Been sidelined on some other things lately, but finally got to put in some time on the Nova today. I've also been kinda stalled trying to decide what to do with the right side header. After I had the #6 tube moved, I put it back on and found that the idler arm hits the #4 tube when you turn to the left, and doesn't just touch it, but actually prevents it from turning full left. I pulled it back off and dented the tube in about 3/4" and now it will clear, but just barely. This just bugs me a lot, and have been trying a few combinations of elbows to see it I can move it to get enough clearance. Still cogitating on that, but the show must go on, that header is easy to get back in, unlike the driver's side.
So, I rolled the engine, trans and subframe under the body, got it aligned with the alignment holes and installed all the body mounts. Once I was sure it was positioned correctly I tightened all the bolts, and hopefully that's the last time I'll need to so that.
Today, I had to remove the transmission mount and lower the rear of the transmission to be able to get to some of the bolts that hold the shifter assembly to the transmission. Once that was done, I decided to install the shifter lever and boot. That was a real pain in the behind. If you've ever tried drilling through carpet and padding material, you know what I'm talking about. I tried to ream out a hole for the drill so I could drill holes for the screws that secure the trim plate and shifter boot without the bit getting wound if in the material, but that didn't go so well. It ended up taking an hour and a half to get four holes drilled and four screws installed, but I got it done. I think it looks pretty good, and the shifter is positioned just about where it was on the old Muncie, but a couple of inches taller.
I worked on the clutch linkage, got that all assembled but had to make a new bracket that the return spring attaches to on the block as the old one was letting the spring rub really bad on the block where the casting protrudes for the oil filter. I also made a new connector link that goes from the return spring to the clutch lever. After it was all hooked up I adjusted it so I had about an inch of free travel on the pedal, so that should be good.
I also hooked up all the wires and cable for the fuel injection, the starter solenoid and distributor to the MSD ignition unit. Then on the driver's side, I hooked up the main feed from the starter to the feed block on the firewall, connected the cable from the transmission and fished the cable for the O² sensor back to the sensor on the collector adapter. It looks like I'm going to have to remove the clutch linkage to get in to be able to secure all those cables away from anything they could rub on. I had gotten the flange on the steering column coupled to the rag joint, but had to install the bolts that fasten it to together.
At that point, I decided it was time to remove the legs with the casters from the subframe and set the front end on jack stands under the front of the subframe, and that was easy, just one bolt on each of them. They were really a great idea that let me be able to move the subframe assembly around easily. Glad I thought of it!
By then it was after 5:00PM and my feet were getting cold, so I called it a day. I'll probably hit it again tomorrow for a while in the afternoon. I still need to pull the master cylinder off and bench bleed it, connect the front and rear sections of the line going to the rear brakes, then hook up the lines from the front and rear brakes at the proportioning valve and Line Lock solenoid. I might even flush out the lines and get the system bled. That would be a big step forward.
Sorry about the long post, once I get started, I just ramble on and on.
