Every dog has his day!!
1964 Valiant "Get Runnin & Drivin"
- Thread starter RustyRatRod
- Start date
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Kitty found my dial caliper. lol I measured an un-machined head versus my milled head. .130" difference. lol not quite as much as I thought. Still a big cut.
Ok so, I've mentioned this a time or two here and there and I thought I'd post pictures so you can get an idea of what I'm going to do. This is my version of early A body big block mounts using all Chrysler factory parts and modifying them a little bit.
These are factory big block spool mounts (73 and up) and 318 truck mount brackets. I shortened the mount bushings up to fit into the truck brackets. I'll install the engine and transmission in the car and bolt it to the cross member. That will have it located front to back. Next I'll locate it left to right and height wise...I have all those measurements. Once that's done, I'll locate the through bolt holes in the truck brackets and drill those. Then I'll bolt the brackets together and set the engine down on top of the K frame mound pads located correctly. Then come in from underneath, mark the brackets in the center of the K frame mount slots, drill those holes and bolt it all in. I used the old bushings for mock up only. I'll get some new poly bushings for the final product. Very easy conversion on the cheap using all Chrysler parts, except the poly bushing inserts. This will work for basically any chassis that has flat mount pads on the K member. Any engine combination. I guess I just made spool mounts jump in price.
These are factory big block spool mounts (73 and up) and 318 truck mount brackets. I shortened the mount bushings up to fit into the truck brackets. I'll install the engine and transmission in the car and bolt it to the cross member. That will have it located front to back. Next I'll locate it left to right and height wise...I have all those measurements. Once that's done, I'll locate the through bolt holes in the truck brackets and drill those. Then I'll bolt the brackets together and set the engine down on top of the K frame mound pads located correctly. Then come in from underneath, mark the brackets in the center of the K frame mount slots, drill those holes and bolt it all in. I used the old bushings for mock up only. I'll get some new poly bushings for the final product. Very easy conversion on the cheap using all Chrysler parts, except the poly bushing inserts. This will work for basically any chassis that has flat mount pads on the K member. Any engine combination. I guess I just made spool mounts jump in price.
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
It would be nice if you can get it sitting to where you could set the driveshaft angle to where you want it, and then drill the truck brackets. That way you ain't gotta fool with it towards the back somewhere. I don't know if they sell the big block spool mounts, but O'Reillys sells the small block spool mounts for about nothing. Seems like you could do the same thing with small block into an early A if the need arose. Good job, and GREAT idea!
It would be nice if you can get it sitting to where you could set the driveshaft angle to where you want it, and then drill the truck brackets. That way you ain't gotta fool with it towards the back somewhere. I don't know if they sell the big block spool mounts, but O'Reillys sells the small block spool mounts for about nothing. Seems like you could do the same thing with small block into an early A if the need arose. Good job, and GREAT idea!
I have all that info. I have how far off the K frame it's supposed to sit and how far right and left. The height from the K frame will get the drive shaft angle spot on. This method will work for any Mopar chassis with the flat type biscuit mount pads. I'm probably gonna need some bushing shells, as I've hacked these up mocking things up. So I'll probably get a pair from the parts store. LOL I'll have to drill out the rubber, because the poly mounts don't come with shells. No biggie.
mopowers
Well-Known Member
I'm very interested in seeing how it turns out. I just started doing something similar in my 66 Dart. You'll have to modify the passenger side mount bracket to a bit align with the flat pad on the K-member. That side has the k-member pad quite a ways out towards the frame rail. I'm sure you know this already. Keep us posted!
Where are you getting your poly bushings?
Found um on eBay, of course. lol Here's the Schumacher mount kit. I am almost certain there's enough length in the truck brackets to make this happen.
Here's my version coming along. I drilled and burned the old mounts out of the shells. Then pressed the new poly bushings and sleeves in. My original thought was to shorten the shells and poly inserts to fit the 318 truck brackets. After thinking on it, I'm going to widen the brackets instead. I believe that will turn out a lot neater than shortening the shells and inserts. Here are the mounts and brackets. You can see about how much the brackets need widening. Once that's done, I can locate the engine and straight through bolt holes and drill them. Over and done.
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mopowers
Well-Known Member
That should work out nicely, Rob. Great start!
That's very similar to how I'm doing mine on my 66 Dart. I've just gotta weld up the pass side pieces and bolt the bracket up to the k-member, then it's on to the driver's side. I like having those nice flat landing pads on the early A-body K-member.
That's real nice! Show quality right there!
Got my camshaft back Saturday from Ken at Oregon. Gonna stab it in later today and get it degreed and put my milled head on it and adjust the valves. Stay tuned. lol
Got the cam degreed in. It I went ahead and installed the crank gear on the 4* advanced mark. It came up with an IVO of 18* instead of 20* at .050" so that means it's 2* advanced from the card for a total of 6* advanced. I'm leavin that beeotch right there. lol DCR still comes up at 7.8 so I think it'll run fine on pump gas.
Rusty, I have been reading a lot of different opinions on dynamic compression. My 361 is coming in right at 8.5:1 static and 7.65:1 dynamic (short duration cam). With the static compression I was thinking it should run on regular, but looking at the dynamic, maybe not?
I feel sure it will. I think the trouble starts a tic over 8:1 dynamic. Especially with no quench and iron heads. Add good quench and it's a little different.
I am running about 7.8 ish dynamic on mine and it has had no pinging or detonation at all.
Closed chamber iron heads (516) but with pistons .065 down in the hole and a .040 gasket....no quench. We'll see.
Yeah most anything around or under 8 won't have much trouble. What octane do you get away with, Jim?
Gosh, I wouldda zero decked that block. You'd been better off. But I still don't think you'll have any trouble.
So far it has not mattered.
Cool. That's encouraging. Thank's Jim!
Where's your initial timing set, Jim?
20 at idle, 30 all in and 50 with vacuum
Heck yeah man! That's what I wanna hear. Thanks Jim!
I bought my old electronic distributor back, after I sold my stroker. I had welded the slots up to reduce the centrifugal to about 15 degrees, and it still has the vacuum advance as well, so that is good info to have. I will be breaking the cam in on the old points distributor, but then will switch to the electronic one later.
I used the FBO plate set the the smallest slot, 10 I think.
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