Engine rattle and vacuum connection. 1965 Dodge Dart, 225 engine.

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Bills65Dart

Bills65Dart

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Hi, let me ask the last first. Where on the carb. is the distributor vacuum going to be connected ?

My new (1965) Dart does not have the hose at all. Open on the vacuum advance.

My engine is noisy in my opinion. The engine oil lamp is not working, together with 1/2 ore more of all the other lamps too so I have not had any chance to see how the oil pressure is.

I have never had a 225, but my 170 was not at all noisy.

Could it be very thin engine oil ? I am going to replace the oil, it is fairly dark on the dip stick. I will most likely try a 15W40 good quality mineral oil. It is not like one rod bearing is knocking, well, if it is a rod knock, then all rods must be knocking completely equal and that sounds a little odd to me.


Bill
 
Bad Sport said:
The rattle might very well be that the rockers need adjusted.
Click to expand...

Well, normally when it is lifters it is one or two lifters and you can pick it out because it happens every 2 rotations, if you understand how I mean. But this is either like every rod bearing is worn out equally, or every valve is adjusted to way to big clearance because it is not one knock or ding ding that is standing out from the rest. That was what puzzled me, and it sounds like it comes from the lower part of the engine when I stay at the left fender and have the entire side of the engine towards me. But, I have bought a valve cover gasket today, and will look into the valve issue, and I have ordered 20W-50 mineral oil and got an oil filter.

If this is an occasion where all the valves are equally totally out of adjustment, then either someone must have had the wrong value, or it has been driven and driven without any lifter adjustment for a very very long time.
 
Bad Sport said:
The rattle might very well be that the rockers need adjusted.
Click to expand...

I have never seen such in my entire life. All the valves are out of adjustment. But it is the size of the gap that is plain scary. The biggest gap is at 0.065. 0.45 on the intakes, more or less, and 0.060 - 0.065 on the exhaust. I have adjusted all of them now, and the engine runs like it should. I did not even think it was possible, I guess that was why I did not think about the valves. Well, thank you. And oh man is it nice to listen to that quiet slant six purring. It is like I got the car on friday, and on tuesday I get even a new one. Two new cars in a week, that is a first one for me. :)


Bill
 
What carb? Holley or Carter?
I can post BBS picture if that's what you have.
 
KosmicKuda said:
What carb? Holley or Carter?
I can post BBS picture if that's what you have.
Click to expand...

It seems to be a Holley.

1965-Dodge-Dart-Holley-Carb-a.jpg
 
Sounds like the rockers had never been adjusted. Pretty common. Glad you found the noise.
 
Bills65Dart said:
Yeah, I know what you mean. Valve adjustment, what is that ? lol. I tried to post a video here, but it was too big it says.
Click to expand...

Slant sixes just run "no matter what" and as a result a lot were neglected because......."they just ran". lol
 
Bills65Dart said:
Yeah, I know what you mean. Valve adjustment, what is that ? lol. I tried to post a video here, but it was too big it says.
Click to expand...

I found the adjustment values, 0.010 and 0.020, but it does not say if that is cold or hot engines. Then I also see that some use 0.012 and 0.022 instead, in case the valveseats are not hardened. Any thoughts ?


Bill
 
Bills65Dart said:
I found the adjustment values, 0.010 and 0.020, but it does not say if that is cold or hot engines. Then I also see that some use 0.012 and 0.022 instead, in case the valveseats are not hardened. Any thoughts ?


Bill
Click to expand...

It refers to hot AND RUNNING, but I always adjust cold and static. The minute difference it will make will never be noticed. I like being safe rather than injured.
 
I adjusted the valves on the 67 slant I got and it runs like a sewing machine. They actually get tighter over time as the valves sink if they hold an adjustment.
 
Bills65Dart said:
I found the adjustment values, 0.010 and 0.020, but it does not say if that is cold or hot engines. Then I also see that some use 0.012 and 0.022 instead, in case the valveseats are not hardened. Any thoughts ?

Bill
Click to expand...

I carefully did my #1 to the factory recommended .010 and .020 hot. This on a fresh rebuild with resurfaced rocker faces.
Next day I checked them again cold. They were at .012 and. 022 so then I just set the other 5 to those gaps.
If your rocker faces are worn, that will affect the accuracy unless you use narrow feelers.
 
Last edited:
slantsixdan said:
You do you, but…why not?
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Well, do not be offended now, but you have to consider that I am originally from Norway, and Norwegian is my first language. I am 57, and my wife stole me out of my living room in Norway and brought me to California when I was over 51. So, sometimes my English is not entirely there. I have "holes" in it, here and there.
I probably adjusted my first valves when I was somewhere between 12 and 16, and over in Norway the majority of Engines up to very recently when it comes to cars had solid flat tappet lifters. I am a mechanic by trade, + electrician, the kind that install electricity in homes, but my specialty is industrial automation, but on the way I have worked for years repairing fishing boats, engines, whatever and had cars and Ferguson farm tractors as a hobby. And, in all this time, I have never even once heard about anyone ever adjusting valves with the engine running. I once in my youth, was stupid enough to put a feeler gauge between the tip of the valve and the rocker with the engine running, and the feeler gauge was chewed up so I had to go and get a new one.
I have read your procedure, and this has nothing to do with you, it is entirely me, but I am still completely dumb and clueless about how it is possible to adjust engine valves with the engine running. And I have searched on google, I have watched movies on youtube now, and I am still dumb as a box of rocks how it is possible.

But, stop the engine, give me a feeler gauge, a screwdriver and a ring wrench, and I am good to go. When it comes to the slant six they have done it a little different so I only need the ring wrench. But that is the exception. Normally I am used to engines with a loose adjusting screw, and a lock nut, and those engines are impossible to adjust with an engine running.

So, I am going to adjust the slant six the way I am used to from childhood, and if the Dodge Brothers and Walter P. Chrysler turns in their graves because I am not doing it the way they were used to, I am truly sorry for that. But, I am sure I will get it right, as to this day I have never ever missed one valve with the way I am adjusting it. I take a lot of pride in my mechanical skills, and I like things to be very accurate.

I respect and I am greatful for your efforts and your help. But as I said above, I am still dumb as a box of rocks how to adjust the valves with the engine running.


Bill
 
I wouldn't adjust valves hot or running to save my life. But bill, good luck to you. You'll get it done just fine.
 
I adjusted valves for my first time ever yesterday, on any car. I followed the recommendations to do it running and it was a piece of cake honestly. Would have taken longer to do it with the car not running.
 
No worries Bill.
Your English is better than a lot of people here.
 
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