Now we are going to install the valve covers and oil filter adapter... In the last chapter we installed the oil pan...
This is the next step to continue after Sections 1 - 19... If you missed one of them, you can find it here...
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 1: Block Prep
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 2: Cam Bearing Install
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 3: Install Water Jacket and Oil Galley Plugs
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 4: Pre Flight Inspection After Machine Shop Before Assembly
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 5: Crankshaft Install
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 6: Installing Rings on Pistons
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 7: Install Pistons in Block
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 7a (Optional): CC the Engine Cylinder to Find Compression
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 8: Install the Camshaft
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 9: Install Camshaft Thrust Plate
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 9A (Optional): Timing Chain Options
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 10: Install Timing Chain
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 11: Check Piston-to-Valve Clearance
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 12: Installing the Heads
https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/ams/how-to-rebuild-a-small-block-part-13-installing-the-valvetrain.442/
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 14: Preparing the Timing Chain Cover
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 15: Installing the Timing Chain Cover and Water Pump
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 16: Installing the Distributor Gear, Oil Pump, and Windage Tray
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 17: Installing the Intake Manifold
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 18: Installing the Oil Pan
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 19: Installing the Valve Covers and Oil Filter Adapter
*************************************************************************
Hello everyone, it's Krazykuda here to show you how to rebuild a small block... This article is to help any newbies through rebuilding a small block Mopar LA engine, but may have a few tips that some of you seasoned builders may find useful... If you haven't ever built an engine, I will show you what you need to know to do it yourself...
The goal of this series is to show what you can do at home in your own garage... Go at your own pace and ability and then take it to someone knowledgeable for what you are not capable of doing yourself or don't have the proper equipment/tools for...
Keep checking back in from time to time as this is a work in progress and I plan to keep updating it as I build more engines and can show you more variations...
I am going to break this into sections that you can follow along with and make sense to do in 'stages' when you build... Plus you can then jump to the section that you are working on to help keep from sorting through one very long thread to find what part that you are working on when you are doing it....
*************************************************************************
*** Important Note *** Sometimes things may not go right and you will run into a snag/road block... Do not get in a hurry to finish and take short cuts that may compromise your build...
Step back, take a break, and think about it for a while... Or seek help from other experienced people or professionals to overcome the problem... Do it right and don't take any unnecessary chances that may compromise the integrity of your build...
If you don't fix the problem correctly, it may come back to haunt you and cost even more time and money than if you took the time to think about it and research it to fix the problem correctly...
This has been a public service announcement from krazykuda....
*************************************************************************
This chapter I'll give you tips on painting your engine...
You have put in so much time, money, and hard work into building your engine, now it's time to paint it and make it look as good as you built it... You want to see the admiration of others when you go to a car show or cruise and pop the hood, so make it look good... Why put out all that hard work and dedication if you can't show it off and take some pride in your accomplishment...
Speaking of showing off, it's time for me to show off some of the builds that I have done over the years to gather all of the pictures that I needed to sort through to make all of these how-to articles... Kind of a digital resume for me...
*************************************************************************
Here is a 72 318 that I set up to put in my 66 Valiant station wagon to replace the 170 slant 6... I set it up for the early 66 style engine compartment with the cast iron water pump and timing marks...
First you want to remove any old paint and rust from the parts... I find a wire wheel on a drill works great... Here is an assortment of wire wheels that I get from Harbor Freight...
Grind down all of the part surfaces with the wire wheel until it's nice and clean...
Then after the parts are ground clean with a wire wheel, get some parts cleaner and spray down the engine and dry wipe it with a clean cloth or shop towel... Do not use a previously used cloth or towel as any grease will prevent the paint from sticking and cause what they call "fish eyes" in the paint... Fish eyes are spots where the paint won't stick because of grease contamination...
Then apply a coat of primer to the whole engine... Primer makes the paint stick better...
Now the primer is dry...
There are many different brands of paint available...
After the primer is dry, paint the engine...
I like to paint the vibration damper separately off the engine so there are no bare spots on the timing chain cover and the back of the damper where they fit closely together...
Here is a felt ring that goes on the back of the vibration damper before you install it... This comes in the complete engine teardown gasket kit...
The felt ring goes in the groove on the back right here...
Here it is in place...
Coat the inside of the vibration damper with grease to help install it on the crankshaft...
Now start the damper on the crank nose like this...
Then get it started better using a large rubber mallet... DO NOT USE A METAL HAMMER ON THE VIBRATION DAMPER because sharp blows with a metal hammer can damage it...
You can pound it all the way down with the rubber mallet, but I find it's easier to use an impact wrench on the large bolt that holds the damper to the crankshaft and run it down all the way...
Here it is fully seated...
Here is what it looks like from each side...
*************************************************************************
This next series I'm going to show Eddie's 340 that we built for his 69 Dart GTS... We set this one up for a 69 Dart body...
I met Eddie through FABO and he wanted some guidance working on his car... We met and talked and Eddie and I have the same philosophy on building it right the first time with quality parts... We became friends through the build and still talk today...
Here we are prepping the engine... We are just using the intake and distributor for slave parts to keep the paint from getting in the engine...
Here we made some cardboard covers from the 3 piece exhaust gaskets to cover the sealing surface of the exhaust ports... We also used old spark plugs to keep paint out of the spark plug threads...
Now we spray the engine down with CRC Brakleen and wipe it off with a clean shop towel to remove any grease..
Now we sprayed the primer...
This is the first time that I used the Mopar Performance brand engine paint... I was impressed at how thick it went on and it seemed more durable than the Plasti-kote engine paint that I have always used... The Plasti-coat will stain/fade if exposed to an antifreeze leak and it sits on the paint for a while...
Here is after we painted it and started dressing the engine on the engine stand... It is easier to dress the engine this out of the car while it is easy to access... We installed the oil filter, motor mounts, fuel filter, new dipstick tube and took some pictures...
Here is the front view showing the dipstick tube, heater hose nipple, fuel pump, and vibration damper...
Here's the driver's side...
The back, be sure to get the back of the block, even the area where the transmission covers...
Now we put the intake manifold that he wanted to use... It is an LD340 that he sent to the mistress of metal Leanna for powder coating to work her magic on... We didn't bolt it on yet, as we installed the engine without the intake on so we didn't mar the powder coat with the engine harness that uses the front and rear intake bolts to tilt the engine as we drop it in the car... We set it on to mock up the engine parts...
Here is the intake that she did...
Nice detail on the script...
Now we test fit the Doug's headers...
Here we started dressing the engine... It's easier to do this on the engine stand than after it's in the car, take advantage of the good access to get things worked out... Here we put on the oil filter, motor mount, new dipstick tube, and fuel pump...
Here's a front shot showing the dipstick tube, heater hose nipple, fuel pump, and vibration damper... Eddie used a SFI damper, it worked fine and all the pulleys lined up with it... Plus it's chrome and shiny..
The damper is a SFI... The chrome looks great, and it can be used for either an internal or external balance engine by removing or installing a weight... The thickness is good so the stock pulley fits and lines up with the alternator and power steering pulleys...
Note that I highlighted the timing marks with white paint... I recommend doing this so it's easier to see the marks when you are using the timing light to set the timing... It's easiest to do when you have the engine at TDC so the marks are lined up together...
I use a white paint pen or white out on both the timing cover 0° mark and the TDC line on the vibration damper... The paint pen works great for the damper groove, just prime the pen so the paint drips into the groove, then wipe off any excess right away from the outer ring of the damper and leave the paint that bleeds into the groove... Then carefully use the pen and lightly touch the high part of the timing chain cover cast in marks to highlight them... That makes them easy to see in a dark engine compartment... Whoever sets your timing will appreciate it...
The driver's side motor mount...
The back view...
We put on some 1967 273 commando valve covers for the cover shoot, and set the carburetor on so we can bend a fuel line...
Here's the fuel line... I like to copy the factory routing off of the fuel pump and come up inside the alternator brackets, then go over the engine and straight back , then bend across the front of the carburetor... This way you can make it fit the exact position for your carburetor inlet...
Trying to cut and splice the stock line, especially if the carburetor fuel inlet is in a different position and/or orientation than the stock line can make many more cuts and splices in your fuel line... The philosophy is to have as few breaks in the line as possible because every joint is a potential leak path... The fewer the connections/breaks, the less chance for a leak...
One of my tricks is to bend a short piece of steel tube 90° and slide it into the piece of rubber hose that comes off the carb... This keeps the routing more consistent and prevents the hose from kinking and restricting fuel flow...
The steel spring clamps are best for sealing... The screw type are constant diameter clamps and only maintain constant diameter, where the spring clamps are constant tension clamps and keep tension on the hose for a tighter seal...
Here's the driver's side...
Here it is installed and we were tuning it up...
Initial tune done...
Eddie admiring our progress and thinking about what we have to do next...
Here it is, 69 Dodge Dart GTS 340...
Leanna the mistress of metal (Cudachick1968 on FABO) worked her magic on a set of finned valve covers for Eddie and we swapped them out... Look at that detail and multi color on the valve covers... Beautiful...
We had Ray (FABO screen name Halifaxhops) curve a distributor for Eddie... Ray does great work, uses quality older parts and will custom curve a distributor for your application... He searches the web for people selling out leftover stock from closed parts stores and stock piles parts for building distributors... Tell him what you are running and he will custom curve a distributor for you on his Sun distributor machine... He is the master of distributors and can do custom jobs or restore your distributor to stock specifications... If you need any distributor work done PM him, his FABO screen name is Halifaxhops...
He will give you a spread sheet with the details for your distributor...
We installed the distributor and took the car to an empty forest preserve by me (where it was safe to test) and dialed in the timing... When tuning adjust in increments of 2° advance or retarded at a time and test the launch until you find where it runs best...
Now that the statute of limitations has expired, I can post this...
Here are the burnout marks (street tattoos) we left while testing...
After we got it dialed in, we took a few videos... Ray's curve worked great... Notice that we didn't brake torque for the launch, just punched it from idle and the tires broke loose... On the third trial, I came off too hard and let off so I didn't loose control...
*************************************************************************
Tribute to Leanna
Leanna ran a powder coating business out of her shop/barn from her home named Phoenix Specialty Coatings... She did great work and always took her time to make the parts look their best, paying attention to quality...
She was very talented and had a gift for working with metal and powder coating, always striving for perfection... She could take an old cruddy rough looking part and make it look better than new... Everyone she did work for was pleased and impressed with her work and I never heard one complaint about her, in fact many people praised it and posted pictures and compliments to her... She called herself the mistress of metal...
She was a FABO member and her screen name was Cudachick1968... She had a 68 Barracuda fastback with a 340 that she built herself... She knew her way around under the hood and could talk cars with the best of us... She had a great personality and fit in with the guys and all of our jokes and comments...
She was a great person and we became friends through the site and she powder coated some parts for me... She loved cats and had a few that roamed around her house and shop... She even fed many strays that hung around her place and she and her boyfriend Billy built a 3 stage wooden cat house for the strays to take shelter from the elements outside...
She always was there to support fundraisers for people that were going through hard times... She would donate gift certificates for powder coating work for people to bid on to help raise money for the people in need...
Sadly, she passed away toward the end of last year... RIP Leanna, the car restoration hobby misses you...
Here is a link to the web site for Phoenix Specialty Coatings... Browse around and you can see some of the work she did...
https://phoenixspecialtycoatings.com/index.htmlthat
*************************************************************************
Just a note here...
Those of you that have kids and they are interested in cars and building things, encourage them to help and participate... It's a good opportunity to bond with your kid and make memories that will last their lifetime... Start them as early as you can... You learn more by doing, than just from watching, hands-on is the best way to teach them... Show them what to do and how to do it, and let them do it themselves... Stand behind them and watch them do it, and guide them when they need it... Plus by having them actively participate keeps their interest longer and they won't get bored... Don't have them there to hold the light for you or hand you tools, have them turn wrenches and teach them how put things together and to paint... You hold the light for them and hand them the tools... Let them develop a mechanical ability, it will help them get through life...
When my oldest son was around 13 years old, he was helping me install a 360 in my 74 Charger... I was painting the parts (pulleys, brackets, etc...) and I showed him how to use a spray can to paint... After showing him how to use the spray can, I handed it to him and told him to try... He was beside himself and asked, "What if I mess it up"??? I told him, "Then we strip it down and do it over... You need to practice and get experience to learn"... His first part was a drive shaft and I told him that even if he did make a mistake, no one would see it under the car... He did pretty good, I did just a couple touch-ups after he went to bed and the part turned out nice, and he started gaining confidence and doing more parts...
Another cool kid story...
When my older son was very young and growing up he used hang out in the garage when I worked on the cars since he was 5 years old... He used to be doubtful and say "I'll never be able to look at a car and tell what it is like you can dad"... I told him to be patient and it will come... I had many Valiants, Darts, and Barracudas and I showed him how to tell the difference between the 67, 68, and 69 models from the different side marker lights... When he was 6 or 7 years old, he was with his mom at a nursery looking to buy some flowers on the outside patio... A young couple in their early 20's pulled up and parked next to the patio and when they got out of their car, my son excitedly yelled, "Look mom, it's a 68 Valiant"... The woman got out of the passenger side dumbstruck and asked, "How the hell does he know that, he's so young, I don't even know that???" It blew her mind...
The moral here is to get your kids involved as early as you can and let them progress at their own pace... You can get them hooked into a lifelong hobby...
Ok, back to the show...
*************************************************************************
For this series, I'm showing a 91 LA 360 roller cam engine that we were building for my son's 71 Valiant 4 door (he's an adult now)...
Here's what we started with...
Then we got out the Harbor Freight wire wheels...
I turned him loose... Here's the bottom of the engine...
Now the top...
Then we applied the primer...
You can tell by the oblong shape on the back of this damper that it's a 360... This is one of the styles that they used on the 360...
Now that the engine is all primed we painted it with Plasti--kote red...
Driver's side rear...
Full driver side view from more of a top angle...
Full driver side view from more of a side angle...
Driver side view from a front top angle...
Driver side view from a front top angle...
Front view from the dead front...
Front view from a more of a top angle...
Passenger side view from a front top angle...
Passenger full side view from a front top angle...
Passenger full side view from a dead side angle...
Passenger side view from a rear top angle...
Rear view from the back...
Top intake view from the passenger side...
Top intake view from the driver side...
The vibration damper and transmission crossmember...
*************************************************************************
Spray gun...
Now for those of you that are skilled painters, you can also paint the engine with a professional spray gun... My brother did body work for over 12 years and is a pretty good painter...
Here's my brother prepping the engine... Notice the respirator hanging from his neck - that makes him a pro...
Cover any holes with tape that you don't want painted, like the carb, thermostat opening on the intake, and the hole for the distributor...
Once you got everything taped off, then apply some primer to help the paint stick better... My brother told me to always prime before you paint, even on engines...
Pick a side to start with, passenger side...
Passenger side top...
Top...
Driver's side top....
Driver's side...
Driver's side and oil pan...
Front...
Rear face of block...
Don't forget the vibration damper separately...
Once the primer is dry, then spray on the color...
Passenger side...
Top...
Front...
Driver's side...
Rear of block...
We had a visitor... Hello Mr. Red Fox...
Vibration damper...
*************************************************************************
Now your engine is built and looking great!!!
My next article I'm thinking of doing is how to set up your pulleys for your engine using the original stock style pulleys with the two different front engine types, early vs late...
https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/ams/how-to-rebuild-a-small-block-part-21-setting-up-your-alternator-and-pulleys.452/
*************************************************************************
This is the next step to continue after Sections 1 - 19... If you missed one of them, you can find it here...
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 1: Block Prep
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 2: Cam Bearing Install
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 3: Install Water Jacket and Oil Galley Plugs
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 4: Pre Flight Inspection After Machine Shop Before Assembly
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 5: Crankshaft Install
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 6: Installing Rings on Pistons
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 7: Install Pistons in Block
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 7a (Optional): CC the Engine Cylinder to Find Compression
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 8: Install the Camshaft
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 9: Install Camshaft Thrust Plate
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 9A (Optional): Timing Chain Options
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 10: Install Timing Chain
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 11: Check Piston-to-Valve Clearance
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 12: Installing the Heads
https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/ams/how-to-rebuild-a-small-block-part-13-installing-the-valvetrain.442/
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 14: Preparing the Timing Chain Cover
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 15: Installing the Timing Chain Cover and Water Pump
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 16: Installing the Distributor Gear, Oil Pump, and Windage Tray
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 17: Installing the Intake Manifold
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 18: Installing the Oil Pan
How to Rebuild a Small Block Part 19: Installing the Valve Covers and Oil Filter Adapter
*************************************************************************
Hello everyone, it's Krazykuda here to show you how to rebuild a small block... This article is to help any newbies through rebuilding a small block Mopar LA engine, but may have a few tips that some of you seasoned builders may find useful... If you haven't ever built an engine, I will show you what you need to know to do it yourself...
The goal of this series is to show what you can do at home in your own garage... Go at your own pace and ability and then take it to someone knowledgeable for what you are not capable of doing yourself or don't have the proper equipment/tools for...
Keep checking back in from time to time as this is a work in progress and I plan to keep updating it as I build more engines and can show you more variations...
I am going to break this into sections that you can follow along with and make sense to do in 'stages' when you build... Plus you can then jump to the section that you are working on to help keep from sorting through one very long thread to find what part that you are working on when you are doing it....
*************************************************************************
*** Important Note *** Sometimes things may not go right and you will run into a snag/road block... Do not get in a hurry to finish and take short cuts that may compromise your build...
Step back, take a break, and think about it for a while... Or seek help from other experienced people or professionals to overcome the problem... Do it right and don't take any unnecessary chances that may compromise the integrity of your build...
If you don't fix the problem correctly, it may come back to haunt you and cost even more time and money than if you took the time to think about it and research it to fix the problem correctly...
This has been a public service announcement from krazykuda....
*************************************************************************
This chapter I'll give you tips on painting your engine...
You have put in so much time, money, and hard work into building your engine, now it's time to paint it and make it look as good as you built it... You want to see the admiration of others when you go to a car show or cruise and pop the hood, so make it look good... Why put out all that hard work and dedication if you can't show it off and take some pride in your accomplishment...
Speaking of showing off, it's time for me to show off some of the builds that I have done over the years to gather all of the pictures that I needed to sort through to make all of these how-to articles... Kind of a digital resume for me...
*************************************************************************
Here is a 72 318 that I set up to put in my 66 Valiant station wagon to replace the 170 slant 6... I set it up for the early 66 style engine compartment with the cast iron water pump and timing marks...
First you want to remove any old paint and rust from the parts... I find a wire wheel on a drill works great... Here is an assortment of wire wheels that I get from Harbor Freight...
Grind down all of the part surfaces with the wire wheel until it's nice and clean...
Then after the parts are ground clean with a wire wheel, get some parts cleaner and spray down the engine and dry wipe it with a clean cloth or shop towel... Do not use a previously used cloth or towel as any grease will prevent the paint from sticking and cause what they call "fish eyes" in the paint... Fish eyes are spots where the paint won't stick because of grease contamination...
Then apply a coat of primer to the whole engine... Primer makes the paint stick better...
Now the primer is dry...
There are many different brands of paint available...
After the primer is dry, paint the engine...
I like to paint the vibration damper separately off the engine so there are no bare spots on the timing chain cover and the back of the damper where they fit closely together...
Here is a felt ring that goes on the back of the vibration damper before you install it... This comes in the complete engine teardown gasket kit...
The felt ring goes in the groove on the back right here...
Here it is in place...
Coat the inside of the vibration damper with grease to help install it on the crankshaft...
Now start the damper on the crank nose like this...
Then get it started better using a large rubber mallet... DO NOT USE A METAL HAMMER ON THE VIBRATION DAMPER because sharp blows with a metal hammer can damage it...
You can pound it all the way down with the rubber mallet, but I find it's easier to use an impact wrench on the large bolt that holds the damper to the crankshaft and run it down all the way...
Here it is fully seated...
Here is what it looks like from each side...
*************************************************************************
This next series I'm going to show Eddie's 340 that we built for his 69 Dart GTS... We set this one up for a 69 Dart body...
I met Eddie through FABO and he wanted some guidance working on his car... We met and talked and Eddie and I have the same philosophy on building it right the first time with quality parts... We became friends through the build and still talk today...
Here we are prepping the engine... We are just using the intake and distributor for slave parts to keep the paint from getting in the engine...
Here we made some cardboard covers from the 3 piece exhaust gaskets to cover the sealing surface of the exhaust ports... We also used old spark plugs to keep paint out of the spark plug threads...
Now we spray the engine down with CRC Brakleen and wipe it off with a clean shop towel to remove any grease..
Now we sprayed the primer...
This is the first time that I used the Mopar Performance brand engine paint... I was impressed at how thick it went on and it seemed more durable than the Plasti-kote engine paint that I have always used... The Plasti-coat will stain/fade if exposed to an antifreeze leak and it sits on the paint for a while...
Here is after we painted it and started dressing the engine on the engine stand... It is easier to dress the engine this out of the car while it is easy to access... We installed the oil filter, motor mounts, fuel filter, new dipstick tube and took some pictures...
Here is the front view showing the dipstick tube, heater hose nipple, fuel pump, and vibration damper...
Here's the driver's side...
The back, be sure to get the back of the block, even the area where the transmission covers...
Now we put the intake manifold that he wanted to use... It is an LD340 that he sent to the mistress of metal Leanna for powder coating to work her magic on... We didn't bolt it on yet, as we installed the engine without the intake on so we didn't mar the powder coat with the engine harness that uses the front and rear intake bolts to tilt the engine as we drop it in the car... We set it on to mock up the engine parts...
Here is the intake that she did...
Nice detail on the script...
Now we test fit the Doug's headers...
Here we started dressing the engine... It's easier to do this on the engine stand than after it's in the car, take advantage of the good access to get things worked out... Here we put on the oil filter, motor mount, new dipstick tube, and fuel pump...
Here's a front shot showing the dipstick tube, heater hose nipple, fuel pump, and vibration damper... Eddie used a SFI damper, it worked fine and all the pulleys lined up with it... Plus it's chrome and shiny..
The damper is a SFI... The chrome looks great, and it can be used for either an internal or external balance engine by removing or installing a weight... The thickness is good so the stock pulley fits and lines up with the alternator and power steering pulleys...
Note that I highlighted the timing marks with white paint... I recommend doing this so it's easier to see the marks when you are using the timing light to set the timing... It's easiest to do when you have the engine at TDC so the marks are lined up together...
I use a white paint pen or white out on both the timing cover 0° mark and the TDC line on the vibration damper... The paint pen works great for the damper groove, just prime the pen so the paint drips into the groove, then wipe off any excess right away from the outer ring of the damper and leave the paint that bleeds into the groove... Then carefully use the pen and lightly touch the high part of the timing chain cover cast in marks to highlight them... That makes them easy to see in a dark engine compartment... Whoever sets your timing will appreciate it...
The driver's side motor mount...
The back view...
We put on some 1967 273 commando valve covers for the cover shoot, and set the carburetor on so we can bend a fuel line...
Here's the fuel line... I like to copy the factory routing off of the fuel pump and come up inside the alternator brackets, then go over the engine and straight back , then bend across the front of the carburetor... This way you can make it fit the exact position for your carburetor inlet...
Trying to cut and splice the stock line, especially if the carburetor fuel inlet is in a different position and/or orientation than the stock line can make many more cuts and splices in your fuel line... The philosophy is to have as few breaks in the line as possible because every joint is a potential leak path... The fewer the connections/breaks, the less chance for a leak...
One of my tricks is to bend a short piece of steel tube 90° and slide it into the piece of rubber hose that comes off the carb... This keeps the routing more consistent and prevents the hose from kinking and restricting fuel flow...
The steel spring clamps are best for sealing... The screw type are constant diameter clamps and only maintain constant diameter, where the spring clamps are constant tension clamps and keep tension on the hose for a tighter seal...
Here's the driver's side...
Here it is installed and we were tuning it up...
Initial tune done...
Eddie admiring our progress and thinking about what we have to do next...
Here it is, 69 Dodge Dart GTS 340...
Leanna the mistress of metal (Cudachick1968 on FABO) worked her magic on a set of finned valve covers for Eddie and we swapped them out... Look at that detail and multi color on the valve covers... Beautiful...
We had Ray (FABO screen name Halifaxhops) curve a distributor for Eddie... Ray does great work, uses quality older parts and will custom curve a distributor for your application... He searches the web for people selling out leftover stock from closed parts stores and stock piles parts for building distributors... Tell him what you are running and he will custom curve a distributor for you on his Sun distributor machine... He is the master of distributors and can do custom jobs or restore your distributor to stock specifications... If you need any distributor work done PM him, his FABO screen name is Halifaxhops...
He will give you a spread sheet with the details for your distributor...
We installed the distributor and took the car to an empty forest preserve by me (where it was safe to test) and dialed in the timing... When tuning adjust in increments of 2° advance or retarded at a time and test the launch until you find where it runs best...
Now that the statute of limitations has expired, I can post this...
Here are the burnout marks (street tattoos) we left while testing...
After we got it dialed in, we took a few videos... Ray's curve worked great... Notice that we didn't brake torque for the launch, just punched it from idle and the tires broke loose... On the third trial, I came off too hard and let off so I didn't loose control...
*************************************************************************
Tribute to Leanna
Leanna ran a powder coating business out of her shop/barn from her home named Phoenix Specialty Coatings... She did great work and always took her time to make the parts look their best, paying attention to quality...
She was very talented and had a gift for working with metal and powder coating, always striving for perfection... She could take an old cruddy rough looking part and make it look better than new... Everyone she did work for was pleased and impressed with her work and I never heard one complaint about her, in fact many people praised it and posted pictures and compliments to her... She called herself the mistress of metal...
She was a FABO member and her screen name was Cudachick1968... She had a 68 Barracuda fastback with a 340 that she built herself... She knew her way around under the hood and could talk cars with the best of us... She had a great personality and fit in with the guys and all of our jokes and comments...
She was a great person and we became friends through the site and she powder coated some parts for me... She loved cats and had a few that roamed around her house and shop... She even fed many strays that hung around her place and she and her boyfriend Billy built a 3 stage wooden cat house for the strays to take shelter from the elements outside...
She always was there to support fundraisers for people that were going through hard times... She would donate gift certificates for powder coating work for people to bid on to help raise money for the people in need...
Sadly, she passed away toward the end of last year... RIP Leanna, the car restoration hobby misses you...
Here is a link to the web site for Phoenix Specialty Coatings... Browse around and you can see some of the work she did...
https://phoenixspecialtycoatings.com/index.htmlthat
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Just a note here...
Those of you that have kids and they are interested in cars and building things, encourage them to help and participate... It's a good opportunity to bond with your kid and make memories that will last their lifetime... Start them as early as you can... You learn more by doing, than just from watching, hands-on is the best way to teach them... Show them what to do and how to do it, and let them do it themselves... Stand behind them and watch them do it, and guide them when they need it... Plus by having them actively participate keeps their interest longer and they won't get bored... Don't have them there to hold the light for you or hand you tools, have them turn wrenches and teach them how put things together and to paint... You hold the light for them and hand them the tools... Let them develop a mechanical ability, it will help them get through life...
When my oldest son was around 13 years old, he was helping me install a 360 in my 74 Charger... I was painting the parts (pulleys, brackets, etc...) and I showed him how to use a spray can to paint... After showing him how to use the spray can, I handed it to him and told him to try... He was beside himself and asked, "What if I mess it up"??? I told him, "Then we strip it down and do it over... You need to practice and get experience to learn"... His first part was a drive shaft and I told him that even if he did make a mistake, no one would see it under the car... He did pretty good, I did just a couple touch-ups after he went to bed and the part turned out nice, and he started gaining confidence and doing more parts...
Another cool kid story...
When my older son was very young and growing up he used hang out in the garage when I worked on the cars since he was 5 years old... He used to be doubtful and say "I'll never be able to look at a car and tell what it is like you can dad"... I told him to be patient and it will come... I had many Valiants, Darts, and Barracudas and I showed him how to tell the difference between the 67, 68, and 69 models from the different side marker lights... When he was 6 or 7 years old, he was with his mom at a nursery looking to buy some flowers on the outside patio... A young couple in their early 20's pulled up and parked next to the patio and when they got out of their car, my son excitedly yelled, "Look mom, it's a 68 Valiant"... The woman got out of the passenger side dumbstruck and asked, "How the hell does he know that, he's so young, I don't even know that???" It blew her mind...
The moral here is to get your kids involved as early as you can and let them progress at their own pace... You can get them hooked into a lifelong hobby...
Ok, back to the show...
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For this series, I'm showing a 91 LA 360 roller cam engine that we were building for my son's 71 Valiant 4 door (he's an adult now)...
Here's what we started with...
Then we got out the Harbor Freight wire wheels...
I turned him loose... Here's the bottom of the engine...
Now the top...
Then we applied the primer...
You can tell by the oblong shape on the back of this damper that it's a 360... This is one of the styles that they used on the 360...
Now that the engine is all primed we painted it with Plasti--kote red...
Driver's side rear...
Full driver side view from more of a top angle...
Full driver side view from more of a side angle...
Driver side view from a front top angle...
Driver side view from a front top angle...
Front view from the dead front...
Front view from a more of a top angle...
Passenger side view from a front top angle...
Passenger full side view from a front top angle...
Passenger full side view from a dead side angle...
Passenger side view from a rear top angle...
Rear view from the back...
Top intake view from the passenger side...
Top intake view from the driver side...
The vibration damper and transmission crossmember...
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Spray gun...
Now for those of you that are skilled painters, you can also paint the engine with a professional spray gun... My brother did body work for over 12 years and is a pretty good painter...
Here's my brother prepping the engine... Notice the respirator hanging from his neck - that makes him a pro...
Cover any holes with tape that you don't want painted, like the carb, thermostat opening on the intake, and the hole for the distributor...
Once you got everything taped off, then apply some primer to help the paint stick better... My brother told me to always prime before you paint, even on engines...
Pick a side to start with, passenger side...
Passenger side top...
Top...
Driver's side top....
Driver's side...
Driver's side and oil pan...
Front...
Rear face of block...
Don't forget the vibration damper separately...
Once the primer is dry, then spray on the color...
Passenger side...
Top...
Front...
Driver's side...
Rear of block...
We had a visitor... Hello Mr. Red Fox...
Vibration damper...
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Now your engine is built and looking great!!!
My next article I'm thinking of doing is how to set up your pulleys for your engine using the original stock style pulleys with the two different front engine types, early vs late...
https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/ams/how-to-rebuild-a-small-block-part-21-setting-up-your-alternator-and-pulleys.452/
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