D/Dart + 360 Crate Engine + 122 tooth flywheel = Trouble ?

-
D

ddartdude

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2007
Messages
680
Reaction score
292
Location
Port St. Lucie, Florida
Have I opened up a can of worms? Bought the D/Dart last year in April. Drove it a few times and the 4-speed trans started sounding funny. Come to find out it didn't have any fluid in it. So I filled it up and it started leaking in the front. The pitman arm was rubbing on the left side of the oil pan so I decided to fix everything.

To make a long story short, - I have the engine and trans out and decided to put a new pressure plate and a better clutch disc in it plus, use the correct flywheel and pressure plate bolts. I'm getting ready to put the clutch in and come to find out, the 360 uses a unique flywheel that is externally balanced.

Is anyone using the small 122 tooth flywheel on a 360-380 HP Mopar crate engine? If the 360 engine requires an externally balanced flywheel, wouldn't the harmonic balancer do surfice?

Wouldn't the 122 tooth flywheel be balanced since the 273 engine is balanced internally and the flywheel isn't part of that equation?

It currently has a roller bearing bushing in it. Is the back of the crank drilled for the brass bushing.

Help -- any thoughts on the 122 tooth flywheel?
 
Welcome to the world of early a bodies!. Sounds like you are using the 360 magnum crate motor? You must use an externally balanced 360 flywheel for your specific engine, magnum is different from LA. You cannot use the 122 tooth flywheel. The 360 flywheel uses the 10.5 inch clutch, which may require a different bell housing. I think the d/dart had a 10.5 inch clutch so you may be good. I highly recommend calling Brewers and telling them what you need. They hooked me up with everything I needed when I dropped a 360 in a 65 barracuda.
 
CCHHAARRGGER! said:
Welcome to the world of early a bodies!. Sounds like you are using the 360 magnum crate motor? You must use an externally balanced 360 flywheel for your specific engine, magnum is different from LA. You cannot use the 122 tooth flywheel. The 360 flywheel uses the 10.5 inch clutch, which may require a different bell housing. I think the d/dart had a 10.5 inch clutch so you may be good. I highly recommend calling Brewers and telling them what you need. They hooked me up with everything I needed when I dropped a 360 in a 65 barracuda.
Click to expand...

Not what I wanted to hear. I wrote to Brewer asking him about torques, using loctite and using the brass crank bushing. He inquired if I was using the 122 tooth flywheel and if I am, it won't work. The 122 is from the early A-Bodies with a 9 1/2" clutch. You can use a 10" scalloped clutch with the 122 flywheel.
 
The 122 tooth flywheel and 10" clutch is marginal on a stock Commando 273. If you are using a 360, bite the bullet and get the bell housing and special parts to swap to the 10.5 and 11.95 clutch set up in an Early "A". .
 
66fs said:
The 122 tooth flywheel and 10" clutch is marginal on a stock Commando 273. If you are using a 360, bite the bullet and get the bell housing and special parts to swap to the 10.5 and 11.95 clutch set up in an Early "A". .
Click to expand...
What he said!
 
ddartdude said:
Have I opened up a can of worms? Bought the D/Dart last year in April. Drove it a few times and the 4-speed trans started sounding funny. Come to find out it didn't have any fluid in it. So I filled it up and it started leaking in the front. The pitman arm was rubbing on the left side of the oil pan so I decided to fix everything.

To make a long story short, - I have the engine and trans out and decided to put a new pressure plate and a better clutch disc in it plus, use the correct flywheel and pressure plate bolts. I'm getting ready to put the clutch in and come to find out, the 360 uses a unique flywheel that is externally balanced.

Is anyone using the small 122 tooth flywheel on a 360-380 HP Mopar crate engine? If the 360 engine requires an externally balanced flywheel, wouldn't the harmonic balancer do surfice?

Wouldn't the 122 tooth flywheel be balanced since the 273 engine is balanced internally and the flywheel isn't part of that equation?

It currently has a roller bearing bushing in it. Is the back of the crank drilled for the brass bushing.

Help -- any thoughts on the 122 tooth flywheel?
Click to expand...
Jumbo can of worms! But nothing $ can’t solve.
 
66fs said:
The 122 tooth flywheel and 10" clutch is marginal on a stock Commando 273. If you are using a 360, bite the bullet and get the bell housing and special parts to swap to the 10.5 and 11.95 clutch set up in an Early "A". .
Click to expand...

I just bought a brand new Kevlar clutch disc and B&B pressure plate for the 10" scalloped pressure plate setup. I know that setup would work on a 360 because of the added clamping characteristics of the Kevlar disc.

How does the larger bell housing and D450 headers work? Not much room with the smaller 273 bell housing. Looks like I'd need a new bell housing, 360 flywheel, clutch disc, pressure plate, modified z-bar, roller bearing, and a modified (?) clutch fork. Over a grand in parts?

Maybe I'll have to put a 273 that I have had sitting around for a while. I'll put in a nice hydraulic cam, D4B and an Edelbrock carb. All parts that are laying around.
 
ddartdude said:
I just bought a brand new Kevlar clutch disc and B&B pressure plate for the 10" scalloped pressure plate setup. I know that setup would work on a 360 because of the added clamping characteristics of the Kevlar disc.

How does the larger bell housing and D450 headers work? Not much room with the smaller 273 bell housing. Looks like I'd need a new bell housing, 360 flywheel, clutch disc, pressure plate, modified z-bar, roller bearing, and a modified (?) clutch fork. Over a grand in parts?

Maybe I'll have to put a 273 that I have had sitting around for a while. I'll put in a nice hydraulic cam, D4B and an Edelbrock carb. All parts that are laying around.
Click to expand...

I have the 10.5 inch clutch and used d450s in my barracuda with a 360, it all fit. However I got all the needed parts from Brewers except the bell housing which I already had. You need to use the clutch fork for the d 450's. If you go to summit look up d450's, look at the instructions on the last page they give you a part number for the clutch fork. You will also need to use a mini starter. If I had to do it again I would use a mini that is clockable . I am pretty close to the header pipe

IMO if you already have the 360 and spent the money, find another car to put that 360 in. You have a very special rare car. If it came with the original 273 Keep it, and try to build it up to make more horsepower if that is what you are after.
 
The 122 flywheel is for a slant six.
 
CCHHAARRGGER! said:
I have the 10.5 inch clutch and used d450s in my barracuda with a 360, it all fit. However I got all the needed parts from Brewers except the bell housing which I already had. You need to use the clutch fork for the d 450's. If you go to summit look up d450's, look at the instructions on the last page they give you a part number for the clutch fork. You will also need to use a mini starter. If I had to do it again I would use a mini that is clockable . I am pretty close to the header pipe

IMO if you already have the 360 and spent the money, find another car to put that 360 in. You have a very special rare car. If it came with the original 273 Keep it, and try to build it up to make more horsepower if that is what you are after.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info on the 360 and 10.5" clutch build. I looked at Brewers site and it looks like 1500 for all the pieces and parts. Big decision.
As far as the car is concerned, it is the real deal, but the engine is long gone. The bellhousing, flywheel and trans are correct pieces. The engine is a 360-380 hp Mopar crate engine that was connected to the rest of the car's drivetrain. I do have a spare 273 2 barrel engine that I could use while I collect parts. But then there is twice the work. Aargh........
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top