Bring my 73 dart swinger back to life.

-
Dart swinger 73

Dart swinger 73

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2013
Messages
136
Reaction score
7
Location
Ft Lauderdale
I'm restoring a 73 Dart Swinger. I bought the manuals for late model dart from 70 to 76 I think. Anyway, I'm pulling my hair out. Some parts of the schematic looks like my Dart. But, not everything. So I found a schematic for the early model Dart. Some parts of the schematic looks like my Dart. But not everything. I beleave this is what Dodge did. My Dart was built in Canada. All Amarican made Darts used late model parts. Canada Got to use up all the old early parts. That's why my color code dose not match up. I have early fuse box with a mix of colored early and late wires. I have a lot of wires in the harness that start nowear and go nowear. A green wire connects with a pink and violat in late model schematic, may change to a violet wire connecting to a Orange and yellow trace in my harness. Am I the only person with this kind of harness???????????? It is the stock harness. I'm so close to buying a new afer market harness. :violent1::violent1::violent1::violent2::banghead:
 
No.

Instead of buying a generic manual for darts from 70-76,,,since there were some major changes over the years, you should buy the Chrysler year specific manuals for you car.

You cannot buy an "aftermarket " harness. What you can buy is and bunch of wires and connectors that you have to make into a harness. It sounds like some PO has been buggering around with the wiring...

Are you sure the original paint is on the car ?
 
This is not my first build. First thing I do before I start any project is buy the factory shop manual. It came with a body manual too. Witch has some electral in it. Then came Chillton. Then the schematics from Classic Industries. I found if I take a little from each manual, I can piece it togather. It's been a slow time consuming project. 73 electronic control module for part #CR100 72 to 74 witch is a 4 pin module. My wiring harness calls for 5 pin module. Part #CR114 75/76. I bought a new 4 pin . Can't return electical parts. Tomorrow I go buy the 5 pin module. :banghead:
 
Sometimes there are mid year changes. We.discovered that working.on dads 67 Cuda. Factory shop manuals had.mid year changes
 
My old girl started up today. A little rough at first. Tranny hose to the cooler blue off, what a mess. Cleaned that up. Started her up again. Once i got the binding free it idled down and I had a small oil leak. fixed that. let her idle for 20 minutes. Good oil presser with new after market gauges. Temp. was normal. Volt meter not hooked up yet. Turned her off and check under her again. When to starther again. Nothing!!! Disconnected the battery and went home. :banghead: I'll deal wwith it tomorrow.
 
At least she started.....planning on turning the key on ours this weekend...fingers crossed !
 
if it wont turn over you may have a loose cable to the starter or on the way there. loose ground cable from the battery etc.

if it's a used starter you may have inherited a flat spot that was already built in to the starter for you lol.

good luck with the starting issue & congrats on getting her back running :D
 
First picture. This is the wire I don't know it goes. Maybe someone knows. Can't find a plastic boot like that in the shop manual.

Second picture. For the first time in my life. I bought a rebuilt Edelbrock 1406 carb. I started to have problems with it flooding after running 10 minutes. I went online to Edelbrock troubleshooting. Did everything the video recommended, nothing worked. Today I opened the top to check the floats they were perfect. As soon as I turned the top over, the floats were filled with gas. Float on right had a big crack. The black you see is the wet gas seeping out. The other has a very small crack. But, filled with gas after a while too. I called Edelbrock. Told them they need to do a quality control check with their Rebuilding Dept. They sending 2 new floats. That what I get for being cheap. :banghead::coffee2:
 

Attachments

  • Black wire.jpg
    29.9 KB · Views: 709
  • photo (4).jpg
    44.7 KB · Views: 681
That looks like the wire for your distribution block for the brakes. runs your red brake warning light.
 
If I'm not mistaken ( and my memory aint so good ), that wire went on the Batt post on the alternator.
The hard plastic hollow cover prevents shorting the bare post.
I wouldn't put it there without conformation though.
 
That looks like the wire for your distribution block for the brakes. runs your red brake warning light. X2
 
Dart swinger 73 said:
First picture. This is the wire I don't know it goes. Maybe someone knows. Can't find a plastic boot like that in the shop manual.
Click to expand...

Didn't you already try this once? I told you how to look this up...........................

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=289990

Look in the service manual section 8 in the "CE" connectors which means "Connectors, Engine" There is one there, and only one, which meets that description

black wire

single wire

90 degree boot end
 
No one knows how to install an aftermarket temperature sending unit. Can't believe everybody just bought a new intake just for a larger hole in the water jacket. I bought a Chevy 350 water neck and installed it on my 318. Had to make a few modifications. But, I think it will work. I cut off one of the A/C support brackets. Cut the nut off the long bolt. Drilled a tiny hole and installed a flat washer and cotter pin. keeping the bolt head from sliding out and dragging on the back side of the A/C clutch. Modifying the original bracket so the hose would clear. Then fabricated another bracket to replace the support I cut off. Took the top hose turned it around Cut off about 4 inches. Dune. Tomorrow I'll take it apart, buff the steel prime and paint it Black or Silver. Haven't decided yet. What do you think? I think it will fly.:coffee2:
 

Attachments

  • weter neck #1.jpg
    35.8 KB · Views: 718
  • weter neck #2.jpg
    30.2 KB · Views: 712
You were told how to do correctly, you just did not listen.

With the set up you now have you will not read correct engine temp unless the thermostat is open.
What if the thermostat sticks closed? You will have no idea if the car is overheating.
Maybe drill a couple of 1/8" holes in the thermostat to ensure there is at least some flow thru the engine.
 
sireland67 said:
you were told how to do correctly, you just did not listen.

With the set up you now have you will not read correct engine temp unless the thermostat is open.
What if the thermostat sticks closed? You will have no idea if the car is overheating.
Maybe drill a couple of 1/8" holes in the thermostat to ensure there is at least some flow thru the engine.
Click to expand...

x2
 
sireland67 said:
You were told how to do correctly, you just did not listen.

With the set up you now have you will not read correct engine temp unless the thermostat is open.
What if the thermostat sticks closed? You will have no idea if the car is overheating.
Maybe drill a couple of 1/8" holes in the thermostat to ensure there is at least some flow thru the engine.
Click to expand...

I have for the past twenty plus years. Drilled four 1/8" holes in my thermostats. I still have the stock temperature gauge. Who knows what it will read. These new aftermarket gauges will read a lot better than that old piece of crap. So what if the new sending unit is 10* cooler then in the head. Dodge puts theirs in the intake water jacket too. I haven't seen or had a thermostat stick in 30 years. If that was to happen. All it would take is tapping it with the handle of a screw driver.
 
You choices are few.............

1.......Find a GOOD electric gauge. I was pretty well screwed, and by SW to boot in the 70's TWICE with innacurate electric gauges so I'm jaundiced

2......Rig some sort of tee fitting in the bypass. Good luck with that

3......Rig some sort of tee in the heater fitting. This can be good and bad. You want the tee as low as possible for the reasons stated...........the higher the sender, the less indicative it is with problems ESPECIALLY if you have an unoticed slow leak over night, AKA the sender goes dry

4......Braze a fitting into the top tank of the rad.

5......If you are skilled, or know someone that is, you can drill, tap, braze and otherwise modify the stock manifold for a fitting. "Your mileage may vary"

I believe? the suggested Morose? setup is a spacer with a fitting UNDER the stat
 
vitamindart said:
Even with the holes you wont be able to see the engine warm up.
Click to expand...

And, as I mentioned, keeping the sender as low is possible gives you more reliable readings. The "usual scenario" is you get a slow leak overnight. You don't notice. You drive off. This is a warm day so you don't use or notice "no heat" out of the heater

(By the way there's been a COUPLE of times in my life that a cold heater alerted me BEFORE the gauge / warning did so)

"Chivvy" went to senders in the head some time ago. This is a far better setup in my opinion.

"It might be" possible to drill / tap a boss into the rear water port on the head
 
Dart swinger 73 said:
I have for the past twenty plus years. Drilled four 1/8" holes in my thermostats. I still have the stock temperature gauge. Who knows what it will read. These new aftermarket gauges will read a lot better than that old piece of crap. So what if the new sending unit is 10* cooler then in the head. Dodge puts theirs in the intake water jacket too. I haven't seen or had a thermostat stick in 30 years. If that was to happen. All it would take is tapping it with the handle of a screw driver.
Click to expand...

I will agree with what you said, except the 10* difference, you will most likely read 60-100* or more off where you placed the sending unit unless the thermostat is open.
The sending unit is to below the thermostat. No exceptions it will not read right.

The hole that you put yours in was used for vacuum sensors in the 70-80's emission years.

Sounds like you have a stock 318 2bbl intake?

Just pay the $60.00 and buy the Moroso part # I gave you.

Or you have two other options.
 
Well this is the new change I made. Sending unit is now below the thermostat.
#1 is looking in from the end. You can see the prob reaching half way through. No restriction of water.
#2 Is the is the original hose. just cut an inch out of the middle. Then some fine tune clipping.
#3-4 Are the same. Just one is better than the other.
 

Attachments

  • photo_1[1].jpg
    24.7 KB · Views: 660
  • photo_2[1].jpg
    41.6 KB · Views: 679
  • photo_3[1].jpg
    33 KB · Views: 669
  • photo_4[1].jpg
    35.9 KB · Views: 672
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top