the smoking gun. I had resealed the valve cover previously. So no need to do RMS job, yay for me.
But I am going to replace the oil pan and valve cover seals, among other things.

Piling all the parts into the bed to store once they are ready to be put back on. Having to clean up a lot of fasteners and such that are all oily from the various leaks some of which are already fixed. Front end is up quite a bit with weight missing.






Received the adapters for both ends of the 6R. 460->6R80->NP205/atlas
The engine adapter is 2" thick to solve the starter location differences, as is torque converter spacer.


The transfer case adapter is for an AA atlas, but has same bolt pattern as many other TCs including NP20x, BW, Dana and so on.
But for use on 205 there are mods needed. The gear drive 205 has shift rails close to input centerline so need to hog out that area.


Once I had basic fitment I see that the idler shaft is in the way, so poked around in the tooling and found a suitable cutter.


But then the input bearing retainer didn't clear so did some more machining of adapter to allow it to sit flush on face. Still need to go further on shift rail as the shifter itself uses a thicker collar. I think I have a boring bar that will work.

 

Thats going to be really nice. What do you happened to the tranny?

 

Yes it will be.
6R has a 4.17 first and 0.69 6th yielding a 6:1 gear spread. C6 is 2.40 first and spread. So first would be geared down by 1.73 which is almost like having a doubler, but without the extra weight or change in drivetrain length. It will burn the tires off like it does in 2WD low now. Or a 7.20 rear end gear. The relatively shallow 2:1 of the NP205 is offset with a steep 1st.

Overdrive of 0.69 puts 75 MPH cruise at 1800 RPM (instead of 3000) with help from lockup converter. 5th is 0.87 and would be 2300. I think the lockup converter will help $/mile and increase range.
Highway speeds will be quieter at loweer PRM and this is a big deal for me. I want to be able to want to drive it long distances.
Going to use a lower mileage trans that has never been opened or touched anyone but Ford.


I think excessive end play clearances allowed enough fore and aft movement that the assembly broke through the oil film and made metal to metal contact. game over :(
Both steel and aluminum shaving inside.
No way to know what happened unless it is opened up. But I am past rebuilding the C6

 

Back to work on the TC adapter. Need machining down the body to clear shift rail. Found a 1.25 boring bar which seemed about right.


one pass, slow.


still not a lot of room for linkage hardware.


Instead of 2nd pass I milled a flat in shifter arm and welded a captive nut at reduced height.


The mods needed to the TC side.
-shifter rail
-idler nut
-bearing retainer and bolts.
-shifter linkage clearance in rear/low


There are 2 clocking options, down (can't use) or up. Up puts front output flange up 1". Clearance to crossmember was very tight, 1/4" after some grinding to get TC down from hitting cab. So this is good and can drop trans/TC mount down and have more room in both places. Although I'm sure this will lead to more modifications.

 

Nothing like taking a brand new part and cutting it up looking great.

This should make all the work worth it in my opinion. I hope this solves your issues and last for a long time for you. I would love to make a transmission swap at some point. We have 70 mph speed limits here in Eastern WA and my old daily driver F250 was loud as hell with the RPMs always so high trying to keep up with normal traffic. Needed at least one more gear...

Keep up the great work, looking forward to more progress pics.

 

Very interested in the before and after feel of your truck. Gear ration should be a huge difference. Probably not great on the pocket book but I bet it will be worth it.