Did you do a full rotation with the long bolts sticking out the back of the flywheel? I would want to make sure there are no interference issues. Put a starter in to do this check and mock up dust shields, etc.
1964 Dart Grüne Hölle Road Course/Track Day/AutoX Project
- Thread starter slant six
- Start date
-
No not yet, but I will with all of the parts installed. It's on my to do list!
What clutch disc size are you using, Greg?
2/23/25:
The engine is essentially ready to fire. it's filled with oil, water and everything in the engine bay is all connected and tightened down. I also craned the engine over a bit with the spark plugs removed. I had a steady 45# of Oil Pressure on the stater motor only. Pressure adjustments may be needed, but that should be somewhat easy. I got all the manifolds, headers carb, and Radiator installed as well. It takes quite a bit of time to install the exhaust properly, especially without nicking and scratching everything up too badly.
Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time checking for the clearance on my through the flywheel nuts and bolts.
I bought a few "squashed end" 5/16"-18 Locking Flange nuts.
After I installed the nuts, I did find some interference, but only with the bell housing dust cover. I made some cuts to form a window, and after lots of checking, rechecking, and re-rechecking and lots of extra grinding and smoothing with the rotary file and the roloc sanding discs, It was ready for some welding.
I decided to box in most of the window that I created.
Last Check before the "paint booth" - It cranks with no interference.
Ready to fire, (ignore the blue Valve cover, It was a clean spare from my '69 Dart.) Just need to slap the shifter on and bolt the seat in to fire.
The engine is essentially ready to fire. it's filled with oil, water and everything in the engine bay is all connected and tightened down. I also craned the engine over a bit with the spark plugs removed. I had a steady 45# of Oil Pressure on the stater motor only. Pressure adjustments may be needed, but that should be somewhat easy. I got all the manifolds, headers carb, and Radiator installed as well. It takes quite a bit of time to install the exhaust properly, especially without nicking and scratching everything up too badly.
Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time checking for the clearance on my through the flywheel nuts and bolts.
I bought a few "squashed end" 5/16"-18 Locking Flange nuts.
After I installed the nuts, I did find some interference, but only with the bell housing dust cover. I made some cuts to form a window, and after lots of checking, rechecking, and re-rechecking and lots of extra grinding and smoothing with the rotary file and the roloc sanding discs, It was ready for some welding.
I decided to box in most of the window that I created.
Last Check before the "paint booth" - It cranks with no interference.
Ready to fire, (ignore the blue Valve cover, It was a clean spare from my '69 Dart.) Just need to slap the shifter on and bolt the seat in to fire.
I get that dang near every time we drive Vixen.
Nice job on the flywheel cover!
That's cool.
There are less dudes that tell me at car cruises and shows that I should put a 340 in my '69 Dart. It used to be quite prevalent in the Early'00's
2/27/25:
After adding the shifter handle and reinstalling the carpet, gas pedal, and drivers' seat back into the car, I was able to fire up the engine last night. It started up in 2 or 3 seconds thanks to the electric pusher fuel pump. It was un-eventful and fired right off which is good.
I was able to warm it up twice and throw a quick hot lash on the valves. It went with 0.020" and 0.026" as I could not remember where my "happy lash" setting was from 2-3 years ago.
I uncovered it in my notes this morning as 0.024" / 0.028" So I am close.
I still need to take care of some little fiddly bits, double check the timing, as well as likely a clutch rod adjustment and when it stops raining and potholing 'round these parts, I will be ready for a drive.
Know your lash, 'bro!
After adding the shifter handle and reinstalling the carpet, gas pedal, and drivers' seat back into the car, I was able to fire up the engine last night. It started up in 2 or 3 seconds thanks to the electric pusher fuel pump. It was un-eventful and fired right off which is good.
I was able to warm it up twice and throw a quick hot lash on the valves. It went with 0.020" and 0.026" as I could not remember where my "happy lash" setting was from 2-3 years ago.
I uncovered it in my notes this morning as 0.024" / 0.028" So I am close.
I still need to take care of some little fiddly bits, double check the timing, as well as likely a clutch rod adjustment and when it stops raining and potholing 'round these parts, I will be ready for a drive.
Know your lash, 'bro!
2/28/25:
I took the car for an unexpected maiden voyage yesterday.
Back in November, I took the Hood and Front Valence to a local body man and longtime MoPar fan, Ray at AVS near my house.
I need a van or other large vehicle to move the hood for this car as it is a super flyweight part at ~10#. nearly 40# lighter than a stock hood! I do not trust it being precariously perched in the back of a pickup, so I like to move it in my van. Well, when I got the hood back from being painted in November, I found it had a bug in the paint. at that point my van was in storage and difficult to retrieve.. so I waited until yesterday.. as The roads were fairly de-salted and surprisingly dry.
I bolted the hood on the car and drove it to the body shop, then we removed the hood at the body shop for a respray and de bugging. Since it is satin, we could not polish it out like a base / clear job possibly.
Everything seemed fine, and I did not even adjust the clutch yet - I might futz with a few turns soon.
I took the car for an unexpected maiden voyage yesterday.
Back in November, I took the Hood and Front Valence to a local body man and longtime MoPar fan, Ray at AVS near my house.
I need a van or other large vehicle to move the hood for this car as it is a super flyweight part at ~10#. nearly 40# lighter than a stock hood! I do not trust it being precariously perched in the back of a pickup, so I like to move it in my van. Well, when I got the hood back from being painted in November, I found it had a bug in the paint. at that point my van was in storage and difficult to retrieve.. so I waited until yesterday.. as The roads were fairly de-salted and surprisingly dry.
I bolted the hood on the car and drove it to the body shop, then we removed the hood at the body shop for a respray and de bugging. Since it is satin, we could not polish it out like a base / clear job possibly.
Everything seemed fine, and I did not even adjust the clutch yet - I might futz with a few turns soon.
bjkadron
Well-Known Member
It looks great!
trapster
Well-Known Member
I do like the 63 grill over the 64. Ever thought of adding a Paxton supercharger ?
3/3/25:
I got some fiddly things accomplished:
- Installed a new headlight / parking light / turn signal assembly, as the left side unit had a rock chip in it that cracked the glass housing.
- Reinstalled the headlight trim ring - I love how these (when not smashed up) clean up the front look on a '63-'64 Dart.
- Made much progress on my custom valve cover - I have 2 small areas with pinholes to reinforce, but it is now mostly sorted and metal finished.
I still need to put the interior back together, screw down the carpet trim plates, shifter boot, trim ring and the crotch belt, as well as the shifter ball. All that is easy stuff to do.
I got some fiddly things accomplished:
- Installed a new headlight / parking light / turn signal assembly, as the left side unit had a rock chip in it that cracked the glass housing.
- Reinstalled the headlight trim ring - I love how these (when not smashed up) clean up the front look on a '63-'64 Dart.
- Made much progress on my custom valve cover - I have 2 small areas with pinholes to reinforce, but it is now mostly sorted and metal finished.
I still need to put the interior back together, screw down the carpet trim plates, shifter boot, trim ring and the crotch belt, as well as the shifter ball. All that is easy stuff to do.
3/11/25:
I did some (re)engineering this weekend.
I bought an NRG Hub adapter for the steering wheel, I Also bought one of those steering wheel disconnects and a new wheel as the old one was well, big, old, grody and cracked. It would turn my hands black from the eroding Black Plastic on the surface.
I am not sure if I have any good pictures of the old wheel, I probably do somewhere. It was a well used Stock '64 Dart Wheel.
Here is a cute one from a while ago:
Well the hub did not have any provisons for the Horn ring / wheel contact also no way to cancel the Turn signal cam which are both super annoying and non starters for me in a street driven car. No dumbass horn button under the dash for me on this build.
I built a horn ring wheel/ donut contact from an existing part that was pulled out of a 1981 Chrysler Lebaron Station Wagon. I found that the Copper donut was really Copper plated Steel, so that made the fabrication much easier. I built a mounting ring to bolt to the back side of the NRG adapter, and welded the old MoPar Lebaron Part to it. The assembly got bolted inside the NRG adapter with plastic isolation washers on the top and bottom to keep it from grounding back against the Hub adapter / Steering shaft which is common with the chassis ground.
I also did some careful measurements of the existing turn signal cancellation nub on the factory wheel and was able to spotface and Drill the hub for a 3/16" roll pin.
It has worked well so far, but I have yet to drive the car until I get the Hood back from paint again.
Backside of the NRG 170H Hub adapter:
No Provisions for horn etc except for a wire pass-thru.
OE style wheel with Horn donut contact and a turn signal cancel pin:
1981 Chrysler Horn Donut contact: copper Plated steel. (sorry for the bad picture)
NRG hub with Soptface and drilled for 3/16" Roll pin for turn signal cancel function.
NRG Hub adapter adapter and contact donut complete.
Comparison between OE and Not OE, sorta made by me.
Install complete:
Removable as well - Will help with those pesky under dash projects!
Now that it is not so cold, snowy and deary out I cant wait to get the hood back from paint!
I did some (re)engineering this weekend.
I bought an NRG Hub adapter for the steering wheel, I Also bought one of those steering wheel disconnects and a new wheel as the old one was well, big, old, grody and cracked. It would turn my hands black from the eroding Black Plastic on the surface.
I am not sure if I have any good pictures of the old wheel, I probably do somewhere. It was a well used Stock '64 Dart Wheel.
Here is a cute one from a while ago:
Well the hub did not have any provisons for the Horn ring / wheel contact also no way to cancel the Turn signal cam which are both super annoying and non starters for me in a street driven car. No dumbass horn button under the dash for me on this build.
I built a horn ring wheel/ donut contact from an existing part that was pulled out of a 1981 Chrysler Lebaron Station Wagon. I found that the Copper donut was really Copper plated Steel, so that made the fabrication much easier. I built a mounting ring to bolt to the back side of the NRG adapter, and welded the old MoPar Lebaron Part to it. The assembly got bolted inside the NRG adapter with plastic isolation washers on the top and bottom to keep it from grounding back against the Hub adapter / Steering shaft which is common with the chassis ground.
I also did some careful measurements of the existing turn signal cancellation nub on the factory wheel and was able to spotface and Drill the hub for a 3/16" roll pin.
It has worked well so far, but I have yet to drive the car until I get the Hood back from paint again.
Backside of the NRG 170H Hub adapter:
No Provisions for horn etc except for a wire pass-thru.
OE style wheel with Horn donut contact and a turn signal cancel pin:
1981 Chrysler Horn Donut contact: copper Plated steel. (sorry for the bad picture)
NRG hub with Soptface and drilled for 3/16" Roll pin for turn signal cancel function.
NRG Hub adapter adapter and contact donut complete.
Comparison between OE and Not OE, sorta made by me.
Install complete:
Removable as well - Will help with those pesky under dash projects!
Now that it is not so cold, snowy and deary out I cant wait to get the hood back from paint!
bjkadron
Well-Known Member
Very nice! Which quick release did you use?
I used all NRG parts. The hub adapter was their 170H. The quick release and steering wheel are also NRG. the quick realse has provisions for the horn wiring pass thru and terminals.
Sorry I do not have the part number handy at the moment.
For those who are interested..
Here are the part #'s for all of the NRG equipment that (Hub adapter, Quick Release, and Steering Wheel with Horn Button) I installed last week:
NRG Hub Adapter SRK-170H
NRG Quick Release SRK -250BK
NRG Steering Wheel RST-380-STL-B
The hub adapter works for Chrysler (and other) products of the era - no options for a functional wheel mounted Horn circuit (as used on ~1962-1980's Chrysler Products) but there is a wire passthru compartment. (No turn signal cancellation function or functioning horn button capabilities as in a stock wheel without modifications.)
The Quick release has provisions for keeping a wheel mounted horn button and does not require any modifications. Nice part, avail. in many colors - I got the black part.
The wheel is a 380mm ⌀ (14.95") comes with a horn button that works as factory when properly connected on my car when other modifications are made as stated in the posts above.
Here are the part #'s for all of the NRG equipment that (Hub adapter, Quick Release, and Steering Wheel with Horn Button) I installed last week:
NRG Hub Adapter SRK-170H
NRG Quick Release SRK -250BK
NRG Steering Wheel RST-380-STL-B
The hub adapter works for Chrysler (and other) products of the era - no options for a functional wheel mounted Horn circuit (as used on ~1962-1980's Chrysler Products) but there is a wire passthru compartment. (No turn signal cancellation function or functioning horn button capabilities as in a stock wheel without modifications.)
The Quick release has provisions for keeping a wheel mounted horn button and does not require any modifications. Nice part, avail. in many colors - I got the black part.
The wheel is a 380mm ⌀ (14.95") comes with a horn button that works as factory when properly connected on my car when other modifications are made as stated in the posts above.
Your helper is cute as a button.
When do we get to hear the thing? lol
When do we get to hear the thing? lol
Thanks, When I get the hood back from the painters and everyhting sorted i will make a video... For now you will have to survive on this:
It will sound the same.
3/17/25:
No painted hood back from the body shop yet.
So I did a few other things:
Finished the Valve cover - lots of little welds and some metal finishing, then painting.
Installed on the car:
Good thing I was able to finish that project as the Valve cover that I put on there temporarily was getting nicked by the rocker arm adjustment screw:
I Had ordered variable rate rear springs and then installed them.
The 4 link kit originally came with 175#/Inch Springs which I felt were too soft.
Then I ordered 200#/Inch which were great, but still saggy when loaded with the tongue weight of the trailer, and a trunk full of stuff and a full fuel tank.
So I am going to try these - 175#/300# Inch Rate Springs. The rate is supposed to increase as load is applied, so maybe I will not have to futz around with changing spring heights so often when towing etc.
200 Rate on the Right: - Constant Coil wind Distance
175/300 Rate on the Left: - Coil winds get closer toward the top and more open on the bottom.
The removal / install was easy with the lift.
I put some silver anti-seize on the adjusting bits, but I should look into those spring seat bearings.
No painted hood back from the body shop yet.
So I did a few other things:
Finished the Valve cover - lots of little welds and some metal finishing, then painting.
Installed on the car:
Good thing I was able to finish that project as the Valve cover that I put on there temporarily was getting nicked by the rocker arm adjustment screw:
I Had ordered variable rate rear springs and then installed them.
The 4 link kit originally came with 175#/Inch Springs which I felt were too soft.
Then I ordered 200#/Inch which were great, but still saggy when loaded with the tongue weight of the trailer, and a trunk full of stuff and a full fuel tank.
So I am going to try these - 175#/300# Inch Rate Springs. The rate is supposed to increase as load is applied, so maybe I will not have to futz around with changing spring heights so often when towing etc.
200 Rate on the Right: - Constant Coil wind Distance
175/300 Rate on the Left: - Coil winds get closer toward the top and more open on the bottom.
The removal / install was easy with the lift.
I put some silver anti-seize on the adjusting bits, but I should look into those spring seat bearings.
4/6/25:
I finally got the hood back from paint. It was a bit of an ordeal, but it got done. No bugs in it this time, and it looks great. I suppose satin is the most difficult 'cause your shop has to be super clean and there is no second chance, and no cut/ buff. It has to be dead nuts on correct the first time.
After I got the hood assembled, realigned, etc (nice and easy to fit a 10# hood by yourself.) I was then able to start driving the car and sort out all of the little things that need sorted when you upgrade or change things, like valve lash, oil pressure adjustments, Steering wheel centering, reaching turn siginal stalk, setting the Idle Speed etc.
The adjusted turn signal stalk compared to a stock stalk:
Now I can reach it as easily as I was able to with the stock steering wheel.
I also Had some new gauges to fit, so that they would all match. I had AEM before, but the O2 gauge and Oil pressure gauge were from a different series so they did not match.
I got 3 matching gauges from the X series for Oil Pressure, O2, and Voltage. Of course the new Oil pressure gauge used a different harness so I had to do some rewiring and then tidy things up as well as add a gauge pod for 3 gauges.
Old Gauges:
New Gauges:
I also confirmed that my roof Bike rack will work (too rainy to go anywhere with it yet) But I did get some driving in today (maybe 30 Miles) while running errands and dodging the rain. It has been raining everyday here for about 10 days straight.
Now just a little more sorting and then an oil change, and It will be ready for spring trips and such!
I finally got the hood back from paint. It was a bit of an ordeal, but it got done. No bugs in it this time, and it looks great. I suppose satin is the most difficult 'cause your shop has to be super clean and there is no second chance, and no cut/ buff. It has to be dead nuts on correct the first time.
After I got the hood assembled, realigned, etc (nice and easy to fit a 10# hood by yourself.) I was then able to start driving the car and sort out all of the little things that need sorted when you upgrade or change things, like valve lash, oil pressure adjustments, Steering wheel centering, reaching turn siginal stalk, setting the Idle Speed etc.
The adjusted turn signal stalk compared to a stock stalk:
Now I can reach it as easily as I was able to with the stock steering wheel.
I also Had some new gauges to fit, so that they would all match. I had AEM before, but the O2 gauge and Oil pressure gauge were from a different series so they did not match.
I got 3 matching gauges from the X series for Oil Pressure, O2, and Voltage. Of course the new Oil pressure gauge used a different harness so I had to do some rewiring and then tidy things up as well as add a gauge pod for 3 gauges.
Old Gauges:
New Gauges:
I also confirmed that my roof Bike rack will work (too rainy to go anywhere with it yet) But I did get some driving in today (maybe 30 Miles) while running errands and dodging the rain. It has been raining everyday here for about 10 days straight.
Now just a little more sorting and then an oil change, and It will be ready for spring trips and such!
bjkadron
Well-Known Member
Looking good! The roof rack will be nice to be able to do fun stuff with it. We usually just take the truck but I would imagine this will be a lot more fun.
Thanks, for sure.. Bikes / Canoes / other big and fun stuff can be put up top, combined with the cavernous '63 - '66 dart trunk and the hitch mounted cargo carrier, I can haul a lot. (Yes, I have a 1 1/4" frame hitch on it too.) Towing a trailer is fine when needed but driving this car without one is so much fun.
Last edited:
Richard Sweet
Well-Known Member
What trans does this have?
-
