ShittySlant6's Rustoration - 1970 Duster

[shittyslant6]

After a little break to do a side project and earn some racecar money; I ordered the roll cage for the duster and some more little parts for the engine.

I should be getting the rollcage sometime next week, and then it will be saving time once again so I can buy the subframe connectors. But in the meantime I am assembling my demo engine. "demo" meaning I don't expect it to live long. And I don't care. This engine is going together for the sole purpose of learning nitrous tuning. So when I screw it up; i'm only out $600.

That being said; today was a shitshow trying to get the rotating assembly together.

First; I realized I had forgot my torque wrench at work right when I dropped all the main caps on it.
So I used my old craftsman beam torque wrench to get them torqued to at least 50 ft.lbs. so the rear main silicone could dry.

Then I went around to my neighbors to borrow a torque wrench with no luck.

So I moved on to putting all the rings on the pistons and on the fourth piston, a ring broke.

Now; I can fully accept when I break ****. But I hardly brushed the ring with my thumb when I went to rotate it into the groove and it fell apart. I ordered one and it will be here the 29th, but extremely annoying nonetheless.

Shortly after this I realized that I had an unequal amount of rings left. So then I had to take the pistons back out and start over. Then It got worse. I still had a ring missing. i found it ungapped in a bucket with some of the old rings. I then had to gap it THEN REINSTALL 7 pistons.

After this my neighbor found his torque wrench and I torqued the mains.

and I cut the **** out of my hands with the shitty piston ring compressor.
but at least I had a relaxing sunday

 

[pauly]

This is a great thread and love what you’re doing with this ole girl! Keep it up!

 

[TT5.9mag]

After a little break to do a side project and earn some racecar money; I ordered the roll cage for the duster and some more little parts for the engine.

View attachment 1716395489View attachment 1716395490

I should be getting the rollcage sometime next week, and then it will be saving time once again so I can buy the subframe connectors. But in the meantime I am assembling my demo engine. "demo" meaning I don't expect it to live long. And I don't care. This engine is going together for the sole purpose of learning nitrous tuning. So when I screw it up; i'm only out $600.

That being said; today was a shitshow trying to get the rotating assembly together.

First; I realized I had forgot my torque wrench at work right when I dropped all the main caps on it.
So I used my old craftsman beam torque wrench to get them torqued to at least 50 ft.lbs. so the rear main silicone could dry.

Then I went around to my neighbors to borrow a torque wrench with no luck.

So I moved on to putting all the rings on the pistons and on the fourth piston, a ring broke.
View attachment 1716395501View attachment 1716395497

Now; I can fully accept when I break ****. But I hardly brushed the ring with my thumb when I went to rotate it into the groove and it fell apart. I ordered one and it will be here the 29th, but extremely annoying nonetheless.

Shortly after this I realized that I had an unequal amount of rings left. So then I had to take the pistons back out and start over. Then It got worse. I still had a ring missing. i found it ungapped in a bucket with some of the old rings. I then had to gap it THEN REINSTALL 7 pistons.

After this my neighbor found his torque wrench and I torqued the mains.

View attachment 1716395498View attachment 1716395496View attachment 1716395500
and I cut the **** out of my hands with the shitty piston ring compressor.
but at least I had a relaxing sunday

View attachment 1716395499

Man I’ve had days like that. The good news is at the end of it, you got something accomplished. Keep chuggin along.

 

[75slant6]

This is a heck of a great thread! I'll definitely be following along with your progress. And dang it, if you haven't lit a fire inside me to start working on my Duster again!

 

[shittyslant6]

Some more hard earned progress has been made.

I don't have any pictures of the process, but I drilled out and helicoiled all of my cylinder head intake bolts as a result of last year me not realizing that the bolts were supposed to be m8 not 3/8-16. all the holes are different depths now and at least 3 are crooked but eh. I'm not at work so it's fine.

While discussing the engine combo with my boss I finally admitted what I already knew. My torker II would not be best suited for this particular combo and a chinagap dual plane would fit it better. After searching for all of 30 seconds I found the best shitty china intake I could find.

And I ordered the flexplate, pushrod length checkers, and the new lifters.

Then I started looking for a lifter spider since the magnum didn't come with one that apparently nobody makes.
So on my day off yesterday I went to the local pickapart and found one in an engine that was already disassembled. (score!) I grabbed that and the dogbones.
The only problem being that I didn't bring an 11mm socket for the valve cover bolts, but I did bring a mini sledge and a chisel. I then proceeded to chisel all the bolts in half to get the one valve cover off in order to retrieve all the dogbones.

After that fiasco, I dropped the single piston and rod at the machine shop for them to press them together so I can actually finish the bottom end. Those will be ready sometime monday.

When I went to install the cam, the last cam bearing turned out to be pretty tight. So I proceeded to smack it into place. (it'll be fine) Put the gear on, installed the chain, and eyeballed the timing.

As I was prepping the new lash cup style lash adjusters to convert the rockers to pushrod oiling, I realized that my rockers do not have the appropriate oil hole for that to work. When I ordered these adjusters and planned out this conversion (at midnight) a few months ago, I thought I saw the oil hole, but no.

This is not the first time I have screwed myself with late night work.

ANOTHER $300 later the solution will be coming hopefully soon.

All of these events have resulted in ~$1200 in two days. maybe more.

This sumbitch better be fast.

 

[MDchanic]

... I drilled out and helicoiled all of my cylinder head intake bolts as a result of last year me not realizing that the bolts were supposed to be m8 not 3/8-16. all the holes are different depths now and at least 3 are crooked but eh. I'm not at work so it's fine.

So YOU'RE the guy I try to never buy a car from!

---

Sounds like it's coming along great! Keep going!


– Eric

 

[JC71340]

I bought those same roller rockers from Speedmaster too. I took them all apart, de-burred any holes that needed it, inspected and re-assembled. I've had them on my 383 for a couple years, they are FANTASTIC!

 

[RustyRatRod]

After a little break to do a side project and earn some racecar money; I ordered the roll cage for the duster and some more little parts for the engine.

View attachment 1716395489View attachment 1716395490

I should be getting the rollcage sometime next week, and then it will be saving time once again so I can buy the subframe connectors. But in the meantime I am assembling my demo engine. "demo" meaning I don't expect it to live long. And I don't care. This engine is going together for the sole purpose of learning nitrous tuning. So when I screw it up; i'm only out $600.

That being said; today was a shitshow trying to get the rotating assembly together.

First; I realized I had forgot my torque wrench at work right when I dropped all the main caps on it.
So I used my old craftsman beam torque wrench to get them torqued to at least 50 ft.lbs. so the rear main silicone could dry.

Then I went around to my neighbors to borrow a torque wrench with no luck.

So I moved on to putting all the rings on the pistons and on the fourth piston, a ring broke.
View attachment 1716395501View attachment 1716395497

Now; I can fully accept when I break ****. But I hardly brushed the ring with my thumb when I went to rotate it into the groove and it fell apart. I ordered one and it will be here the 29th, but extremely annoying nonetheless.

Shortly after this I realized that I had an unequal amount of rings left. So then I had to take the pistons back out and start over. Then It got worse. I still had a ring missing. i found it ungapped in a bucket with some of the old rings. I then had to gap it THEN REINSTALL 7 pistons.

After this my neighbor found his torque wrench and I torqued the mains.

View attachment 1716395498View attachment 1716395496View attachment 1716395500
and I cut the **** out of my hands with the shitty piston ring compressor.
but at least I had a relaxing sunday

View attachment 1716395499

This is what I use. Works very well.

OTC Tools 4838 OTC Piston Ring Compressor Sets | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - OTC Piston Ring Compressor Sets with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Piston Ring Compressors at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

 

[shittyslant6]

This is what I use. Works very well.

http://[URL][URL]https://www.summitracing.com/parts/otc-4838

[/URL][/URL]

I like that set, we had one at the shop i was at before. maybe when I stop getting fucked by the snap on truck I'll get one. ($555 for a blue point wrench set...)

 

[shittyslant6]

I got my intake in today; and the casting is surprisingly good for $150.

just did a little cleanup around the carb base and I might cut the divider down a little further once I get aluminum die grinder bits.

The machine shop called my piston is ready, so I'll go get that tomorrow and hopefully button up the bottom end and slap the other head on. (for real)

 

[mygasser]

I like that set, we had one at the shop i was at before. maybe when I stop getting fucked by the snap on truck I'll get one. ($555 for a blue point wrench set...)

that's self inflicted when you buy from the snap on truck.

 

[shittyslant6]

that's self inflicted when you buy from the snap on truck.

yes, but sometimes it's necessary. ONLY SOMETIMES.
I'm a harbor freight guy typically

 

[mygasser]

yes, but sometimes it's necessary. ONLY SOMETIMES.
I'm a harbor freight guy typically

yes, if they pull in just as you need a tool you don't have yet. it's like they have cctv watching you sometimes

 

[75slant6]

There's a reason Snap-on is named so close to strap-on... when they show up, you know there's a good chance you're gonna get screwed!

 

[TT5.9mag]

When you make a living with tools and develop a relationship with a tool guy, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives with regards to quality tools. For the hobbiest those positives will likely never be realized.

 

[barbee6043]

I had a mechanic friend back in Mo. 30 odd years ago. He paid Snap On like $15,000 for a BIG set off tool boxes. I told him only way her will ever get his $$ worth out of them is to be buried in a couple. (And go on a diet so he will fit!! He did not laugh!)

 

[ProjectBazza]

Great thread, and I hit the “watch” button to follow along!

 

[shittyslant6]

I got my piston back from the machine shop at lunch today, and my rocker arms came in the mail.

So when I got home I gapped the rings and slammed the piston in there. Then I installed the other head finally.

I was going to try and measure some pushrods tonight; but because the speedmaster heads have such big valve springs; they don't exactly fit.

So over the course of this week I will have to shave a little off of these to make them work.

 

[mygasser]

those beehive springs and retainers would fix that with no grinding needed.
neil.

 

[shittyslant6]

those beehive springs and retainers would fix that with no grinding needed.
neil.

yes, and I thought of that when I was putting them on; but I really don't want to put any more money into this engine. and I don't want to take the heads off.
however my boss at work noted that if I can correct the geometry on the roller to valve by shimming the rockers up, they might clear.

 

[TT5.9mag]

Those rockers need to go up and away from the valve stem. Call Mike at B3 racing if you want to get it right. Go read his tech pages.

B3 Racing Engines LLC - Performance Engine Building and Mopar Valvetrains

 

[shittyslant6]

Those rockers need to go up and away from the valve stem. Call Mike at B3 racing if you want to get it right. Go read his tech pages.

B3 Racing Engines LLC - Performance Engine Building and Mopar Valvetrains

Well damn, just about every problem I had with my last engine is in those tech articles.
I tried making shims last night with some sheet metal, and it did seem to work a little; but I still have a lot of sweep on the roller.
I really dont want to spend much more into this "cheap" engine. But I think I'll have to give him a call.
And I think i realized there is no such thing as a "cheap" engine...

 

[MDchanic]

I really dont want to spend much more into this "cheap" engine.

Cheap engine is cheap until it blows up. Then it's expensive.

If an engine is truly cheap, that's fine, scrap it and throw in another, but you've gotten well past that point already.

- Eric

 

[TT5.9mag]

Well damn, just about every problem I had with my last engine is in those tech articles.
I tried making shims last night with some sheet metal, and it did seem to work a little; but I still have a lot of sweep on the roller.
I really dont want to spend much more into this "cheap" engine. But I think I'll have to give him a call.
And I think i realized there is no such thing as a "cheap" engine...

Mike is an awesome guy to talk to and he is a wealth of information regarding mopar valvetrains. He is kind enough to share it with us. His stuff is CHEAP for what it does for your engine. You won’t regret the phone call or ordering from him. He’s also a member here. His handle is @B3RE if you’d like to start a conversation with him.

 

[mygasser]

the beehive springs i suggested would be much cheaper than the b3 correction kit surely?
neil.