I wanna drag race----help

-
Outsider said:
Pretty sure Pettyblue has a 23 spline with no real mods. He has a couple of great posts up about racing that car earlier this summer where you can read about it.
Sounds like the 4-speed is worth a bet... make sure your driveshaft is up to par and really scrutinize that flywheel. Make sure there are no cracks in it. Use whatever magnifying device you can find and really look at it.
I loathe pistol grip shifters, and in my opinion they don't shift as well as a plain round ball. That's just me so maybe you can mke it work...I don't know anyone who can. Pettyblue has one in his car.
I've got the old Lakewood in my car, and the linkage has been altered. Works well.
Post a pic of your clutch.
Good luck.
Click to expand...

I took some photos of the clutch discs and while the camera was out I took some of the car as well. I downloaded image resizer at my office which worked on an older version of windows XP but on this newer laptop it wouldn't work. The photos were resized on a thumbnail software so I hope they come out large enough. Thanks, Kev

tn_IMG_duster clutch.JPG
 
Mines an 18 spline,was rebuilt by PO when I got the car.The slide a link is a bolt on and works like cal-tracs,but has a big neopreen bushing on the arm to soften the blow at launch.Did you check into Quick-Time bells.?
 
pettybludart said:
Mines an 18 spline,was rebuilt by PO when I got the car.The slide a link is a bolt on and works like cal-tracs,but has a big neopreen bushing on the arm to soften the blow at launch.Did you check into Quick-Time bells.?
Click to expand...

Pettybludart

I will be checking into Quick-time and slide a link tomorrow. Does your 18 spline seem to be holding up to the 1/4mile abuse? I'm starting to collect the rest of the engine and exhaust components, do you use racing cutaways to change from street to strip exhaust ? Do you think a high torque starter is a good purchase or is stock OK. Thanks again for yours and all others input.
 
pettybludart said:
Mines an 18 spline,was rebuilt by PO when I got the car.The slide a link is a bolt on and works like cal-tracs,but has a big neopreen bushing on the arm to soften the blow at launch.Did you check into Quick-Time bells.?
Click to expand...
Pettyblu, I've followed your earlier posts, and I never knew you were running an 18 spline. VERY COOL. Quick question, do you run the 307, or the 308 bearing? . I'm running an early Hemi retainer for the 307. Since I am going to put all synchronized gears in a new case, I'm thinking of going with the 308.
 
kanders said:
Pettybludart

I will be checking into Quick-time and slide a link tomorrow. Does your 18 spline seem to be holding up to the 1/4mile abuse? I'm starting to collect the rest of the engine and exhaust components, do you use racing cutaways to change from street to strip exhaust ? Do you think a high torque starter is a good purchase or is stock OK. Thanks again for yours and all others input.
Click to expand...
I have cutouts on my 66 Dart with 2 1/2 exhaust.I picked up a mini-starter from the scrapyard(new)off of a 318 Dakota for $40(alot cheaper$)It works fine on the 360 with 340Xheads.The guy I bought the heads off,has two 833 4 speed tranny,s I,m gonna buy from him.One is stock,one is for racing,so I,ll have to have them looked at for options?
 
Outsider said:
Pettyblu, I've followed your earlier posts, and I never knew you were running an 18 spline. VERY COOL. Quick question, do you run the 307, or the 308 bearing? . I'm running an early Hemi retainer for the 307. Since I am going to put all synchronized gears in a new case, I'm thinking of going with the 308.
Click to expand...

Outsider
What bearing is the 307 or 308. Is that the input shaft bearing. I was also wondering, if you use a heavy duty driveshaft with a 1350 u joint on the diff end (using an aftermarket yoke) how do you get a 1350 on the front. Do you also use an aftermarket splined stubshaft?
 
pettybludart said:
I have cutouts on my 66 Dart with 2 1/2 exhaust.I picked up a mini-starter from the scrapyard(new)off of a 318 Dakota for $40(alot cheaper$)It works fine on the 360 with 340Xheads.The guy I bought the heads off,has two 833 4 speed tranny,s I,m gonna buy from him.One is stock,one is for racing,so I,ll have to have them looked at for options?
Click to expand...

Pettybludart
I think I'm also going to use cutouts and 2 1/2 exhaust. I stopped in at a local muffler shop who has done some custom exhaust work on a couple of limo's I've streched in the past and they wanted 800.00 to do a headers back system on the Duster!!! Maybe I've been out of touch too long when a couple of mufflers and some exhaust tubing is worth that much. He recommended flowmasters of course and said they were $200.00 each! I've seen some discussions in the exhaust forum and everyone has a different preference. What do you run on your cars? By the way, thanks for the starter tip.
 
kanders said:
Outsider
What bearing is the 307 or 308. Is that the input shaft bearing. I was also wondering, if you use a heavy duty driveshaft with a 1350 u joint on the diff end (using an aftermarket yoke) how do you get a 1350 on the front. Do you also use an aftermarket splined stubshaft?
Click to expand...
The 307 and the 308 are input shaft bearings. Keep in mind my car is an old drag car so everything on my car is '66/'67 vintage. My transmission has a 307 Hemi bearing retainer. It works well, but I always wonder about going with a 308. The case is an original '66 case that currently has an 18 spline slickshift gearset. I want to drive on the street so when I decided to redo my rear wheel openings I really tore into the car. Now I am building a new fully synchro 18 spline for the street with later style synchros. I'm also going to replace the spool with a Detroit Locker. The driveshaft is a very nicely done custom job. I'm guessing it was originally a truck or C-body shaft that has been cut and rebalanced. U-joints are 7290s, and they work great. Big slip yoke, and the 3rd member is a 742 big yoke from an old altered wheelbase car.
 
Outsider
Do you plan to still race your car after making it streetable or just use it for cruising? Do you think a heavy duty slipshaft that would fit my trans is available off a pickup or cargo van or would I have to go aftermarket?
 
Yes, I'll race it at the Nats or a Nostalgia gig, but I want to drive it. The transmission I'm building will be a seperate 4-speed from the slickshift one so that and the spool and 4.86s can be swapped in to race.
If I were you I'd get the yokes from a big block/727 C-body or wagon. Save a little cash. The shaft can come from nearly anything, truck, van, C-body, wagon ect. Just have one end cut and rebalance it. Mines 40 years old and doing fine. As long as you don't hammer the U-joints out all the time, it should last a long long time. I've got a complete back up shaft/yokes from a '69 Chrysler 300 that I parted out. Got a '69 440, 727, 8.75/489 case, shaft, yokes, radiator, air cleaner and fasteners for 100 bucks.
 
Outsider said:
Yes, I'll race it at the Nats or a Nostalgia gig, but I want to drive it. The transmission I'm building will be a seperate 4-speed from the slickshift one so that and the spool and 4.86s can be swapped in to race.
If I were you I'd get the yokes from a big block/727 C-body or wagon. Save a little cash. The shaft can come from nearly anything, truck, van, C-body, wagon ect. Just have one end cut and rebalance it. Mines 40 years old and doing fine. As long as you don't hammer the U-joints out all the time, it should last a long long time. I've got a complete back up shaft/yokes from a '69 Chrysler 300 that I parted out. Got a '69 440, 727, 8.75/489 case, shaft, yokes, radiator, air cleaner and fasteners for 100 bucks.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a great deal for someone planning to do a big block coversion on their A body. You should advertise it in the parts for sale section, I'll bet someone in your area would scoop them up in a heartbeat. If you weren't so far away I'd consider it myself just to hang onto for a later project. In the meantime I think I'll head to the pick and pull today, last time I was there I saw a couple of dodge pickups and see whats under them. Even a smallblock pickup should have the larger u joint shouldn't it? Kev
 
Today I finally got the 289 off the engine stand and the 340 out of the crate and mounted on the stand. Will partially disassemble the 340 to spot check clearances and make sure they match whats on the build sheet, also see how clean it is internally since it's been sitting for a few years. I bought some ARP head bolts and will install them and reassemble. I want to change the engine color to black since I will be accenting all aluminum parts (air cleaner/valve covers/billet pulleys) in orange anodizing. Any ideas about precleaning an already painted engine for repainting, it's alot easier when the parts come back from the machine shop hot tanked but this is different. I would also like to ask the racing guys out there about engine break in for racing. I know you are supposed to put some miles in with varied loads with no high RPM for break in but what do the race guys do when they don't street drive the car, do you have to mount it on a dyno to break it in? I've included a couple of pics the Duster which is now paintless, to make my goal of racing on the weekend of Oct 3 even more impossible I've decided to repaint it!!!! Ya I know.... my wife says I'm nuts too but I love a challenge and I'm no stranger to failure. Kev
 
Did you do your sub-frame connectors yet the fellow who did mine did something completely different and way stronger than any stamped sheet steel connector you buy premade he took thick walled rectangular tubing cut to length and positioned in place under the car and then heated the floor and lowered the car onto the connectors reshapeing the floor around them and then welded the ends to the sub-frames this gives you more rigidity in the floor pan itself plus creates a solid frame under the car ,the only really tricky part was cutting ovals on the inner and outer wall and welding a tube through the inside of the one rail on the hand brake cable side for the cable to pass through the connector , cheaper and way stronger/stiffer than any stamped steel after-market piece out there , something to think about if your handy that way ,P.S. whats that puny little enemic looking blue thing beside your motor ? looks like a lawnmower motor
 
cannucky said:
Did you do your sub-frame connectors yet the fellow who did mine did something completely different and way stronger than any stamped sheet steel connector you buy premade he took thick walled rectangular tubing cut to length and positioned in place under the car and then heated the floor and lowered the car onto the connectors reshapeing the floor around them and then welded the ends to the sub-frames this gives you more rigidity in the floor pan itself plus creates a solid frame under the car ,the only really tricky part was cutting ovals on the inner and outer wall and welding a tube through the inside of the one rail on the hand brake cable side for the cable to pass through the connector , cheaper and way stronger/stiffer than any stamped steel after-market piece out there , something to think about if your handy that way ,P.S. whats that puny little enemic looking blue thing beside your motor ? looks like a lawnmower motor
Click to expand...

I didn't do the connectors yet because they haven't arrived yet but I will be using them, the ones I ordered are from US Cartool and they are made of 1/8 thick steel, should work nicely since they are contoured to follow and tie into the floor the same way the front and rear subframes are made. As for the sewing machine motor I guess it does look pretty small sitting 2 feet below the 340. It's a 289 for a 1968 Mustang I'm building for my daughter, It's been put on the back burner till the Duster is done. Sorry to all the die hard Mopar guys but I'm partial to Mopars and Ferds. No Chebby's allowed on the property!!!!!! Kev
 
kanders said:
I didn't do the connectors yet because they haven't arrived yet but I will be using them, the ones I ordered are from US Cartool and they are made of 1/8 thick steel, should work nicely since they are contoured to follow and tie into the floor the same way the front and rear subframes are made. As for the sewing machine motor I guess it does look pretty small sitting 2 feet below the 340. It's a 289 for a 1968 Mustang I'm building for my daughter, It's been put on the back burner till the Duster is done. Sorry to all the die hard Mopar guys but I'm partial to Mopars and Ferds. No Chebby's allowed on the property!!!!!! Kev
Click to expand...

I like the idea that you are going with the black on the engine instead of the orange. I painted my engine black and have got a bunch of comments about it. I'm not sure what you can do to make sure the paint sticks to the motor. Besides scuffing the paint a little bit then cleaning and then spraying it black... that's all I would know to do.

Make sure when you install the frame connectors that the car has the motor installed, seats, basically complete then have them welded in WITH THE CAR SITTING ON ITS OWN TIRES. Then have them welded in.
 
mullinax95 said:
I like the idea that you are going with the black on the engine instead of the orange. I painted my engine black and have got a bunch of comments about it. I'm not sure what you can do to make sure the paint sticks to the motor. Besides scuffing the paint a little bit then cleaning and then spraying it black... that's all I would know to do.

Make sure when you install the frame connectors that the car has the motor installed, seats, basically complete then have them welded in WITH THE CAR SITTING ON ITS OWN TIRES. Then have them welded in.
Click to expand...

I know orange is the correct color for the engine but the car is hemi orange and I think it would be TOO MUCH ORANGE, besides the fact that I'd like to promote my anodizing business with it at shows etc. and a black contrast should really make the anodized parts pop. Did you paint it gloss or satin black, do you have any pics with it in the car? Thanks for the tip about the connectors, I hope they get here soon enough, I'll be welding them on myself with it sitting on it's wheels on the hoist. Kev
 
mullinax95
Now i see why you get the compliments, dats perrdee. Thanks for the pics, hopefully it won't be too much longer when I can see mine together. BTW I really like your car, it must be a blast to cruise the town knowing onlookers are sublime green with envy. Kev
 
kanders said:
mullinax95
Now i see why you get the compliments, dats perrdee. Thanks for the pics, hopefully it won't be too much longer when I can see mine together. BTW I really like your car, it must be a blast to cruise the town knowing onlookers are sublime green with envy. Kev
Click to expand...


LOL! Thanks Kev!

I run a 4-speed so I will be watching your thread. If you haven't talked to http://www.brewersperformance.com/ might want to later on down the road. They know there stuff and are true Mopar guys. I installed a McLeod diaphragm pressure plate and 10.95 clutch on my cuda from them and very pleased with it.
 
mullinax95 said:
LOL! Thanks Kev!

I run a 4-speed so I will be watching your thread. If you haven't talked to http://www.brewersperformance.com/ might want to later on down the road. They know there stuff and are true Mopar guys. I installed a McLeod diaphragm pressure plate and 10.95 clutch on my cuda from them and very pleased with it.
Click to expand...

Do you race your Cuda, if so what kind of times are you running. I have a clutch setup that came with the car thats brand new but I don't know what brand. I posted pics of it a while ago hoping someone could help me identify it but no luck. I'm going to use it to begin with just due to econimic reasons but I will certainly check out Brewers down the road if things don't work out with the one I have. Kev
 
kanders said:
Do you race your Cuda, if so what kind of times are you running. I have a clutch setup that came with the car thats brand new but I don't know what brand. I posted pics of it a while ago hoping someone could help me identify it but no luck. I'm going to use it to begin with just due to econimic reasons but I will certainly check out Brewers down the road if things don't work out with the one I have. Kev
Click to expand...


No but I would like to one day. There is a 1/8 mile track near by that friends of mine have ran there cars. Maybe oneday I will get on the action.

Those are two clutchs right? After I took another look.

tn_IMG_duster%20clutch.JPG
 
mullinax95 said:
No but I would like to one day. There is a 1/8 mile track near by that friends of mine have ran there cars. Maybe oneday I will get on the action.

Those are two clutchs right? After I took another look.
Click to expand...

Yes, the one on the right is slightly used and looks stock to me, the one on the left is new but I haven't seen one like that before. The dampening springs in the disc are surrounded with some kind of urethane or something similar, it appears to be a specialty piece to me but I don't have a lot of experience with 4 spd components. Maybe someone seeing this might have an idea.
 
Finally got into the engine today while the bodyworks being done to check torques and clearances as well as internal cleanliness since it's been sitting so long. I only did a spot check on a couple of rod caps and the clearance matched the build sheet as well as the torque which seemed correct.(hard to really check except to over torque by a couple of pounds to see if it moves) There seems to have been a lot of care taken on this engine because I found that the rod edges had the casting seams ground smooth and highly polished and it had APR rod bolts as well as ARP main studs installed. The inside of the lifter galley has been painted which I think is for better oil return flow. The only thing I didn't like was that the oil pickup (a Moroso or Milodon) had been rotated so that it was way too far from the bottom of the pan. It has a deep sump pan and it was 2" off the bottom. Before reinstalling the oil pump I removed the pickup and cleaned the threads, resealed with teflon tape and installed to reduce clearance to 1" from bottom. The oil pan was originally a gold color(zinc finish?) and then painted orange but was all flaking off. I will glass bead the outside before painting black with the rest of the engine. I sure have a hankerin to put stock valve covers, plug all the holes and glass bead the sucker before painting but I know the risks if something gets inside. Thats all for now pics included, Kev

IMG_2497.JPG


IMG_2499.JPG


IMG_2498.JPG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top