Driveline assyembly sequence

[stude333]

on my 34 pickup i need to know if it is practical to r & r the engine /transmission without removing the rear end. all the old ford I have worked on previous the rear end went in last. but I am wanting ro finish up the rear of the car right now first. Jjust for info it is a stock 34 frame with a shortned 35 rear axle assembly and the rear spring has been modified to fit the 34 center perch. so is it prectical to assemble engine/trans last? Thanks for any words of wisdom

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by stude333

on my 34 pickup i need to know if it is practical to r & r the engine /transmission without removing the rear end. all the old ford I have worked on previous the rear end went in last. but I am wanting ro finish up the rear of the car right now first. Jjust for info it is a stock 34 frame with a shortned 35 rear axle assembly and the rear spring has been modified to fit the 34 center perch. so is it prectical to assemble engine/trans last? Thanks for any words of wisdom

Stude ....If there is NO radiator or grill in the way, R & R of the engine/trans assembly is a relative piece of cake. Am I understanding you correctly? DD

[stude333]

yes i currently have the engine on a test stand and am working too get that all honed in. the radiator is off of truck. but in the meantime I am thinking of finishing up the rear end installation run the brake lines wirng fifnish up the gas tank and install the bed as a separate onging project. in other words the rear end is coming together quicker so i would like to finish it up. Then later install the engine and trans( with the rear end in place. the floor is loose currently. I just wouldnt want to get the rear end all finished and then have to pull it out again to install the engine. my only experiance has been to install the emgine and trans and then slide the rear end last. that is why i am asking. thought i would ask soemone who knows for sure. thaiks so much

[Andy]

The light end of the rear end is easier to handle than the engine trans combo. I would sure would put the engine in first and get it secured and do the rear last. There is not much room trying to stab the driveshaft and your fingers are in danger. I jack up one wheel with a floor jack and turn it with my foot to spin the driveshaft. The rear can be pulled forward with the other wheel on the ground and the jack rolling.

[V8COOPMAN]

Just to be clear, and so that there is NO confusion here.....and in view of your timeline and opportunity to take care of other incidental tasks.....there is absolutely no good reason to put-off installing the rear before the engine and trans. And if you wanted to, you could even install the transmission by itself AFTER the rear end install, and then finish the engine install at a later time. Many folks remove engines, or engine/trans combos without ever removing the rear end! DD

[ford38v8]

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In my view, as the driveline has been shortened and modified, I’d want to verify required dimensions mating up to a temporary engine/tranny installation before possibly finding bad news during final assembly.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by ford38v8

In my view, as the driveline has been shortened and modified, I’d want to verify required dimensions mating up to a temporary engine/tranny installation before possibly finding bad news during final assembly.

Hey Stude.....Alan brings-up an interesting point, almost making it prudent to install the rear NOW to verify the accuracy of any "modifications" you've made, especially when mixin' 'n matchin' parts and pieces with that goofy, curved '34 spring. Just exactly what DID you modify (shorten) on this rear end, if you don't mind me asking? '35 was a big year as far as DIMENSIONAL changes on banjo rear ends. DD

[PeteVS]

Pretty sure that '33-'34 rears have different torque tube lengths for 4 and 8 cylinder engines. (Is that cars only or pickups as well?)

[JSeery]

To me, this is where having a bad block around comes in handy. I have one with a split pan rail that I use to mock things up with, comes in handy. A bad transmission case is also handy to have. I keep a lot of broken parts for this reason.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by PeteVS

Pretty sure that '33-'34 rears have different torque tube lengths for 4 and 8 cylinder engines. (Is that cars only or pickups as well?)

Correct....the 4-cylinder block is longer than a V8 block, hence...the V8 torque tube and drive shafts are 1-1/2" longer for the V8 variety. Also, the flat surface that the torque tube bolts to on the banjo sticks out 9/16" further forward of the axle center line on the '35-up banjos. And the late banjo is 5/16" wider than the '32-'34. DD

[glennpm]

Hi Stude333,


I'd would go ahead and put the rear-end in, get all your brake lines, e-cable, etc. setup. You will need help positioning and turning a rear wheel while you slip the motor and transmission in place and mated with the driveshaft splines.

[VeryTangled]

Originally Posted by glennpm

I'd would go ahead and put the rear-end in...

Hi Everyone. For this job I will share two (of many) top tips I learned from JM35...

Getting the body/frame far enough off the ground to do this with the wheels on the rear assy. can be a task if you're working with jack stands. Help yourself by using a pair of junk-ish bare rims. Mount them on your rear as you roll it under the car. The result is the rear is much closer to the ground and you don't have to raise the frame so much.

Get yourself a piece of flashing, thin sheet of anything about 6x10 inches. Form it to fit it below the floorpan in the area where the front of the torque tube will have to snake above the X but below the floorpan. This flashing prevents the tube from jamming against the floorpan as the rear moves into it's final resting place, and encourages the tube to go below it.

[stude333]

sounds like i can do what I want. that is, finish up the rear end installation tank hydraulic lines and wiring and install the bed first engine/trans to follow in a couple months. Thanks guys for providing useful comment!