The quest for missing pieces continues and my list grows a usual.

Still need the bolts for the transmission hookup. Also seem to be missing the Pilot bearing. Given these two pieces I should finally be able to assemble the engine/transmission.

Test fitting the flywheel, I may have overtorqued two of the 9 bolts. I was looking at the N-m values and using the ftlb scale. Grr.. Have to remove them again anyhow to put in the pilot bearing. Gonna put them back in with threadlock and hope that takes care of that.

The clutch-cable i bought seems to be for a later rev of the 915. Looks like i need a replacement for my existing cable instead. Also need to figure out what to do about the throttle cable. The hook-up is quite different.

Jacked up the front to do the fuel line work. Got the hard lines out, got the Holley pump out. Also got a look at where the return line connects and I need to figure out how i'm going to make that connection. And i think i need to pull the tank out or drain it. Argh!

And looking at how things connect in Pet, I'm only getting more confused looking at the whole fuel system mess. Another part that i didn't anticipate getting so complicated. I'm getting closer and closer to just getting things back together enough for towing and taking the car down to Dieter's. I'm really close to throwing in the towel.

Got the Starter Gear Ring. But i have not yet ordered the proper studs. Doh. So that means i can hopefully assemble all the clutch pieces this weekend, but i won't be able to mate the Transmission yet. Steve at Instant-G put up a page about the 3.2L conversion which should give me all the info i need for building the wiring harness. If the Oil Cooler arrives next week, maybe i'll be able to finish it all next weekend. Here's hoping.

My latest pelican order arrived. Fuel lines and hookups, Power Clutch, flywheel and hardware.

And for those of you playing along at home, the answer is: Yes, there is a separate gear ring for the starter that i am still missing. Ho hum. I'm off to Monterey for the Historics tommorrow morning, so i'll deal with it when i get back.

Ok, talked to Steve Timmins at Instant-G. Getting the oil cooler kit from him and he said he'll throw wiring information and tech support in as well. w00t!

So that's likely another 2 week wait, so we're really looking at September before the 911 is back on the road. Ho hum.

If there is one benefit to not finishing this for Monterey is that i spend more times looking at pieces and deciding whether to just make it work or replace it properly.

First case in point is the whole oil cooling issue.

I test fitted the engine in the engine bay and the hardline was a good 2 inches away from where it need to connect to the engine. I also tried moving the hardline further back, but it's pinned against the front fender. Considering the thermostat on the hardlines already got oil caked on them, hinting at some type of leakage, I'm thinking about just dumping the hardlines, and ordering the Mocal thermostat, steel bradided lines and connectors from Batinc. At the same time, I'm still trying to get a hold of Steve Timmins of Instant-G, to see whether he's got harness schematics for the 3.2 69 conversion and he sells a mocal kit will all the fitting and even proper mounting brackets for a front mount. That path i'd be looking at selling the Carrera Oil Cooler again. I'll need to talk to both of those and see what i feel best about, but one way or another the hard line are gone. Should;'ve done this research before the purchase.

Test fitted the Engine and transmission, and it looke like the M10x72 studs are the right one. Also test fitted the Speed sensor and i don't see how it can adjust to the tolerances specified. And it's cables look pretty sad. Going to check how much that piece costs to replace. Can't find it in PET or at Pelican tho. Ho hum.

While we're on the subject of the Transmission/Engine junction, it does look like the sensor gear ring is separate from the starter gear ring. I'll be sure once i get the flywheel in, but anyhow AARG.

Next I did the test fitting of the tranmission checking for clearance issues. Had a couple:

First, the fuel hardlines from the engine bay interfered. I completely removed them. May bend themt to fit and re-install or just replace with hose entirely.

Second, the brake fluid hardline that AJ USA managed to jam in there with the old transmission in (since the original hardline couldn't be replaced without removing the engine got pinned by the tranny. I figure that's an accident waiting to happen. Luckily i have a nice supply of blank (unbent) hardlines I acquired when doing the four-corner brake rebuild at the beginning of the 911 ownership. So i custom fitted a line that won't be in the way.

Third, and as expected, the chassis pushed up against the tranny. If there's one thing i've learned in this project is how to feel comfortable with taking the hammer to chassis pieces that are not visible. I just hammered at the dome until i created enough space, as people on the Pelican boards suggested. This is roughly the time when I'm always thankful for Karl Aldinger's advice regarding cars on jackstands: "Before going under your car hipcheck the car a couple of times. Better it come down now than when you are under it." Good advice and i've followed it and gone further a couple of times, grabbing the engine bay and yanking on it from the outside. That car is not moving.

I did not re-install the axles, even though i have the required gaskets now. I decided to hold off on that until i get ready to put the engine in, since they'll just be in the way under there while i make whatever other mods i still need.

Although i am still plagued by uncertainty about the clutch, i went ahead and ordered what i need. From my research it seems like the starter gear ring is part of the flywheel on the 86 3.2L. Would explain why there is no lightweight flywheel available for it.

Ordered the Sachs Power Clutch, stock flywheel and bunch of fasteners from Pelican

Also in that order, i ordered all the various hookups for the fuel pump and decided to get the hard fuel lines. I figure, i'm going to run a more sensitive engine, so i might as well make sure the lines are clean. Especially since the return line's been sitting dry since i did the Holley fuel pump switch a year and a half ago.

Got the Stud order from Pelican just now. The studs are more like 122mm, not 102mm. Took some measurements, and apparently the the 102 on the stud means 102mm from the crankcase, not counting the 20mm that get screwed into the crankcase. So maybe the M10x72 are the right ones after all. Since it's not going to make it any time soon, i'm just going to mount up the tranny this weekend and find out exactly how many millimeters those studs need to be post crank case.

All the other parts are fine.

Got the tranny mount and the Fuel pump bracket from Parts Heaven.

Well, ordering a clutch seems to be a bit more challenging than i thought. Part is that i need one end to mate with an 86 engine and the other with a 74 transmission. And Pelican Parts order takers are not being very useful. I can't determine whether the starter gear ring comes with the flywheel, clutch or neither. I think i'm gonna hit up Parts Heaven. They seem to be a lot more knowledgable about what parts go where. Although at this point, I wonder whether I should just write to Steve at Dieter's and have them procure the parts. Then i a) know it's right and b) can take it back if it's not. Be worth the likely premium i'd pay.

Drilled a hole through the chassis at the base of the seat wells that the DME wiring harness will eventually be fed through.

Got some bolts and was going to mount the oil cooler permanently, but had the realization that i needed to lift the front of the car to fit a drill under there. That in turn would bring the back down too low for the engine to come in and out (a constant routine of making everything fit in the garage when\ not working on it). So, I'm going to hold off on that until i get the parts for installing the fuel pump, since that's going to require the front to come up as well.

And it turns out i may have to remount the hard lines anyhow. I connnected the rear hard lines and was missing about 1/2 inch to get the line to hook to the oil tank. Granted that oil tank is a custom install and so maybe i should just move it back, but i had this vision that the same problem would happe\ n when i get the engine in. What i'll do is jack the engine up to where it gets mounted and see how the oil line mates up. If it does, i'll move the oil tank. If it doesn't, it's back to remounting the hard lines which will take some chassis hammering (out of sight, of course).

But that's for another day. My frustration level of where i'm at versus where i ought to be has got me in a state where i'm liable to make some stupid mistake, so i'll leave the car be and try to figure out what else i need to order from Pelican tomorrow.