I'm very far into the suspension and got a chance to get a good look at the idler arm. The bolt has been shaved over time and there's a lot of slop, the only thing is I don't know how to replace it because there's the engine in the way. Is it really as bad as I fear and I have to get a cherry picker and raise the engine or is there a simpler way to replace this part?

What kind of car are we talking about, I had my idlerarm ( not pitman arm right? -> steeringbox) Removed and replaced in maybe 1.5 hour and I wasn't working fast,... unloosen the two bolts, place the special tool ( yep, you'll need that, well most of the times you do,.. ) on the ends and let the tool press it out of the conus.

As a special tool you could use a pickle fork or tie rod end puller.

And finally, if a tool is referred to as special, it's mostly expensive stuff but it will last long ( again, most of the time.)

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1965 Barreiros Dodge Dart. 225 / 4 speed.

I have a 73 Dart four door. Yesterday I was having problems getting logged(in case it is still being wierd I'm Shivadart). The problem is the bolt hold the idler arm on(yup, not the pitman arm) is so tall it hit the oil cleaning thingy. I was think that I could drain the oil and take that part off and maybe get at it, but that would be a pain. Less of a pain than lifting the engine, but a pain none the less. My dad suggest cutting the bolt and putting through from underneath, then I quickly showed him that if for any reason the bolt falls out you're sort of screwed.

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My car may be slow to sixty, but at least it's been reliably slow to sixty for more than thirty years.

You can take the nut off the passenger side mount, under the k-frame. Then, lift on the engine a little and you'll have all the room you need. Cherry picker is best if you have one handy; if using a jack, be cautious - it's easy to crush the pan into the oil pickup. Use a board and place it at the front of the sump where the pan is formed - there's a little more strength there.
It won't take much and you won't have to mess with the "oil cleaning thingy", AKA oil pump .
BTW, the late style idler uses a through-bolt in double shear, much better than the 1st gen stud mount idler, and doesn't require special tools to change. Does anyone know what year they made the change?

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"A mechanic is Somebody."
- Jim Preston

Thanks, pretty much how I feared it was then. Oh well, I have at least three days before I get my bushing for the Upper and lower control arms in so I have some time to dink around with it. If the conversion can be done that idler arm sounds like it would be great, definetely would be interested to know the year(though for some reason it seems as though the only Dart/valiants in the wrecking yards are old ones that don't even have my stuff on them let alone later years). Maybe the auto parts stores would have the new parts(though I doubt they'd have the mounts). Oh well, I'm lazy and'll probably just replace the idler arm if I can.

Since there's a bolt involved with your idler arm, sounds like you've already got the good one. No worries!

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O==\=/==O

"A mechanic is Somebody."
- Jim Preston

Years ago I replaced the idler on my 72 dart without moving anything. I hit the problem you described and here was my resolution.

I took the nut off the bottom and pushed the bolt up as far as I could. Then I took a hack saw, grinder or something similiar and cut the head off the bolt. Then I put the nut back on and used it to pull the bolt down and out of the hole.

With the new idler arm in place, there was no reason why a brand new replacement bolt ( $1 ) can't go in the opposite direction with the nut easily on top instead of on the bottom.

Never had a problem again after 3 year of driving. I'm pretty sure the 73 model is exactly the same. Take a look. Hope this helps.

Ive got the suspension removed down to the LCA pivots on my 73 Scamp and I ran into this same clearance problem with the idler arm bolt hitting the oil pump cover. I ended up pulling the engine competely so I can powdercoat the k-frame the same as the other parts and start fresh without the 31 years of oil&grime buildup. I went with .99 torsion bars to match the 1" swaybar but now I am wondering if that is too stiff for the lightweight slant. Anyone have experience with the stiffer tosion bars?

If you do a search on this and the .com site you'll get your answer. My recollection is it's stiff and rough. But that is all relative. When you put road race as a goal I think stiffer is better.

Also my recollection is that the Slant in not much lighter than a 340.

Currently I've got .99 torsion bars with a stock 7/8 front torsion bar and 7/8 rear sway bar. I don't think the rides too harsh, feels firm but not bone-jarring. Handles real well too, I was going to go with a larger torsion bar but I don't think I need it because right now it feels like I might have neutral steering to slight oversteer, which is nice. I doubt if the one inch would make a lot of difference. Just keep in mind that ride quality is relative, some would be happy driving a car with the suspension of a go-cart.

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My car may be slow to sixty, but at least it's been reliably slow to sixty for more than thirty years.