Well, my wife was leaving for Austria (I'm jealous), so I got sidetracked...

Anyway, I did manage to get the engine dropped into the engine bay, motor mounts hooked up and tranny bolted to the engine (didn't bolt the flex plate to the torque converter, too tired). No more time this weekend. I'll work on the peripherals during the week and fire her up next weekend. No matter how carefully I try, I can't seem to get a SL6 mounted without scratching the paint on my oil pan...oh well, touch up works. I had to remove the motor mounts to get the tranny to register properly with the engine, and then do the passenger side and then the driver side motor mount - doable but a lot of work...and I have the supposedly easier spool type mounts. Seems like it was easier when I had the '67 K-frame and mounts...maybe it's just me.

http://s785.photobucket.com/user/67dart ... 1.jpg.html

http://s785.photobucket.com/user/67dart ... o.jpg.html

Oh yeah, I promised a pic of the valve cover that I splurged on:

http://s785.photobucket.com/user/67dart ... n.jpg.html

http://s785.photobucket.com/user/67dart ... r.jpg.html

It's an Aussie Speed cast aluminum cover. It wasn't cheap. Thing is, they don't polish the depressions above where the bolts go, so even after having bought a "polished" cover, I had to remove the rough cast from those eight depressions, block sand and repolish the whole thing. Even after spending a lot for it, I probably put another couple hundred worth of labor into it. Anyway, then I masked it off and sprayed the Ford Red in between the vanes on the top. I have to say, these Aussie covers are dead on straight, unlike the Offy covers sometimes, and they are really well done castings. That all said, they are heavy. If you're a racer trying to avoid excess weight, then I don't recommend the Aussie cover, but otherwise it is frickin' awesome.

Brian

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https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

Here is another pic of the valve cover.

http://s785.photobucket.com/user/67dart ... a.jpg.html

As you can see, it is very heavy, well made, cast aluminum. I'll have to see if the baffles, which are just narrower holes, but with some depth, keep oil from getting into the breather or PCV. If they don't, there is plenty of material to work with to install plates or other oil spray blocking mechanisms.

Also, as I prefer, I permanently affixed (with RTV silicone) a silicone gasket from RealGaskets to the valve cover so I can easily take it on and off without worrying about cork or other gasket issues.
http://s785.photobucket.com/user/67dart ... s.jpg.html

Since this valve cover is dead on straight and true, I only used one gasket (my previous offy cover was really warped and required two gaskets so I didn't break it when I torqued it down).

In my previous offy cover, I installed a stack pretty far toward the rear so my home made cold air induction system had plenty of clearance from it.

http://s785.photobucket.com/user/67dart ... html?o=116

http://s785.photobucket.com/user/67dart ... .html?o=95

The Aussie cover's rear vent interferes with my rear air intake tube, so I'll have to redesign the CAI system. That's OK, because I wasn't really pleased with how bulky it is. I'm thinking of a single intake plenum (for both 2 bbls.) that only has one 4" hose at the front for air intake, and doesn't pass over the valve cover. It'll have to be like a twin four barrel scoop that has an air intake hose hook up at the front and still fits under my hood. Maybe adapt one of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dual-4-Barrel-C ... 0800093726

...or combine the two plenums that I have with some machining, welding and imagination....

Brian



Brian

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https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

That's a work of art, Brian. Hope you get to drive it soon!

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

I still have that break in hurdle, you know, where you are nervous for about 20 minutes or so...should be fine, hoping its a strong motor. Considering the build parameters, we put a bit more aggressive cam in it, but I don't think it'll be choppy or anything.

B

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https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

FYI, the lip on that cover is nearly 1/2" thick, so I doubt it'll ever warp or break. Along with the 1/8" thick gasket, I'll need longer valve cover bolts...

brian

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https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

A had oil leak with Offenhauser valve cover. It was not only warped but also making contact to Arp head bolts/nuts which caused it really not touch to gasket all around. Small machining inside the cover was a must. Also one gasket was not enough because of warpage so I doubled gaskets.

Stack of rtv/gasket/rtv/gasket/rtv was enough for sealing but longer screws which I had to use made one cover screw hole punched up to water jacket. I bought a set of Arp bolts/nuts for cover. To cylinder head glued bolts make easier to set double gaskets and with nuts the correct tightening is easy to do.

What a job for one aluminum cover!

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1966 Dart. 170 cu.in. 200 rwhp.

Yes, there are threads on this forum about warpage issues in later castings. This Aussie one is dead on straight, no warpage. I think they achieve this result in part by making the mounting surface so thick, they can easily machine it down after casting and get it perfectly flat. The mounting surface was definitely machined after casting, sorry I forgot to take a pic before I glued the gasket on there. It doesn't have the lip that rolls over to hide the gasket like the Offy cover, but then again, it's not warped either.

Brian

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https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

I can't say what the Aussie cover weighs, but a polished Weiand cover weighs in at 7.6 lbs and a Chrome Mopar Performance one weighs in at 3.6lbs.

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-MattMan
LEANED & MEAN

OK, we'll I can weigh this one and let you know. B

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https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

I get 7.4 lbs.

b

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https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

...that was holding it and standing on my digital (which doesn't necessarily mean accurate) bathroom scale, then doing again without the valve cover in my hand, and subtracting. I won't share the two base numbers from which I did the calculation...

b

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https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

I have all the peripherals on except the distributor cap and wires and the carbs. Tomorrow, i'll do those and fire her up.

http://s785.photobucket.com/user/67dart ... 8.jpg.html

I already turned her over and the push rods are rotating nicely.

Brian

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Break in seemed to go fine. Temp gauge was in normal range during break in. I have an idiot light, but everything was oiling and the push rods were turning prior to start up. I started with my oil filter pre-filled and the idiot light went off quickly. Changed the oil after break in. Not much metal in the oil, seemed like a normal amount. Didn't get to fine tuning today. Engine sounds strong, no leaks, rear seal fine. I did the break in without the cover plate or engine to tranny brace in place; I didn't notice any visual signs that the torque converter was rotationally off or anything.

I still seem to have a vibration though. Feels the same as before, vibration is more noticeable in the 1200 - 1600 rpm range. I'm wondering (again) if it's in the tranny. Can one unbolt the flex plate, push the torque converter back and run the engine safely that way? I just want to see if I still have the vibration with the torque converter disconnected. Could be I did some damage to the tranny with the old engine's head gasket blow fiasco. Timing mark seemed "jumpy" to me, I checked the timing it was about 10 degrees advanced during breakin, I revved it up to about 3000 rpms and the total mechanical advance was 25.

I'm afraid to run it too much this way, don't want to damage my rear seal. I need to isolate that darn vibration.

Brian

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https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

Recall, this is why I was meticulous with the crank and main bore checking (shop said they were dead on, didn't need align honed), had the crank balanced and journals redone. I wanted to be sure if the vibration was still there, that it wasn't the crank...

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https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

Yes and no. Yes, there is physically enough room to do this, but no, you couldn't start the engine using the starter because the ring gear is on the torque converter and the TC would be detached from the motor.

Good idea, and it would work if you had some way to spin the motor to start it.

Try installing the engine to transmisison brace.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.