Oh, I can't help but say, Cut the firewall ! Or put a 3.7 or some such short motor in it. I'd not go to the work of swapping just to gain the FORD six... A 3.7 overhead cam motor would be cool! I wonder if it would fit! -- Mark Price Morgantown, WV 1969 AMC Rambler, 4.0L, EFI, T-5 2004 Grand Cherokee Laredo, 4.7L, Quadratrc II " Chronic Pain Hurts" -------------- Original message ---------------------- From: Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx> > Before you cut the firewall up on that convertible consider using a Ford 200 or > 250 six (NOT the 240 or 300 -- they won't fit!) and mating transmission. They > are similar to the 196 -- short tall block with a small bore and long stroke. It > will fit WITHOUT cutting the firewall or fenderwell panels. It has the intake > cast into the head like the 196, so the carb is close to the valve cover also. > > If you cut the firewall you also lose your heating system. You need about four > more inches to put a 232/258 in, and will have to custom make mounts for > everything. This is one case Id rather see the Ford engine used simply because > you won't have to cut anything. That way it can be returned to original > condition in the future instead of just becoming a parts car or hot rod fodder. > It's your car, do what you want, I'm just presenting an alternative that would > be less work in the long run and make the car just as enjoyable, especially if > you use a late model (80s) 250. The 250 has a taller deck than the 200, but both > are capable of more power than the 196. See www.fordsix.com. The 200 stock is > about the same as the 196, by the way, but parts are easier to get and then > there are some speed parts for it also. > > The column shifter can be fixed! There is an adjustment for the bottom that most > people don't know about. AMC used a big nylon/plastic piece on the bottom that > holds the lower steering shaft bearing and the column shift levers slide > against. It eventually wears to the point that there is no more adjustment. To > adjust it tighter you loosen two small screws on the sides at the base of the > column and rotate the end piece, then tighten the screws. If it won't adjust any > tighter (there's only about 1/8" of adjustment there), you have to pull the > column. At that point you can make a new lower piece or try to find a 1/16" > thick washer that will go over the shaft and fit inside the column to use as a > spacer. The plastic usually cracks or the screws strip out though, so making a > new one just a bit taller is a better idea. > > Not as hard as it sounds! If you have a drill and hole saw you can make one. Get > a piece of hardwood (oak, birch, etc. -- pine will work though, and may last as > long as the plastic did) and a hole saw about the same size on the inside as the > inner diameter of the column. I think a 1.5" hole saw will work -- might be a > 2". Cut the disk with the hole saw first. It needs to be about an inch thick. If > you need to make more than one disc and glue together (laminate them). Leave the > small inner hole for now. Get a 3" or so 1/4" bolt and put it through the pilot > hole, then run a nut and washer down tight. Chuck it in a drill and staple a > piece of sandpaper to a board. Sand it down until it fits the end of the column. > Then take the bolt out and bore the center hole out for the shaft. You need to > bore/router a recess for the bearing too, if memory serves. Then you can slip > the new piece in and put the two screws at the bottom of the adjustment slots so > it can be tightened up later. Pu > t a good coating of grease on the surface that goes against the shift lever, > and grease it once a year or every other year, depending on how much the car is > driven. > > The good thing about wood is it's easy to work, just as durable as the plastic, > and if you strip the screw holes out it can be rotated. The plastic is old and > brittle after 40 or so years and doesn't take well to new screws, but I have > managed to rotate a couple, drill a small hole, and put screws in without > breaking. One split in two! I have meant to make a bunch of these and offer them > for sale, but lost my spare (pattern!). > > The Hollander manual is misleading. AMC did indeed reuse many parts from year to > year. In the 70s there were lots of new parts, but those were the years the > government was big on mandatory smog and safety changes, not always for the > best. Hollanders goes by the factory parts books. AMC did change numbers > sometimes from year to year for the SAME part. Hollanders uses factory part > numbers as one of their interchange guides. AMC was king of parts > interchangeability for a long time, mainly in the early to mid 60s, then again > in the 70s (Hornet/Gremlin). The two exceptions are the Matador Coupe (to a > small extent -- mostly body parts were unique but most mechanical parts > interchanged with others) and the Pacer (nearly everything but the drivetrain > was totally unique to it!). > > -------------------------- > Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:09:20 -0500 > From: M Walter <redamc1963@xxxxxxxxxxx> > > I have a t96 w/ od. I dont use the od because it interferes with the Hurst > shifter that i put into it. I've found out the hard way thet once a rambler > American column shift goes bad, it stays bad. While I miss shifting with the > flick of the pedal or touch of the clutch, the straight three speed on the floor > is far more desirable. Especially when turning left out of a busy intersection > with the column shift unable to grab any gear and your life flashes before your > eyes. I have a t14 to put in , but the long parent shaft (that I could cut off > to make to fit) and the fact I have yet to find a yoke to fit the harlot have > prevented me fron making the switch. So my intetions now are to swap a jeep 4.0, > cut the firewall on my 25,000mi. 63 breadbox convt. and give both trannys to my > notable friend for his 53 hudson jet. He has the Hollander interchange books > which gave me great insight into wy AMC failed. They put 99% new parts in every > car every year. I am still totally hooked > though. THANK YOU, AMC faithful P.S. I drove a Pacer in High School. > > -- > Frank Swygert > Publisher, "American Motors Cars" > Magazine (AMC) > For all AMC enthusiasts > http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html > (free download available!) > > > _______________________________________________ > Amc-list mailing list > Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx > http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list