Trans Break-In
As with most situations when dealing with fresh components, common sense goes a long way when breaking in a brand-new transmission. With new gears, blocker rings, and synchronizers, a new transmission will feel a bit tight at first, but Jeff Mortenson of Hurst says this is completely normal, and the trans will loosen up after 50-60 miles. "For the first 500 miles, you want to take it easy. As tempting as it may be, hold off on dumping the clutch or power shifting," he says. "The TKOs need to be filled with 2.65 quarts of a quality trans fluid like GM Synchromesh before you put any street miles on them. The fluid is designed to last the life of the transmission, so you don't have to drain it after the break-in period."
From the bottom side of the...
From the bottom side of the car, Jarvis marked and drilled the spot on the patch panel where the shifter needed to poke through. It was then enlarged with a 3-inch hole saw. The hole should be cut as small as possible, as it will allow less heat and road noise to enter the cabin. With all the welding and cutting of the patch panel complete, the area was painted inside and outside the car to prevent corrosion.
Back underneath the car, it...
Back underneath the car, it was time to wire up the trans, which was pleasantly simple. The Hurst kit includes a speedometer cable that connects to the factory gauge with plug-and-play simplicity. The same goes for the reverse lights, but as with most cars that have seen 40-plus years on the road, the factory connectors on Project Olds were severely thrashed, so Jarvis hardwired them in instead. To prevent bumping the starter with the trans in gear, we hooked up a neutral safety switch as well. The Hurst setup includes fittings that screw into the starter terminals, which are then spliced into the NSS.
Hurst offers both hydraulic...
Hurst offers both hydraulic and mechanical clutch linkages for Chevelles. Granted, the Cutlass shares the same A-body platform as the Chevelle, but since there was still the possibility that some variation exists between the Olds and Chevy, we ordered up a reproduction linkage assembly from The Parts Place (PN MT4614T). The kit includes a Z-bar and bracket, brake and clutch pedals, a clutch pushrod, a clutch fork, a clutch fork ball and pushrod, return springs, and ball studs. The Z-bar is an old-fashioned yet effective linkage system whose center shaft mounts between the driver side framerail, right behind the lower control arm, and the engine block. Via actuator pushrods, one lever connects to the clutch pedal, and the other lever attaches to the clutch fork. As the driver steps on the clutch pedal, the Z-bar shaft rotates around the ball studs, and transfers motion to the clutch fork to disengage the pressure plate.