67 R/T... Back to Life PART II

[69L48Z27]

I decided a couple weeks ago that I needed to pull the engine over the winter and go through it. Not sure if I mentioned it or not but there was about a gallon of gas in the oil when I got the car. That typically means the bearings and rings are toast. I pulled the engine today and tore into it like a kid on Christmas morning. What I found isn’t great, guess it could always be worse.

Cam is wiped. Big time. Bearing are trashed, big time. Crank looks okay on 2 & 4. Pulled a couple connecting rods too, bearings are not good but crank looks okay. I’ll be tearing it all the way down and off to the machine shop.

 

[dave dodge]

Just awesome you have your parents original car back.Did you know he had this car when you purchased the other. P.S. Really enjoy posts !

 

[69L48Z27]

Thank you!

Yes, we’ve know where the car was since 1972. When I bought the first car, this car wasn’t for sale. It’s really never been for sale even now when I bought it. Long story but essentially this car was a family member for the last owner and it was just time for the next care taker and who better than me since it means something to me and I have the time and resources to put them back on the road. My mother started trying to buy it back for my dad’s 50th in 1994. There was no way that car was going to be sold back then since the last owner was racing it and enjoying it. 24 years later, here we are.

 

[69L48Z27]

Engine update...

I have everything tore down and off to the machine shop. I think we can hone, replace cam bearings, polish crank, go through the heads and reassemble with fresh bearings and rings. I have the shop measuring everything too, compression, spring weight, etc. Pistons inside are a JE piston, flat top with valve reliefs. Heads are 906s with big valves and crank is 6160 OE crank, looks like mains are .010” under already.

I have to figure out what cam to put back in, the one in it was a MP 509 but that’s toast. I’m keeping the stock style manifold and exhaust manifolds so we’ll see how big a cam we can go with. 3.91s out back with about a 3500-3800 stall.

 

[69L48Z27]

I haven’t updated this in a bit. Engine is back from the machine shop and all is good. He honed the cylinders, went thought the heads, and polished the crank. With that done I ordered all the parts to put it back together, most are here. I chose a Hughes cam, that’s not here yet. I stayed with a hydraulic cam, not sure why. Since this has the adjustable rockers already I should have went with a solid cam. Crank is in and everything measured good for clearance.

 

[69L48Z27]

And just like that, the engine is back together and ready to drop in. Got it all painted today and started putting some goodies on. Latest formula for turquoise, PPG Shopline JEA. I’m ready to throw this think back together and getting fired. Only issue is my alternator and starter are not don’t yet. I think that’s what I’ll be waiting for. Merry Christmas!

 

[Jerry Hall]

Looking good. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Paul Boucher]

Looking great! Can’t wait to see it finished and amazed at the speed you get things done!

 

[69L48Z27]

Looking great! Can’t wait to see it finished and amazed at the speed you get things done!

Thank you! I still have plenty to do. Hopefully I’ll get some time in the garage over the holidays.

 

[69L48Z27]

The eagle has landed, between the fenders that is.

 

[69L48Z27]

Here’s the original engine now on the stand.

 

[Jerry Hall]

Which engine is the original for the car? I thought you pulled the engine to go through it. Now another has appeared.

 

[69L48Z27]

Which engine is the original for the car? I thought you pulled the engine to go through it. Now another has appeared.

The car came with two engines, race and original. The engine that was in the car when I got it, wiped cam, was the ‘race’ engine. The born with engine was in storage for many years. The one I just rebuilt is a 68 440 (not HP) and was the race engine the last owner had so he wouldn’t hurt the original. The one on the stand now is the car’s born with engine.

Hope that makes sense. My plan for this R/T is to run it down the track.

 

[Jerry Hall]

Glad you have the original with the car. I figured the one you rebuilt was not when you mentioned 906 heads.

 

[69L48Z27]

Engine is in and running. Went through breaking it in last weekend and actually got to drive it today. This engine with a manual valve body w/ 3500 stall and 3.91s is going to get me in trouble.

I ran into a problem that if found a “hack” for. After everything was together I noticed the stock air cleaner housing was way too high and would not clear the hood. I’m running a stock intake from some unknown year, I think 72. Then on top is an Edelbrock AVS 1813 with the square bore to spread bore adapter. All adds up to about and extra inch or so. I went on the Wix website and you can search air cleaners by dimension. Ended up finding and element that’s a lot shorter and used an unsilenced base with the dual snorkel top. Worked out pretty good IMO.

 

[Jerry Hall]

A stock look that will sound great when you open up the 4bbl.

 

[69L48Z27]

The other day when I took the car around the block I heard a kind of a clunk noise that I would investigate later. In the meantime I was going to drop the rear chunk out and change the gear oil. That all went as planned until it didn’t. Once I had the chunk on the floor I was looking at it and did a double take. Two broken teeth. Ugh. Guess I’m putting a new ring and pinion in this thing. Guess I’ll keep these as souvenirs.

 

[khryslerkid]

Man that sucks like a Hoover! I guess better now than when it's warm and you're wanting to put some miles on her.

 

[Photon440]

The other day when I took the car around the block I heard a kind of a clunk noise that I would investigate later. In the meantime I was going to drop the rear chunk out and change the gear oil. That all went as planned until it didn’t. Once I had the chunk on the floor I was looking at it and did a double take. Two broken teeth. Ugh. Guess I’m putting a new ring and pinion in this thing. Guess I’ll keep these as souvenirs.
View attachment 897175

Last time I did that, it was in a Firebird 400 4-speed. But it was a 10-bolt and they break if you look at them wrong.

 

[91r/t]

And just like that, the engine is back together and ready to drop in. Got it all painted today and started putting some goodies on. Latest formula for turquoise, PPG Shopline JEA. I’m ready to throw this think back together and getting fired. Only issue is my alternator and starter are not don’t yet. I think that’s what I’ll be waiting for. Merry Christmas!

View attachment 885362 View attachment 885363

Hey man nice build on her and the first R/T as well. Do you have the formula print out for that turquoise engine color? I'd like to use the same stuff if possible.