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Seabee M38A1 Build

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by tymbom, Mar 30, 2014.

  1. Apr 10, 2018
    tymbom

    tymbom Member

    Siskiyou Co.
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    [​IMG]
    Before I could get back to work on stuff I needed to make some room and organize some stuff...
    [​IMG]
    So built a small cart and raised my work bench a little. Then I could roll all those heavy things under.
     
    Fly Navy and ITLKSEZ like this.
  2. Apr 10, 2018
    tymbom

    tymbom Member

    Siskiyou Co.
    Joined:
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    [​IMG]
    Once I moved the Jeep and the Bronco around and traded places, I pulled the drivetrain out. A buddy bought the tranny and transfer case and that allowed me to order the adapter for the SM420 and Dana 300.
     
    Last edited: Apr 10, 2018
    Danefraz, 47v6 and ITLKSEZ like this.
  3. Apr 10, 2018
    tymbom

    tymbom Member

    Siskiyou Co.
    Joined:
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    [​IMG]
    With the drivetrain out of the way, I've cut the old motor mounts out. I hated to cut out my old work, but I'm planning to move the drivetrain into a better position. It needs to back as much as I can with a small cap distributor. I need more room for the cooling system. I'm also going take advantage of the fancy adapter and clock the transfer case up a little. I don't think I can get a completely flat belly, but I'd like to get it tucked up as far as I can without cutting too much. Thanks for all the likes and encouragement... It means alot. Thanks for checking it out. Laters
     
  4. Apr 13, 2018
    tymbom

    tymbom Member

    Siskiyou Co.
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    [​IMG]

    Got some peices of the puzzle today...
    When I set the drivetrain in before I used a HEI distributor and centered everything. I don't have much room even with a short pump for my cooling system, whether I use electric fans or mechanical. So I grabbed a old points style distributor since it's roughly the same size as a small cap HEI plan to use. I've also grabbed some exhaust pipes to connect the Rams horn manifolds. Now I can place the motor ever so slightly further back, and squeeze it towards the driver's side as much as possible. I need to get the motor away from my front diff. That's the other thing... When I built the old motor mounts I had a tiny little Dana 30 front diff. Since then I've upgraded to the 9in and my harmonic balancer would just tap the diff if I jumped on the bumper. I think the shocks would slow to bouncing enough and I was planning to put a smaller diameter balancer on there too, but I would like just a little more breathing room... Should I find myself using some speed in the snow, or a mudhole, or the sand dunes. I know the guys that build Flatties say every half inch counts, so a slightly bigger M38A1, every inch counts. I would hate myself if I didn't take care of something like this and it bit me in the butt down the road... Thanks for checking it all out. Laters.
     
    73 cj5 likes this.
  5. Apr 13, 2018
    tarry99

    tarry99 Member

    Northern California
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    Just thinking out loud .............have you considered moving the front axle forward a few inches?........plenty of room inside the fender well for the tire and it sure helps the approach angle....not sure what you have for springs.........but sometimes and offset center bolt in the spring package will also work......or offset holes in the axle spring perch although you have to watch your castor & pinion angle when doing that....
    and maybe add some bump stops...........just to limit that axle going up to far.........
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2018
  6. Apr 13, 2018
    tymbom

    tymbom Member

    Siskiyou Co.
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    I've already moved the front axle forward about three inches... Plus I still would need room for the two pulleys on the balancer to miss the front diff... I would end up with about a six inch stretch. Moving the motor over combined with the smaller diameter balancer will give plenty of room. I hope. We'll hafta wait and see!! :bananatool:
     
  7. Apr 13, 2018
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    Maybe you should just put the 30 back in.

    And since you won't be using that 9" now, I could come and save you the trouble of hauling it off. :whistle:
     
    fhoehle likes this.
  8. Apr 13, 2018
    tymbom

    tymbom Member

    Siskiyou Co.
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    Bahahahahaha.... That's funny! I told my wife I was selling some Jeep parts and she immediately told me it better not that Currie thingy!
     
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  9. Apr 16, 2018
    tymbom

    tymbom Member

    Siskiyou Co.
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    [​IMG]
    :drool;:bananatool::rofl::clap: :twist: :twist:
    Spring time is mating season right? I've been wanting to bolt these two together forever!! When I first got into Jeeps back in the early nineties, my brother in law had a 59 CJ5 with a SBC/T350 and a fiberglass body. He told me of this mythical transfer case, a Dana 300. And an amazingly short 4 speed in old Chevy trucks... Plus it had the lowest first gear... Finally I have them both all bolted together!! I've been sitting on the SM420 for about 6 years now waiting for the transfer case.
     
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  10. Apr 16, 2018
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    :beer:

    I love me a 300.

    Do you have clearance issues with the shifter bracket? I chopped mine off.
     
  11. Apr 16, 2018
    tymbom

    tymbom Member

    Siskiyou Co.
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    Nope... It's right up to side of the case... I don't see much reason to try and clock it up any further. It'll just cause trouble with the shifter and make the front driveshaft clobber the reverse gear bulge... It's even with the bottom of the tranny so that's good...
     
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  12. Apr 16, 2018
    tymbom

    tymbom Member

    Siskiyou Co.
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    [​IMG]

    I feel like I'm starting to get out of the twists and turns and back on track... My wife is gonna be out of town for the next 5 weeks, Monday through Friday at Yuba College for Correctional Officer training. I'm planning to take advantage of the time and get some stuff done... :bananatool:
     
  13. Apr 16, 2018
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    Here. I got you a sweatshirt for your time alone.

    [​IMG]
     
  14. Apr 16, 2018
    tymbom

    tymbom Member

    Siskiyou Co.
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    [​IMG]

    Today's mechanical enjoyment...

    [​IMG]
    Back together in about an hour... My dad really wanted to use the pipe wrench...
     
  15. Apr 24, 2018
    tymbom

    tymbom Member

    Siskiyou Co.
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    [​IMG]

    Making some headway... The motor is moved as much as can comfortably go...

    [​IMG]
    I'm loving the Dana 300, but jeez it's a bit bigger than the 20... I guess the low gears come at a cost... Oh well...
    [​IMG]
    This is kind of a dark pic, but the transfer case is hanging down about two inches... I snugged it up there pretty good. I had to cut into the bottom of the underseat tool box a little. But it's ain the corner where the floor stepped up anyway, so I'm not worried.
    [​IMG]
    This is gonna be fun... :watch::watch::sneak: :sneak: :twist: :twist: :susp:
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2018
    ITLKSEZ likes this.
  16. Apr 24, 2018
    tarry99

    tarry99 Member

    Northern California
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    How much clearance ( " ) from there to the ground?
     
  17. Apr 24, 2018
    tymbom

    tymbom Member

    Siskiyou Co.
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    About 20inches... I've tucked everything up a little higher
     
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  18. Apr 25, 2018
    Focker

    Focker That's a terrible idea...What time? Staff Member

    WA
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    I'm sorry, but I immediately thought of "The Crying Game". :oops:
     
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  19. Apr 25, 2018
    tymbom

    tymbom Member

    Siskiyou Co.
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    :sick:

    Any idea how much a Energy Suspension transmission mount squishes? Quarter? Half inch? :shrug:
     
  20. Apr 25, 2018
    tarry99

    tarry99 Member

    Northern California
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    Not much..........maybe less than a quarter..........that polyurethane is near 90% memory.......depending on the durometer hardness of the material of which they offer 2 or 3 different options.

    Used to be a good tech line there...
     
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