AndyBill402

Wallaby and JRB, Great reply. Thanks a bunch. That explains it very clearly. The first thing I'm going to do is check whether or not the distributor is sitting too low. I also have the nylon shims, but if I have to use them I'm afraid they'll start leaking. Maybe a little non-hardening sealant would help. Thanks again.

I'm installing an aftermarket intake and a Pertronix distributor in my 383 Stroker. How would I know if I needed to shim the distributor?

Transmission oil is dripping out of the speedometer input (where the cable screws into my TH350). I lose about a quart every 2 weeks. How do I fix it?

Has anyone removed the oil filter bypass on their car? I removed mine using a kit either from Summit or Jegs. It insures that 100% of the oil gets filtered and none get's bypassed. I use a K&N HP3002 oil filter to handle the extra pressure in the oil filter during cold startups. I would like to hear feedback from others because I don't have any perspective on doing this long term.

Thank you both Allan and Footballubet. That completely answers the question. I've now decided to change out the TH350 for a 2004R. Do you have any suggestions as to whom to buy from? Art Carr of California Performance Transmission appears to be highly recommended. Are there any issues with adjusting the TV cable?

I would imagine this question has been asked before. Presently, my 71 Monte has a TH350 with the shifter on the column. As we know, the TH350 is a 3 speed while the 2004R is a 4 speed. If I install the 2004R in place of my TH350, how can I manually shift through all 4 gears on my column when the shifter will only allow 3 speeds. There are times when I want to stay in 1st gear.

Thanks very much for the input. I've got my TH350 kickdown cable disconnected from my carburetor. For right now I've got the cable just laying behind the carburetor. My 383 stroker is so strong it just doesn't need the kickdown. I mentioned this to a carburetor guy (some of you would know him), and he said I'd damage the tranny due to some deal with the line pressure. The guy who built my stroker motor tells me he never runs the kickdown in his cars, and he's never had a tranny problem. So, I guess that's settled.

A carburetor guy tells me that if the kickdown linkage to a Turbo 350 is simply disconnected from the carburetor, it will damage the transmission. Is that true?

Ok, so if you'd like to swith from Dextron III to Ford type F transmission fluid, what is the best way to drain all the Dextron III from my TH350 before filling it with Type F?

The heating pad I use reaches 160 to 170 degrees if a towel is placed over the balancer to hold in the heat. That seems very hot to me for a heating pad, but that's what my infra-red thermometer read when I directed it at the top of the pad. The balancer was too hot to handle without gloves. I used the "Heat and Shove" method last Sunday. The balancer went on a little over half way without any trouble, but then it hung up on the keyway. I used a balancer installer to ease it on the rest of the way without any trouble.

Just a question for anyone who knows. When you install a harmonic balancer, how much of a chance is there that the seal will fold inward when the balancer is either pushed on or pulled in with a balancer installer.

Never mind. I know what it means.

I replaced my front seal two days ago. It's the first time I've done it. Piece of Cake. Take a screwdriver and a hammer and crush in the edge of the old seal in one or two places. Tap the hammer a few times until you get the feel of it. I then used a "hook" to slip behind the seal. It came right out. The new seal is not hard to put in. I put some sealer around the outside edge of the seal (can't think of the name of it right now). I then placed the seal on the timing cover and used a short piece of 2x4 and a hammer to tap it in. Getting it started took a minute or two, but then it was easy. This morning, I'm installing another balancer using the "Heat and Shove" method. I'll let you know how it goes. What is PITA?

TRUNKLID, Thank would be a problem, no doubt. However, the balancer is on good and tight. I can't claim credit for this idea. The guy who built my 383 shortblock told me about it. He said he's been using the "Heat 'n Shove" method for 20 years. According to him, "Works almost every time."

The other day I replaced the front seal in my 350. The old seal was leaking and it had worn a groove in the original GM balancer. I installed a TCI Rattler balancer extremely easily using the following method. I put some anti-sieze lube on the crank snout and on the balancer. Then, I laid the balancer on a heating pad and let it heat up overnight. I put a towel over the balancer to concentrate the heat. The balancer was too hot to handle without gloves in the morning. I lined it up on the crank snout and gave it a shove. It went right on with no problems. This method also helps if you've already got the crank in perfect position for TDC and you don't want the crank to move.

I put a large round magnet in the bottom of my transmission pan. I got it from an Electronic surplus catalog. I put the magnet where I wanted it to go, and then used J-B Weld to glue the edges to the pan. It's never moved. So far, all I've caught is some slime. I've also got FilterMags on my oil filter. These things are worth every penny. They work exactly as advertised. If I'm not mistaken, FilterMag also has a flat tranny magnet now.

I just changed the filter screen in my 72 Monte. It has a TH350. I drained the fluid into a bucket and then marked the fluid level on the bucket before I emptied it. Then, using a quart measuring container, I filled up the bucket with water to the fill mark. It came to 6 1/2 quarts. That's what I put back in, and the level was right on. Thanks for the tip on starting the tranny bolts. If you use an aftermarket pan, first do a trial fit. My Derale pan required that I elongate two of the holes a smidge.

Rice Racing, Outstanding primer on compression ratios for the early Monte heads. I switched out the 2bbl on my 71 Monte small block for a Q'jet and an Edelbrok intake. I also have a 72 Monte small block with a factory Q'jet. I am 99% certain the heads and cam are the same for both cars. The engine now looks better with the upgraded carb and intake, and it runs better in the upper rpm ranges. Surprisingly, the gas mileage is about the same as it was with the 2bbl.

At the last Moultrie Car Show I purchased two transmission coolers that resemble a finned tube. Mine are about 18 inches long and measure about 3 1/2" in diameter including the fins. Both the inlet and outlet are on the same end. It mounts below the radiator so it grabs new air. It's very rugged. A rock won't hurt it. Even though it mounts to the bottom of the radiator support, it's still mounted up high enough so it won't hit any speed bumps. I'm just installing it now. This cooler is exactly what I had been looking for. In my opinion, which I admit might be worthless, all transmissions need an auxillary cooler.

As already mentioned, tetraethyl lead was added to gasoline as an inexpensive, but very effective way to increase octane. It also coated the inside of the combustion chamber. This added a cushioning effect to the valves when they closed. It's especially helpful to the exhaust valve. Up until 1971, valve seats were just milled into the cast iron head. Without lead, the pounding of the hot exhaust valve against the head would quickly erode the valve seat. Beginning in 1971, the valve seat was still milled into the head, but it was "induction" hardened. Beginning in 1972, separate hardened valve seats were pressed into the heads. We all know lead is toxic, but has anyone (and I mean anyone) read any (and I mean any) studies showing any (and I mean any) detrimental effects to humans from tetraethyl lead? Lead was first added to gasoline over 80 years ago. If the effects of tetraethyl lead were as toxic as claimed, every adult from the WWII era and the post-war Baby Boomers should either be dead from lead poisioning or severly brain damaged. I'm 56. I grew up in a lead environment. In 1974 I was tested for lead toxicity because I was on a shooting team, and they required it. I had no detectable lead in my body although I breathed lead fumes all my life. On advice from an acquaitance of mine who is an engineer in the automotive industry, I add lead substitute to every car I own. It's not lead, but rather an effective and legal substitute. You cand find several brands on the shelves at your parts store. I recommend using them.

Thanks to both of you. If I want the coolest transmission oil temperature possible, it makes sense to send it through the transmission cooler last. Do you know what the optimun oil temperature is for a TH350? Andrew Offutt

I'm adding a transmission cooler to my 71 Monte. I've read where you should first send the oil through the radiator cooler, and then through the transmission cooler, and I've also read where you first send it through the transmisson cooler and then through the radiator cooler. Does anyone know which one is really the best sequence(and why)? Thanks, Andrew

Will anyone tell me the difference between a series 1350 U-joint and a series 1310 series U-joint? Which type do we have behind our Turbo 350 and Turbo 400 Montes? I know the driveshaft is different between the two. Where do you recommend buying the correct U-joints? Andy Bill 402

GPrimm, Thankyou for taking the time to share that information with us. Could you comment on, or find out why and how Car Craft seems to know that 10 '71 Monte Carlo LS6 vehicles were built. Car Craft seemed very specific, even mentioning that several had 4-speeds. Someone, somewhere, had to supply them with that information. But, it does seem that after these years, if an LS6 was out there, it would have surfaced by now. It's like trying to find Big Foot. Andrew Offutt

In the February 05 issue of Car Craft, on page 18, is an article about the 71 Monte Carlo 454. It's all stuff we know until the very end when the article reads, "The Holy Grail of '71 Monte Carlos is the special-order LS6 model. Though not on the order form, 10 of these 450hp machines, several with four-speed transmissions, cruised out of the factory." I've heard rumors of an LS6, but I've never seen any authenticated documentation. Anyone care to comment? Andrew Offutt