Re: [AMC-List] rambler hot rod

[adh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Sandwich Maker)]

" From: "John Elle" <johnelle@xxxxxxxxx>
" 
" Tom
" SNIP
" " " I really want a mid-engine car, but Hallibrand transaxles are
" " " out of my range, but I think I've come up with a scheme for a
" " " rear engine, front drive car, using a jeep or eagle front axle.
" SNIP
" This looks like a fun project, but if I were drawing it out 
" with chalk on the garage floor I think I would be trying to figure
" out how to get an engine adapter to get my I-6 bolted up to an 
" early Olds Tornado or Cadillac Eldorado front drive transmission. 
" They were North South applications, if I remember correctly chain
" drive from the engine to the transmission and many were used for 
" mid or rear engine applications.

they were indeed longitudinal.

" The Olds 350 I think and a Cadillac engine were used I believe.

there were several toro/eldo transaxles.  the first ['67-'78] was
th400-based, for the olds 425 and caddy 500.  the later ones did have
the olds 350 and were either th350-based 3sp or iirc th200-4r-based
4sp.  they are all b-o-p pattern.

these do have the advantage [1] of sitting the engine over the axle
with the tranny alongside, but adapting them to the navarro engine
wouldn't be any easier than a corvette c5 t56 transaxle.

one nit with the th400-based unit - the diff has planetary spider
gears, for space reasons.  side effect - unequal torque split l/r.  i
don't know what sort of diff the later transaxles used.

" The Cadillac Seville might be a possibility too!

afaik this was just another nova knockoff.

" This used the Olds 350 and one of the V-6's also (3.8, 4.3?). 
" I don't know much about the mechanics of these things but does 
" that make it a BOP bell housing? If so would there be some AMC/GM
" bell housing adapter that would allow a straight bolt up?
" Of course this could get a bit weird if your I6 predates the 72 
" bell housing bolt pattern change?

advance adapters has a ring which bolts to an amc v8 or late six and
takes both chevy and b-o-p automatics, but the navarro turbo engine is
based on a 199.  aa also has a gm-pattern bellhousing - for v8s and
late sixes.  it even has a cps hole for use with 4.0s.

" Or if this is an early configuration what bolt pattern or bell 
" housing combination allowed AMC to bolt up their I6 to the GM 
" Hydramatic that was orginally used back in the 50's? And would 
" it work for this?

dunno about the hydramatic, but the jeep th400 used a buick 'nailhead'
case which -did-not- have a b-o-p pattern.  forget about that adapter.

t56 transaxle thoughts: how long is the input shaft?  it can't be one
piece all the way to the engine, can it?  in any event, if it's long
enough it could be cut to amc t-10 length and splined.  [conversely,
if it's -short- enough, a splined stub could be attached]  then put
the transaxle guts into a warner aftermkt case with standard gm bolt
pattern.

why?  i have a rare [2] 'mexican' bellhousing for putting an amc t-10
behind a '60s six.  the odd thing is it's clearly way too deep for a
gm tranny, but it has the shape and meat in the right places for a gm
bolt pattern...  it's looking less and less like i'll ever get to use
it, so for the right price i might be persuaded to contribute it to
the project.  if a long input shaft could be fabricated for the t56,
this could work.

[1] the advantage is in wheelbase and overall length, but weight
distribution would undoubtedly be worse.  in a light car, much worse -
the engine and transaxle alone could be 1/3 of the car's total weight.

[2] rare?  mine is the only one i've ever heard of actually existing.
________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Hay                                  the genius nature
internet rambler                            is to see what all have seen
adh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                       and think what none thought
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