Hawk-Rod: The "Tune-Up"
- Thread starter HawkRod
- Start date
Not sure how I missed this (searched on crank pulley
), but this was perfect! In it, there is also a link to 440 Source that states "starting in 1972, the bolt pattern on the front of the damper was changed to be exactly symmetrical". So it confirms when the change occurred and why my 70 383 would have an offset hole.Thanks, a number of responses confirm this, so this is what I will do.
I still don't understand why Chrysler felt the need to make the offset hole in the first place. The 440 Source article states that it lines up with the timing mark, etc., but not WHY Chrysler did it. Oh well, I can still move on!
Thanks for the help and references!
Hawk
Work has been a pain so progress has been slow, but there has been some!
I washed the underside of the Road Runner to wash off 5 years of grease and grime. Yes, it was a mess in the garage, not to mention I got soaked from water running down my arms and into my armpits!! But the underside of the car looks much better now.
I had a backfire situation when I poured some start gas into my car in the winter. I was worried about having blown a "powervalve" like device in the fuel injection throttle body, so I decided to take it apart, learn and verify. The part that controls air is the IAC (Idle Air Control - in the picture below this is the part that is sticking out the bottom of the throttle body in the center of the mounting flange). I verified the operation and everything seems OK. So back together it went and back on the engine. Wasted time? Perhaps, but it gave me some peace of mind that everything was OK.
I also was messing with the dipstick to get it to sit nicely between the heads and header but without touching either. After getting it to the proper shape, I welded a bracket onto it.
That didn't work as planned, so I further modified it to use a different bolt. It looks like it is touching the header here, but there is a nice gap and it sits in between the head and header nicely.
Engine is now fully wired, so it is pretty much ready to go in except for some minor cleanup of my steering box.
I also decided to tackle taking out my master cylinder and cleaning that up. The &^$#&@! thing has leaked and screwed up my paint twice. First step was to protect my paint again from the damn brake fluid! If I had it to do over again, I probably would have used silicone so I wouldn't ruin my damn paint every time I have to mess with brakes.
Both times it seemed to leak for a bit and then stop (and I am convinced it is not from overfilling it). I believe the culprit is the heavy machining marks on the lip of the master cylinder that allows brake fluid to leak out until the gasket has had time to conform to the shape. Here you can see the heavy ridges in the lip of the master cylinder.
I decided to remove those ridges so I taped some 220 sandpaper on my workbench and then slowly worked the master cylinder back and forth. This also kept any crap from getting into the master cylinder.
Done! Now just to paint it again with cast iron paint.
I washed the underside of the Road Runner to wash off 5 years of grease and grime. Yes, it was a mess in the garage, not to mention I got soaked from water running down my arms and into my armpits!! But the underside of the car looks much better now.
I had a backfire situation when I poured some start gas into my car in the winter. I was worried about having blown a "powervalve" like device in the fuel injection throttle body, so I decided to take it apart, learn and verify. The part that controls air is the IAC (Idle Air Control - in the picture below this is the part that is sticking out the bottom of the throttle body in the center of the mounting flange). I verified the operation and everything seems OK. So back together it went and back on the engine. Wasted time? Perhaps, but it gave me some peace of mind that everything was OK.
I also was messing with the dipstick to get it to sit nicely between the heads and header but without touching either. After getting it to the proper shape, I welded a bracket onto it.
That didn't work as planned, so I further modified it to use a different bolt. It looks like it is touching the header here, but there is a nice gap and it sits in between the head and header nicely.
Engine is now fully wired, so it is pretty much ready to go in except for some minor cleanup of my steering box.
I also decided to tackle taking out my master cylinder and cleaning that up. The &^$#&@! thing has leaked and screwed up my paint twice. First step was to protect my paint again from the damn brake fluid! If I had it to do over again, I probably would have used silicone so I wouldn't ruin my damn paint every time I have to mess with brakes.
Both times it seemed to leak for a bit and then stop (and I am convinced it is not from overfilling it). I believe the culprit is the heavy machining marks on the lip of the master cylinder that allows brake fluid to leak out until the gasket has had time to conform to the shape. Here you can see the heavy ridges in the lip of the master cylinder.
I decided to remove those ridges so I taped some 220 sandpaper on my workbench and then slowly worked the master cylinder back and forth. This also kept any crap from getting into the master cylinder.
Done! Now just to paint it again with cast iron paint.
Hawk, hope that master fix works for you. Mine always leaked. I think the lid gasket is part of the problem. I thought about putting a thin bead of silicone around the edge of the lid and letting it set up before putting the gasket back, so there was more pressure on the gasket surface. I actually bought a modern aluminum one with screw on caps, but didn't get around to changing it before I sold the car.
What is strange is it always seemed to seep for about a week after I opened the lid. Once it stopped leaking it would be fine until I opened the lid again. Then, even if I opened the lid to check the fluid level (and not add any) it would start the cycle all over again. So the only thing I can think of that would exhibit this type of behavior is a lack of sealing from those machining marks. My assumption is over time, the gasket finally conforms to the ridges and stops the leakage.
We will soon find out if it is fixed!!!
Hawk
Gary P
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How did I miss this thread??
Hawk, this car
is fantastic....my favorite I've seen actually. What a peach!!
Hawk, this car
is fantastic....my favorite I've seen actually. What a peach!!
Thanks Gary!
It is far from perfect, although it did turn out pretty nice. But as soon as it was done, I immediately put dings, chips and dirt on it by driving it across country and plenty of other places! It sees rain (though not frequently) but I will not drive it when they have salted the roads.
My goal with the car was and still is to keep it as stock looking as reasonably possible, yet include various modern day upgrades that help to make it a pleasure to drive and enjoy!
Thanks for checking in!
Hawk
Engine Install!!!
So today was a big day - the K member with engine and transmission got installed!
First I put the engine into position by eye. Then we used two plum-bobs from the K member bolt holes in the frame down to the holes in the K member. This got it really close, although we still had to make small adjustments as it went in.
Getting close!
Here the engine is close, but not fully in.
The key is to take your time and go slow. First we hooked up the transmission cross member, and then lowered the car the last 1-2 inches and bolted up the K member. Here it is once it was back in!
Blue tape indicates things that still need to be hooked up. There is still much to do, but today was a major step forward!
So today was a big day - the K member with engine and transmission got installed!
First I put the engine into position by eye. Then we used two plum-bobs from the K member bolt holes in the frame down to the holes in the K member. This got it really close, although we still had to make small adjustments as it went in.
Getting close!
Here the engine is close, but not fully in.
The key is to take your time and go slow. First we hooked up the transmission cross member, and then lowered the car the last 1-2 inches and bolted up the K member. Here it is once it was back in!
Blue tape indicates things that still need to be hooked up. There is still much to do, but today was a major step forward!
Looking good Hawk
Machmeter1
Well-Known Member
Congratulations on the wedding. That is the right place for this engine, looks, and fits just perfectly with enough space on all sides. I am very curious how you will like your setup, but I guess it will put a big smile on your face once you hit the pedal.
Like the attention you paid to the details and modifications on your car - very elaborately.
Like the attention you paid to the details and modifications on your car - very elaborately.
Last edited:
funknut
Well-Known Member
Awesome milestone! Congrats, looks awesome.
Had a good day with the car - I took the afternoon off to work on some stuff. Not lots of pictures, but here are a couple at least:
A buddy of mine powder coated the master cylinder cap. He had silver, so that's what we went with. Not totally factory, but close enough and the paint should be tough.
We installed the the master cylinder and bled the brakes. I left the black plastic below it in case of a drip so I don't screw up my paint (again)! We'll see if my mod worked to file down the rim (see posts above) and stop the leaks. So far, so good, but the real test will be when the car moves around.
Installed fan, shroud, radiator and heater hoses.
Installed the steering column and throttle cable (no good pics of the throttle cable). Even though I thought I had my throttle cable bracket right, it was actually too tight and not letting the throttle body return to full idle easily, so we had to modify the brackets some more to make it work nicely.
We installed the drive shaft, exhaust, torsion bars, sway bar, Z bar (for the clutch) and a few other small parts. Car can now roll on it's own and stop too! Now I just need the "Go" pedal to work!
So MOST of the car is now done. I still need a few more small tasks like adjusting the clutch, filling oil and antifreeze, connecting speedometer, installing alternator, and few other small tasks. The most work left is likely the wiring that runs down the passenger valve cover. This is not exactly right now. The aluminum heads are larger so the wiring now needs to plunge down towards the base of the distributor. These extra few inches make the wires too short. I'm just going to bite the bullet and unwrap and rewire all of it exactly as needed so it looks neat and works like it should.
We are getting close to starting it! Hopefully by next weekend.
Hawk
A buddy of mine powder coated the master cylinder cap. He had silver, so that's what we went with. Not totally factory, but close enough and the paint should be tough.
We installed the the master cylinder and bled the brakes. I left the black plastic below it in case of a drip so I don't screw up my paint (again)! We'll see if my mod worked to file down the rim (see posts above) and stop the leaks. So far, so good, but the real test will be when the car moves around.
Installed fan, shroud, radiator and heater hoses.
Installed the steering column and throttle cable (no good pics of the throttle cable). Even though I thought I had my throttle cable bracket right, it was actually too tight and not letting the throttle body return to full idle easily, so we had to modify the brackets some more to make it work nicely.
We installed the drive shaft, exhaust, torsion bars, sway bar, Z bar (for the clutch) and a few other small parts. Car can now roll on it's own and stop too! Now I just need the "Go" pedal to work!
So MOST of the car is now done. I still need a few more small tasks like adjusting the clutch, filling oil and antifreeze, connecting speedometer, installing alternator, and few other small tasks. The most work left is likely the wiring that runs down the passenger valve cover. This is not exactly right now. The aluminum heads are larger so the wiring now needs to plunge down towards the base of the distributor. These extra few inches make the wires too short. I'm just going to bite the bullet and unwrap and rewire all of it exactly as needed so it looks neat and works like it should.
We are getting close to starting it! Hopefully by next weekend.
Hawk
looking great!
So last weekend came and went. Actually, I got a lot done, but with Mother's Day I spent Sunday with my wife and kids. Car is now DONE except for priming the engine oil, setting the final base timing, going through the computer setup and (hopefully) starting it.
I final tightened the A/C compressor. It is always a pain in the butt to do this, so I came up with a tool to do it. It took some trial and error, but I finally got a system that seems to work well. I made this tool to help tighten and keep tension on the compressor. It hooks from the compressor (long bolt) to the alternator rod (big hook). I then merely twist until I get the tension I need and tighten the bolts.
I put the long bolt through two of the mounting holes in the compressor. I actually ended up using the upper mounting holes (not the ones shown in this picture, but I forgot to take a picture of the setup once I had it working
)
Then I redid the wiring on the passenger side of the engine. I unwrapped and redid the wires to make them all fit well and route cleanly.
Here is the end result. Wiring is now complete (except the distributor wires of course, but I still need to pull that again):
I then replaced most band clamps with the factory Corbin hose clamps. Man, these are a pain in the *** to work with! However, in my opinion, they look better and goes with my theme of trying to make the car look as stock as possible.
I changed the shift pattern on my shifter and re-installed that:
Finally, the big moment: I test fit the 440 air grabber base plate on my 400 based block with the high rise manifold. Perfect!!! If this would not have fit I would have been in trouble, but luckily all my earlier calculations were correct.
I final tightened the A/C compressor. It is always a pain in the butt to do this, so I came up with a tool to do it. It took some trial and error, but I finally got a system that seems to work well. I made this tool to help tighten and keep tension on the compressor. It hooks from the compressor (long bolt) to the alternator rod (big hook). I then merely twist until I get the tension I need and tighten the bolts.
I put the long bolt through two of the mounting holes in the compressor. I actually ended up using the upper mounting holes (not the ones shown in this picture, but I forgot to take a picture of the setup once I had it working
)Then I redid the wiring on the passenger side of the engine. I unwrapped and redid the wires to make them all fit well and route cleanly.
Here is the end result. Wiring is now complete (except the distributor wires of course, but I still need to pull that again):
I then replaced most band clamps with the factory Corbin hose clamps. Man, these are a pain in the *** to work with! However, in my opinion, they look better and goes with my theme of trying to make the car look as stock as possible.
I changed the shift pattern on my shifter and re-installed that:
Finally, the big moment: I test fit the 440 air grabber base plate on my 400 based block with the high rise manifold. Perfect!!! If this would not have fit I would have been in trouble, but luckily all my earlier calculations were correct.
Glad that manifold worked out Hawk
It still looks pretty stock and docile, but you certainly know what is lurking under the hood!
I am excited to get it running with the new drivetrain! My goal is to try and start it Thursday. If I can't make that work, It'll have to wait until the weekend.
The stock looking 383 surprised a few people.
Nothing but rain headed your way,oughta be a good time! Good luck.
Gary P
Well-Known Member
- Local time
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Goodness me, this car is spectacular! What an accomplishment. I am fully inspired by this.
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