4/2/23:

Pulled the Engine apart today down to the short block. - Found my problem.

From all Evidence It was Just a Loosened off Valve lash screw / lock nut. (I remember futzing with the lash a few weeks before I took the last ride in October). - I Must have missed tightening down this 1 adjuster lock screw tight enough or at all.. It kicked out a pushrod and that was it.
So as I remember it It felt like a lost a cylinder and when the car was idling on 5 cylinders the oil pressure went real low like 10 PSI... So I got scared and shut it down... After Pulling all the tins off I think there is no damage to the short block.
- Oil Pump Gear looks Good
- No Glitter in the Oil or pan
- Oil was super clean when drained it last week.
- Oil had been Changed 135 Miles before my lost valve adjuster / push rod.

This short block was on loan to me from Lou, so It needed to be pulled and replaced anyway, I am glad that I can give him back a block that is not total trash (Hopefully).

Here was the noise maker..


I mocked up the EFI Setup.... The #6 intake runner hits the #6 Exhaust Tube on the header
Will hafta to figure this one out. I hate to cut up or ding up this set of headers as they are coated pretty nice as they sit now.

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Your extremely lucky that the Cliffords only hit that much. I have seen them much much worse.

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

The good coatings will usually accomodate some beating/denting and still hang on there.

Glad to hear about the engine. Thanks for being careful. It will go to good use again at some point!!

Lou

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If the interference is at the bolt flange where the TB mounts to the intake,,,
I would be looking hard at how much of the bolt flange needs to be removed to add the necessary clearance.
Maybe MIG shut the existing bolt hole and re drill a new smaller bolt hole would give enough room to clear.
If more room is needed,, grind the bolt flange away completed and MIG on a new one clocked out of the way.
Certainly if a new bolt flange is welded on, precision machine work to get the matching faces back to where they need to be would be in order, as with such a pretty intake set up it would be a pity to see dented exhaust header pipes next to it,

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Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

If it were me, I would not compromise the flange at all and would dent the tube(s). Just my 2 cents...

Lou

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5/13/23:

I got the Rotating assembly buttoned up.. it was a comedy of errors there that held me up a bit.
I had a crankshaft that did not fit... then I plucked another crank out of my menagerie of slanted parts.. Got it balanced and polished, So that was sorted out. Next, after getting 5 rods and pistons installed with no issues, the last one did not check out correctly. I found that I had mixed up the caps on the rods when I had cleaned them and disassembled them. I found the correct rod cap installed on another of my core rods in a box. Got that all sorted and degreed the camshaft for 102°


I also started to paint the block last night and hope to get some tins on there for the end of the week.

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5/21/23:

I got almost the entire engine finished up today on the build stand.
Did a bunch of small things that add up and take time to get correct.
- Corrected the multiple but small interference issues on the crank scraper(s)



- After I got that all sorted, I "glued down" the crank scrapers with a bead of RTV sealant and let it setup for a few hours whilst I completed other engine building tasks; installing the tins, water pump, etc.


- Got the Block painted:


- Installed the Freeze Plugs and ancillary "stuff" ( oil pressure sending unit, and sensors, oil pump, misc plumbing, and the distributor) on the side of the engine as well as the tins.



Picture does not show it, but I did get the head installed and torqued down as well as the oil pan - I have a bit more sealing to do to finalize the pan. I set the cold lash, and set the distributor rotor for a "fast fire"

I broke one of the lash adjuster screws, so that is on order from Smith Brothers. It should be here sometime this week.

Another few focused days of work and I should have the engine back running it the car!
I think I will get the engine running and resorted on the Carb then swap to the EFI Bits in the fall or winter.

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Awesomeness Greg!

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

6/26/23:

This has to be the slowest progressing engine build I have ever done.
Some of it is my fault, and some of it is ...... no it is all my fault, I work alone on this garbage so it's all my fault.

I should have had this thing jammed in the car and driving it etc. by the middle of June... but here we are and that has not happened yet.

I got the engine placed in the chassis without much fanfare. - That went quick and good. These pictures are from May, when the job should have been done, completely.




After that was done I futzed with the offset bell housing alignment pins again. Since this was a new to me block I redid the whole thing, taking time to get the measurements correct.
It was pretty close to the other block, and it required 2 different offsets in the same dimensions and places as before. All of the research I had done says to use both offsets dowels in the same offset and to not mix and match, but I could not get TIR correct so I used one in 0.007" and the other in 0.014".


I fired up the engine - and without anyfutzing, Just priming the oil pump / passages , and then priming the carb It fired on a bump of the key.
I set the idle and timing, but then there was a big leak...
UH OH.
It was the rear main seal.. no doubt... So I pulled it apart again, pulled the pan and reinstalled the RMS.. Put it all back together again... and crap.. leaky..McFrickin...sheaky part 2.

RMS was breached yet again.. I am getting tired of this, but getting quick at pulling the engine and setting the seal.

For the 3rd time....
¡YAY!
Finally Dry. I never had so much fuss with a rear main seal. I was sure off my game this June.
Fired it up again for the 3rd time yesterday and it was dry underneath! woot.


Will get some driving with it later this week.

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7/8/23:

I really enjoy this car, the handling, the way it is setup, everything.
I did the engine break in over the last week, Putting 500 miles on since last Friday or so.

Most of my trips took me on everyday errands, semi local car shows and cruises and to the bike trail.

This morning, I rode the bike 22 miles from the old USS Homestead steel site in Homestead PA, now called the Waterfront, through Pittsburgh and down the Ohio River a bit to the Bicycle Museum in Pittsburgh.
Now that I am not constantly futzing with this car, I have time for fun stuff like that.

I am going to drain the oil / cut open the filter and inspect all for any issues tomorrow.
I have a few other small jobs to do tomorrow too..
- Fab up a new dipstick that will read 5-8 Qts of engine oil
- Fix the hood prop rod stay ( it fell off)
- Replace the Firewall Clutch Rod Grommet (it is old and Broken.. I got a new one)
- Replace the Oil Pressure Relief spring with a high pressure unit from a Hemi / B/RB Engine.
- Shim up the driver's side Engine mount so that the Exhaust does not rub the torsion bar.
- Raise the rear ride height for Trunk full of tools and for the tongue wight of the trailer.
- Probably something else too.. but I am not sure what that is at the moment.

After the bike ride today, I pulled the valve cover off and Set the lash on the valves - they were super loose.... and noisy.
I found my notes from last year and went with 0.024" and 0.028" It sounds like one of them is still a but clackety so I will recheck those again tomorrow.

I love having the trailer hitch on the back of the car for the bike rack.


4 More miles to get to the point where the Ohio River begins.



A quick stop at the Ohio River for a drink.


A few more miles on the trail took me to the bike museum.


They said that they had bikes for sale..... But not this one.
I wanted to buy that forest green Vintage Schwinn - I think it would have looked perfect on the back of the dart.
But... NFS.


Got home this morning and lashed up the valves on the engine..... Getting there.


Should be packing up the trailer and getting ready to tow to Carlisle later this week.

_________________
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Awesome stuff Greg!

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

_________________
Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

7/10/23:
Thanks John and Dennis!

John, you might just be seeing the car in person at the end of the month.

Got most of the things on my list done!
- Got the oil Pressure relief spring swapped to the Mopar B/RB High Pressure unit. The OE Slant 6 spring must have a been a but mushy. - It is actually a bit on the high side now, but I prefer that instead of lower. I still have some shims in there so I can lower peak pressure a bit more if needed.
Man is that tricky to do in this chassis - I needed an 11/16" crow's foot on a universal swivel extension / rachet... goofy. I also had to jack up the engine and swing the right side engine mount out of the way for access.

- Fabbed up a new dipstick that reads add when there is 5 qts and Is right on the Full mark when there is 8 Qts for Auto x or track days.
- Made a 1/4" engine mount spacer to keep the exhaust off of the torsion bar. Works good for now.
- Raised up the rear ride height 4 turns on the coilovers, anticipating a full trunk and trailer tongue weight.

-Had the hood off for some underside fiberglass repair for the prop rod mount.
- Also painted the underneath of the hood. It turned out pretty good, for a part that no one will really ever look at, except for when I have it up at a car cruise or something. It has a better vibe than raw fiberglass and resin.


- The helper at the garage today. I sent her to the tires first for some strength training with the 'ol Milton Service station tire inflator with double headed chuck. Good stuff, it took her about 1/2 hour to get the pressures correct, but she kept at it.

She also helped me reinstall and align the hood on the hinges.

All that is left is to drain and flush the water if there is time, and then pack up and leave for Carlisle on Thursday.

_________________
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Great stuff, Greg and Ava! Wish I could join you at Carlisle, but not this year. I am moving towards getting my 64 Dart back together, so we can have the twins together sometime...

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines

7/17/23:

Well I had made it to Carlisle All Chrysler Nationals and back.
Grüne Hölle Towed ~ 2000# of Trailer and Parts, with firewood and Camping stuff up and down many mountains on the way to Carlisle. I met some new folks and found time to Hike and have dinner with friends as well as Do some proper Mountain Flogging of the car whilst the trailer was detached. Good thing I brought the trailer as I Bought a 40" sign for the garage and I did not have to send it home with a friend.. I was able to take it home myself, as it fit in the ValianTrailer.

My pictures from the Chrysler all Chrysler Nationals 2023 can be found Here

Here is some documentation from my trip:
I Left home Thursday morning so that I could get to Carlisle and not take any interstates while towing. I had a Core 727 Transmission to Sell to A&A so the tongue weight was heavy for my little trailer.


I Stopped for lunch where the Elevation on US 22 was probably the highest, at least on my trip at ~2400 ft near the Allegheny Portage Historic Railroad site.


Then back on the road towards The valleys and Hills.
I forgot how much fun PA Route 994 is from Entrinken to Orbinsonia.. Too bad I had the trailer but it was a blast!
This picture is on PA 164 Which goes over that Green Hill in the horizon.


It is glorious when I encounter these Signs on the up or downside of the mountain, while driving this car.



After a few Hours, I got to Carlisle, dropped off my trans core, and Headed for the Campsite. Shesh.... Always 10° Hotter in the Cumberland valley with ~1000' elevtation drop compared to home near Pittsburgh.



Friday Morning Got into gate 3 before the crowds.. Got the car all cleaned up and ready for the show, then headed to the swap meet to find some stuff that I probably don't actually need, but it's a fun walk.

Friday Nite Decided to cool off with a trip back to the mountains.. Found a nice Hike..


I Chose the Challenging route because I am a dumb ass and thought.... this is cool.
2.1 Miles starting at ~800 ft Elevation and ending at ~1900 ft elevation.




Got to the top and it was all good.

Carlisle is somewhere out there~15 miles away under that cloud on the left.


The Carlisle show has a lot of stuff like this..

And giga tons of 2008-2023 Challengers too.

I took US Route 30 home this time, and when there's a big government sign telling me the elevation, I can't help but stop and take some pictures.






I put ~ 500 more miles on the car and it's mostly good to go. I want to relash the valves again and get it cleaned up for the PVGP countryside tour and some other PVGP Shows this week.


Then out to Ohio for another trailer hauling adventure.

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