thanks for the idea...we are not using the side mounts on the bellhousing though, only the mount at the tailshaft so I think we need the whole case in there...we are going to tear everything down today so hopefully later we will have some clues, will let everyone know, thanks for the help!

Dan:

You can bolt the trans up without the converter and run the engine.  That is if you have the flexplate with the starter ring gear on it. 

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

so the hub in the center of the flexpate slides into the end of the crankshaft? There is no way to bolt it to the crank???

never mind - found a manual at oldcarmanual.com and found the piece I was missing and went and dug through the stash and lo and behold there it was (whew!) its in the parts washer as I type and the project keeps crawling along....

ever work on a car and get in a jam where things don't come out like they should and you think to yourself "man, I'd like to meet the ##@!@$% who designed this and see him try to fix this..." ran into those same exact thoughts pulling the trans this morning and then I realized - hey, wait a minute, I AM the $%&^# who designed and built this frame this way

note to self, make the next trans crossmember removable!

oh, and by adding the "AT" symbol in my cussword the computer thinks it is a link, but its not...

engine is in the chassis, jump in, turn the key - and it roars to life...

trying to track down my video camera so I can post some video for you guys...

here is a short video...

as Tony the Tiger would say, "...GRRRRRREAT!"

"God Bless Texas"location: Houston,TX

I know you were trying to look as cool about everything as possible but IT'S OK TO GRIN. congrats

       A  L  A  N   F  R  A  K  E  S   ~  Tulsa, OK    

ha ha, I am pretty sure the first time we fired it up in the chassis (think it was last week) I was probably grinning from ear to ear...