66 Dart GT HT Whatsitgonnabe?

[360DartGT66]

New US cars are all metric? I had no idea! That's a major step right there!

I suppose with the globalization of the markets it's inevitable, especially in the automotive industry.

 

[moparmat2000]

Lets put it this way i have a 1994 chevy 1500 1/2 ton silverado pickup i bought new in 1994. I still have it. The engine is a chevy gen ll 350 V8. The engine is all SAE, but the rest of the truck is metric. LOL. When GM went to the LS series of V8s everything went metric.

Chrysler went metric in the 80s with their new at the time FWD turbo cars, however the 318, and 360 stayed SAE up until the end of production in early 2000.

Everybody started going that way in the 80s , however with existing engines and tooling for them it was more economical to stay SAE until those engines were phased out for newer designs.

 

[moparmat2000]

I prefer SAE and old skool because a grew up with this stuff. Must be why i like harley davidsons and old airplanes too.

BTW did you know that the first production turbo charged automobile made in the US for sale to the public was the 1962 oldsmobile F-85 jetfire. It had an all aluminum 215 cubic inch V8 with a turbo charger.

Due to casting issues and a high failure rate in the casting process GM sold the 215 V8 rights and tooling to Rover of England. They actually made it work, and work well. A brabham formula 1 car using the 215 V8 was the formula 1 champion in 1966

Chevrolet also offered a turbocharged corvair in 1962. The corvair was similar designed like a VW or porsche engine wisr as it was an air cooled flat 6 with split crankcase. Engine was in the rear of the car. It was produced from 1960 to 1968.

Want to see some wacky cool mopar history, look up "chrysler turbine car" on the net. Yes chrysler made and extensively tested these in the mid to late 60s, then crushed all but 6 of them, which are now in museums. Jay Leno has i think the only running and driving example.

Also check out Chapparal race cars on the net. The designer/builder Jim Hall lives about 3-4 hours from here in permian basin Texas. He built these in the 60s and 70s in a dusty small town in west Texas, and took them to europe to spank europes best. His cars are now housed in fully functional, drivable condition at the permian basin oil museum. He had no race track to test these cars on, so most of them wear texas licence plates. They were actually "road tested". My favorites are the Chapparal 2G and 2J. The name Chapparal is actually an American indian word for road runner. Which is indigenous to this part of the U.S.

 

[360DartGT66]

I've seen and "driven" the Chapparal cars in Gran Turismo 4 on my old PlayStation 2. 2J is one of them. Really super fast and light cars but the gearboxes (in the game, at least) limit their performance. They are only 3-speed and 4-speed respectively.

 

[360DartGT66]

Holy cow! You managed to fit an awful lot of stuff in that little (but HEAVY) box, Don!

The carb was a little beat up but nothing serious. The throttle lever and the accelerator pump lever (?) are a little bent but I'm sure they will straighten out nicely.

Seen in the picture is:
- 8 caliper pistons (7 Raybestos and 1 EIS)
- 2 brake caliper rebuild kits
- 2 brake pad retaining clip sets
- Holley 600 cfm carb
- Carb rebuild kit
- 2 dust caps for front wheel spindle bearing
- 2 grommets for PCV/breather
- 2 front brake hoses
- Windshield wiper seal kit - from Don
- 10 pcs brake bleeders
- Tank sending unit clamp ring (I only needed the gasket)
- Throttle cable holding bracket - from Don
- 1/8"NPT T-block for oil pressure switch/sender - from Don
- Ignition switch mounting ring/nut - from Don
- The little packet of goodies from Matt

HAPPY!

 

[360DartGT66]

And now for the goodies from Matt!

All I knew was coming was the throttle linkage stud. And look how cute it is! I thought it was twice as big. This Matt found in the scrap yard. Jeg's wants $24 for it. Here in Sweden they want $60!!! :finga:

I think we talked about the throttle return spring bracket too but I'd forgotten all about it.

The return springs look like new, Matt, you couldn't possibly have found those in the scrap yard? Thank you!

And look at that drawing! Pretty nice, huh? :thumblef:

And I must say, Matt, those tire valve caps are FANTASTIC! They look SUPER cool! I will absolutely definitely be using them. Thank you so very much! You should mass produce them and make a fortune selling them to Sweden.

 

[360DartGT66]

Ok, I did some work today also. Managed to come up with a press solution to get the bushings out of my LCA:s. Ingenious, huh?

Got one out and now I'm going down to do the other one. Looks like someone used an angle grinder to remove the bushing. Not very pretty. rotest:

Oh, and how do you like the production quality on them LCA bump stops? I've been wondering why the passenger side one was at an angle. I figured it just rotated on installation and the PO didn't bother to adjust it. Turns out he couldn't have ...

 

[toolmanmike]

New US cars are all metric? I had no idea! That's a major step right there!

I suppose with the globalization of the markets it's inevitable, especially in the automotive industry.

Yes, GM began with the metric cars back in 1978. All parts that are redesigned get switched to metric.

 

[360DartGT66]

Yes, GM began with the metric cars back in 1978. All parts that are redesigned get switched to metric.

Boy, was I uninformed. #-o

 

[65 Dartman]

Holy cow! You managed to fit an awful lot of stuff in that little (but HEAVY) box, Don!

The carb was a little beat up but nothing serious. The throttle lever and the accelerator pump lever (?) are a little bent but I'm sure they will straighten out nicely.

Seen in the picture is:
- 8 caliper pistons (7 Raybestos and 1 EIS)
- 2 brake caliper rebuild kits
- 2 brake pad retaining clip sets
- Holley 600 cfm carb
- Carb rebuild kit
- 2 dust caps for front wheel spindle bearing
- 2 grommets for PCV/breather
- 2 front brake hoses
- Windshield wiper seal kit - from Don
- 10 pcs brake bleeders
- Tank sending unit clamp ring (I only needed the gasket)
- Throttle cable holding bracket - from Don
- 1/8"NPT T-block for oil pressure switch/sender - from Don
- Ignition switch mounting ring/nut - from Don
- The little packet of goodies from Matt

HAPPY!

Did I say it would be like Christmas in October! Max weight for a flat rate box to Sweden is 20 pounds - about 9 kilos - I squeezed 19 pounds 6 oz in there. Now you can really make some progress!

 

[360DartGT66]

Thank so much, Don! rayer:

I will be looking over things later on to see how I actually did in terms of money on the parts I bought from Rock Auto and Jeg's but I saved the customs fee on the throttle stud alone ...

Now I can hardly contain myself until the next one arrives ...

 

[360DartGT66]

Ok, just so that I don't do anything stupid.

I need to get the steel tube off now that I'm changing out all the bushings in the front end, right? I need to make the top axle look like the bottom one - minus the nasty cut someone made trying to do what I'm about to do.

Right?

 

[moparmat2000]

Hi Anders

Your very welcome. I am glad you liked the care package i sent. The return springs are out of the junkyard , and off a chrysler fifth ave. I soaked them in alumaprep for an hour, rinsed them off, and polished with a fine wire wheel, then coated them with WD40.

The return spring bracket is fresh off a 67 barracuda with 273 V8. The engine is about all thats left in the shell. The small tab on it was meant to be inserted in a slot in the stock intake manifold. You will likely need to cut that off to mount it. Its supposed to be mounted with an intake manifold bolt.

The .40 caliber valve stem caps i tried selling for $20 set of 4, or $10 set of 2 for motorcycles. Nobody seemed to want them. So now i make them as gifts, and give them away once in awhile.

I originally did this as a way to recoup my losses from ammo purchases, and gun range useage fees, but it never took off. I tried making them out of brass but they tarnish easily, so now i give my brass to a friend who reloads ammo as a hobby now. Aluminum casings are one time use only, and the polished aluminum stays nicer longer.

Btw, i race slot cars as a hobby, and built a 4 lane track in my garage that folds up into the wall complete with a timer system on an old windows 95 program.

Recently bought a Tomy AFX racemasters Chapparal 2J slot car. Its super detailed for 1/64th scale. Has clear windows, an interior in it, even has a Texas licence plate on it.

Matt

 

[65 Dartman]

Ok, just so that I don't do anything stupid.

I need to get the steel tube off now that I'm changing out all the bushings in the front end, right? I need to make the top axle look like the bottom one - minus the nasty cut someone made trying to do what I'm about to do.

Right?

I used a cutoff wheel on mine but was careful not to get into the shaft as someone has done on yours. Since the shaft is scored, a PO has rebuilt the LCAs in the past.

 

[mopowers]

Ok, just so that I don't do anything stupid.

I need to get the steel tube off now that I'm changing out all the bushings in the front end, right? I need to make the top axle look like the bottom one - minus the nasty cut someone made trying to do what I'm about to do.

Right?

An easy way to get that inner sleeve off is hold it parallel against the jaws on that vice that it's sitting on with the sleeve resting on the jaws and hit it up and down the inner sleeve with a ball peen hammer. Then rotate and keep hitting it with the hammer. It'll expand the sleeve and it'll slide right off by hand. Just make sure the vice jaws are opened to to about half-75% the diameter of the sleeve. Trust me, once you do it that way, you'll never attempt to cut the sleeve off again. It's THAT easy.

 

[moparmat2000]

I used a cutoff wheel on the inner sleeves on mine. I was pretty careful, still nicked one of the shafts. The rubber part i heated with bernsomatic and mapp gas and burnt it to get it out to save the outer shells. Then i saw the kits from firm feel with poly bushings, and greasable inner shafts, and decided to go that route. The first set of arms i dissassembled i had sand blasted and intended to use, but then sold since i found a set in the junky with factory swaybar tabs off a 74 valiant and grabbed em.

I think new shafts are available if yours is cut up pretty bad, or maybe somebody has spares they can offer you.

 

[360DartGT66]

That was a really good tip, mopowers. Thanks! I need to go down and try it right away!

edit: Welcome to my thread, by the way! I don't remember seeing your signature here before.

 

[360DartGT66]

I think new shafts are available if yours is cut up pretty bad, or maybe somebody has spares they can offer you.

I don't think the cuts are a problem, really. The remaining surface area should be plenty to handle the forces and the groove will be a good grease deposit, I think.

Don has all my new polyurethane bushings. They'll be on their way here soon.

 

[moparmat2000]

I don't think the cuts are a problem, really. The remaining surface area should be plenty to handle the forces and the groove will be a good grease deposit, I think.

Don has all my new polyurethane bushings. They'll be on their way here soon.

Hi Anders,

Are you using polyurethane lower control arm bushings or rubber LCA bushings? The reason being is the rubber has an inner steel sleeve pressed into the shafts.

If you are using polyurethane lowers i believe the polybushing will rotate on the shaft itself. Since this shaft has a cut in it, that will wear out the polyurethane bushing in short order as the arm rotates up and down.

If you are going this route with polyurethane lower bushings i suggest replacing that cut shaft, or at least filling the groove in it with JB weld epoxy paste, or some other metal based epoxy paste. I would not suggest welding on it. Because it may be hardened steel, and welding it could heat the metal to a point of removing the hardness in it.

Matt

 

[moparmat2000]

Whoops posted twice

 

[360DartGT66]

Ok, I see what you mean. I'll pick up a tube of that stuff. The other shaft had one cut too.

 

[360DartGT66]

An easy way to get that inner sleeve off is hold it parallel against the jaws on that vice that it's sitting on with the sleeve resting on the jaws and hit it up and down the inner sleeve with a ball peen hammer. Then rotate and keep hitting it with the hammer. It'll expand the sleeve and it'll slide right off by hand. Just make sure the vice jaws are opened to to about half-75% the diameter of the sleeve. Trust me, once you do it that way, you'll never attempt to cut the sleeve off again. It's THAT easy.

mopowers, that method worked perfectly! Easiest thing in the world! My vice has a flat 4x4" anvil behind the jaws. I used that. Piece of cake. The bushing tube is very mild steel so it was just a little tapping that was needed, really. :thumblef:

You should post a thread in the how-to section.

 

[mopowers]

mopowers, that method worked perfectly! Easiest thing in the world! My vice has a flat 4x4" anvil behind the jaws. I used that. Piece of cake. The bushing tube is very mild steel so it was just a little tapping that was needed, really. :thumblef:

You should post a thread in the how-to section.

Good. Glad it worked! I can't take credit for that trick though. I learned it on this site from fellow member, Jim Lusk. I was just passing on the info. I cringe when I see people busting out power tools to remove those inner sleeve. Totally unnecessary in my opinion.

 

[moparmat2000]

Good. Glad it worked! I can't take credit for that trick though. I learned it on this site from fellow member, Jim Lusk. I was just passing on the info. I cringe when I see people busting out power tools to remove those inner sleeve. Totally unnecessary in my opinion.

Well i have the set of LCAs that have the swaybar tabs on them that i have to rebuild and modify. Even though i will be using the firm feel greasable pins and wont need these for this project, i will still try your method for the inner sleeve removal. I need to save these pins for the 69 notchback future project.

 

[360DartGT66]

Good. Glad it worked! I can't take credit for that trick though. I learned it on this site from fellow member, Jim Lusk. I was just passing on the info. I cringe when I see people busting out power tools to remove those inner sleeve. Totally unnecessary in my opinion.

As soon as you mentioned it, I thought - of course! That's how any black smith would expand a tube of any kind. But before you think of this, just looking at the sleeve stuck to the shaft, it really isn't easy to get it off in any other way.