rumblefish's Duster project

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I'll have to get a scematic. (sp)
Well, today, I swung the 318 in. It was not to hard. A pry bar is a good thing to have on these no-stock swaps. I used one for the 318-400 swap, and again today.

The first 3 are the drivers side. I need to get back in there to trim the pearch some. You'll not the pearch is against the drain plug on the block.

The last 2 pictures are the passenger side. Just like stock. The mount is a custom, not a mirror of the stock mount from what I could tell. In shot #4, I needed a thick washer to take up slack. Hard to see.
(I should have snapped a comparo shot(s).)

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Anybody have a /6 tranny mount? The bottom one is from the Duster. It was butchered on the end. It'll hold though, also not the point. The bottom one is a Late B body (Cordoba)
I did manage to clean it up before I installed it. What a bummer. I cleaned the B body one first without thought to it's offset. Then I got busy again doing the smaller one. Wasted 2 hours. UGH! :sleepy3:

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Last post for tonight on this thread. Look above on the rear end/spring install pictures. Now the 318 is in,note the front tire clearnce and height difference.
I guess a aluminum intake, no hood, lack of fluids and no exhaust 318 is abit lighter huh?
Also a shot of the intial engine install picture. I went further, but night fell.
The swap kit was $162 to the door. Add that to the bill total.

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Nice Job Rumblefish ! Is the car together and driving now? Noticed the engine pics were from 2004...
 
I am swapping a 318 into my 71 dart and i will have a slant six tranny mount for a 904 transmission here in about 3 weeks if you want my old one. just pay for the shipping and i will be glad to send it to you.

-Justin
 
Eric;
Noticed the engine pics were from 2004...
Not the last round I just posted. I did have a malfuntion on setting the date and not caring. All pictures are actually withing a day or two of the post if you see 2004. I haven't had the car a year yet.
I'm in need of a few parts yet. But Ohhh so close.

19Dart70 - -Justin; I'd be very glad to take it, but...do you need it. Hold off until you have your swap done and you know you don't need it at all. I'd hate to see you getting the short end of the stick on your good will.
Keep in touch.

whitey, thanks dude!
OldVart, again, thanks dude. I'm trying. I figure it would be good to show it well. The good bad and the ugly of it.
I also discovered the engine seems to be sitting a bit cocked, pointing upwards it seems and the water pump pointing to the right side a bit. Weather permiting, pictures on that tomorrow.

The way it is now, I won't be able to use the stock /6 shroud. And since I need a fan, an electric comes to mind .........
Also the stock lever from the carb to the tranny is hitting the fire wall. Lokar comes to mined now........
Other things as well.
 
I'd like to thank a member here. I was in need of rims. SBP to BBP woes. I have had sevral offers that were just great. At the last second, A local guy says come get these ralleys for a screaming deal. Well, a short drive beats shipping anyday.
$80, 4 Ralley rims, Thanks Mike. Yes, I still want the K-frame.
I have 2 on the rear, but the caps are on now. Keeps it looking uniform for now. I still need to swap the front end out from 9 inch drums to 11.75 disks. Thats when the fronts will go on.

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Wow; that's incredible progress. Keep it up, man; you're my inspiration! (My progress is not going nearly as quick, being bottlenecked by cash flow)
 
I have a 1973 Dart parts car that i am swapping everything from it into my 71 Dart /6 car so a lot of the old /6 parts im not going to need, as soon as I get the engine, transmission, and k-frame swapped out I will be able to send it to you. Oh and hey thanks for your concern about me getting the short stick not to many people would care about the other guy. If you PM me your adress within a couple weeks i can get you a shipping quote. The progress is lookin good too, have you thought about what color you would like to paint it? Take it easy rumblefish.
-Justin
 
19Dart70, Thats great. Thanks a bunch man. Thanks! Pm coming your way.
Same color. This Duster is a trial and error experiment with the swap, but mostly body work. Since I'll not have a decent cash flow for a while to do a really nice car, I'll try to do as much as I can on my own. I'm sending the wife to collage and my daughter is now a teen with not only wants, but regular growing needs. So there goes most of the play money. Ha ha ha ha. Most of the project here has never been tried by myself. In example;

Swap kit, upgrade rear, up grade brakes front and rear and on the cheap as much as possible are the prime examples. Later it will be body anything since, I have only seriously worked only on female bodys, not cars.

Captin. I feel ya. I'm the only one wroking and floating this boat.
I have been able to move fast on this due to a general stock pile of parts from over the years. New parts are the cam & lifters, timing chain, gaskets, rear springs and asocc. brake parts due for any brake system when the time comes.
Used parts purchased are the rear ($200), intake ($60) and front brake upgrade swap parts ($200).
Fluids and small parts not added into this. Like spark plugs, oil filter and oils. etc......

I'm going to be delayed for a while on this. I recieved a small 750DC volt burn on my hand.
 
Heres where I stand today. I just put in oil and a filter, spark plugs tomorrow maybe. But thats how it looks gang.

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rumblefish360 said:
I'm going to be delayed for a while on this. I recieved a small 750DC volt burn on my hand.

A "small" 750 VDC burn? What were you playin with ..lol That sounds ugly period. Hope your OK.

P.S. - Rumble if ya need something /6 wise PM me. Never know what I might find in the /6 "pile"
 
I'm a Railroad Car Inspector on (Laymen term) Passenger Electric cars. I inspect, test and repair small problems in and out of the car and all it's systems, electric or mechanical. I was replaceing a fuse.

I'll be just fine thanks, a mere flesh blemish. I'll have to keep it clean. Burn by fire or other is a burn no the less and MUST be kept clean or risk serious infection.
I'll work on the car later. Once it heals enuff. Unitl then .......................

I gave my slant six engine and tranny away to a fella that had a hole in a piston in his engine.
 
Looks good man, :thumbup:

How come you went with a 318 and not a 360?

Just out of curiosity!
 
I couldn't give this '79 318 away for a long time in combo with a alot of people posting, "What to do with my 318" On the cheap or how to hot rod it and what bolt ons should I do. This is a on the cheap project as best as I can get it. Though some may very well do better.
The very very popular, but totalllyyyy no help answer was get a 360 or worse, get a 340 block for twice as much as a complete 360 and start from scratch.

Well, theres good thought behind those no help answers. But, there no help when;

Many people don't want to be bothered by a bigger engine swap, No money for an engine swap, want to build what they have on hand, want to be different instead of the bigger cube crowd.
Often, there engines run fine. So a few bolt on can't hurt. Why is the answer almost allways chuck that boat anchor and speed more money.

Perhaps some of us work low paying jobs. Young guys out there are not making a killing to just dump an entire **** load of dough on spare used parts just to get started. Crap! I'm married and make a good living. But I'm not pumping lots-o-dough into a hobby when I have more important things to do like;
Save for retirement. (Start now before it's to late, that means you reading this now!)
Sending wife to collage, daughters due in a few years only to be BamBooozled again when the son is ready to go.
I have a house. For all those to young to be in one, There more money than a fleet of Mopars.

Heck, I don't mind doing this project for all to see. I'm gonna have fun with it for a little while. Might not even paint it. Would like to. Buttttttt.........

Next Duster will be an earlier model which will get the 360 sitting on the side with some spendy goodies, or not. Ha ha ha ha.
Maybe I'll just do a sleeper looking engine and pump it up a little.

This Duster is for sale next year. If I get to where I want to be with it. I just want a decent driver with bolt on's and be able to go where ever. All this while showing all how to do and hopefully, reasonably cheap.
 
Im 28 and my girlfriend and I are trying to save for our first house while paying rent, bills, and building a 72 scamp, 53 merc pick up, 27 T and playing with my daily driver 73 scamp (thats why she drives a mazda so I dont have to work on it). SAVE SAVE SAVE and stock some away for retirement while your at it!!!

Anyways I have an extra tranny mount that if I remember came on a 904 out of a 74 dart, here are some pics...

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/scamp_of_doom_73/album?.dir=/9ccbre2

It's 18 inches long and the rubber seems pretty good. I stood on the bathroom scale with and without it and there was a differance of 8 lbs.so if you want it just pay for shipping from 98056.

Let us know what else you need for parts, even the small stuff and we can all scrounge in our spare bins, bottom drawers in the toolbox, ect. and see what we have.
 
Geeezzz, your making good money, nice. I'm poor, LOL
I'll take you up on that part. PM me a total and I'll send you out a M/O ASAP to your address. The part looks exact.

Oh yea, save for retirement days no. Do the math! You'll freak.
28, retire at...62? Compound and add in's plus dump ins and roll overs and more compound intrest. Odddllles of money.
Good luck on the house! (Pssssssst 4 car garage in the woods with an extra bay for the lift.)
 
Well said.

I always feel like I am sounding like a total tightwad when I post. The truth is that I live two miles off of the highway on a dirt path, and twenty miles from town. I can't even drive a car for almost 5 months a year. At this point, my 4x4's and other things take a priority.

With a wife in college and other truck things occuring, my car is lower on my priority list than when I was a kid.

Too me, the whole Mopar thing comes down to doing more and going faster with less. This attitude probably comes from my friend who did some amazing things with " stock parts".

I am real curious to see how your Duster turns out. It is a twin to mine, or close to it.

Sorry for the hijack, ROB
 
LOL thats the problem, I am poor LOL. We are just going to get a fixer upper and turn it over in about 2 years and then maybe move to vegas or just outside. My work just openned up a shop down there so I can transfer.
Im thinking 1-2 car attached with a 40x40 shop like my dads with an office.
Right now Im at 6% into my 401K each paycheck and what ever happens with my profitsharring, little by little.
We don't want any kids so we can spend the money that they would suck up on trips and toys. My dad says that the only reason they had me was so I could cram my little hands in and get the bolt that attaches the tranny to the motor by the firewall on cars when I was 5 lol.
I will package it up and try to get it out to you this week and I will let you know what it came to.
J.R.
 
OK, back to the thread at hand, My burn has healed enuff to fumble around alittle bit.
I have had a problem solved for me. Thanks to the board a member stepped up and sent me a cross member for the tranny. I just opened it up a little while ago.
Thanks man! (Add to list, bank on Monday...)

Problem #2, solved?
Also, I seem to be missing a plate, er, bracket that goes on the front of the A/C compresor. I have the other 2 to the '79 s/b set up that bolt to the intake. I was about to swap the brackets over to the /6 compressor and install it. However, being that I can not find it.....mother of invention kicks in.
This is what hot rodding is all about. Making use of "Other" engine parts to fit and work on your engine. Through fiddling around with the /6 compressor, I noticed a racket with just a pulley on it, and a adjustment slot. Alot like the Alt.'s bracket slot for adjusting the Alt. belt for tension.

I took it off and adopted it to the front of the 318. It appears that it will work. Not a %100 perfect alignment, but close. I think the problem is in the Alt. bracket. I think I'm missing something there as well.

Check out the shots. The /6 brackets bolts up to the P/S pump bracket in a square hole and it's adjustment slot. I installed both belts, tightened up the P/S and then Alt. bracket. I used all the parts to bolt it on the V-8 directly from the /6 except a couple of washers. Needed or not, they are there to fill a slight gap. Belt length is 62-1/2 I think. It could be shorter.
Whatcha think?

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A couple more shots for a better peak.
The last shot appears to have the belt cocked poorly. This is the appearance.
Also note that the /6 bracket can be trimed abit on it's now top side where the adjustment slot is. (Earlier pictures)
I hope this works.

Well, later on today or tomorrow....I'll be placing an order for headers and exhaust. I think here is where I open the wallet alittle for a set of Hookers (Ouch, cringing at the install) and a mail order exhaust.

Down to shifter and kick down cable as well as a drive shaft and electric fan.
I have all the parts for the brake swap. Drum (9 inch) to disc (11 inch Cordoba brakes) minus the hoses. (I think... :toothy7: )

Time is coming I might have to skip it in favor of some floor boards first. :sleepy3:

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Floorboards.... Oh some real fun... I just did my 2 front's this spring. Hardest part was getting the tranny hump and the new metal to make a nice line. Kinda hard to explain. 3 sides are easy to locate, the tranny side is tricky to get it all to fit nice. Let me know if I can help.
 
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