I wish we had pictures and list of names so I would know people from here that attend. I'm sure that I ran into you at SCR sometime, but I have no idea.

big gear head .... I thought the same thing while I was at the track on Friday.

Next I have to find where my water leak is. I thought it was at the kick panels and replaced them, but I'm still getting water.

It's going to take some more investigation

Sorry I've been working on a couple of other projects and haven't been working on this one. I do still have a transmission leak - and on looking, and feeling, I see it is coming from the dipstick tube. I've got a new o-ring seal and hope to get that fixed before long. I have also did some more looking about my water leak - and am now starting to believe it is not coming from the kick panels. Hopefully I will know about that in a few days.
Wish me luck ... haha ... I sure need it at times

Looks like the water leaks are around the door and window seals .... so I'll need to get that fixed next, and I've still got to get the new o-ring on the trans dipstick tube.

So I got the door and roof rail weatherstrip along with the vertical strips for the quarter windows and the outer window felts
I always get into this place where I'm trying to not 'over' repair/fix the car - but leave it more as a just a car that looks like one that has be maintained .... but in this case I can't have water getting in the car and wetting the carpet/floorboard. So maybe a lot of new rubber but didn't know how else to handle it.
But first the doctor will be putting more shots in my back tomorrow - lets hope that works and I can get back to work on this car soon.
Trying to 'recruit' a fellow now to help me with some of this - wish me luck

I got the new o-ring on the transmission dipstick tube today. Wasn't easy - in fact I had a hard time getting the holes lined back up so that the dipstick tube was bolted in place with the bell-housing - but finally got there. Hopefully now no more trans leaks.
So the weather-stripping is next

Great progress! Let us know if that solves the leak.

It seems I have the dipstick tube leak fixed .... but the shaft for the trans shift lever is still leaking or leaking again. I put a new seal on it, but it is what it is. So I cleaned around it good and blew everything off - and then I put some sealant (made for use with auto trans fluid) around it. We'll let it set for a day and check it again.
But I've got to get to the weatherstrip.
Get more shots in my back Friday - I hope to be all the better after that.

The gear selector shaft isn't leaking - but then I haven't driven the car either. My friend who has built a lot of transmissions said the gear selector shaft seal on a Turbo-400 sets deeper in the recess in the case and that I have two seals. The old original seal that is leaking and the new seal. So if the gear selector shaft leaks anymore I guess I will take the pan off and take the shaft out and get everything right. What a mess

Just as a report on progress - there hasn't been much. I have had other small projects around the house, the doctors have my back doing much better and I don't want to get it aggravated again, and a couple of months ago I lost my best friend - the one that I could talk to about cars and he would come help me, and joking with each other kept us laughing and enjoying what we were doing.
So I'm still looking for someone who I can get to fix a lot of the little things still going on with the car .... like - tach doesn't work, fuel gauge doesn't work, no taillights, no turn signals, power wire from tranny kick-down switch needs to go to something, etc. Things like that , that I don't know a lot about really try my patience anymore.
Friend down the street who I've paid for work plenty of times before - he's a retired mechanic - is older now too and his wife's mother is taking more of their time, etc. But I'm going to check on him and see if he's doing anything.
Last resort I'll take the car to a local restoration shop and pony up the bucks - if my back ain't hurting when the car is done - I guess that's a win.
Wish me luck ....

I did get to talk the the retired mechanic yesterday. It wasn't his wife's mother who was sick but her sister - she has now passed, but had a handicapped daughter, so they are now trying to make arrangements for her to be taken care of.
But, on the good side I might be able to get some much needed help soon

Sorry I haven't been giving an up-date on this project, but really I haven't made any progress. I'm still waiting on the old mechanic to call me to bring the car down to get all the wiring issues straightened out. I'm very hopeful that he will call me soon after the first of the year. My project is next in line at his garage.
Keep wishing me luck - I haven't given up - and will take the car to a different shop if I have to.

Good News ... the retired mechanic who lives down the street called me yesterday and said bring the car on down. I stayed and helped him and he is already finding several things I would have never found --- like the new front parking light assemblies had the wiring installed in them backwards .... making the bright side of the 1157 bulb burn when the parking lights were turned on, and the flasher side of the bulb burn dim or normal when the turn signal was used, so you could even see the bulb was flashing -- hope that makes sense.
Lots more to do but he's really good

Glad to see you are still plugging away on the old girl. Are you going to be at SCR again ? I had the '38 coupe there last year. Hoping to get the Chevelle together enough to bring down this time.

Yes, I plan to be there but I don't think the Chevelle will make it this year - I'll try and bring something else.

How it started and how it's going .....

Hopefully after this all the gauges and everything else will work ... as I am having a new gauge cluster put in as most of the old gauges didn't work

Yep, you got yourself a spaghetti mess going there...:laugh:

I quick question. This car has a rear window defogger on it. Did that come from the factory or was that installed at the dealership out of the factory Accessories Catalog?

Thanks for any help.

Both,the rear defogger was an extra cost factory installed option,as well as you could ask the dealer to install,once it was delivered.

Thanks Mr70 .... I just don't know that I'm going to leave it on this car.

Don't know why I didn't think of it before - I just checked the partial bill sheet I have and the rear window defogger came on the car from the factory
That must have had something to do with it being a New Jersey car.

The retired mechanic who is working on my car is getting lots done. He has checked resistance on tons of wires and really getting things straighten out now.
He has put in a new fuel tank sending unit, a battery (old one had a crack around the negative terminal on top), radio, and speaker. In the process he has taken out a few 'extra' wires from the old radio and speaker system.
I also got to buy a new transmission kick-down switch which should go in before long.
The power brake booster - which I paid a shop to install didn't have all the nuts holding it to the firewall - that's now taken care of.
Bad part - I've spent several dollars - but it'll be nice ..... new dash pad, dash panel, and new instrument cluster, antenna, etc.
Still stuff to get to but it's coming along

Awesome!! :biggthumpup:

Things are coming along - the dash panel and gauges are about ready to go back in. Everything checks out and looks to be in good working order now.
I'm really thankful to have had this retired mechanic's help.
We are going to have to repair the transmission kick-down switch that goes by the gas pedal - mine works sometimes and some times it needs a wiggle - and I cannot find a repo. NOS are ridiculous. But I think we'll be alright.

Then, get out and enjoy it :) :biggthumpup::biggthumpup:

I intend to ..... but it will need to go to the alignment shop

I should get to bring the Chevelle back home today. There are going to be a few things I will have to do now. One of the Back-Uo light sockets needs to be replace, it's working but there is some corrosion on it - and even thou it has been brushed clean and is working now, I think the corrosion will come back.
I need to re-tape the wires coming from the front parking lights where he had to take things apart to assemble the lights correctly.
Transmission pan is leaking and I must get that taken care of also.
Horn button doesn't work and I think I can get the horn cap/button spaced out a little so that it does work .... and one of the horns doesn't work, so I will be getting another one.
But over-all the car is much better and will be in a condition now that it can be driven some

I forgot to mention that the brake 'stand-off' valve is leaking. I ordered one and have it now.
Also the transmission gear shift lever is not the right one. I think the transmission came from about a 1970 Impala - which I guess was column shift - and the ratio is not right for the floor shifter. I ordered and have received it also.
I've also ordered and received a new transmission pan and gasket to fix the leaky trans pan.
The work goes on

Getting some more work done on the Chevelle this week and I will post more soon.

But does anyone know if the "stock' torque converter that came in a 375 hp car let the engine idle in gear at 750 rpm's. That's what the Tune-Up specs call for. Trouble is the converter in my car pulls the engine down to about 500 rpm's in gear.

Is there a known good stock replacement torque converter for these cars? Thanks

post a pic of the converter both sides.

Thanks Donnie. Converter is in the car now - so when I get the car back home from the mechanic's house, who is doing the work for me, I'll see what pictures I can come up with

I believe from what I remember the trans is from a 1970 or 71 Impala (from the trans code on the side of the case). Also the shifter lever is for a column shifter - we are swapping that out this week for one for a floor shifter.

If the converter is still from the Impala, it's not going to work with the L78 cam, as you are aware of. You'll need a converter to match the application, with a higher "stall" speed, either a rebuilt original or an aftermarket tuned to the cam.

Thanks Mitch. Yes you're right. I need a converter that will let the engine idle higher in gear - but I don't want a real high stall converter either. I enjoy the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drags and would need a converter that wouldn't blow-off F-70-14 tires.

But if I understand correctly - the stock converter did let the engine idle at about 750 rpm's and had a 2,200? rpm stall

Yes,as that's what my L-78 TH-400 transmission lets it idle at.

L78 with TH400...
 

The idle aspect is only part of the transmission issue...the hi-perf trannys used behind the L78 were special built units. They had stronger internals, the 6 lug high stall converter, a hi shift point governor and other unique features. There was an old thread about this, not sure if the info is still accessible.

https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthre...ighlight=trans

Thanks for the info on the transmission. Right now the trans seems fine, I'll know more soon as the car is getting close to being drivable

And the new Disc Brake Hold Off Valve leaks ..... so I've ordered another one

The transmission in my car has a "CR" code with a black tag - no picture, but the torque converter only has 3 bolts.

Th-400..
 

For 70-71 the 'R code' TH-400 would be a 454 application from a Chevelle...

The 3 lug converter indicates a low-horse option...

That's what I was thinking - but no way to know IF the trans has been up-graded without taking it apart, and I don't plan to just do that with the trans working good.

But the converter has to be changed