Maybe shim the engine over a little to the passenger side. If I hadn't already swapped out the rag joint for a U joint they would had definitely been hitting there.
My 5.9 into '68 Dart swap
- Thread starter MileHighDart
- Start date
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R4Sedan
Larry
I was gonna mention that too. May go with the u-joint shaft. From what I've read and seen gives you room. Probably could get away with just jacking up the engine and pulling the column. Little work. Let us know.
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
Well I got the header to steering box clearance issue worked out. I took a multi level approach to get the clearance I needed.
First I fabricated an 1/8" thick spacer to go under the drivers side mount, hopefully pushing the engine just a bit towards the passenger side.
Then I did some creative shaping on the end of the steering column with a dremel tool and a stone.
Finally put a small dent in the header using a very long punch and a hammer.
The combo of these things got me about 3/16" clearance.
Here's some pics. First pic is the area where it was hitting.
First I fabricated an 1/8" thick spacer to go under the drivers side mount, hopefully pushing the engine just a bit towards the passenger side.
Then I did some creative shaping on the end of the steering column with a dremel tool and a stone.
Finally put a small dent in the header using a very long punch and a hammer.
The combo of these things got me about 3/16" clearance.
Here's some pics. First pic is the area where it was hitting.
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
Also tried loosening the bolts at the bottom of the steering column inside the car to see if the column would move to the drivers side at all. But that gained me nothing.
mopar65
Well-Known Member
You allready have it fixed now. But when I get to that point on my car. Here is how I am going to do my steering column
How To Replace your Lower Column Bearing: Better and Cheaper!!!
How To Replace your Lower Column Bearing: Better and Cheaper!!!
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
Not much to report, progress has been a little slow lately. Working long hours and wife has us camping every other weekend it seems.
Did manage to get the car up on stands yesterday and I slipped the passenger side header in from the bottom. Went right in, took longer to get the car up on stands than it took to get the header on. At least with them both on I could get some idea of what changes I'll have to make to mate the headers up with my existing exhaust system.
Did manage to get the car up on stands yesterday and I slipped the passenger side header in from the bottom. Went right in, took longer to get the car up on stands than it took to get the header on. At least with them both on I could get some idea of what changes I'll have to make to mate the headers up with my existing exhaust system.
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
Well I don't mind the camping and fishing that much, but it does cut into my car time.
Feel like by the time I get this thing running and back on the road, summer will be over.
I hear ya there brother. Allways something getting in the way.....
LMAO
LMAO
Darticon
Well-Known Member
Hey, I think this thread is what finally put me over the edge... I've bought a pos magnum block and I'm in the middle of tearing it down.
I was planning on hiding it as an LA but really like the idea of the serpentine belt setup once I saw it on yours.
Had a few questions if you get time. The RPM manifold you bought, does it look like the alternator/condenser bracket will interfere with your hoses? Do you plan on running air conditioning or are you going to use a bypass pulley like this one Dorman offers? Power steering pump, any issues?
Sorry to bombard - I should probably find out if my block and heads are even viable before going into this but your pics got me thinking. Great work by the way.
I was planning on hiding it as an LA but really like the idea of the serpentine belt setup once I saw it on yours.
Had a few questions if you get time. The RPM manifold you bought, does it look like the alternator/condenser bracket will interfere with your hoses? Do you plan on running air conditioning or are you going to use a bypass pulley like this one Dorman offers? Power steering pump, any issues?
Sorry to bombard - I should probably find out if my block and heads are even viable before going into this but your pics got me thinking. Great work by the way.
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
Well, the alt-compressor bracket did get in the way of where one of the heater hoses is suppose to go. If you look back a little in this thread you'll see that I drilled out and tapped one of the other holes in the manifold to move the heater hose from under the bracket, to a little closer to the passenger side.
I am planning on adding an aftermarket a/c setup sometime, but thought I would keep the stock magnum a/c compressor and just buy the rest of the setup. In fact I was going to go ahead and mount the a/c compressor and just not hook up the wires. But after seeing that a/c bypass bracket that you posted I think I'll buy one of those to use until I actually get around to doing the a/c.
I haven't messed around with radiator hoses yet. May have to use a magnum upper hose to get around the a/c compressor, not sure on that yet.
Also, glad I inspired you to go magnum but mines not running yet so I cant tell you how much of a difference it will be from my old 318.
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
p.s. On the power steering pump, I'm planning on running the stock magnum pump. However it does interfere with the battery tray a bit. The usual fix for this is to get a power steering pump bracket off and dodge ram Van, which mounts the pump a little lower on the engine. So far however I have had no luck finding a ram van in the junkyard that hasn't already had the engine gone.
Some guys on here have run the pump in the stock position by narrowing their battery tray, and getting a battery that's not as wide.
Some guys on here have run the pump in the stock position by narrowing their battery tray, and getting a battery that's not as wide.
Darticon
Well-Known Member
Hm... just gives me another reason to want to move the battery back to the trunk =)
Thanks very much for the info! I'm pretty much dead set on going with the RPM manifold too so will have to do the same to get it to work.
I'm a long ways out but got a lot done today tearing the short-block down to just the block. Trying to get it ready for our local engine shop to tank and check out. Really happy with how the cylinder walls and all the bearings looked. Cam was toast here as well.
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
So, small update. Got a powersteering pump bracket from a van off ebay. It was pretty crusty when it showed up. Looked like it had spent a few years at the bottom of lake erie or something.
Anyway after a couple hours with a wire wheel on my bench grinder, a smaller wire wheel in my hand drill, and some work with a dremel tool I got it cleaned up enough to paint. Also cleaned up my p/s pump and got it painted.
You can see from the pics I'm posting the difference between the truck bracket and the van bracket.
First couple are the truck bracket, then some pics of the van bracket and the finished result.
Anyway after a couple hours with a wire wheel on my bench grinder, a smaller wire wheel in my hand drill, and some work with a dremel tool I got it cleaned up enough to paint. Also cleaned up my p/s pump and got it painted.
You can see from the pics I'm posting the difference between the truck bracket and the van bracket.
First couple are the truck bracket, then some pics of the van bracket and the finished result.
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
I also picked up a Dorman 34178 a/c delete bracket/pulley.
Seems like a decent piece only the mounting holes are too big, but they give you some spacers to put in the holes to close them up a bit.
Seems like a decent piece only the mounting holes are too big, but they give you some spacers to put in the holes to close them up a bit.
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
I do need to run out and buy a new accessory drive belt for a van, since moving the powersteering pump the old truck belt is too short.
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
Well been having trouble finding the right belt. All I've changed is and a/c delete pulley which is the same size as the a/c pulley and in the same location. And the van style p/s pump mount.
Thought I could just buy a belt for a van and it would fit, but too short. Bought the biggest 7 rib belt I could find 101.3" its still just a little short, even with the tensioner pulled all the way over it wont quite go on. Thinking of buying an 8 rib belt, cause I can get a 102.5" or a 103.5" and cutting one rib off the edge. Seems like kind of a hokey way to go, but I really don't know why the van belt is too short.
Help from anyone who has switched to the van style p/s pump mount would be appreciated.
Thought I could just buy a belt for a van and it would fit, but too short. Bought the biggest 7 rib belt I could find 101.3" its still just a little short, even with the tensioner pulled all the way over it wont quite go on. Thinking of buying an 8 rib belt, cause I can get a 102.5" or a 103.5" and cutting one rib off the edge. Seems like kind of a hokey way to go, but I really don't know why the van belt is too short.
Help from anyone who has switched to the van style p/s pump mount would be appreciated.
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
Spent a few hours today pulling the engine back out, well not completely out but unbolted from the tranny and pulled it forward and up about a foot so I could install the alignment dowels on the back of the block, which I found lying on my bench After I installed the engine the first time.
Was a pain in the butt, especially working alone. But got it done, and it gave me the opportunity to beat on my headers in a couple of spots to make for a little more clearance between the steering box and the header.
I hate it when I screw up and forget some little thing that ends up making me take steps backwards to correct. But its fixed now and I can move on.
Was a pain in the butt, especially working alone. But got it done, and it gave me the opportunity to beat on my headers in a couple of spots to make for a little more clearance between the steering box and the header.
I hate it when I screw up and forget some little thing that ends up making me take steps backwards to correct. But its fixed now and I can move on.
Screw Dorman
aaadave
Well-Known Member
i dont know about the ac delete pulley, but the van has a smaller compressor pulley than the truck. ran into this when i went with the van bracket. dave.
skizzo
Fubar Emeritus II
How about a smaller idler pulley on the tensioner?
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
I was wondering if some of the pulleys or idlers were smaller on the van. That might explain why the van belt didn't fit my engine.
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
Didn't change the tensioner pulley, but you gave me the idea. I did a search and found a Dayco 7 groove idler pulley that was 3.5" diameter and used it to replace the 5.25" idler on the a/c delete bracket. And now it works great with the 101.3" belt. Advance auto parts had it in stock.
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
I've gotten a few small things done. Progress has been slow because of other things.
Got my power steering hose figured out, nothing custom, just a new hose for a '72 Dart with V8.
Just had to curve it back and up slightly and it lined up great with the magnum pump.
Got my power steering hose figured out, nothing custom, just a new hose for a '72 Dart with V8.
Just had to curve it back and up slightly and it lined up great with the magnum pump.
MileHighDart
Well-Known Member
Also had to fix another spot where the drivers side header was hitting the steering box.. Had to jack the motor up and push it towards the pass side, and partially remove the drag link so I could get the header down and out the bottom so I could beat a flat spot on it. All good now.
Also, I was planning on leaving the valve covers black but after seeing how much of the red is covered up by the accessories and such I decided it needed more red.
And I got new valve cover grommets for the pcv valve and breather.
Also, I was planning on leaving the valve covers black but after seeing how much of the red is covered up by the accessories and such I decided it needed more red.
And I got new valve cover grommets for the pcv valve and breather.
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