74 Swinger Project

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Wifey killed the latest photo shoot.

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Ok. I was going to sell this car, but for the second time in 4 years if has developed a lifter tick. This time on the passenger side. I did not build this motor and the first time I pulled the cam replaced pushrods rechecked everything and resumed driving. Wife drove it all over. Now ticking on passenger side. Good oil pressure. I am fixing some stuff on her Camaro and getting the correct dual exhaust on, replacing the ignition, had to have a key made, addressed some wiring gremlins, and trying to figure out the fuel tank and fuel pump issue. Car wasn't getting spark intermittently and now isn't getting fuel in the same manner. At any rate, Camaro aside, I am ready to rebuild the motor in the Swinger if need be....

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Ok. I was going to sell this car, but for the second time in 4 years if has developed a lifter tick. This time on the passenger side. I did not build this motor and the first time I pulled the cam replaced pushrods rechecked everything and resumed driving. Wife drove it all over. Now ticking on passenger side. Good oil pressure. I am fixing some stuff on her Camaro and getting the correct dual exhaust on, replacing the ignition, had to have a key made, addressed some wiring gremlins, and trying to figure out the fuel tank and fuel pump issue. Car wasn't getting spark intermittently and now isn't getting fuel in the same manner. At any rate, Camaro aside, I am ready to rebuild the motor in the Swinger if need be....

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It's a sign the car is mad at you for thinking of selling it..... I swear cars have personalities. I've had this happen to me before.
 
I may just sell this as a roller...I have two 360's at the machine shop, one is destined for the Duster. Going to pull this drivetrain. While it's out it will be for sale...when it's done....it will be for sale. As I washed it off I didn't want it to go, but I gotta make room!
 
So while this car is up for sale I have gotten 2 of the 4 motors I have at the shop back. One 440 and one 360. The heads for the 360 didn't check out and had cracks so a new set sent off. Car show with wifey at the airport with her Camaro. She sold more 50:50 tickets than ever before!

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So while this car is up for sale I have gotten 2 of the 4 motors I have at the shop back. One 440 and one 360. The heads for the 360 didn't check out and had cracks so a new set sent off. Car show with wifey at the airport with her Camaro. She sold more 50:50 tickets than ever before!

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Awfully lucky, asked my wife if she'd do a photo shoot with my dart, she said only for the mug shot after she kills me :rofl:
 
That's funny. She enjoys the stuff, but we are noticing that when we go to shows I don't get to hang with her as much. Local clubs have had her out and they run her around all day. That pic was literally the only time we spent together. She just got published in her first magazine last week.
 
I took her to Seattle where I went to give a talk and we spent a few days there. Went to a glass museum and then took a glass-blowing class....wish I could build a car like this guy blew glass!

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Well in the interests of returning this to a build thread....fresh 360 on its way back together. This ended up being a very low mile motor with a stock bore. Stock flat top pistons, mild .484 lift cam, new inside and out. New matching springs for cam on rebuilt heads with bigger valves.

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I'll give a verdict on the autopsy of the power plant in the car when I pull it. Starts, runs, makes 20psi. My guess is wifey spun a main bearing...that motor will get torn down, machine shop lovin, and a build back to running. If I am happy it will go in the 73....unless I put a 340 or something else in that thing.
 
just curious....why don't you de-bur / remove the casting garbage from the block?
 
That is funny as hell. I asked my buddy the same thing as I was assembling today. He told me he didn’t think it was worth the time. I told him I read where it helps a bit. Obviously not a snowballs chance in hell I was tearing it down to go after it! Lol
 
It possibly will never matter or the factory would have removed it and I imagine removing it could help oil get back down to the pan, but my concern has always been a small piece of that garbage breaking off and causing unneeded expense.

Plus, cleaning it off looks more "high performance" and greater attention to detail has been applied to this monster (when selling,
they are all monsters).....but that is just me.

It is fast and easy for anyone to do with the die grinder BEFORE the block or complete engine goes to the machine shop......even before teardown. Maybe on your next one.

Love the way the Demon turned out......good thing I don't live closer, I would be camped on your shops doorstep every day.

Denny
 
Denny, Thanks for the kind words. I am learning. That is what makes this fun. I have so little time with my actual real job....up at 0445 and home at 1745 that I sometimes rush and miss things. I also always have the looming next move on the horizon. Had a guy come and look at this car today and he wants to paint it green....hand me money and you can coat the thing in glitter!
 
Ok..so a bit of an update. I got the car running right with a lifter and rocker issue resolved. Drove it for weeks with no problems while it was for sale. Day before auction to end I was driving it and lost oil pressure to 20 psi when hot. I would in no way even consider selling with a remote issue that keeps coming back in the top end of the motor. Ended the auction and jerked the motor. I had sold the motor above already so when I got the next 360 back from the machine shop it will end up in the car instead of the 73 Duster. Then back up for sale with a fresh motor.

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Bottom line is that as much as I love this car and have a ton of memories in it. It has to go. Been trying for over 6 months to get custody of my only child that doesn’t live with me. Do the math, there are material things and there are things you just can’t get back. Someone will get a hell of a deal on the cars I am putting up for sale. This one especially.
 
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