1966 Chevelle LSA/ZL1 install

[kwhizz]

Until the wheels and tires get here .........the car is still sitting on Jack stands..........I've had a major problem I have been chasing for a week and finally figured it out.....After getting the car started and to get the trans filled.......I was going to run the trans thru the gears and get the fluid flowing to set the proper level........as I clicked the car into gear......it started shaking violently.........WTF!!!..........Scared the heck out of me.............I've never had this happen before.......Humm!!!.....I got a brand new driveshaft assy.......Hummm!!!.......So......I start the car again and click it into gear and look under the car.......and the rear axle assy is bouncing all over the place........HUmmm!!!.........So.....I start thinking about it and come to the conclusion that it is driveshaft related..........Now!!!........My drive line angle to driveshaft was a little more than I would have liked so I figured the universals were fighting each other as the pinion angle wasn't set and I thought that maybe I was at that point of nothing was in scync.....So.......I go ahead and raise the back of the trans to get te trans/driveshaft angle down to 3 degree's........Great.........Get everything put back together.....start the car and it still almost shook itself off the jack stands............Shut everything off and get under the car and turn the driveshaft by hand and as it was being rotated it would bind up and after putting some effort into it , it would snap past the bind point and rotate smoothly........did it again and watched the rear axle assy and I could see it moving as the shaft was going thru the "Bind" spot...........Look closer at the rear universal and I noticed that the Universal joint was installed backwards and the raised contoured portion that the grease fitting was installed in was actually hitting the pinion shaft threads........I pulled the driveshaft out and the theads were smashed in about 1/16" .........Duhhhhhh!!!!!..........I got out my little grinder and ground away the contact area.....put the shaft back in ..........started it up and clicked it in gear and ......smooth as silk.........So......I got the drivetrain angle in the "Sweet Spot" and found the problem.....I replaced both universals cause you just never know......Sometimes this car stuff is hard!!!!......LOL

[ZL1 TIBS]

Gotta love the simple fixes. But it sure is aggravating getting to that point.

[HDRDTD]

At least you fond it while it was still in the garage and not out on the road somewhere.

[Kelly@PCMofNC]

VERY nice builds!

[HuJass]

Geez, sucks about the u-joint issue.
Do you think the problem will "impact" (ha ha) the disassembly of the diff if you ever had to take it apart? From the pic, it looks like the pinion shaft threads are pretty smashed in.

[kwhizz]

Originally Posted by HuJass

Geez, sucks about the u-joint issue.
Do you think the problem will "impact" (ha ha) the disassembly of the diff if you ever had to take it apart? From the pic, it looks like the pinion shaft threads are pretty smashed in.

Actually what you are seeing is where I ground away the damaged threads with my little disc grinder......All is now good!!

[kwhizz]

I spent the day today getting a bunch of Radiator hoses cut and fit...........I'm gonna be gone for a couple of weeks and when I get back the wheels and tires will be sitting waiting to be installed.......So.....the list of things that remain to be finished are......get the rear speakers installed......hook up the power wires to the power antenna.......Bleed the brakes one more time.....Get the Exhaust system installed .......and get the front end aligned.........heres a pic of the wheels....

[james347]

Nice indeed. Great work.

[Bigtime53]

Hey kwhizz how about an update? Would like to see some pics and hear that beast run!

[kwhizz]

Originally Posted by Bigtime53

Hey kwhizz how about an update? Would like to see some pics and hear that beast run!

I'll be out of town until this weekend. In the mean time everything I needed to finish the car has showed up. Wheels and tires finally showed up. I need to get the radiator hoses pieced together, get the catch can installed and then it's on to the exhaust and front end alignment. Getting close

[gen=5]

I am going to build another one but do a vert that way i can get on and out much easier transferring from my wheelchair with a back fused all the way up to the base of my skull doesn't make it too easy,lol...

[kwhizz]

Maybe because my drivetrain was out of an original ZL1. My only intent was to document the recycling of the drivetrain out of #465.....

[SamHouseIII]

Guys they are both sweet rides and I'm a car nut by heart, love to look at all the eye candy here!

[Steve Sobol]

I have been following your post. Nice build. here are a few pics of mine. Funny i am about 6 miles away.