Root's 64 Cyclone Build

[Groover]

Yes, really enjoying this thread. Keep it coming.

[Rootsy]

One of the things that had plagued me since owning this car was the loose steering. Some of it was the worn out suspension, some the horrible power steering shuttle valve and the rest the gearbox. I remember sawing on the wheel like you used to see in old movies to keep it going straight down the road. Mostly holding the wheel against one direction or the other.

So with the front end rebuilt and the PS eliminated I was left with only the loose gearbox to replace but at that time they were unobtanium. Enter this old girl at Parts Galore (RIP) in Flatrock, MI. A friend and fellow comet enthusiast turned me onto her and I was hoping to grab the clutch pedal assy and other assorted items (most of which had been harvested already). Well it just so happened that on a cold October day in 2019 I snagged the manual gearbox with the correct shaft diameter for use with the new steering.

Unfortunately whoever snatched the clutch pedals bent the steering column downward to extract them.



I visited NPD up I 275 and picked up a rebuild kit and went to work. Some time spent in the press with the shaft marked and sitting in V blocks got it straightened out.





Let me also say that my existing gearbox upon tear down was toast. Everything internally was extremely pitted so she went to the steering box graveyard in the sky. Luckily I harvested the balls out of it first because the “new” box was short two. But otherwise the new box was in great condition internally.

I was also able to snag a manual column tube from Facebook marketplace locally from a mustang to rob the collar from for my column. Because 4 speeds are more fun than automatics…

The finished product.





While I was at NPD I picked up a new steering wheel. My original is pretty well deteriorated and not sure if it can be restored or not. I did learn that there is a difference in the horn and blinker contact architecture between generator and alternator cars. My car was originally a generator like all 64s and the wheel I got was for an alternator car and the center wouldn’t clock when installed.

[SASSY]

Got nothin to add here, sitting back and watchin the boy go!

[Caveman49]

What Fred said

[Rootsy]

When I began this adventure in 1998 I was bound and determined to turn this auto car into a 4 speed car.

My Dad was a NASCAR fanatic and had season tickets to all of the southern tracks so on one of his adventures to Charlotte he went to some junkyard and came back with the steering linkage from a ‘65 manual steering car and also brought me the clutch & brake pedals, spring and brackets. The mounting structure between manual and auto is the same. After 20 years and a few moves I somehow managed to find all of these pieces except for the clutch pedal stop. So once again while at NPD I picked up the wear parts to put it back together. Now I see perusing this forum that there is some bearing type upgrade… serves me right not spending more time here researching before going off half cocked.

I eventually found a stop from someone converting to an auto from a manual - I traded my automatic brake pedal for it. Win win.





I haven’t figured out a clutch config yet but I am thinking hydraulic most likely. Or cable if I can get it snaked down around the headers. The block I used was a late model 5 liter roller and has no boss to mount the Z bar ball stud…

[Joe Travers]

Nice work, Root

Here's the bracket on my 5.0L roller block for the Z-bar installation. Bolts to the bellhousing, pivot stud screws into it for bushing.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sdk-c5zz7a531lm

Rest of the goodies- https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sdk- ... ?rrec=true

Joe

[poboyjo65]

They make a z bar pivot ball that mounts to the bellhousing bolts if you decide to go that route.

you are doing many of the same things I did. csrp brakes,1 1/8 swaybar, caltracs & spl mono's & moving the rearend back . Get a rear brake hose/splitter for a 73-79 ford truck. it is same as a comet but longer & you will need it. it will have enough extra so you can clock it away from exhaust & wont get ripped out when the suspension tops out. I used a 1'' longer yoke to keep from shortening my driveshaft

Another thing I did was made some blocks to move the rearend back so I didnt have to drill my axle pads or the caltracs below. had to get longer ubolts ,also acted as a lowering block so I could make the upper one thicker if I wanted to lower the car more.


this way I can go back to stock position if ever needed.
because of a wreck or whatever I had one wheel closer to the wheelwell by a 1/4'' . I went back & made another set, this time I drilled them bout 1 1/8 back ,,,,& 1/8 to the side - this evened up the rearend between the car's quarters side to side .

[poboyjo65]

A couple other things you may run into moving the rear back is parking brake cable may not be long enough & you will need to order longer caltracs tubes if you didnt tell them you were moving the rearend back. the ubolts have to go back with the axle so the caltrac lower piece has to go with them. also meant to tell you ride height can be changed by replacing the rear half of the leafs so it isn't as expensive to ship & they have good customer service.

[Rootsy]

Thanks for all of the learnings. I appreciate all of the info.

[Boss/Cyclone]

Nice work, when I get back from Maine I need to drive over and take a look at your progress. Probably going to the Detroit autoshow late in the week.

[Rootsy]

Nice work, when I get back from Maine I need to drive over and take a look at your progress. Probably going to the Detroit autoshow late in the week.

Any time.

[Rootsy]

In the Winter of 2019 I decided that it was transmission time so I started looking for the correct 4 speed. Again, FB marketplace delivered and a short drive to Ohio later I had a T10. The previous owner told me that it came from a wrecked ‘65 Cyclone and had been sitting around for decades. I popped the cover before buying and she looked clean so $350 later I was on to my next adventure.





A little research and it’s a wide ratio run of the mill wide flange T10.





Disassembly wasn’t very exciting except for some porosity where those needle bearings ride. So new cluster gear shaft it was



I bought a pretty straight forward complete rebuild kit, new cluster gear shaft, reverse idler shaft, forks and upgraded synchronizers and keys that supposedly help with the pop out of 2nd gear deal.











After A LOT of soaking and scrubbing and some sandblasting I bolted it back together and primed and painted



eBay provided a reconditioned Hurst and install kit. The mounting bracket required some time on the mill to relieve so it would actually bolt to the tailshaft housing.

[Joe Travers]

Hey, Root.

You recall the name of the vendor for your T-10 kit?

Thanks

Joe

[Rootsy]

Hey, Root.

You recall the name of the vendor for your T-10 kit?

Thanks

Joe

Shifter Doc

[Joe Travers]

Gear Box what you have on spreadsheet.

Did you pop for the HD bearings at extra cost?

Joe