My apologies to Ronnie Sox.
I have the 4 speed swap into my 87 Diplomat complete. The bellhousing, flywheel, clutch, shifter, clutch pedals/linkage is all installed. I thought I needed to ding some clearance into the trans cross member for shifter linkage clearance. Instead I flipped the shift lever for reverse and the linkage clears the cross member. I needed to make a small modification to the torque shaft, basically I need to pull the roll pin and redrill the pin hole and the spring hole to allow the frame ball stud to sit deeper into the torqueshaft (Z bar). I need to weld in the extra manual trans only hump, which I cut out of an 80 Volare with my shiny new cordless sawzall, thanks redheaded one.
Then I needed to reinstall the column, I had to "deautofy" it first. I might grab the column out of that Aspen but it's rough. Learned a couple of interesting things with this swap. The Z bar clears the precats like it was made for it. A body clutch linkage parts generally work, BUT not the pedal assembly or the bellhousing ballstud bracket. F body or M body only. I used the F body linkage from the pedal to the F body Z bar and used the new MP A body A engine linkage from the Z bar to the clutch fork. Bellhousing and fork are A body A engine parts. I did have to trim an ear off the driver's side off the bell to clear the exhaust, the ear was not used for anything I can see. I used the MP clutch kit that has all new nylon bushings, ball studs, clips and washers. I also used the MP flywheel/clutch bolt kit. This kit comes with the small head clutch bolts that can be used for either the 10.5" or 11" scalloped clutch. Don't know about the true 11" clutch but probably so.
I did have to cut the hole in the firewall for the clutch linkage to pass thru, as well as the extra bolt holes for the clutch pedal bracket. The pedal bracket was used as a template for it's holes and I made a paper template off the Aspen hump donor for the linkage hole. The radius of this hole is the same as a 1 1/4" holesaw. Unfortunately, I drill one hole completely thru and did not have any meat left for the centering drill bit on the hole saw so I couldn't cut the second hole, basically the two holes overlap to a large extent. What I ended up doing was using an 1/8" drill bit to drill a lot of holes along the3 pattern I made with the template and vice gripped the remained out. I then used a carbide bit, similar to what's used to port with, to finish the sides of the hole and smooth out the hole opening. Worked good. What's left?
I am thinking that the donor Aspen has manual brakes and I should swap the manual M/C, firewall bracket and M/C to prop valve hardlines to my Diplomat. I'll rebuild the M/C to be safe. One less thing to worry about and more clearance around the valvecover, not to mention in that area in general. That's all for now.
Oh yeah, I installed the new style pilot bearing assembly used on the Rams and Dakotas. Very Sweet, no longer do you have to worry if your crank is finish reamed for a pilot bushing. This thing is a combination roller bearing and adapter that places the pilot bearing inside the centering ring on the crank, instead of inside the crank. Works like a champ. MoPar part number is 53009180 and it's called a sleeve. Cost about $6.00, cheap at double the price compared to having to pull and machne the crank. Pictures are being taken as the swap proceeds.
So, by now I am sure you want to see pictures. I have some but a number I remember taking, or maybe I remember saying I should take them, seem to be missing.
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