Engine out can I install Dougs beforehand

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Installing engine with 904 trans with manual steering.Dropping the K member is not a option for me right now.Dropping it in Friday morning.Here is the plan pull back the t bars and remove the center link.Take the motor mounts off the engine.Wire up the drivers side header to the shock.Then drop in the engine a few inches short of where it needs to be.Bolt the tranny to the tranny cross member. Then bolt up the drivers side header.Push the motor over to the drivers side as far as I can.Next drop in the passenger header and bolt it up. Does this sound like a good plan or am I missing something?

Jim, did you get yours in yet???

I think we may try dropping ours in tomorrow or monday...

We're not done prepping the car for the new engine yet, painting the brackets and pulleys today, install new leaf springs, and install new speedo cable... Then get the engine dropped ;if we can get the pulleys to line up (having a few issues with that right now we are going to look into today...) We're plugging and chugging away as we can....
 
Ok toys and squirrels, we got Eddie's engine in with the Doug's Headers.... A little challenging, but got it done...

69 Dart GTS with PS and PB....

Here's what you can't have on the engine:

1. Mini starter - sticks out too much from the engine and interferes with dropping the engine in....
2. Engine to trans braces - they interfere with the headers as they are tight to the engine block in that area...
3. 90° oil filter adapter - it hits the pass inner fender while trying to get the left side and header in...

** You need to remove the center link...

Then hang the left header while installing the engine, and leave the pass side out. After getting the driver's side in and on the end studs, then lift the engine off the mounts and snake the pass header in from below. It's a little tricky, but we managed... It's very tight on the left side with the PS box, so it's easier to leave the pass header out so you can use the room on that side to help get the engine close to the mounts, then get the left header on the end studs in the head. We couldn't get the left header in with the right one hanging, we took the right one out and installed it from below after the left header was in. We had to lift the engine off the mounts a little to get the pass header in...

We used an engine hoist with an equalizer/leveler bar and installed the engine and trans together from above...

They are very tight on both sides... We may have to notch the one tube as it's so close to the steering column and may hit. We couldn't check as we have the power steering pump removed and the power steering fluid shoots out of the hoses if we try to turn the wheel...

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They look BEAUTIFUL!
I sure hope I don't have that much trouble with my Cuda. ..........!!!!!

Jeff
 
Don't need the leaker 90* oil filter adapter with Dougs.
 
Don't need the leaker 90* oil filter adapter with Dougs.

The plate and nut kits are no longer available and the one plate that I had did not feel like it was seating fully, so we went with the adapter...
 
One note on the headers:

We installed the mini starter today and found that on the bottom of the starter is a rubber cover over an electric connection that is less than 1/4" from the pipe. I fear that the heat will melt the rubber, hopefully it won't ground the wire underneath to the pipe... (I'm a little concerned about that...)

We also found a couple of areas that the driver's side header is hitting on the edge of the steering gear and another interference further back on the steering column.... We may notch the pipes for better clearance in these areas...
 
One other note:

We were talking today about if we should have tried to install the driver's side header from below instead of hanging it while dropping the engine in... It may be worth a try...
 
One other note:

We were talking today about if we should have tried to install the driver's side header from below instead of hanging it while dropping the engine in... It may be worth a try...
Why? Would there be less interference or less time messing with the motor not installed?
 
Did mine today, held both sides while dropping in the motor. Was a 3 1/2 man job but we got it done. Everything fit great except we had to remove the trans cooler lines to get the left header in.
 
Did mine today, held both sides while dropping in the motor. Was a 3 1/2 man job but we got it done. Everything fit great except we had to remove the trans cooler lines to get the left header in.

We had to rebend our trans lines out of the way of the header also...
 
Looks like Friday is the big day for me...I'll be dropping my engine back in the Cuda.
Hope it goes smooth - gonna tie back the D453's and slip the 318 in-between.

Jeff
 
Looks like Friday is the big day for me...I'll be dropping my engine back in the Cuda.
Hope it goes smooth - gonna tie back the D453's and slip the 318 in-between.

Jeff

Good luck... :thumbsup:

May the force be with you.... :D
 
We fired ours today and broke in the cam... we got the headers glowing orange for a bit, but then it cooled down a bit and was ok for the rest of the break in... Keep an eye on the driver's side header when breaking in the cam....

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Did you shut it down to cool it down?
What was the issue with the spark?

Jeff
 
I didn't read all the replies but I wasn't able to install the engine with the headers both in the engine bay. I had the drivers side bungee corded. Steering column was out (not sure if it had to be but it helped). Idler arm bolt out. Pull center link down out of the way. Drivers side engine mount loose. Passenger side mount disconnected. Jack with 2x4 under oil pan. Slide passenger side header up from the bottom.
 
Did you shut it down to cool it down?
What was the issue with the spark?

Jeff

The new harness for the electronic control box was bad.... :(

We replaced it with the one from my MP electronic conversion kit and it fires right up now... :D

A brand new harness was NFG.... :icon_fU: :BangHead:
 
We had to rebend our trans lines out of the way of the header also...
How did you do it? Mine looks like its not long enough to move very far. It was also suggested to run them between the tube that splits away for the header and the other pipes.
 
How did you do it? Mine looks like its not long enough to move very far. It was also suggested to run them between the tube that splits away for the header and the other pipes.

We just pried them out of the way with a screwdriver, being careful not to pinch or kink the lines...

Then on the one, we had to straighten out the "loop" at the end some to get the extra length that we needed...
 
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