rumblefish's Duster project

[rumblefish360]

Hey all. Let me start this thread out by first saying I have come across alot of people looking to do up there 318 some. While the questions I read are offten simple, some are not. Also, theres the question of how cheap can I do it. Well, this hobby is not cheap.
A recent MoPar Muscle headline stated on the road for $900. Well, if your lucky enuff to find a car like theres as cheap as theres, then your in good shape. But sometimes, getting a real nice car for $300 isn't going to happen.

I'm going to list basicly everything from start to finish, but will not include every last can of paint, cleaner or tube of gasket maker. I don't know what you have in your box or how cheap you can get things. But cheap is the way I'm trying to do this.

So it starts. The basic story is I needed a thing to play with. I went out to the local paper and found a '74 /6 Duster for $1200. The price was a fair one and there wasn't mauch to argue over it. So here it is. From step 1 and 2.

Duster, $1200
4 new tires, about $300, I'll have to check on there total.
Valve cover gasket. Couple of bucks.
But nothing else was needed.
I was on the road!

 

[rumblefish360]

Well, I did say 318 mods right. But the car is a /6. No problem. In another car, my Magnum, resided a 318 I took out inplace of a 400 swap. Well, thats what I'm doing here. As of current, I didn't get to the swap yet. But, there no rush even though yesterday was to late and now isn't soon enuff.
Theres a few things to do on the teen first.
Now it may seemed I went backwards here, but I sold the Ede.Performer that was ontop. The Edel. Carb was shot, and taken apart for parts. At first, I was going to sell the teen, but decided to use it instead. The price I got for the Performer was $75 and he paid shipping.
No I needed a intake. Where do I get an intake? An as cheap?
Well, theres allways someone aout there and a buddy from work has a pile of parts that you have see to believe. Though a big block guy, he did have a LD4B he sold to me for $60.
A quick cleaning with off the shelf Eagle One cleaner and brush, it worked great. I'm lucky enuff that at work, I can use a glass beeder to finish it off. Here it is.

 

[rumblefish360]

For a carb, in the past, somewhere, and I'll probably get reminded by the previous owner whom owned it, I can accros a small AVS. (The one on the left) From the Edelbrock carb, I stole the electric choke and drilled and tapped the boss' allready there to add the e-choke. (Drill and proper tap sizes purchased from Sears) The carb is speced to have come from a 69-71 (I think) 340. I'll check and edit later.
I mostly have gotten these carbs for under $50 and a rebuild kit is about 20 - 30 dollors.
A cheap air cleaner fromAuto Zone tops it off. It did need a spacer under the base. Less than $30.

 

[rumblefish360]

From here, going down into the engine, I purchased new (One of the few things) a Crane Cam. Speced at 272/284, .454, .480 on a 112. It's hitting it hard for the engine size and gear ratio. (More on rear gear later) But theres a method to the madness. (And more on that later.) It's about as large as I would go with the stock converter. I'm not changing the stall. We did say on the cheap here. Nor the rear gears. There 3.21's anyway.
Heres the specs on the side of the box. Crane didn't include a cam card. I did have this cam before and it came with a card.
Matching springs were also used. But they came off my shelf.
Cam was $179.45 to my door. I also got a Summit timing chain. $35.95 to the door. Sorry, no picture. I went down to the local MoPar dealer for a gasket set. Under engine teardown in the performance catolog, it rang up about $60.

1500 + 229.95 = 1729.95 .......lets round it off. 1,730

 

[rumblefish360]

I started to disassemble the engine and I didn't like what the cam bearings looked like. I went out to the local store an purchased a set. Actually, 2. I messed one up and opted to get another set. Practice makes perfect.
43 bucks for durubond bearings. I didn't have the tool to install them, so I wnet out and got one. It'll pay for me to own one. I'll use it. You may try and rent one if your not going to be doing this but once or twice.
Even though I purchased 2 sets of bearings, I'm only going to add one. (First one was practice. ;) )
Heres a few shots of what the bearing should end up looking like.

 

[rumblefish360]

The engine came with chrome valve covers that only ony good for an ash tray or to paint the engine and not worry about the chrome finish. There rotted bad.
I do think it was here, on this very site, (Bad memory) I picked up a set of stock covers for $10 and paid shipping. I put all that I listed on the engine for a look at the eventual out come. Heres what I seen.
Breather was off the shelf, plug wires cleaned up with WD-40.
$1,740
(Dirty engine huh?)

 

[RPM]

looks like your doing pretty good!

-RPM

 

[MB43]

I went down to the local MoPar dealer for a gasket set. Under engine teardown in the performance catolog, it rang up about $60.

Which local dealer? I haven't found any around here that carry any Mopar Performance parts...?

 

[rumblefish360]

Mike;
Speak with Dick @ Port Jeff Chrysler on 347 just west of 112 or
Dave @ Bayshore Chrysler on Sunrise Hwy. just east of5th Ave. I think it is.
They both know each other and are funny guys that have been there for many years.

NExt up is you'll need to pull off the balancer. This simple tool is cheap and very handy. I have had this one for about a good 15 years. Once it's off, you can inspect the timing chain. The first picture you can see the years of build up. To someone who has done this a few times, we can see it's a bit worn out. Look at the last 2 when I push it side to side. This chain is junk.

Also notice the rag under it all. This is a good idea if your not dropping the pan. Keep it clean.

This a shot of the chain off and what lies under.

 

[Captainkirk]

Nice pix; cool story. I'll be posting my own soon (possibly tonight) as I'm finding more & more as I get into my project. But I digress.....love this stuff, keep it coming!

 

[rumblefish360]

Heres a veiw of the plates back side. Do install this side to the block later. The bolt and tab isn't allways there, like in the previous post, but it should have something to drip oil onto the chain.

Next shot is taking the rockers off. A 1/2 inch socket takes care of that. Mind how they come off. Theres a notch on the bottom of the shaft that MUST go in the same spot when you reinstall the shaft and rockers.

At the back of the engine is a large flat blade screw driver. This is where the distributor was. Put the flat tip of the blade into the intermediate shaft where the distributor sits in. Give it a twist and the gear sgould come out. If it is stuborn, and it probably will be, a shot with a baby sledge will help it get free. No need to take a full wack here. The oil pump is at the other end.
With that out of the way, you can turn the cam whcich will raise the lifters up to make an easy grab. Pull out the lifters. Some may be rather hard to get out. If such is the case, leave them raised.
Pull the cam out and put your finger under the lifter and push it up with one hand and pull with the other.

The next picture is of the lifter. Huuummmmm, looks like it has been there awhile. Next is the cam. Not looking to good.
OK, Timing chain, Cam, lifter, your FIRED!

 

[rumblefish360]

Hey Kirk. Whats

But I digress

Looking foward to your pictures. (And story :thumblef: )

To clean some small parts, I used this old thing and added some to it. Heres a before and after shot of the attaching hardware for the shafts.
Let'em soak overnight and wipe clean and then wash with water and dry with a clean towel.

 

[Captainkirk]

Translation: I have a tendency to get off the subject and ramble on! :drinkers:

 

[rumblefish360]

Thats OK. I should have put this in engine issues.
LOL

 

[duster340]

this is a great projekt! lots of people can learn from it!

 

[rumblefish360]

Thanks duster340. This is the main idea. Though not a step by step instructional. Once done, I'll inact a few changes. Top of engine changes so people can see how things work and act together, or not.

Heres some after head shots. I didn't save some befores. But I think a greasy head is something you have seen before. I went to the auto store and purchased a case of brake cleaner. This stuff, if you don't know, makes cleaning parts alot easier. A set of wire brushs, paint scraper and gasket scrapers and a roll of rags/towels added with elbow grease will get everything clean.
Lots of open air for this operation!

The first picture is a on head valve spring removal tool. Theres sevral on the market. With the heads off the car, you cn use a baby sledge and a 7/8 - 13/16 socket to put over the locks on the retainer and use the hammers force to pop out the locks. The locks can get bent though.
Replace the locks. Cheap stuff.
This tool also makes it abit easier to install the springs. A folded rag under the valves keeps them high, if not seated in there spots while the spring is compressed. The sprind and retainer should go over the valve stem smoothly. Once a deep enuff compresion is made, you can install the locks.

Right here and now, I'd like to thank BJR racing for on the phone and on-line help and support in some issues I had. The next picture is a couple of parts BJR sent me to replace bent & damaged parts that were on the head. I busted a seal trying to compress a spring and dropped a hammer on another. :wack: But crap happens and BJR held my back on it. :thumblef:

Run a tap to clear ALL holes on the engine. This pays in correct torque readings when you reassemble the engine.
Now everybody is clean and assembled, looking good, ready to bolt on.
One note, the spring compresor tool did not come with bolts to attach to the head. I used some allen bolts that are shorter than the stock attaching shaft bolts. Do not use the stock hardware to attach the tool. There to long and could possibly snap or bend. Then that would reallllllly suck.

 

[OldVart]

Excellent write-up and pics Rumble. It's a good refresher for us old timers who haven't done one for a while, and an invaluable learning tool for those who've never done an engine. :book: This is the type of sharing and assistance that makes FABO such a great site. Good on you! :salut:

 

[rumblefish360]

I forgot to add a few items and the total stands @ $1,860 rounded up. or a total of about $360 in parts and stuff above the cost of car and tires.
I didn't add the brake cleaner case's. The felas at autozone give me a brake and are into this project as well. Everytime I walk through the door, I get questioned on how it's going, what I need and how soon it'll get done.

I did go through 3 cases of brake cleaner. The carbon build up in the heads and on the pistons was really like I've never seen before. Thick! Flakey and probably crunchy if you ate it.
I didn't down load the pictures yet, (AWOL camera) but I also used a brass wire brush and cleaned the piston tops off. First the carbon came off in layers and then with ease with a spray and scrub.

You might want to tilt the engine on a stand for this. Now you can rotate the engine over. This way the debrise falls off and onto the floor instead of inbetween the pistons and wall.

 

[1966 dart wagon]

awesome write up man, and yeah i agree sometimes we arent as lucky as mm to get a driver for $900, did anyone read about the riged sparkplug they did....i wonder how long that will work for or what will become of it in the future, i hope they dont v8 swap it(sorry, but keep it low$$, gotta love a slant) and yes my car is a v8....someone else swaped it, ha but i would have anyways :thumblef:

 

[Captainkirk]

Rfish, this is great stuff! Keep it coming! As you said, "this is not cheap", but it does go to show you what any Mopar motorhead can accomplish with a bit of determination & a few bux.

 

[dusterdood]

Nice job Rob!

 

[BJR Racing]

Rumblefish,
As you go and see something that you might need that doesn't look good enough to reuse then give me a e-mail ,or a call and I'll look to see what I have available. You know I have racks and racks of parts and engines.
Great story so far keep it up!
Glad you liked the pics. from Atlanta, Commerce race.


BJR Racing

 

[rumblefish360]

Thanks everyone. I was thinking to call it "On the cheap 318 build" also. Maybe I'll do it for a 360 later.
BJR. Those pictures are way cool. Nothing like front row & up close. Some off the locks had a slight bend, but closed up well. From pulling that spring compresor, my muscle felt like it was gomma jump off the arm. Springs off 2 heads (360) onto 2 heads (318 ) and other springs back onto the 1st heads. (360 )

To continue on...........Heres a shot of the deck scraped clean and cleaned with brake cleaner till no more dirty showed up on a white rag. Double check close up for gasket left behind. Sometimes while scraping, a little gasket can be there, smoothed out to a point where a finger nail will pass it over undetected. Look! Clean! and the clean again.
The piston tops were also given the treatment. (Though I could have used the carbon for compresion, LOL, joking.)
These 318 pistons have a round groove pattern cast into them.
(You can see I got a little an-see and painted the short block. You really should wait because you'll just end up cleaning the over spray.)

Next you'll see what I mean by getting a socket to help remove the locks and springs. The socket fits right over the locks on top of the retainer. Not larger than the retainer. Strike with a hammer squarely with a good shot. You know when you hit it hard enuff that the locks pop out and the spring will rise a bit.
Don't be afraid to wack it good. Just watch out for your hand and wrist.

 

[rumblefish360]

This spring compressor is a good tool. But like all tools, you can mis-use it easy. It is straight foward. But if you do not look, you can damage a part or 2. I tried to take some pictures with one hand right above it. There a little blury, but clear enuff. You'll need to look close to see the very small differences in the tools position.

The first 1 shows the retainer to far foward. (Left in this shot) If you compress the spring down, the retainer will rub or scrape against the valve stem. You can damage the retainer this way. I doubt the valve , but I *Guess* it could be possible. Parts of the retainer will be scraped off. NO metal burr in the engine!
The second shot is the tool itself not centered well. Even pressure is best. Make sure your also not ontop off the valve. You'll struggle and get no where.

Shot 3 & 4 show the proper placement, which looks wrong, but when you compres the retainer ontop of the spring, there will be clearance when the spring is compressed to slide in the locks. As you pull the tool towards you, the area around the retainer and valve stem even out.

The last shot was hard to take. I should have done it earlier. That was the last spring. And my arm was worn out. The angle isn't to good, but getting the locks to the stem and slideing it around (With a tiny flat head screwdriver) is very easy.

I knew the difference after a few wrong tries. It's preety hard to install a lock when the retainer hasn't enuff room being up against the valve stem.

(Next time I do this, I'm makeing up a template of wood to bolt the head down onto it, then bolt the template to the bench. I used more muscle power to keep the head on the bench and level. I think Moper said he used a rag under the valve to prevent it from dropping down when he does this. I'll have to make provisions for stuffing a rag in the chamber as well.)

 

[7demon2]

hey rumble gotta say i love this thread. i have noticed that the date on the pictures is from a while ago. is this something you did recent and didn't change the date on the camera? this would make a nice addition to the facts section or if we had one a "how to section".