Re: [Amc-list] Finally got the T96 out of the 62 Classic - now a question

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

I edited your reply a good bit, just leaving what I intended to comment on. 
The grease splattered behind the trans is a bit unusual for a torque tube car. It appears that maybe the tube wasn't bolted up to the trans tight? There's a thick rubber cushion between the tube and trans adapter. It's not really a seal, but a cushion. The tube presses the cushion between the tube and adapter so that the tube can flex -- the flange on the tube isn't welded to the tube itself, it rides loosely on it, with the cushion glued to it holding it on (when it's not bolted up). I'm pretty sure 62 was the first year for that type tube anyway. The older on had two large bolts, one on each side, and a round overlapping joint at the swivel point. The type I described has four bolts holding the flange on. 

The park brake lever under the car is pretty simple. If you can't find one close enough it wouldn't be hard to make one from thin steel. Any welding shop should be able to do that. 

The flex hoses are old and should be replaced anyway! So maybe it's a good thing you had to cut them. They are pretty standard hoses, though the parts store may not have a listing for Ramblers. Get a later model AMC hose, the connections are the same. For that matter a Ford hose will fit also, and maybe even other makes up through the early 80s (until some started using metric). Brake hoses are pretty standard across the board. 

Neat trick with the axle! I do hope you disconnected the shocks and panhard rod. If not, you probably bent them when you moved the car forward, so check them out when putting it back together. 

Since the 62 still uses four point engine mounts and the trans just hangs off the bell housing (doesn't support the engine) I think your idea should work fine. All the lower bolts will be doing is preventing the trans from bouncing upward when you hit a bump or put on brakes. You could also make some steel straps or use 1/8" cable in the lower mount holes and anchor the straps/cables to the bell housing. The shifter side might not take a strap, but a cable could be run behind the shifter arms. 


---------------
Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2008 23:36:15 -0500
From: "oldcars@xxxxxxxxx" <oldcars@xxxxxxxxx>

I finally got the jammed T-96 out today. There was grease splattered in 
a pattern behind the trans, more on the passenger side, but still pretty 
well all under the car especially in a line with the trans. 

First, I had to figure out how to get the parking brake cable loose. I 
ended up deciding to waste the stamped steel boomerang-shaped tensioner, 
and cut it out with a Dremel. I think that the tensioners should be pretty 
well generic...it looks almost identical to a similar Studebaker part, and 
I may have a similar part elsewhere. I figure now that it is loose, I can 
either crank off the rusted nut on the front cable, or maybe resort to a 
nut cracker. 

Then I realized that the rear flex hose had to go. 

Then came the tricky part: how to move the car body forward without 
moving the axle. I chocked the wheels, and then very carefully drove my 88 
Dakota right up behind the Rambler - the bumper heights matched. Very 
gently, I pushed the Rambler with the Dak. I had to do it a couple times to get the shaft separated far enough from the trans housing. 

Having both of them out, I have come to think that it may be possible 
to use the 1967 gearbox with the 62 bell by simply bolting up the upper 
bolts, and making sure that the input shaft retainer fits into the hole in 
the housing. As for the lower bolts, the 67 has a lip on the front face of 
the trans, so I am thinking that the standard bolts which hold the trans to 
the bellhousing could be used together with washers, in order to grab on to 
the lip, and thereby provide the 4 attachment points. 



-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)

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