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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 76
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 76 |
Hey folks, I'm having a little trouble. I just dropped a '69 pontiac 350 in by 68 firebird and the z-bar is coming up to short on the block-side pivot ball? Is there more than one type or length of z-bar? I'm stuck, thanks.
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 76
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 76 |
Are the subframes for the 68 and 69 different? Could that be the problem?
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 11,905
Valued Mentor
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Valued Mentor
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 11,905 |
  The z bar is the same, but the ball stud differs between 6 and 8 cyl.
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 76
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 76 |
I thought so, but I can only find one ball stud offered from the part suppliers. I've tried year one, ames, classic, npd. They all only offer one size, which is a 2.5 inch ball stud. Still too short.
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 11,905
Valued Mentor
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Valued Mentor
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 11,905 |
What did you have in there before, and is it possible you have some other z-bar rather than Pontiac Firebird?
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 105
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 105 |
I found a couple you could check. http://thepoormansoffchassisrestoration.com/firebirdparts21.htmlAmes also has one on ebay "NOS" http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320549095568&crlp=1_263602_263622&ff4=263602_263622&viewitem=&guid=5d06fcd41250a0b58b10a840ffe37bd3&rvr_id=121360086505&ua=%3F*I8&itemid=320549095568
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 76
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 76 |
It's an original 350 3 speed car. Nothing it it when i bought it. The z-bar appears correct. It's 9 inches from one end to the other. Can I just cut the z-bar in the middle and add an inch? I'm still stumped.
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 6,341
Power Member
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Power Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 6,341 |
A couple of years ago I redid my 68 Bird 4-speed. I bought the entire Z-bar "kit" from NPD and everything fit perfectly. You may have the wrong ball and or z-bar or both as I did in my bird before we redid everything...
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,374
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,374 |
Sounds like a z-bar being the wrong one. Was the z-bar with the car when bought? If you bought it used you could have fallen for the "yeah it will fit" statement that people say just to make a sell. Had it happen to me a couple times in the past.
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 70
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 70 |
I thought I had the same problem with my 67 when I converted to a Muncie from an auto. I bought the hole set-up from the trans to the pivot ball from a guy that had everything in a 67 Camaro. I finally figured out that the motor had to be setting in the frame as if the trans was hooked up and on the cross member. If the motor is sagging down in the rear the z-bar will appear to be too short.
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