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I hear you Master... mine sucked as well. I actually left the horn riveted to the frame and just cut it off flush with the channel... After taking out all the rivets that hold the T case in, the last thing I wanted to deal with was rivets through a double plated frame!

Could always try torching them out as well...

Use the force.....



I've been lucky in that the ones I've had to remove I just ground the head off and punched out.

Josh wrote:Could always try torching them out as well...

A torch, a torch! My kingdom for a torch!

Master Yota wrote:

Josh wrote:Could always try torching them out as well...

A torch, a torch! My kingdom for a torch!

Ahmen Brother!!!

If you are in BC and had a 251, then I assume it's a CDN M37. Those CDN transmissions are very hard to find. If it had a PTO installed, that's almost impossible to find. Don't scrap them without putting the word out that they are available. Good luck on the build. Keep us posted.

m15256 wrote:If you are in BC and had a 251, then I assume it's a CDN M37. Those CDN transmissions are very hard to find. If it had a PTO installed, that's almost impossible to find. Don't scrap them without putting the word out that they are available. Good luck on the build. Keep us posted.

It is a Cdn. 251, with the Acme 4spd trans and a PTO. Its been suggested that this transmission is a better trans than the unit found in the US trucks. Perhaps someone could explain what it is that makes it better.

I don't usually send anything to the scrapper. I'll make sure that it all ends up in someones needy hands.

Does anyone know if the PTO unit will fit other applications - transmissions or Transfer cases?

I believe the PTO wil fit a 205 case, but I am not positive.

I discovered that the CDN PTO idler gear is cut at the reverse angle when compared to the US one. This is because the 3rd speed gear which drives the idler is cut opposite to the corresponding US one. Changing out the idler doesn't take long, so I suppose you could have a new one cut to fit other applications, as long as the casting matched up to bolt holes.

Managed to get all the rivets out. Punched, pounded, drilled, cussed, swore, hammered, and sweated. The trans brackets have been removed with sucess.

For those that have done front axle swaps, whats the concensus on the front shackle hole in the frame? Fill the hole, or just just plate over it with a shackle mount bracket? I don't appear to have any cracks in the frame at this location, so I'm thinking just plate over it with a new bracket for the shackle hanger.

Greaseable spring pins rock BTW. The most difficult problem with removing the pins was managing to hit the punch with the hammer. I wish all setups where like this. Every rig I build from here out with have greaseable pins installed.

Master, I ran the bolt straight through the hole.

Josh, are you happy with the mounts as they are now? Anything you'd change if you had to do it over again? What did you use for the tubing? Is there a poly bushing inside reguar tube, or did you "liberate" the orriginal shackle mount from the trans mounts?

I had considered a setup similar to that but with more gussets, and to a plate that was bolted to the frame rather than welded directly.

Ray,

I added the second gusset after the fact, cause the primary plate there was tweaked slightly after 10 years. If I had put it on to start it probably would ahve been just fine. I reused the factory shackle sides, and, the tube was a hunk of 4130 my dad had the guys at work ream out to the right size. The bolt passes through the shackles to the inside of the frame, where I have a big washer on the backside and a locknut.

Got a little more done over the last couple of days, and pictures will probably come after Christmas.

Got some 1/4" steel plate formed to build the new suspension mounts from, as well as two pieces formed into a channel shape to box the front frame rails where the new engine mounts will go.

Looks like I'll need to modify my front crossmember for the crossover steering as well (lucky me! more rivets... ) It looks like the crossmember will need to be cut in half, so that he draglink can articulate behind it with out interference.

Got the front crossmember out with a little less work than the transmission mounts. Got pics too, but those will come up after the holidays.

Ray,

something you might want to consider is putting a skid plate on it when you're done for the simple reason of frame integrity. I took out all of teh trans and transfer case mounts, but not the front mount, and was amazed at how flimsy the frame felt. I put the trans mount back in, and added a skidplate, and based on a twist test, it felt more solid with the 3ftX3ft skidplate bolted to the bottom than before. Think of it like a bookshelf... you cna have all the cross shelves you want, but untill you nail the backer board on, you dont have any structural integrity there.