Bellhousing and Clutch Assembly Removal

This morning, I removed the bellhousing off the Mustang. It is the original bellhousing with six mounting bolts. The outside is covered in grease. Oddly, the inside is worse but the grease is not on the flywheel or clutch assembly.

The pressure plate has "Made in the USA" on it along with "Model 10 CF". I searched the internet and found a posting on a HiPo forum stating it is a Hays unit which was used on HiPo engines. The plate has three fingers, nine springs, and weighs much more than you would expect. There are no groves in the plate but it looks like it has had a rough life.

The clutch disc is worn but not really worn out. It looks like the disc had groves around the edges. It is now worn so that it is almost flat all the way around. The only identifier on it is an 8M on the back of one of the rivets.

Transmission Cleaning

I've spent a little time each of the past few nights working to clean up the transmission. While I knew it was incredibly dirty, it is taking longer to clean it up than I expected.

Once I cleaned the main case, I removed the top plate and tailhousing. I cleaned these up in the large sink in my utility room. The tail housing cleaned up well but the top plate has a significant amount of rust on the top.

With the top plate off, I was able to inspect the gears. Althought it shifted fine, I was concerned I would find chipped or missing teeth. I was glad to find everything looked good on the inside. The only thing I noticed is the inside of the case and tailhousing have what appears to be baked on gear oil. I'm not sure how I would get this off without coating the gearset with grease cleaner or water.

I've been reading about the steps involved in rebuilding a toploader. It does not seem to be very difficult. However, I'm sure it is harder than it appears.

The Transmission is Out!

After putting the kids to bed, I could not resist going to the garage to work on the car a little longer. Around 10:30, I walked into the house with a transmission laying on the garage floor.

I worked on it for a while but could not slide the transmission back enough for the input shaft to clear the bellhousing. The shifter mechanism was stuck through the hole in the floorboard and the transmission would not drop low enough for it to clear. I then fould the final bolt to remove the shifter mechanism under a large amount of grease.

With the shifter mechanism out, I was able to move the transmission back enough. While sweating bullets about the weight of the transmission, I carefully lowered it an inch at a time. Once all the way down, I rolled it onto a creeper and pulled it out from under the Mustang.



After work today, I cleaned up the garage and my tools. I moved the transmission to the low traffic side of the garage and then put a piece of cardboard under the car so I would not make much of a mess removing the bellhousing.

I weighed the transmission out of curiousity and it weights 78 lbs.

The Next Project Begins... Transmission Repairs

I decided today would be a good day to start the next phase of my Mustang restoration. I drove around alittle this morning then went to Sears to get a second set of jack stands. Around 1 o'clock, I jacked up the car to begin removing my transmission.

The transmission has leaked fluid from the shift seals since I purchased the car. The entire undercarriage and transmission is covered with transmission fluid. The fluid then runs back towards the rear axle causing an even larger mess.

I started by jacking up the car to provide 13" of clearance between the frame rails and the floor. I then removed the shifter, drive shaft, rear parking brake lines, and drained the transmission.

I placed a small bottle jack under the back of the motor to hold it steady while the transmission is out. I then placed another jack under the transmission. I jacked the transmission up enough to take the bolts out of the transmission crossmember. I then reached a temporary stopping point as I can't remove the crossmember because of the exhaust. Unfortunately, the exhaust is welded solid (headers all the way to the tailpipes).

After thinking about it a little bit, I decided to just cut the exhaust pipe. I can find a piece to slide over the ends and put clamps on it to hold it. The exhaust is obviously horrible so it will need to be replaced at some point anyway. I was thinking of cutting if out to do the rear axle clean up anyway.

With the exhaust out of the way, I was able to remove the crossmember. There is nothing stopping me from removing the transmission now. I even have the bolts which hold it to the bellhousing loose. I just need to determine the best way to get it out. I think I will lower it with a jack and then roll it on to a creeper to pull it out from under the car.

My Apline TDA-7554 Died

I've owned a Alpine TDA-7554 radio for 13 years now. I've had the radio in three different vehicles and most recently the Mustang.

I went for a short drive this morning in the Mustang. I was driving along listening to Slow Ride and the radio just turned off. There was no strange noise or anything. I assumed a fuse blew or a wire came lose. When I came home, I checked all the wiring and everything was fine.

I removed the radio and wiring. I then bench tested the radio to ensure it was not a bad speaker or something causing it to turn off. I then opened it, removed the tape mechanism, and checked the circuit board for any fuses. Unfortunately, I had no luck with any of these attempts.

I've a changer which works with this radio but no use for it anymore. I would sell it on eBay but the only one out there is selling for $5.

I managed to take a new picture of the Mustang this weekend:

Preparing for the Next Project

I've begun to think of what moderate size project I could handle over the winter. I would love to replace the floorpans but I've not learned how to weld. I'm considering fixing the transmission leak and then restoring the rear undercarriage. I can then do the middle undercarriage (floorpans) in the middle or late next year.

I've decided to start selling off a few random Mustang parts which I don't need. This will help me save up a little additional money. I'll need plenty if I decided to restore the rear undercarriage as I will want new gears and a TrueTrac differential.

I've started by selling the Autolite 2100 carburetor which came on my Mustang. It is not original and had a production date of 1971 stamped on the bottom. The casting number was 2PL which I've not been able to decode completely. However, I believe the carburetor was original to a 351 Mustang. I was surprised to find the carburetor sold for $86.00.

Taking a Little Break

I've not given up on correcting the driveability issues with the new carb. I'm just taking a little break. I noticed a small oil leak at the back and front of the intake and really don't want to remove and reinstall it right now. Since it has been raining a lot the past few weeks, I've just given myself some space with the project.

I'll get back on it soon after a little time away.