overdrive

The spline sealant is more good advice. You can mark the nut and case to get the nut tightened back to the same torque value, if you don't replace the crush sleeve. Dan.

Sam, you can get the white tape at an electrical supply store or I can send you some. We use it to mark the neutral wire in 240v or less systems. They should have a couple of different widths available, 3/4 or 1/2. Dan.

That's good news!

Welcome to the site and congratulations on the Masters and becoming a Monte SS owner. We are looking forward to seeing the pics. For 1970: Total Monte Carlo Production, 145,976. Vinyl Roof, 118,387. I haven't seen any breakdown for '71 or '72. Dan

Quote: I have a factory console horse shoe shifter. There is a linkage to the collar on the steering column to lock it in park with the key off. Same here. Dan

The correct steering column needed for the change is available right now in the For Sale forum.

I'd check the plastic clips. They are either damaged or the trim is deformed a little. Look closely and see if you can tell why it's not staying put. I'd think you could get some good used clips from someone here pretty cheap, if that's what you need. Dan

You are not wrong! I used the aircraft stripper on the hood of our 71, with the hood off. It worked well. I had plastic under it to catch the mess. Rinsed it well with water while using a red scotch brite pad. Like you said, it wouldn't affect the original primer! How can that be? I had to DA sand the primer off, but I still think it was better than sanding all of it off. Just make sure you rinse very well to get rid of all the stripper. It can ruin new paint, if you don't get it all off. I didn't use it anywhere else on that car, but I might use it for any panels that are removed from the car.

It looks like they're doing an excellent job! You're gonna be very proud of it. Thanks for the pics link. Dan

Rich, these guys are probably onto your problem. I put new motor mounts in our 71 and they were not built square. They had the motor twisted and the trans mount would not line up. I returned them and got the good poly ones. Problem gone. Dan

I remembered what you told me on the phone, when I saw this pic and thought it was incorrect. Thanks. Dan.

Yes it is. I wish it were mine. This '71 is on ebay right now. It's an extremely nice restoration.

This pic shows the hose from the tee at the pcv valve.

Quote: BTW, i like the pictures of your SS, looks like you're making good progress...hopefully i'll get there someday Thanks. From the book: "It's pointless to reuse the frictions unless the transmission has very few miles on it- 10,000 miles or less. If you do reuse them, inspect carefully for burning, glazing, cracking, pitting, flaking, imbedded particles and warpage. Check for wear. New frictions are about 0.080 in. thick. Replace all frictions if any are worn to 0.070 in. or less." I'd be leery of the old frictions because of the age, if nothing else. I'd call some kit manufacturers for help getting the correct # of parts. I posted a question I had when I was working on mine on the Team Chevelle site and got a quick answer. You may want to try there, also.

Great job! Thanks for the pics.

I rebuilt the exact same trans in Sept. I think mine had 6 plates in the direct clutch, too. Note, I'm no expert. My book shows 70 has the wave plates and recommends replacing the waved steel plate in the forward clutch with a flat steel plate for firmer shifts. This also reduces friction plate [clutch] wear. You can do the same on the direct clutch stack. The book shows 5 steel plates and 5 friction plates in the direct clutch, but it doesn't specify the # in the forward clutch. You can use 5 in either, as long as the clutch-to-backing plate clearance is within specs. You can get 2 different thickness steel plates from GM to adjust the clearance of each clutch stack. The book also shows you can usually reuse your old steels. Just make sure they aren't warped. You should sand them or blast them to remove heat discoloration, minor scoring and glazing. It seems you have 5 wrong steels. Be sure to soak the friction plates for at least 15 mins.

Quote: all that crud in the pan is clutch disc material Yes. Dan, worn out clutch packs won't produce much metal particles in the pan, but plenty of friction material. It's similar to brake pad material and as it gets old and worn thin in a trans, it will break down and end up in the pan. I rebuilt the TH400 in our '70 in Oct. and the forward clutch pack discs didn't have any material left on them. The discs were bare metal. When they get down to where there is only a small amount of material left, the remaining material will wear out quickly, even when driving it easy. I think it's mostly due to higher heat caused by the thin discs with little material and maybe lower than needed pressure on the discs, due to the particles in the fluid. I had to trailer our car home. Quote: Do you think I could add a little Lucas Transmission Fix and put a few more miles on 'er 'fore she needs a rebuild? I wouldn't. Save yourself some time, money and headaches by rebuilding it now. If not, you'll probably have to tear it apart during nice weather, when you'd rather be enjoying a drive.

Hi Bill! Welcome to the site! We hope you stick around and join in often. We'd love to hear more about your car and see some pics. Dan.

Quote: now I am getting quoted $20,000. this is the starting price and it could go up depending on any unexpected things they find once they strip the car. They've been painting without the proper breathing protection. You can save by doing the disassembly and paint stripping yourself. Maybe you could do the reassembly, too. I restored a Mustang convertible for my mother-in-law that way, before my son and I did 100% of the work on his 71 Monte. On the Mustang, I did the disassembly and reassembly and all of the engine, interior, top installation and other parts restoration. A shop only did paint prep, shot it, sanded and buffed. I saved her a bunch of money. If they can get those prices, maybe I'll open my shop to the public. Not.

Is the sheet in the lower section of the back seat? What is holding it so well that you can't remove it?

That's confusing and interesting. Thanks! Anybody else have a 70 build sheet w/402? What's the trans code?

Yes, it has vinyl buckets that are faded. What is the correct color? I can look at the places that are hidden from the sun and not faded, but I don't know what the correct name for my original vinyl seat covers is.

Quote: dark saddle wasn't a 70 color, only saddle was. Robert, are you sure about that? Box 71 is DKSAD. Interior color, or trim in box 43, is 769. This is the same as the trim # on my 70 SS cowl tag.