A True Low Dollar Backyard Build

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Timing chains and gears are inexpensive, so I would spend the $80 or do for a new double roller gear and chain set. In keeping with your economical theme, I'll buy you a set and have it sent to you. Cheap insurance, and needed for anything above 4000 RPM. No BS, PM me, and I'll donate to you and Josh's adventure. It might show your son the power of this site. Paul.
 
70dart340 said:
Timing chains and gears are inexpensive, so I would spend the $80 or do for a new double roller gear and chain set. In keeping with your economical theme, I'll buy you a set and have it sent to you. Cheap insurance, and needed for anything above 4000 RPM. No BS, PM me, and I'll donate to you and Josh's adventure. It might show your son the power of this site. Paul.
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Truly appreciate the offer Paul. I've got a new set that I picked up a while back, so we're good there. I've been collecting parts for this type of build for a couple of years, along with a crap-ton of parts for my 68 B'cuda ragtop that is waiting it's turn.

As for off track on this thread, it's all good.. I hear you loud and clear. Jake turned out well. Started as work study in a maintenance shop with the government at 16. We had to sign waiver forms for his poly and psychological tests. He came out of high school with enough scholarship money to pay for his Associates Engineering degree, and is now a year away from his 1st 4 yr mechanical engineering degree while working full time in an engineering shop still at the government where they are paying for his education. And the 65 in the background in Josh's pics is Jake's high school ride we built together. They are 2 different personalities to say the least, but Josh is starting to get his work/drive on.
And pictures... the wife is a scrap booker like you've never seen. LOL
 
The oil pan should be here in a couple of days. Then we can button up the bottom end.

In the meantime, between work and life, I'm doing wheel bearings on the camper. Figured after 7 years, it's time to pull all 4 wheels/hubs and repack or replace them all.

This weekend I think the next step on the motor build will be grabbing the better looking of the 2 pair of heads out of the shed and introducing Josh, and even Jake, to the spring compressor, hand lapping, and valve stem seals. Depends what my social coordinator of 27 years has planned for us. LOL
 
Mark...if your Sunnybrook has 8 lug wheels, don't be surprised if you find sealed bearings. I downed our 2003 Sunnybrook 5th wheel one weekend to do the bearings, and found them to be sealed. I called Dexter Axle to inquire, and the tech guy told me if they weren't leaking, to put them back on and leave em alone! :eek:
 
JDMopar said:
Mark...if your Sunnybrook has 8 lug wheels, don't be surprised if you find sealed bearings. I downed our 2003 Sunnybrook 5th wheel one weekend to do the bearings, and found them to be sealed. I called Dexter Axle to inquire, and the tech guy told me if they weren't leaking, to put them back on and leave em alone! :eek:
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I've got 6 lug hubs Jackie. Yours must be bigger than mine...LMAO, that there was funny. Typical cone/race bearing sets here. I took one wheel off yesterday for an initial look. At first look/feel ,if the other 3 look like this one, I think I'd be OK this year. Grease still had some thickness to it. They felt pretty good to turn the by hand, but once I cleaned the old grease out, the rollers are seemingly a lot looser in their cage than a new bearing is. So I'm not taking a chance. I got the numbers to my buddy who deals in industrial parts. He's getting me Timken at his cost. Should save me about 80 bucks off retail locally.
 
ragtopfury said:
Truly appreciate the offer Paul. I've got a new set that I picked up a while back, so we're good there. I've been collecting parts for this type of build for a couple of years, along with a crap-ton of parts for my 68 B'cuda ragtop that is waiting it's turn.

As for off track on this thread, it's all good.. I hear you loud and clear. Jake turned out well. Started as work study in a maintenance shop with the government at 16. We had to sign waiver forms for his poly and psychological tests. He came out of high school with enough scholarship money to pay for his Associates Engineering degree, and is now a year away from his 1st 4 yr mechanical engineering degree while working full time in an engineering shop still at the government where they are paying for his education. And the 65 in the background in Josh's pics is Jake's high school ride we built together. They are 2 different personalities to say the least, but Josh is starting to get his work/drive on.
And pictures... the wife is a scrap booker like you've never seen. LOL
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The nut , I mean apple, doesn't fall far from the tree. You and your better half are raising some fine young men.
 
Yeah....it was a heavy duty rascal, for sure. Dry weight was 12K! We sold it not long after we bought the tin condo at MBTP....lol. It was a very nice camper, and the only thing I ever put behind my truck that the truck even noticed it was back there. You're absolutely doing the right thing getting new bearings, and not risking a break down. With all the money you're saving on this 360....you are still $$$ ahead! :D
 
Dug the J's out of the shed today. Some of you may remember the truck load of parts a guy at work gave me last year - heads, cam, blocks, rockers, rods, etc..... this pair he said he ran on the same 340 with the cam he gave me. Didn't really look at them too closely the day of the give. Just noticed while getting them out today, they have double springs. It'll be a couple of weeks, but going to clean them up, stem seals, hand lap the valves and bolt them on.
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Used my home made balancer put-er-on-er this afternoon. Need to beg, borrow, rent or steal a valve spring compressor cuz the heads are next on the bench.
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Stripped the heads last night. Talk about some carbon build up on the back side of the valves. Geez.
Not sure how I'm going to get them back together yet after I clean it all up. The rented spring compressor barely squished them enough to get the keepers out and when releasing the tool, the springs stood up another qtr inch. There is no way this tool is going to squeeze them down enough to get them back together.
At any rate, here they are in pieces.

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I'm thinking #1 it isn't the 80s. In the 80's...people used to give me 318 /360 engines for free. Big block people would call and say "you want it come an get it or its going to scrap..." point is, I'm not sure you can do it on the cheap these days the bill will rack up quick. Or if you are patient, know people, know a good auto salvage yard that still has the parts who knows...
 
Thus far, I'm into it for $678.
In another month or 2 when it's up and running, I'll itemize the total.
 
Got the heads bolted on the other day. Found out the shafts Paul gae me with the 273 adjustable rockers are not mopar shafts. Sooooooo.... On went the original stamped rockers. Set the intake in place, but have not bolted it down yet.
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Cracked heads? Run 'em. My '87 5.2 likely has them at 230K but I don't care.

If every flathead Ford that had cracks was junked Henry would have only had a couple thousand actually running instead of millions and millions...
 
Bolted on the intake, the vintage DC valve covers and the right header is hanging there. I need to get bolts for them - the bolts that came with them are 3/8. I also need to get a nipple for the bypass hose and for the heater hose.
My sons both asked when are we dropping it in place.
But.... I've still got to remove the original exhaust system, check all the brake lines and brakes. I'm also putting a 2 inch lowering block on the rear to level the truck out.
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Diggin' it. Ask for more parts if you need 'em. I have old Magnum stuff collecting dust.
 
Well, Jakes removed the original exhaust system last evening.

Parts needed? A dual exhaust system and I am going to replace all of the 32 year old brake lines.
 
ragtopfury said:
Bolted on the intake, the vintage DC valve covers and the right header is hanging there. I need to get bolts for them - the bolts that came with them are 3/8. I also need to get a nipple for the bypass hose and for the heater hose.
My sons both asked when are we dropping it in place.
But.... I've still got to remove the original exhaust system, check all the brake lines and brakes. I'm also putting a 2 inch lowering block on the rear to level the truck out.
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:thumbsup: Looks nice Mark! Are you gonna put the studs back in for the 2 end holes for the headers? A trick I have been using forever is to bolt the headers onto the studs using the factory cupped washers, and then saw the remainder of the studs off with about 3 threads still showing. Makes it easier to do the inevitable header gasket change....lol.
 
Got all the front brake lines done the other day. Dropped the motor back in last evening. Only got as far as all of the bell housing bolts are in and tight. Might have to shim the right motor mount up a tad. The cheapy header looks like the flange is about just a hair of a fraction of an inch off the frame rail. Definitely gotta do something with all of the no longer needed wiring harness. Will probably just tie it back on itself out of the way. Still need to do the brake line to the rear, starter, left header, the underside bolts and start picking away at the accessories on the front of the motor. Between vacations, yard work and family time 1st, it'll still be a couple of months til fire in the hole..... But progress was made.
Do you know how hard it was NOT to gut the engine bay and make it all super pretty? Lol.

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Just a quick update here. Have made no progress since June. Between vacations and having a pool put in, I just haven't been back to it. I had hoped to have it running and ready for paint by now....... How she still sits and waits.
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ragtopfury said:
And lifters. Need new lifters for the used cam.
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Hey, that's no way a $70 a week teenager would do it! I been there....class of '86 and $3.35/hr. BTW, gas was .89 a gallon and a P.A.W. SSI cam was ~$49 bucks. IIRC lifters were $39 a set.
 
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Class of '76 here. My first car was a 1968 Cortina GT.(English Ford). I scooped ice cream and soft serve for $4.50 and hour. I soon worked at Disney in 1975 for $7.44 an hour. Had to drive 36 miles each way. That little car kicked ***. 1.6 litre Kent engine with a cam, solid lifters, and most importantly, 4.10 gears. It was very quick, but only had a top speed of about 100MPH. After a horrendous crash, I scored a 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire from an elderly woman. Besides my Mopars, that car will always be one of my favorites. Grandmother of the 442.
 
70dart340 said:
Class of '76 here. My first car was a 1968 Cortina GT.(English Ford). I scooped ice cream and soft serve for $4.50 and hour. I soon worked at Disney in 1975 for $7.44 an hour. Had to drive 36 miles each way. That little car kicked ***. 1.6 litre Kent engine with a cam, solid lifters, and most importantly, 4.10 gears. It was very quick, but only had a top speed of about 100MPH. After a horrendous crash, I scored a 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire from an elderly woman. Besides my Mopars, that car will always be one of my favorites. Grandmother of the 442.
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'68 Cortina GT!!! Nice ride. Did it have those 4 secondary gauges at the middle top of the dash?Putting Duratec 4 cylinder motors and 5 speed drivetrains in those things now.
 
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