Deltatech's 1973 Plymouth Duster

[Deltatech]

It's a conversation peice,lol!
It's gonna be something. Inspecting, Cleaning parts, gathering parts and disassembly.

 

[Deltatech]

The last picture is the same block as I was tearing it down. I finally after waiting on the machinist for 18 months have the block back and am currently putting it together.
I'm currently waiting for my machinist to get my Magnum heads and a 360 block done.
It's ( the 500HP 440) going to sit on a stand in my kitchen until I get an output shaft swapped out for one of the two 727 rv tansmisions.

 

[Deltatech]

Some closeups of the Block and heads that grab my attention.

 

[Deltatech]

I've got a lot of smoothing to do on the stealth heads.

 

[340sFastback]

Good thing you got that strong rear already in there....

 

[Deltatech]

360 (5.9) teardown. One piston was broken,(looks melted) nothing seized. Turned over. I may use the second block. This one is going to have to be thoroughly checked.

 

[Deltatech]

Good thing you got that strong rear already in there....

That was the plan when doing the rear. My main concern is boxing in the subframes, but I can finally weld for myself.
I'm not skipping phase 2 the 400 HP 360. I want to master this car, I know and have held every single bolt at this point.
Another goal is to build the 360 and 440 to as close the same weight as the 318 that's currently in it.
I have yet to weigh the 318.

 

[QuickDart360]

She's going together. New intake, water pump and lotsa goodies!
87' 318- 9.27:1, stock bore ,all new rings, bearings, seals, new hyper pistons, 302 casting, new stock sized valves,port matched to 360 port size and mild porting, guides shaved,
Howards 282 adv dur .480 lift cam,
Comp lifters,pushrods and springs, new melling rockers, Assault air gap, Edelbrock 1405 manual choke vac secondary 500 cmf carb, double roller timing set,
Jegs billet distributor with adjustable advance set and lighter springs.
Mopar orange box,MSD coil.
Accel 8mm wires, champion plugs.
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Just a suggestion. I've heard that comp lifters may be sketchy to use. They've had a bad reputation for failure. You should try and get Howard's lifters or some melling or nos try or Elgin. Ask other members about thus. Trying to save you all the effort/work done thus far!

 

[mpgmike]

It is not wise to mix brands of cams & lifters. There is a dome on the lifters and a slant on the cam lobes. They must match. Get the wrong angle on either and you'll chew up both.

 

[Deltatech]

Got the cam in the 440 degreed, Did another mockup.
The butterfly scoop isn't going on the tunnel ram I just don't have either velocity stacks or a Hillborn yet.
I have yet to decide, leaning towards Vel Stacks.

 

[dukeboy440]

I got the 440 tore down, from the looks of inside it I should have just ran it. Everything was pristine. No wear anywhere in it. Oh well...
Getting the slant ready to pull.

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Just curious, but why phase it? Just go 440 from the start if that’s the end goal?

 

[dukeboy440]

Got the cam in the 440 degreed, Did another mockup.
The butterfly scoop isn't going on the tunnel ram I just don't have either velocity stacks or a Hillborn yet.
I have yet to decide, leaning towards Vel Stacks.

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Digging the gold!

 

[Deltatech]

Just curious, but why phase it? Just go 440 from the start if that’s the end goal?

It's about the journey and Mastery of this chassis to see how it reacts to different weights and forces.

 

[dukeboy440]

It's about the journey and Mastery of this chassis to see how it reacts to different weights and forces.

Well I’m subscribing to this build. Curious to see it evolve

 

[Deltatech]

Well I’m subscribing to this build. Curious to see it evolve

I hope to see yours as well.

 

[Deltatech]

Just a suggestion. I've heard that comp lifters may be sketchy to use. They've had a bad reputation for failure. You should try and get Howard's lifters or some melling or nos try or Elgin. Ask other members about thus. Trying to save you all the effort/work done thus far!

I've heard it too but not had any problems for the previous 6 builds.

 

[Deltatech]

It is not wise to mix brands of cams & lifters. There is a dome on the lifters and a slant on the cam lobes. They must match. Get the wrong angle on either and you'll chew up both.

I know, I just mic check everything before installing.
So far so good, 40 years.

 

[Deltatech]

as for Phase 2- the 360 build, I am still deciding which to send to the machinist.
I have 2 5.9's, one has a melted piston, the other is at my Little Brothers shop and hasn't been inspected or tore down yet.
I have a set of Magnum heads at the machinists being,resurfaced, new guides, valves and cut for 2.02-1.60 but I think to reach my HP goal and weight goal I'm going with Aluminum.
Which means I'm going to get the 5.9 block drilled for oiling through the shaft and use LA style heads.
This one is crusty but it was all sealed up.

 

[Deltatech]

Stock Engine weights vs Phase build weights
Phase 1 swap
Slant 6 475 lb weight goal for all builds
LA 318 525 lbs +50
Phase 1 318 build 465 lbs. Goal met -10lbs
Weight savings, Distributor, intake, pistons, rods, headers, water pump, Throttle bracket, block dressed, heads, valves.

Phase 2 swap
LA 360 550 lbs +75
5.9 Magnum 540 lbs +65
Phase 2 build- TBD

Phase 3 swap
Rb 440 670 lbs +195
Phase 3 build-TBD
Lighter parts so far-
water pump & Housing-11.5 lbs
Alum ported Heads -40lbs
Alum Tunelram-38.5 lbs
Headers
Milled,decked..03 bored & dressed block -2 lbs
H Balancer -5 lbs (need to confirm)

 

[Deltatech]

I'm going to start gathering what I need to start Zinc, cadmium and nickel plating, anodizing and rust removal through electrolysis in my garage.

 

[Deltatech]

Weighing new parts
Water pump and Housing- 11.6 lbs
Tunnel ram,2 450's linkage and bolts-38.5 lbs, which is still a few pounds less than a stock intake and carb!

 

[Deltatech]

MOAR parts weighing.
Billet rb Distributor- 3.61 lbs
Stock cast RB water pump housing only- 12.2 lbs
Cast RB intake only- 43.4 lbs
318 163 Head- 51.6 lbs

 

[Deltatech]

I've heard it too but not had any problems for the previous 6 builds.

I think the problems are not metallurgy or lifter related for the most part.
I believe some cams have too much meat on the end and they don't center the lobes over the lifter bore.
If it's not centered then the crown and taper isnt going to work and wipe lobes.
I had to machine one to center the lobes before.

 

[Deltatech]

I Started saving up for this project in 2012, and now it's time to loosen the wallet.
It's hard to change after decades of going without creature comforts, buying the cheapest everything and only buying what is absolutely needed.
Today it ends, I just ordered an engine run stand that I've needed since 2004.
With 6 engine builds planned it's going to be a game changer for break in and tuning.

 

[Deltatech]

A quick video of the Duster at Idle and walkaround.
Youtube.