Transmission stuff.

Well, Reed and I split the trans off from the engine block today. It was pretty easy, but (as with everything I do on this car, it seems) there are a few "gotchas".

The transmission had definitely been out of the car, just like my friend Bruce said . He knew that because the torque converter was painted; originals were natural. I confirmed it today because when we pulled the bellhousing from the block, the locating dowels that were supposed to be there to hold the housing in alignment with the crank - were missing. The flywheel inspection plate was held on by two brass bolts at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions only. Oh, and one of the bellhousing bolts is snapped off inside the block. I hate drilling out busted bolts...

General consensus from the Studebaker Drivers Club forum is that the missing dowels mean the transmission input shaft was off-center from the crank - which means vibrations that will tear things up. Which is probably why my flywheel bolts egged out, and why the flex plate is cracked. The excessive crank endplay probably didn't help any either.

I was planning on just reinstalling the transmission with a new torque converter, but knowing now that things were messed up by whoever did the trans service, I think I'll have the unit inspected. My friend Kirk says Tri City Transmission in Vista is the place; he says Curt keeps the place so clean you could eat off the floor.

Hope I get a good Christmas bonus this year!