Problem 1:
I have a RAM clutches hydraulic throwout bearing hooked up to a Wilwood master cylinder, a set I bought off a guy over here.

The HTB has an inlet and a bleeder outlet. I started by gravity bleeding the system until I got dripping from the bleeder, then I closed it and tried to bleed it like brakes - pump the pedal, hold it down while opening the bleeder. Problem is, the HTB doesn't move (took pictures of it and everything) , and there doesn't seem to be any pressure on whatever comes out of the bleeder. But no leaks.

The master cylinder is mounted on the firewall, in a downward angle - that is to say, the forward end of the master cyl, with the inlet (yes, I checked the Wilwood website to make sure which is which) is below the level of the outlet (which is closer to the firewall). The HTB is mounted on the input shaft bearing retainer, behind the centerforce dual friction clutch. The bleeder hose is the upper one of the two, the inlet/master connector is the lower.

What am I missing?


Problem 2:
I have an internally regulated ALT that I hooked up my electric choke to - now the GEN light stays on, even at high RPM. I took it apart and checked the diode trio, it's doing fine.


Problem 3:
Reverse lights on my TH350 was a two wire connection with a single connector?! The reverse light switch on my Tr3550 is two terminals that connect when the transmission is put in reverse. How does the TH350 reverse light system work?


Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

Problem #1 - First suggestion I have is try to borrow a pressure bleeder set up. I have a Phoenix Injection type that has a built in reservoir. It hooks to the open bleeder. After you bleed all the air out of the tool including the hose you hook it up and push the fluid up and into the master. Leave the cap off so the fluid has somewhere to go. Obviously clean the brake fluid off any painted surfaces. Next manually bleed the clutch. Do not pump the pedal. That will push air into the system and the faster you pump, the smaller the bubbles get. Open the bleeder, then slowly push the pedal down, close the bleeder, let the pedal up. Do not let the master get low. Repeat this until you have a good amount of travel with the throw out bearing.
Problem #2 - I suggest you hook up the electric choke to a different key on power source. Don't forget to install an in line fuse near the splice you tap into the power.
Hope this helps, Dave - The Freak

 

Any input is appreciated, thanks.

Problem #1: Ah, so a pressure bleeder hooks up to the bleeder and pushes the fluid "backwards" through the system? Pardon if I don't understand, but why would I need to bleed anything afterwards?

Problem #2: It's hooked up to the fields terminal (I believe that's what it's called), namely the one that only energizes when the engine is running. Any other keyed source would surely result in my choke releasing even if I don't crank and start the engine, no?


Adding a third problem in the original post, hold on.

And thanks for your patience!

 

Assuming you connected the electric choke as shown in this thread, that would have no effect on the alternator or GEN light. I assume the light worked correctly with the internal regulator before the electric choke was added? Does the light go out when you disconnect the choke?

The reverse light wiring is independent of the trans type. There are a pair of green wires under the dash that plug into the NSS/backup light switch. The stock backup light switch works the same way as the one on your TR3550 - it simply connects the two terminals together when in reverse. One of the green wires is a power feed and the other goes to the backup lights. If you are talking about an electrical connector that is screwed into the TH350 trans case, that is NOT for the backup lights, it is for the Transmission Controlled Spark system.

 

Ah, wonderful on problem #2. Yes, light worked fine before hooking it up. Never tested without the choke, since I can't run the engine without it. I'll wire it with one of the relays I have lying around. Excellent!

Problem #3: It was the only wires I saw that were connected to the transmission, so I assumed it was my reverse lights. A green and a black wire, coming together in a round connector about ½" wide. Fits on the passenger side of the TH350.

This second electrical connector screwed into the TH350 - do all TH350 have that? Mine is a '71.

Well, right now I connected the green and black wires to the two copper leads, but I'm not getting reverse lights in reverse. This is with the key in RUN.

 

Just disconnect the wire to the choke and start the car briefly. If the GEN light goes out, you've found the problem. If not, you have an unrelated problem.

Again, those wires are NOT for the reverse lights. The black (with orange stripe) wire is for the TH400 kickdown and is not used with the TH350 (but is incorporated in all factory wiring harnesses for simplicity). The single green wire is for the TCS, which is an early emissions control system. All 1970-72 TH350s got this switch to operate the TCS.

One more time, look under the dash at the neutral safety switch, with is ALSO the reverse light switch. There should be a connector with two purple wires for the NSS and a second connector with two green wires for the reverse lights. Connect these to the switch on your TR3550.

 

Gotcha on both problems. Sorry for misunderstanding. What baffled me was that reverse lights aren't controlled by the TH350.

Additional question: The DVCS I had on the old engine had said green and black wires connected on top of it, along with a fuse. Do these need to be hotwired, or can I simply leave the connector hanging? Thanks.

 

The lights were controlled by the shift linkage, not the trans itself. This was very common on GM automatics.

If the DVCS is still connected to the vacuum advance, you need to do something. The two wires are power (black) and switched ground (green, from the trans switch). If you simply ground the green wire, you are effectively bypassing the TCS and running the distributor on ported vacuum all the time. This will work but you may need to adjust the timing if you get pinging. Personally, I just remove the whole mess and run my distributors on straight manifold vacuum. Again, this will require playing with the timing to get it right, but it's much simpler. You can find pages and pages of arguments over ported vs. manifold vacuum on the web. Bottom line is to use whatever the car likes better. Note that if you do keep the ported vacuum, you will want a thermal switch like the DVCS to ensure that if the car starts to overheat in traffic, it automatically switches to straight manifold vacuum (which is why I just use that all the time).

 

I should've figured as much.


The DVCS isn't even on the new engine, and I'm doing exactly that - running manifold vacuum. Not that it's running well, but that's because of a vacuum leak, not the timing. So, if I remove the DVCS entirely, do I need to bother with grounding the green wire at all?

 

Nope. Just tie it up out of the way. The black wire that goes to the DVCS is hot, so be careful what you do with it.

 

Did both of those. Now to wait until morning so I can go buy some dot3 and bleed that damn clutch.

 

It sounds to me lIke the master cylinder needs to be bled. I've messed with hydraulic TOB quite a bit and they are relatively simple to bleed, and get working. Another problem could be a master cylinder that's to small, not moving enough fluid to build up any pressure.

 

I made my own pressure bleeder and pushed fluid through the system until I got bubbles in the reservoir and then some. But I have the inlet lower than the outlet on the master - so do I need to turn it and then bleed to make sure there isn't air in there? To my mind I should be able to feel SOME kind of pressure in the pedal if it was bled but too small, no?

 

For those curious, the above mentioned did the trick. Now we're down to the lack of idle capability.

 

curious how your running a clutch and a th350, you workin on two diff cars?

 

Nah, old engine had a th350, new engine has a tr3550.

 

If you want your elec choke to only work with the engine running. You can run the circuit through a oil pressure switch or a vacuum switch. If you are running a relay I would run the primary side of the relay through the switch. Just a suggestion.

 

I relayed it with the fields terminal on the alternator.

Engine runs, the vacuum leak was the choke housing I'd forgotten to plug up.

Now I have a strange sound. Comes from the front of the engine, it disappears (but may still appear) at moderate throttle but is there at idle. I disconnected PSP, ALT and water pump, and it's none of those three, as the engine makes the same sound without those connected.

My old engine had the same noise after a timing chain change, and I assumed it was due to the cheap timing set. But nothing other than the carb carries over to this engine that hasn't been ruled out already in the above paragraph. So I'm perplexed, and of course worried that it's a rod bearing or something.

Anyway, uploading a video of the sound as I post this.

 

Video of the noise.

 

A lot of wind noise in the video. Stop the fan from turning- remove the belts.

A piece of hose held to your ear with the other end at various locations helps pinpoint sound sources.

 

I found the source - pin hole in the valve cover tube running to the carb baseplate.