Re: [Amc-list] If you were me..

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

I can dream up projects with the best of them!! 

The 81 Concord axle should be a 3.08 according to the TSM... nothing optional that year! Eagles with the four got a 3.54. That sure would be better! You can adapt a Toyota truck master cylinder easy enough. You'll have to adjust the push rod length, but you've got the old one to go by. The later Jeep Cherokee MC should be adaptable also. I haven't done it, but someone did tell me they used a Toyo truck MC. 

81 would be the GM 2.5L. A nice upgrade would be to get the TBI unit from a mid 80s FWD car or better S-10 truck. If the engine has a dizzy that's the one you want. Around 86-87 the car went to a distributorless ignition and you can't use that -- different block. 

You could use the 2.5L in either the Concord or American. The cross member interchanges. I'd keep the four speed though. The bell depth should be the same on the two, that would be the only hurdle. Of course the input shaft can be removed and shortened relatively easy and low cost by anyone with a lathe once you have the needed dimensions (take input shaft from other trans with you...).  

You should be able to use the SR-4 clutch disk with the American flywheel and pressure plate, I don't think the SR-4 four cylinder disk is too big in diameter anyway. Might have to have a custom made pilot bushing, but there's a big variety made for "Jeep" sixes, so you may find one once you get the dimensions. 

I think I'd fix the Concord with the EFI and use as is, then use the Gremlin drivetrain in the American. Sell the flatty to someone restoring a car, or it's very heavy for scrap. Hate to say that, but if no one needs/wants it nearby, may as well scrap it. The only things that work on the 196 OHV are the crank, rods, and timing cover/chain/gears. Oh yeah, the oil pump and filter too. I don't think 64s had the filter on the pump though. If it does, definitely save the oil pump!! Might want to save the filter base if it's on the head, no point in saving the pump unless it has the filter on it. 


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Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2008 07:49:36 -0400
From: "oldcars@xxxxxxxxx" <oldcars@xxxxxxxxx>

OK, I have had a fair amount of good luck in finding cars, but now it is
time to do someting with them

#1 - 81 Concord wagon, good body, 4 cyl 4 speed. Clutch went up some time
ago and the pedal went down and is stuck there. NOBODY seems to have the
clutch master cylinder, although the slave cylinder is the same as a Jeep.
Honestly the 4 cyl is a little weak for the car but it is manageable. The
engine runs quite well. Pretty sure it has a 3.73 rear. 

#2 - 75 Gremlin, drove it home from near Baltimore (over an hour on the
road) and it ran OK. The car was originally from Minnesota and the body
shows it as it is missing not only a lot of front floor but also the rocker
box on the passenger side and this defect even goes up to where the
passenger seat belt lower mount would attach. Honestly I love Grems but I
am afraid this one has rust that is beyond repair. Its drivetrain is a good
old 232 1-barrel with a 150-T trans. Not sure what the axle ratio is but I
believe it is either 3.31 or 3.73. 

#3 - 64 American wagon. Hasn't been driven since about 1988. Flathead 6
with T96 3 speed, accelerator linkage is messed up. No clue on axle ratio.

So...looking at the first 2 cars, I have a great drivetrain in one and a
good body in the other. I guess I will need to move over the crossmember to
move the 232 and 3 speed into the Concord, and of course it would mean no
way to get it through smog tests so it would always have to be registered
as an antique. It looks like I would have to modify the shifter hole since
they don't match up perfectly. The Grem has a multi-pattern bell so I do
know it has holes for a T96 but doubt it would work for the SR4 and anyway
it is the 4-cyl version. I had bought a bell for the 6cyl SR4/T4/T5, but
not sure I would want to pay the cost of a T5, and I am not sure that the
internal clutch parts from the 150T would work with any other trans. 

So, should I merge the two? 

That would open up another possibility, since I am not too fond of the idea
of the flathead (although it ran well when parked). Since the American
wagon is much lighter than the Concord wagon, the Iron Duke should do
better there. The question would be whether I could get the 1964 clutch
internals to work in the bell from the 81 2.5, and also whether I could
modify the 2.5 liter clutch housing to work with the T96 - it looks like at
least a couple of the transmission housing front bolts would line up; not
sure whether the center hole for the input shaft would be the same. The T96
is already in place and working, and anyway I know where I can get a brand
new (open driveshaft) T96 with OD from a Studebaker parts vendor, so I have
a built-in upgrade path. 

I saw a Car Craft article (URL is
http://www.carcraft.com/projectbuild/116_0703_rambler_american/photo_01.html
) where they swapped a Gremlin cross member into a 67 American. So, I
figure that the 4-cyl crossmember would work in the 64 American. 

Any ideas?

-- 
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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