What Are You Doing To/With Your Car Today?

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grjammer said:
I had hoped to be cranking my 440 in my cuda today. I purchased the 440 last year from this website. "Supposedly fully rebuilt," all new valve train etc. Heads were no good. Guides way out, seats were trashed, back of valves pitted severely. I tore it down and checked bearing clearances, .060 SP pistons, and checked good. Had been cut .010 and polished. Replaced the heads with stealth heads and after much cleaning up of old dried white grease used as assembly lube, I checked the new cam lobes and lifters for proper taper/crown etc. and all looked good. Degreed it in with a new timing set.

Long story short, after 3 gallons of anti-freeze and sitting overnight there is a leak somewhere on the left side. I haven't pinned it down, maybe a freeze plug? Who would rebuild a block and not change freeze plugs?

Earlier discussion with the member seller here about the **** heads resulted in "send it back"... After all the time and money spent, that wouldn't have been an option then. I would flame the seller here but it would serve no purpose.
So... today am going to start pulling parts back off and try to determine the leak location and pray I can fix it. Most likely will have to pull it out and re-plug all the holes.
Never again will I purchase an engine that does not have a bill of health and specifications from an actual machine shop. My gullibility I guess.
That's what I am doing to my Mopar today!!!
Click to expand...
I feel for you. I got screwed by buying a car from the MOPARS for sale on the site. First car I’ve ever bought in my life site unseen. Spent too much money on a car that wasn’t as advertised. The guy ghosted me and I have not seen him posting anything on here since. While I like this site, you can’t trust anybody and have to look at every deal like somebody’s trying to steal your money.
 
Likewise, I purchased a 67 notch on ebag, should of had a 727 and 8.75, had a 904 and 7.25 when it arrived. Flipped it for a profit after rewire and front end rebuild anyway. Pulling my 440 back out today, ordered a mini starter as the OEM starter couldn't be removed by jacking the engine up. Has tri-Y's but still wouldn't come out. #$%$$%^.
 
grjammer said:
I had hoped to be cranking my 440 in my cuda today. I purchased the 440 last year from this website. "Supposedly fully rebuilt," all new valve train etc. Heads were no good. Guides way out, seats were trashed, back of valves pitted severely. I tore it down and checked bearing clearances, .060 SP pistons, and checked good. Had been cut .010 and polished. Replaced the heads with stealth heads and after much cleaning up of old dried white grease used as assembly lube, I checked the new cam lobes and lifters for proper taper/crown etc. and all looked good. Degreed it in with a new timing set.

Long story short, after 3 gallons of anti-freeze and sitting overnight there is a leak somewhere on the left side. I haven't pinned it down, maybe a freeze plug? Who would rebuild a block and not change freeze plugs?

Earlier discussion with the member seller here about the **** heads resulted in "send it back"... After all the time and money spent, that wouldn't have been an option then. I would flame the seller here but it would serve no purpose.
So... today am going to start pulling parts back off and try to determine the leak location and pray I can fix it. Most likely will have to pull it out and re-plug all the holes.
Never again will I purchase an engine that does not have a bill of health and specifications from an actual machine shop. My gullibility I guess.
That's what I am doing to my Mopar today!!!
Click to expand...

To follow up, pulled the engine, the freeze plug was new, but tipped in its bore. The bore has a chamfer I don't like on the lower half, I assume its from an earlier installation of a steel plug from underneath the car.
Going to install a deep brass plug and seal with some Permatex 1. Whole lot of work for a simple bad installation of a .99 cent part. Thanks for the replies and sympathy lol. Why do we do this again?.....
 
new battery yesterday
went to nyc auto show this morning
then when we got home took professor gt out for her first ride of the season
still haven't drivin her with the top up

20250427_153100.jpg
 
It could have been sucking air through the bleeder adapter....
I've had a few do that then work fine on the car
 
nutz said:
It could have been sucking air through the bleeder adapter....
I've had a few do that then work fine on the car
Click to expand...
Riddle me this... with every pump, the front bowl would shoot up like a geyser if I wasn't careful... the rear bowl wouldn't do that at all (which is the bowl producing bubbles)
would this be normal or not?
 
I just did this last week on a new MC myself. I was seeing the same thing, but started in slow and pushed harder and held for a couple seconds and it started to flow in the back chamber without bubbles after a few of these.
 
Yea should stream
On rebound
Need to go all the way down and make sure it returned all the way then can do the short pumps
 
nutz said:
Yea should stream
On rebound
Need to go all the way down and make sure it returned all the way then can do the short pumps
Click to expand...
I did every variation one can imagine... New one is coming
 
I received my exhaust pipes from TTI today. They look really nice! Now, to put that driver's side pipe into that tiiiiiny little space. I expect some major black and blue hands and knuckles, but I'll get 'er done.

20250429_151937.jpg
 
Supposedly. I don't have the originals from the factory to compare. The car had headers on it when I bought it. This is what TTI calls "manifold back exhaust pipes". They have the built-in dent to clear the torsion bar on the driver side.
 
grjammer said:
To follow up, pulled the engine, the freeze plug was new, but tipped in its bore. The bore has a chamfer I don't like on the lower half, I assume its from an earlier installation of a steel plug from underneath the car.
Going to install a deep brass plug and seal with some Permatex 1. Whole lot of work for a simple bad installation of a .99 cent part. Thanks for the replies and sympathy lol. Why do we do this again?.....
Click to expand...
Interesting development, I put in the new deep brass plug and did a pressure check of the entire system at 15 psi. The new plug is good, but the water pump outlet fitting leaked like crazy. Happy I found it now rather than after engine reinstall. The water neck is a new chrome replacement with a mirror finish on the mating side to the pump. Ultra grey Permatex did not stick to it at all. Water pump is also new, an NOS Mopar Performance pump that the RTV is going to be a pain to remove it adhered so well. Lesson learned. I guess I can severely abrade the bottom of the fitting to remove the plating and try again.
Another good find was a leaking new disc brake prop valve. The same leak at the adaptor I have read about in many posts at the "copper" washer. It ain't copper, more like hardened bronze. I removed the prop valve and dressed the mating surface with some light 400 grit and torqued it until I was afraid it would rip the threads out. Used a vice and an 18 inch breaker bar. Looks like it sealed finally as I can stand on the brake pedal and it remains dry.
Thanks for reading if you made it this far, seems like a good place to rant.
 
Our hobby wouldn't be near as fun without these challenges, lol. Just as long as we get some wins along the way!!!

Glad you found and repaired the prop valve gitting. Yes, I would remove all plating on the mounting surface...or better yet...find an oem replacement.

By the way, I grew up in Waynesboro PA. Lots of gear heads in the late 70's - early 80's.

grjammer said:
Interesting development, I put in the new deep brass plug and did a pressure check of the entire system at 15 psi. The new plug is good, but the water pump outlet fitting leaked like crazy. Happy I found it now rather than after engine reinstall. The water neck is a new chrome replacement with a mirror finish on the mating side to the pump. Ultra grey Permatex did not stick to it at all. Water pump is also new, an NOS Mopar Performance pump that the RTV is going to be a pain to remove it adhered so well. Lesson learned. I guess I can severely abrade the bottom of the fitting to remove the plating and try again.
Another good find was a leaking new disc brake prop valve. The same leak at the adaptor I have read about in many posts at the "copper" washer. It ain't copper, more like hardened bronze. I removed the prop valve and dressed the mating surface with some light 400 grit and torqued it until I was afraid it would rip the threads out. Used a vice and an 18 inch breaker bar. Looks like it sealed finally as I can stand on the brake pedal and it remains dry.
Thanks for reading if you made it this far, seems like a good place to rant.
Click to expand...
 

66fyssh said:
Our hobby wouldn't be near as fun without these challenges, lol. Just as long as we get some wins along the way!!!

Glad you found and repaired the prop valve gitting. Yes, I would remove all plating on the mounting surface...or better yet...find an oem replacement.

By the way, I grew up in Waynesboro PA. Lots of gear heads in the late 70's - early 80's.
Click to expand...
I went with oem fitting rather than the pos shiny one. Pressure checked again and have one small bubble on a water pump bolt. Easy fix and will start to assemble the car again. Purchased a powermaster 9000-13 starter, not sure if it's going to fit. The solenoid sticks out as far as the oem starter did and re-clocking positions on the starter only make it worse. Mocked up and looks like it will clear the header and it is removable with engine in and header installed so I will consider that a win. I talked to Powermaster about the need for a bushing in the top hole, but turned out I was fitting using the wrong size bolt and a bushing isn't required. They did say they will send bushings out to people who need them after they investigated and found some trans need the bushing on the top bolt. Nice of them...
 
grjammer said:
I went with oem fitting rather than the pos shiny one. Pressure checked again and have one small bubble on a water pump bolt. Easy fix and will start to assemble the car again. Purchased a powermaster 9000-13 starter, not sure if it's going to fit. The solenoid sticks out as far as the oem starter did and re-clocking positions on the starter only make it worse. Mocked up and looks like it will clear the header and it is removable with engine in and header installed so I will consider that a win. I talked to Powermaster about the need for a bushing in the top hole, but turned out I was fitting using the wrong size bolt and a bushing isn't required. They did say they will send bushings out to people who need them after they investigated and found some trans need the bushing on the top bolt. Nice of them...
Click to expand...
Keep us posted on how the starter works out. I have an RB in my 68 Dart with TTI headers. Changing the starter last year was a PITA.
 
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