The Official John Lee Jr Thread

[Sharps40]

Yep, 3 year unlimited mileage. Just got all the initial pics done and shop is goin over it too. Have to have the engine vendor look it over too and go from there. But, other than frost plugs on the DS, there ain't nothing to leak except for a crack. My guess is its possibly at the bottom of the water jacket...we'll see but letting it drip and takein more pics for the record. Never seen one leak between the oil pan and block like this.

[Sharps40]

Thank Goodness! Leak is up top at the water neck. Fired it up, as the thermostat opened, leak, water drips blown down on my face, saw it on the underside of the intake manifold...followed it up and the water is on the Left side of the water neck/thermostat housing....possible leak at the either the cap or the temp sender. Didn't attempt to tighten the sending unit since I don't know if the neck has a crack in it or not but.......their ain't no water jacket anywhere near the Left side motor mount.......

Small miricals....easy fix even if we have to go to junk yard and get a water neck for the head.

Back on the road, we'll monitor the water situation.

Shoulda figured, had water on the battery and valve cover this AM when I found the drip on the pan/floor.

[Sharps40]

Cinched up one bolt on the thermostat cover about 1/2 turn. No leak on the evening run. Will check tomorrow affore we roll and again at home. Might have this scare licked!

[Sharps40]

Snugged up the upper radiator hose a bit more, dripping cold. Why is that...?

I would think with a 16lb cap and pressure and flowing water a loose hose it'd wanna leak like lunatic at speed but nooooo....at home, relaxed in the garage, cooled off and "Piso Mojado", all over the floor.

hopefully the dribbles are fixed.

[Sharps40]

I think we got the last leak fixed...coolant under the truck this AM. Saw the drip at the upper radiator hose. Snugged em up and ran to work. No water on the motor on arrival, will check this afternoon for the trip home.

Thoughts on the T5....shifting at 2500 to 3000, pulls hard on the main and the gears are close enough that ya don't loose all the RPM in the shift. Nice.

LMC heim joint linkage, close fit from z-bar to exhaust but clears the factory style single head pipe fine. The down link from the clutch pedal is another matter.....bolt head rests on top of the DS frame in the clutch engaged (pedal released) position. There is enough adjustment in the clutch that it works fine but with frame movement the nut makes an aweful racket....I'll talk to the shop about notching the frame 1/4" or so for clearance and we'll completly readjust the down link when fine tuning the clutch at the end of the month.

Fuel mileage on a motor that ain't broken in yet/still needs secondary tweaked (secondary is slow/weak at this point, hard to climb slight hills in OD below 60 mph) has to be checked. Gotta get a speedo gear or ratio adapter but I ran some rough numbers and it looks like right now we are hovering in the 15 to 17 range. So, promise for the future with tuning and final break in.

As for the overall driving experience? Yank the tree lever when ya put the 5 speed in, I keep grabbin for it instead of the floor shifter. And the drive? This morning I rolled 65 mph all the way, first time, and with ease. And, I kept up with traffic and even passed the neighbors smart car, a minivan and a school bus! Yee Haaa!

[Low Elco]

Glad it was an easy fix. Even more glad it works and you're diggin' it.

[Sharps40]

Yep, kinda major league nervous. Breaking in the daily driver, everything shiny new an purty. Wedding night jitters I 'spose!

[Low Elco]

There's a way to get over those. The term "Hop in the saddle and sink spur" applies. Have a good time!

[Sharps40]

Here is a photo tour of the LMC Heim Joint linkage that we installed. Some more tweaking to do but in conjunction with a new pusher nut for the fork, a slop free, noise free set up.

Inside, under the dash, the working end of the down rod that goes thru the new boot in the floor to one end of the z bar.



And down underneath, you note the bottom of the down rod where the heim nut contacts the frame....we'll adjust rods or clearance the frame later, for now we have excellent clutch action.

Also note the Peterbuilt return spring, think we're gonna swap for something a bit lighter, save some wear and tear on my knee joint in traffic.

There is about 1.5" clearance between the heim joint and the exhaust, plenty of room.

And finally, the clutch rod and the new pusher nut on the outer engagement of the clutch fork. All 4 joints are adjustable for length. Should be no reason you can't get a good clutch set up with this and I spect it'll remain bullet proof and tight for many long years.

Please also note, the z bar is completely rebuilt with new balls, seats, felts, retainers, and a big dollop of grease in, out and around.

[Sharps40]

Here is the left side (DS) of the emergency brake cross member.

Originally it was riveted to the inside of the frame....up at post #5 I detailed blowing out the 4 rivets and replacing them with bolts for two reasons: Ease of installing the longer T5 and to reinstall it under the frame later to clear the T5 and retain the 1965 Ebrake assembly in near factory form - total factory function.

As you can see, the xmember rests on the underside of the frame and the spacers only serve to prevent crushing it as the bolts are drawn up.



With this simple reposition, the gap between the new T5 and the original 1965 Ebrake mechanism is large enough to comfortably stick my hand into...plenty of room.



I have a factory style Walker Head Pipe, single exhaust. Here on the Left (Drivers) side, a slight mod to the ebrake cross member to maximize exhaust clearance. Simply shave off the flanges on the cross member yielding over an inch of clearance between exhaust and cross member.



And on the passenger side? Simple, bolt it back up with a couple of spacers, adjust the ebrake as needed and yer truck won't roll away.



As you can see, with the Astro Van T5 (S10 tail housing) and as Ol Bleu discovered with his S10 T5, NO Need To Go To A 1966 Ebrake Assembly. Use whatcha got. Betcha it'd even work on some of them crazy lowered trucks. Amazing, folks are lowerin em as much as an inch or two these days.

[Sharps40]

Over on the drivers side front of the New Astro Van T5....No drillin the ears. Factory size bolts went right into place....but who knows, they mighta already been drilled for 1/2 bolts or modded later in life...but anyway,

Plenty of room on there to use regular bolts and nuts and socket wrenches. No special hex head bolts needed. We also put all new guts in the bell housing, pivot ball, fork, boot, etc.



And over on the passenger side front of the Astro Van T5, same, same....factory bolts and nuts, installed with socket wrenches. No clearance issues.



In case anybody is wondering, I labeled the Trans ATF Only. Per Mr Langdon, Stovebolt Engine Company, this NWC T5 takes ATF ONLY NO GEAR OIL.

[Sharps40]

My beard is growing pretty long....snow white too.



And my sister was concerned that on public game lands I might be mistaken for the south end of a north bound deer.

So she made me a Hunter Orange Beard Cozy....



If I actually wear this in the woods will I get shot just for spite?

[TJ's Chevy]

Don't know....cause I have a mustache not a beard lol! Though I'm to young for those to!! HAHAHAHA!!! I think she should make it camo...then no one will see it. But at least it will keep icicles from forming on your beard on cold mornings!! LOL!

[Sharps40]

Updating on the new engine....about 1200 miles down the road since the install of the new I6 and the Astro Van T5.

Running pretty good. Hot starts started kicking back against the starter.

I checked.....Light showed 20 degrees total advance at hot idle. (I have two timing marks on the balancer, factory and a smaller one I had previously added, 12 degrees advance from the factory mark.) The home added mark was on 8 BTDC on the factory tab...so including the 12 additional degrees that second mark indicates = 20 total BTDC.

Backed it down to 8 degrees advance on the factory mark...lots of lean deceleration pop. Tweaked the main on the carb for lean best idle (this jet is on the verge of being too small, its a 65 and I could go to a 70 for greater adjustability/responsiveness), reset the speed screw for 500 RPM hot and bumped the timing from 8 to 12 to 14 BTDC, hot idle.

No more lean pop on deceleration and truck is running 100% on primary and 99% on the secondary.

I think I'll try richening the secondary circuit just a bit with one step up on the transition and main jets.

At some point soon, I just gotta put in a wide band O2 sensor and do the fine tuning.

After blowing 4 pistons on 16 degrees and cheep gas I'm nervous about large advance numbers. For now, slightly retarded and slightly richer seems to have brought on a bit more responsiveness and w/o sensors, a bit safer direction to tune into.

But at 17.5 mpg I ain't complainin and can't wait to see that come up a bit more with continued break in.

Merry Christmas!

[TJ's Chevy]

Merry Christmas back to ya! And a happy hopes you are able to get you motor fine tuned to performance!

[TJ's Chevy]

Sound like yer gonna be rocken out! LOL!

[Sharps40]

The Astro Van T5 Transmission is a direct bolt on to the 1965 bell housing.

The input shaft and collar needed no (Zero) modification to fit.

The 11" Astro Van clutch kit was used, it includes clutch, pressure plate, throwout bearing and pilot pushing.

An new flywheel, 14.150" diameter, 168 tooth supporting an 11" clutch was required as the 1965 flywheel was drilled only for a 10" clutch kit. The flywheel is common for I6, V6, V8, Cars/Trucks, etc. We are finalizing and ensuring the PNs listed in post #2 are correct for you.

So, I have a heavy duty clutch in my bell housing and new unblemished flywheel, its all new, its all Chevrolet, there were Zero (NO) modifications and its easy to remember.

1965 Bell Housing (including the parts that bolt to the housing)

1984 to 1990 Chevy Astro Van V6 (262 cu in) 11" diameter clutch kit.

Even I can remember that later when I need a new clutch and I can get any of it serviced anywhere!

[Sharps40]

Driveshaft Specialist of Texas drive shaft. Under $400, 3" steel, custom made, all new parts, painted, balanced, new yokes, spicer joints, Bomb Proof. 4 days order to installed in the truck.

Up front, the fine spline yoke and spicer at the aft of the T5.



Looking down the shaft to the aft end of the truck....



And out back another good spicer. I gotta treat John Lee to some of them fancy aluminium bullet proof rear cap retainers.

[Sharps40]

Not too bad an oil leak out the back. But, its new, so, looks like the rear of the motor will need resealed under warrenty.

Still chasin the water leak up top. My guess is we have a bad hose or the new waterneck has a crack. But double clamped it last night and we'll run in and see how it does.

Punch list for the return to the shop after Turkey Day is getting a bit fuller!

[Sharps40]

Cool, FEDX tracker says boot and gears here on Wed. Something to do for Thanksgiving while the turkey cooks.

[Sharps40]

Drat. Jegs called....25 tooth gears delayed till they can ship from the vender about mid dec.....they don't even have a 24 tooth handy. Guess I'll stop at the local tranny shop, see bout a used gear and maybe get lucky and cancel the back order!

Called the only trans shop in a 40 mile radius....Mrs. Patti is workin the plan lookin for a rare 25 toofer or a 24 toofer to tide me over.

[Sharps40]

Performance on the secondary is improving a bit. We are about 400+ miles into the break in runs on 93 octane simgas (10% ethanol), 8 degrees BTDC and no jet changes to the Weber from the settings used on the prior engine.

Fuel mileage is hovering in the 16 mpg range with the base line settings.

I spose the slight improvements in secondary circuit responsiveness can in some degree be attributed to settling in on the rings and an attendent increasing of the compression pressure, etc.

Water leaks at the neck and radiator overflow appear to be licked. New hoses and clamps are in order....though I'm disappointed in the Gates hoses. They were 5 months new and their failure? Had to double clamp on either side of the original clamp mark to get a seal. Perhaps I'll try a store brand hose next go round...these shoulda taken a seal with a single clamp over and over and over.

As for the rear main.....its weeping several teaspoons of motor oil each shut down. Looks like when it go's back end of the month for final tune we'll have to unbutton under warrenty and replace the seal. I think we'll spec a double lip silicone or fluroelastomer from fel pro vice the stock rubber seal. Probably got dry from a long sit and thats too bad. But, an easy fix none the less.

Driving happy. And the new old Heater Motor? Fryin eggs on the dash and blowin lotsa air with no howlin! (Beer Titty Woman is extatic!)

[TJ's Chevy]

Yeah the rear main seal on mine is trashed also....but it is 47 years old to. Leaks a court of oil in about a month. I'll tell you..gaskets can be a pain...you pull them once...and you have to get another one. I've changed my valve cover gasket 6 times and am gonna have to change it again. Oil pan gasket needs to be changed also. But with a 140,000 miles and being 47 years old....I would be a little leaky to! HAHAHAHA!!! LOL! Hope you get John Lee fixed up soon! T.J.

[Sharps40]

I wish there was a Blu Goo application for front and rear main seals...there'd be no leaks once it kicks over.

I always skim goo both sides of valve cover cork gaskets....glue em to the cover and then coat the bottom of the gasket and bolt it up. Its been a fine substitute for the old black tar goo we used to use in the 70s and 80s on my flathead Mopars.

[Old Bleu]

I've already noticed a little bit of oil in the drain hole in the bottom of my flywheel cover since the tranny swap. I guess after 49 years mine is leaking too, and no warranty! Sure hope it doesn't get on the new clutch.

It looks like the new bullet has stopped the tranny leak though, not a drop in sight since Monday.