mrstix 68 Valiant

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I'm back!!! Ok so the wife is good and recovering, surgery went well. So now I can get back to business with the car. Still haven't got my hands on a cam bearing install tool so the motor is in limbo at the moment. While I wait on that I took some time today to put the car in the air and get the wheels and tires off so I can finally do a good visual inspection and repaint the front calipers. Seems like dad had some extra engine paint and decided to paint the front calipers, gross.

Took the rear wheels off and saw the car has Yukon Axles out back with a pinion snubber. So that's all good. I was planning to lower the stance and add some 1" blocks in the rear and to my surprise the car has 1" blocks already installed so that's exciting and less I have to do.

And for all you numbers guys and cause someone was asking the tires sizes are 225/60R15 in the rear and 205/65R15 in the front. That's all the update I have, not too exciting but hey progress is progress. Getting down to the wire in terms of money and time, 30 days till my deadline. Not much time for screwing around.
Little Yukon Axle love:
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Pinion Snubber in there somewhere:
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The cam bearings are in! The guy I've been waiting on for the install too called me and said he had ran by my place and put them in for me. Nice to have good friends to help out in a pinch. So now I can get the new cam and lifters installed, thanks to txstang84 for the help on this parts. Hopefully by next weekend I'll be dropping the motor in the car!

Also I started painting all the extra brackets and small stuff today while I'm stuck at work.
 
Sweet! Good to hear alls well with the better half ;) and you're back in work on the Valiant. I just dropped my Scamp off at my Dad's house this weekend :( and there it'll sit for 4 years.

Anyway, I can't wait to hear about it running.
 
Well this came my way today! Now I can ditch the 904 that I have and use my old drive line and not have to have a new one made for the 904. It's a bit messy but with some new lines and a converter I'll be good to go. Also I was playing in the garage and had a moment to mock up my intake, carb and air cleaner. Can't wait to see it all together in a couple weeks in the car.
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Yeah I got it for next to nothing. Just waiting on some more parts to come in and next weekend the fun really begins! Sad you have to mothball your project for now. It will be well worth having something to come home too.
 
Well no huge updates or movement on the car. I did managed to get a buddy over to help me bleed the brakes this weekend, so the first real project I started on the car is finally done. Got the engine hoist from my dad tonight so I can get the motor in the car this week if all goes well. Plus I got to hear dads new headers on his dart today. Got a video of it, enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=1S_eWe-xJpk
 
Cool deal man, and you're correct-it sucks that I can't do anything with it for such a long time, but it is what it is-man, I'll be glad to see progress on yours though. That ought to be a fun little cruiser!
 
Parts, parts and more parts! Got my 90 degree oil filter adapter from whitepunkonnitro today. He said he would send it dirty and that was no joke, soaked it in Super Clean for a couple hours and it came out beautiful.
Before:
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After:
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Anyway I also picked up a fresh flexplate and my dad hooked me up with a mini starter today.
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Nice getting all the parts sourced and home. Got out in the garage and decided to tap the emissions holes under the exhaust ports on my 302 heads. Got 4 of the 8 done before I decided to call it quits. I'll put up some pics tomorrow after I get them all done.
 
The motor is finally on the stand!
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Now I can start degreasing this pig. Anybody have a easy way to degreas the outside of the block and the stripped down heads? I've used Super Clean in the past but its still time consuming as all get out. I also got my garage a bit more organized today, slid the car over against the wall so I could have more room to work around it.
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And accomplished one last thing today....I installed the new front seal and slapped a new gasket on the timing cover. Icing in the cake, got the timing cover installed! I know i sounds stupid but this is the first time in months I managed to put a piece back on the motor.
 
Woohoo! Glad to hear you were able to get back at it! The only thing I can recommend for degreasing aside from the super clean is purple power or krud kutter along with some type of stiff bristle brush...and lots of elbow grease.
 
Well I got a ton of stuff accomplished this weekend on the car. Installed the heads, push rods, rockers, valve covers, oil pump, intake, water pump and buttoned everything up for paint. Needless to say I think it came out well. A few more things to get finished this week and maybe by this weekend I will have the motor in:)
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I was looking for a color a bit more red to match the engine color from 68 but I gave up and went with good ole Chrysler Orange. More updates this week, off to work.
 
Mr Stix , Love your car the shape tailights etc , I have a south african four door Version But had an Accident and stuffed the rail and Front Clip Would love another one
 
Yes sir, thats a stealth. Nice intakes.
Yeah I like the Stealth a lot. This intake was on the 360 that came out of this car. The guy that bought the motor from us insisted on using his Edlebrock Street Preformer intake. Needless to say he's looking to switch it out for a Stealth, the motor didn't like the Eddy intake at all:)

Mr Stix , Love your car the shape tailights etc , I have a south african four door Version But had an Accident and stuffed the rail and Front Clip Would love another one

I love the lines of this car a lot too. Had a 70 duster before this and it was hard to make the switch. But at the end of the day I still prefer the Valiants lines. Cool to hear you had a South African version of the Valiant. I'm always fascinated to see what the exported cars look like, very different from what us Americans are use too.
 
Had my wife help me get the car flipped around today, first time the car has seen daylight in about a year. Looked nice in the sunlight. Finally got the k member out! Way easier then I though it would be. Now I just have to mate the trans to the motor and get it set into the k member! The end is neer!!!!!!!
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nice to see the progress. I may be doing the same swap on one of mine. i have a 69 2 door, and a 68 4 door that have slants, and a fresh 360 needing a home. i have to find a 904 tranny before i even think about starting the project and which one valiant i want to use.lol
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