LOL


Looks like a week back a buddy dropped off another buddy's 1967 4 door Valiant Signet to me with the title as payment for "services rendered" on fixing his father-in-law's computer...

After a post a while back and use of Dan's link to the 1971 wiring harness (all circuits were close to the same, and the colors helped too), I was able to fix the ignition problem it had....

She's in good shape except for the usual leaks, the dents and trim that are missing form various clashes with the garage at the hands of my buddy's mom. Luckily she's a nice 225, A-904 car, with all the OEM parts (Holley 1920 is in the solvent tank now for reconditioning)...I'm hoping the rear is a 2.94 not a 2.76.

I just drained the crankcase and found it had 6 gallons of gas and 5 quarts of oil in the pan....jeez. I replaced the fuel pump with a nice used one I had lying around, and treated the car to a new oil filter and some good 10W-30 (hope the bearings aren't all wiped out...).


Purpose for Project BV will be to get me to work everyday and note changes as I modify the car (I drive 850 miles a week so 1 change a week will show how beneficial things are for those working on 'economy projects')

I have a fair amount of things in my stash to play with...so eventually:
Points will be replaced by Mopar EI (1974 timing curve)...
Then maybe a step up to better exhaust, then maybe a step over to a Complete Feather Duster system (I have all the OEM parts for this conversion).


Will post pics soon...I think this summer the car will need a Tremclad paint job... before it gets some rust spots...



-D.Idiot

Hey DI -

Sounds like a fun project !! I'll have to come over and check it out soon! Let me know if you are going to enter it in the Roberson meet this year. We need to talk about that meet and what local's we can recruit to join us this year.

The Dart should be getting it's primer coat within the next two weeks and then on to the paint booth.

Send me a PM and let me know about your new job.

Talk to ya soon

66Dart

Sounds cool, keep us posted.

_________________
70 Dart, 360, 727

Pursuant to 'Beater' rules...I fished out a used fuel pump from the 'spare parts' box in the shed and replaced the one on the car, in case the pump diaphragm leaked.

I got a nice Borg Warner rebuilt kit for the Holley 1920 (not a bad kit for $20...and the shop stocks them on the shelf!!!!!). I also found that the plug at the firewall had an issue with the Yellow ignition wire from the switch to the solenoid...rewired and bypassed the plug now it all works good.

Once the fuel line primed, I made sure I had 6 gallons of good gas in the tank, and the thing ran long enough for me to find a list of stuff for this white elephant...

Engine runs strong, no noises like in previous posts (must be the fact it has oil, not colored gas in the pan).
Tranny engages and works great.
Brakes are almost non-existant, and need a complete rebuild (I'm sure the OEM 1967 master cylinder has something to do with it, and two cracked front brake hoses....)

After warm up I noticed the tail pipe emissions went from a nice 'black fog' out the back, to a grey fog, then a blue fog...and settled at low idle on a nice persistent steam cloud out the back...bubbles not evident in the radiator either....


Next on the plate when the next paycheck comes in:

Head gasket replacement, if I use a Felpro composite I have a 1963 head that's almost new and have it cut down .050 to make up for the gasket (or measure deck height and see about getting the stock CR.
Replace all brake components (probably see about getting the reverse thread studs replaced to regular thread versions)
Replace burned out light bulbs...check for broken ground wire on the gas tank sender.


Then get it benchmarked on stock setup for mileage (maybe do a G-tech run for fun)...then start the upgrade process.

About the Roberson meet, where and when is it.

Thanks

Salem Oregon, usually the third weekend in July...it tends to fall the same weekend as the Mopar meet at the Woodburn drags...

Looking at my current schedule and the shapes of things to come, I'll probably be at the show, but not 'show' (makes it easier to get out of the lot and get some food on the grill for lunch!!!)


-D.Idiot

i am up here in tacoma and wondered if you knew of the annual swap meets.. i wouldn't mind driving a state or two to get some deals..

The portland one was a week or so back, and there are a few more over the summer...sadly all of them I've been to lack a crucial "Mopar" booth...most are great if you need manuals at $$$, old holley carbs, or lots of ford and chevy parts...


-D.Idiot

Happy Easter...the sun came out long enough for me to have a great easter, then put a 1941-1945era Carter 1 barrel in the solvent tank for my stepfather's new WW2 truck project...(I think it might bolt to our manifolds too...it uses a nice Carter #86 jet...)...

Since Beater Valiant has two major problems I decided to tackle the engine first.

The engine looks to have never been rebuilt during it's lifetime and has a very small ridge in the bore (barely enough to catch the fingernail with).
Some of the cooling passages have rust blocking them halfway, and the poor thing still had a shim head gasket and a shim intake gasket...

I measured everything up for 'posterity', so it looks like the head has 53cc chambers, a .168 deck height (measured at bores 1,3, and 5), and had the shim head gasket...which puts the 225 at about an 8.5 compression ratio....


I have a head at the local machine shop right now that was on a 1963 Truck that had new valves and guides put in by the previous owner, but... it never got 'cut' down and the combustion chambers measured 63cc (talk about the 'turbo motor' surprise). I'm having them clean the head, magnaflux it, and cut .080 off it to try and get it back down to a 52-3 CC chamber. My best guess at the moment with the Felpro composite head gasket seems to put this mill when all buttoned up at a really hoppin' 8.3:1 CR...

Brakes will be next on the list, then it should be ready and 'safe' for the weekly road test and upgrades...(will also have to get some bulbs replaced, ground the gas tank, and get an air freshener to get rid of the Mopar Musty smell...)

-D.Idiot

Head came back from the shop today. Pretty nice for $104 of shaving and cleaning...

Doc's formula is spot on I really needed .075 cut off this head to get it about where it should be...I had it cut for .080 and that put me at 50cc per chamber instead of 52...

According to some pencil pushing, this puts my compression ratio at 8.5, right back to where I would like it.

Before installing the valves I took a moment to clean up the ports, gasket match them, and take some casting flash out of the pushrod gallery.

Tomorrow if the weather is good, I'll install the dang thing, set the lash, then see about getting some brakes fixed next week.

-D.Idiot

Hey DI, Are you using a steel shim gasket?
did you CC the head already?
I had(well asked for) 0.100" to be taken off and my head cc's at 39-40cc. and I am at around 9.8-1. I didn't think 0.020" less would make that kind of difference. I guess the head could have had work done on it before.

_________________

Nope, Felpro composite out of master kit KS2103...
.042" average crush height.

I CC'd the head after I ported and reinstalled the valves...50cc...(remember I'm using a 1963 truck head that had lots of meat to it-63cc chamber before the cut). If I had used the 52 cc 1967 stock head I'd have had to make a clean up pass to retain my CR.


Lesson to be learned, when you take it apart, measure everything, take notes...when you get it back always check your machinists work so you don't have a suprise.

-D.Idiot

the head I am using came off of a Volare wagon. I did not cc it before having it cut.

_________________

I'm working some long hours(10 hours on, 2 hour commute) and I can't have the beater jacked up on stands for a weeklong brake change...So Beater Valiant got sent to my favorite place in town Salem Brake and Wheel, can't beat a place that just loves it when you bring in an old car ("That's a great car! We'd love to work on that for you! Are you going to hop up the slant six?!?!?")

So far they have found:

All four wheel cylinders are seized, pads are about 40%, master cylinder is tanked. Engine compression check has 90 in 2 cylinders and 120 in the others, wet comp check brought all of them up to par, they suggested getting it out and driving it to get some oil up to the rings...

Looks like the Idler Arm is shot, and the upper ball joints have seen better days...

So by next Weds. I might have a driveable Valiant!!!
At which point in time Hpak Duster will be going in for a leaf spring rebush and swap (to a nice set of 4.5 leaf springs out of 1973 318- A/C Dart...)


weeee...

-D.Idiot

So far I could've bought a "beater duster" for the same price....

It runs and drives really good (got the usual "miss"/ rough spot while idling).

Got to get used to the 9" drums, it takes a bit longer to "stop" than the disc brakes in the duster. I also have to get used to the fact it's a lighter car, which has a tendency to not "sag" into the corners.

Now I gotta take care of the lights, and the gas gauge that doesn't work, make sure it'll make a 130 mile round trip, then start upgrading the engine slowly...

I have a drool tube head at the machine shop now, getting a set of hardened seats, etc for unleaded/leadfoot driving...



-D.Idiot