Radiator looks like it fits good enough. By the way I like the "drive over " exhaust video. Way cool.
Slow, Driving Rustoration 1972 Dart
- Thread starter dartnlo
- Start date
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dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Back from the muffler shop with my new dual exhaust. I had Magnaflow mufflers installed. Sounds like I wanted. The less Swiss cheesy exhaust really shows of my oil burning now
Here are some videos:
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Man that thing sounds awesome! Gotta love the sound of a 318!
I ordered my fabric and vinyl today from SMS, they are having a 19% off sale right now. I just recently learned to sew, face masks. I'm going to try my hand at upholstery now! Not really lol. But I wanted to have the material on hand for the upholsterer. Excited to get this done. I'm going to have them put some subtle back and thigh bolsters for a more comfortable seat.
Loggato
Well-Known Member
So I was in Hutch yesterday... looking for someones house to buy something off marketplace... Turned a corner and BAM there was THIS dart! I'll have to go visit it in the Duster when I'm done painting it!
Did you see the big trans fluid stain? I found out I have a major leak somewhere in the transmission when parked front end down. Also last time I drove to Wichita I realized my short piece of fuel line between the pickup and the fuel line had a huge hole. I can't believe I made it back home. By the time I pulled into the driveway it wouldn't even pickup fuel anymore. I pushed it out of the driveway to where you saw it. Then all the fluid poured out.
It's been too hot to do anything and I'm busy getting ready to move. If you saw the house with a bunch of furniture on the porch, that was me. We are currently living in the RV in the driveway. Hoping to move to the Lawrence area after getting the house on the market.
I bought fuel line and transmission fluid yesterday and it's cooler today so I may finally move the Dart. You got to witness the "Before and After" Dart as you drove by it with he passenger side still in need of rust repair and the driver's side all painted up.
Loggato
Well-Known Member
I was going to mention the passenger side rust but didn't want to give any secrets away to the viewers. I noticed the big moving truck too. I wondered why you parked it facing the sun all day haha.
I bought that moving truck for $600 with a bad timing chain. I never want to work on a ford van engine again.
I'm still not done packing up and getting repairs to my house done in preparation for selling. I did find this though while packing and going through boxes. The keys to my first Dart. I haven't seen these for nearly 30 years!
I did finally fix the fuel line on the current Dart and have been driving it quite a bit now. The transmission I built and installed is working great, just need to find some time to crawl under and find out where my trans fluid leak is. If I park nose down it leaks out badly. I'm thinking it is probably the dipstick, either the one in the transmission or the one who put the pan gasket on.
I did finally fix the fuel line on the current Dart and have been driving it quite a bit now. The transmission I built and installed is working great, just need to find some time to crawl under and find out where my trans fluid leak is. If I park nose down it leaks out badly. I'm thinking it is probably the dipstick, either the one in the transmission or the one who put the pan gasket on.
dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
That is very cool! Cool you still have the same "handle" I have had dartfreak75 since i was 15 when I was in high school shortly after I had bought my dart I had to create a email for some reason (cant remember why now) but the email I created was dartfreak75@****.com and it stuck. I have used it ever since
Yeah my 70 swinger was low, due to worn out leaf springs and torsion bars set to match. I liked it then and would do it to the 72, but as I'm older now, I think I prefer being able to get in and out of the car more comfortably. I'll keep the name though lol!
Well... I haven't done much since about a year ago. I sold my house and moved 200 miles. 25 years of stuff took a long time to move plus had a lot to do to get the house on the market.
We've been here now for about 5 months and the housing market is crazy so I had nowhere to do any real work. I have a tiny garage but it is packed with stuff from the move. We have a house finally lined up to buy, just waiting for a tenant to move out. The new place has a slightly bigger garage and a big enough lot to eventually put a shop in.
I did take the dart out of the garage to wash it after I moved my travel trailer out of the way. I drove the dart up here loaded down with parts and still got 15 MPG with no issues. The transmission I rebuilt last year seems to be doing great. Today I finally set the kickdown linkage properly and my shifts are much nicer now! Hopefully I didn't hurt it too much driving it a little out of adjustment. I adjusted the intermediate rod about 3/8" to get my 3rd gear shift to hit harder.
My next small project is making a fold center console armrest with cupholders, cellphone holders, and usb chargers. It will be about 5.25" longer than original to come up even with the seat backs. I bought a spare and I'm using that one to hack into the custom one then I'm going to get both of them reupholstered when I get the seat done. That will happen once we move to the new place.
Anyway here's a picture fresh and wet out of the car wash a few weeks ago.
Here is my annual facebook April Fools Joke
We've been here now for about 5 months and the housing market is crazy so I had nowhere to do any real work. I have a tiny garage but it is packed with stuff from the move. We have a house finally lined up to buy, just waiting for a tenant to move out. The new place has a slightly bigger garage and a big enough lot to eventually put a shop in.
I did take the dart out of the garage to wash it after I moved my travel trailer out of the way. I drove the dart up here loaded down with parts and still got 15 MPG with no issues. The transmission I rebuilt last year seems to be doing great. Today I finally set the kickdown linkage properly and my shifts are much nicer now! Hopefully I didn't hurt it too much driving it a little out of adjustment. I adjusted the intermediate rod about 3/8" to get my 3rd gear shift to hit harder.
My next small project is making a fold center console armrest with cupholders, cellphone holders, and usb chargers. It will be about 5.25" longer than original to come up even with the seat backs. I bought a spare and I'm using that one to hack into the custom one then I'm going to get both of them reupholstered when I get the seat done. That will happen once we move to the new place.
Anyway here's a picture fresh and wet out of the car wash a few weeks ago.
Here is my annual facebook April Fools Joke
I finished my prototype armrest/cupholder/misc tray project. I bought just the framework from a seller on here. I added 5.25" to the length, built up the foam with 1 1/2" upholstery foam then I drilld out the cupholder holes in the plywood. I made a pattern and had my mom sew the the cover up. I picked out this fabric because it's temporary until I get the seat recovered and I like cats. I figured if it wasn't going to match the current interior it should stand out lol
Well the first minor major work is going to be happening soon.
Since we moved in December of 2020 the Dart has been shopless so no real work has been done except some minor fiddling with the idle screws. It's been my daily driver for the last year. I don't drive much but going for groceries or Taco Bell is always a pleasure n the Dart.
I went to leave to air up my mom's tires across town and after about half a mile I noticed that the heater wasn't getting warm. We had had about 3 days of single digit and below weather prior to Christmas. After a bit the temp gauge started climbing.
I really thought my antifreeze mix was good and was less than 3 years old. At first I thought it was coming out of my lower radiator hose, but I changed it and when I filled the coolant back up, it eventually started pouring out of the transmission.
So best case scenario I get to pull the transmission and replace a freeze plug.
Since I had access to my brother-in-law's shop, I decided to fix the stance. The new rear leaf springs have finally settled down so I needed to drop the front end down a little over an inch.
I also got a new stereo for Christmas so I installed that as well.
My BIL said I could leave it in his shop for awhile and I'm hoping to get the work done on Saturday.
Meanwhile here are some photos of the Dart enjoying the great indoors!
Since we moved in December of 2020 the Dart has been shopless so no real work has been done except some minor fiddling with the idle screws. It's been my daily driver for the last year. I don't drive much but going for groceries or Taco Bell is always a pleasure n the Dart.
I went to leave to air up my mom's tires across town and after about half a mile I noticed that the heater wasn't getting warm. We had had about 3 days of single digit and below weather prior to Christmas. After a bit the temp gauge started climbing.
I really thought my antifreeze mix was good and was less than 3 years old. At first I thought it was coming out of my lower radiator hose, but I changed it and when I filled the coolant back up, it eventually started pouring out of the transmission.
So best case scenario I get to pull the transmission and replace a freeze plug.
Since I had access to my brother-in-law's shop, I decided to fix the stance. The new rear leaf springs have finally settled down so I needed to drop the front end down a little over an inch.
I also got a new stereo for Christmas so I installed that as well.
My BIL said I could leave it in his shop for awhile and I'm hoping to get the work done on Saturday.
Meanwhile here are some photos of the Dart enjoying the great indoors!
Man, it WAS cold last week. Sorry about the freeze plug, but I'm glad to see this thread revived.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Knock them out and install marine grade brass plugs. Then you will never worry about it again. BTW these are not called "Freeze plugs" they do not pop out automatically if the block freezes. The block will likely crack if it freezes. Sometimes they pop out under pressure when that happens, but it's not a feature they were designed for.
the proper terminology is "core plug". These machined holes with metal plugs hammered in them are the final finishing process from the rough casting holes left behind from the supports of the casting sand that was used to create the water jackets when the block was sand cast. They are machined and plugged to hold coolant.
the proper terminology is "core plug". These machined holes with metal plugs hammered in them are the final finishing process from the rough casting holes left behind from the supports of the casting sand that was used to create the water jackets when the block was sand cast. They are machined and plugged to hold coolant.
Yeah, I was telling my brother-in-law the same thing. That they are not designed to pop out when it freezes, just casting holes, they are just marketed as freeze plugs. I'm guessing this was more likely a rust failure, just coincidentally timed with the cold weather. It was fine during the cold snap last winter and nothing has changed coolant wise since then.
I wish I was thinking forward enough to change the plugs when I had the transmission out a couple of years ago.
Let me serve as reminder to anyone next time you have your transmission out and you have original core plugs.
I beg to differ. YES, they are called freeze plugs. I've worked on cars for almost fifty years and I've never heard anyone refer to them as core plugs. Maybe it's a regional thing? I get how the holes were made, but I find it interesting that it popped loose when it was -4 degrees last week also.
Not looking to argue. You stated your opinion and I stated mine.
We'll see this weekend when I get the transmission out. The amount coming out seems like a pop-out situation. Could still be a coincidental rusted one.
Well today was the day. Of not much progress.
Started a little after 9 am and had the transmission loose and slid back by a little after noon. I managed to do it without taking the exhaust down. I may have to loosen the driver side to get everything reinstalled though.
It was a rusted plug causing the coolant leak as expected. The passenger side one looked good but I removed it as well. The water channel was packed with rusty debris so I flushed a couple of gallons through the block to get some of it out.
Then the fun started. I hadn't preordered the plugs, thinking they would be readily available. I went to every parts store in town, Oreilly, AZ, Advance, and NAPA. I looked up part numbers on rock auto and they were not right. Nobody had any 1 5/8" plugs, brass or otherwise.
Finally gave up and cleaned up my brother-in-laws shop and went home about 4. I ordered a set from O'Reilly in brass that will be here Monday. I also ordered 2 of the rubber expansion style just in case.
Started a little after 9 am and had the transmission loose and slid back by a little after noon. I managed to do it without taking the exhaust down. I may have to loosen the driver side to get everything reinstalled though.
It was a rusted plug causing the coolant leak as expected. The passenger side one looked good but I removed it as well. The water channel was packed with rusty debris so I flushed a couple of gallons through the block to get some of it out.
Then the fun started. I hadn't preordered the plugs, thinking they would be readily available. I went to every parts store in town, Oreilly, AZ, Advance, and NAPA. I looked up part numbers on rock auto and they were not right. Nobody had any 1 5/8" plugs, brass or otherwise.
Finally gave up and cleaned up my brother-in-laws shop and went home about 4. I ordered a set from O'Reilly in brass that will be here Monday. I also ordered 2 of the rubber expansion style just in case.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Nope. Core plugs. Not regional nomenclature either. Ask any professional machinest what they are called. Not joe blow at the around the corner garage. I looked up core plug on the internet. 3 screen shots in about 30 seconds. They may pop out in negative temps, but that's not what they are designed to do. If they are starting to corrode, sure a frozen block will pop them out, but more than likely if they are new and tight, the block will crack before they pop. They are not a fail safe for a frozen block. I bought a charger with a rebuilt 440 that the idiot left water in over the winter. None of the brass "core plugs" popped, the lifter valley was loaded with cracks in the water jacketed areas above the lifters on both sides with rust weeping out of the cracks.
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@moparmat2000 Happy New Year!
There is "slang" and then there are the real words for everything. Everything.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Happy new year to you and all my A body friends as well.
I ended up going with the rubber style expansion plugs. With the motor in the car and working from my back on a creeper I just couldn't get the brass plugs installed. I filled it up with coolant and let it sit for 24 hours to make sure they weren't leaking. I wasn't really worried about that though. The rubber plugs went in tight even before I tightened them.
Onto buttoning every thing up.
The transmission slid back onto the locating pins super easy and this time I marked the flex plate/torque convertor bolt so there was no mystery about getting it in the right position.
The problem came when I went to reconnect the linkage.
This bolt:
It had come out really hard when I was taking it off so I decided to run the bolt through without the bracket with some PB blaster to clean up the threads. I got it in with a gap about the thickness of the bracket when "SNAP" the welded nut in the frame rail was no longer welded.
This was a problem.
First I tried for almost an hour wedge a screwdriver against the nut inside the frame rail while I tried to loosen the bolt. This was futile. Finally I grabbed a sawzall and proceeded to vibrate the bolt into submission. If you've ever had to saw something that is moving you know how this went. After about 10 minutes it finally gave up and the bolt head was on the floor and I had a nice hole in the frame rail where the nut had been.
Next I had to figure out a new mounting method. I decided a carriage bolt from the outside of the frame rail would work. I carefully calculated where the outside hole needed to be to line up with the inner mounting hole. Just kidding I eyeballed it. I was about a 1/4" off so I called that a success. I'll ***probably*** weld the head of the carriage bolt to the frame rail someday.
One other mess up was that I had set the radiator cap in the spot of the core support where the hood latch latches. I then forgot that and shut the hood. The radiator cap did not enjoy this. It was in there really good too. It was pretty mangled by the time I got it out. I got to O'reilly's 10 minutes before they closed last night.
I gave it a road test, got it up to operating temperature and parked it. I'll have to get a ride to my brother-in-law's house tomorrow to return the Dart home.
I feel pretty good that the Dart was only down for 9 days all things considered,
Onto buttoning every thing up.
The transmission slid back onto the locating pins super easy and this time I marked the flex plate/torque convertor bolt so there was no mystery about getting it in the right position.
The problem came when I went to reconnect the linkage.
This bolt:
It had come out really hard when I was taking it off so I decided to run the bolt through without the bracket with some PB blaster to clean up the threads. I got it in with a gap about the thickness of the bracket when "SNAP" the welded nut in the frame rail was no longer welded.
This was a problem.
First I tried for almost an hour wedge a screwdriver against the nut inside the frame rail while I tried to loosen the bolt. This was futile. Finally I grabbed a sawzall and proceeded to vibrate the bolt into submission. If you've ever had to saw something that is moving you know how this went. After about 10 minutes it finally gave up and the bolt head was on the floor and I had a nice hole in the frame rail where the nut had been.
Next I had to figure out a new mounting method. I decided a carriage bolt from the outside of the frame rail would work. I carefully calculated where the outside hole needed to be to line up with the inner mounting hole. Just kidding I eyeballed it. I was about a 1/4" off so I called that a success. I'll ***probably*** weld the head of the carriage bolt to the frame rail someday.
One other mess up was that I had set the radiator cap in the spot of the core support where the hood latch latches. I then forgot that and shut the hood. The radiator cap did not enjoy this. It was in there really good too. It was pretty mangled by the time I got it out. I got to O'reilly's 10 minutes before they closed last night.
I gave it a road test, got it up to operating temperature and parked it. I'll have to get a ride to my brother-in-law's house tomorrow to return the Dart home.
I feel pretty good that the Dart was only down for 9 days all things considered,
Got it all buttoned up and treated her to a carwash and vacuum. Took a 30 minute road trip to shake the cobwebs off.
I love this car!
I love this car!
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