allansplace
Member
- Local time
- 1:23 AM
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2014
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
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- Location
- Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Hi. I'm Allan. I'm new here, and this is my first post.
I guess most people here are high-performance rebuilt enthusiasts. I'm not a wrench-head myself but come from a long line of them, most of them married to Dodge.
Enough about me and mine. Here's my project.
Just a week ago I bought a 1978 Dodge Tradesman 200 Funcraft campervan with a 400 cid, 2-barrel, auto (3-speed), no air, 74,000km. Actually, if you stood behind it you'd for sure have NO air. It burned white when accelerating but no black or blue otherwise. It would NOT idle, had trouble starting, and would only start and run if throttled up.
I rebuilt the carburetor (Holley 6886, similar I guess to the 2245?) but was unsuccessful. I apparently didn't clean it well enough. What can you do with carb cleaner, paint thinner, and a toothbrush? So I bought a new Holley 6886.
Now it runs and stays running.
But it doesn't fire on all cylendars. (Thanks for withholding the jokes.) While idling it bumps and jumps and obviously doesn't want to use all pistons. I took it for an oil change just to get rid of whatever was in it.
Did I mention it had sat since 1998? Sixteen years, being started a couple times a year.
The gentleman at Canadian Tire, Art, said it wasn't worth changing the oil because, according to the dipstick (the dipstick, not the man), it had water / antifreeze in it. He said the dipstick indicated it had way too much oil in it, suggesting that water had filled up the bottom half. He did not drain the oil to see. However, the coolant reservoir is not low.
I looked later and could NOT find any antifreeze. Nothing smelled or tasted sweet. I think my next step is to drain off a bit of oil and see if anything has sunk to the bottom - I.E. water and / or antifreeze.
I know my timing is off. I mean the engine's. And I know this Holley must be adjusted by a technician.
But does anyone have any suggestions? According to Art, I need to ditch the engine and buy a good used 318 or 360 that doesn't have a cracked head or leaky gasket.
My specific question is, should there actually be water and antivreeze in the oil, can I replace the head gasket and hope that the bottom half is still okay?
According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_B_engine, 1978 was the last year Dodge made the 400 'wedge'. Is this a dud engine?
I thank anyone for their comments and suggestions.
I guess most people here are high-performance rebuilt enthusiasts. I'm not a wrench-head myself but come from a long line of them, most of them married to Dodge.
Enough about me and mine. Here's my project.
Just a week ago I bought a 1978 Dodge Tradesman 200 Funcraft campervan with a 400 cid, 2-barrel, auto (3-speed), no air, 74,000km. Actually, if you stood behind it you'd for sure have NO air. It burned white when accelerating but no black or blue otherwise. It would NOT idle, had trouble starting, and would only start and run if throttled up.
I rebuilt the carburetor (Holley 6886, similar I guess to the 2245?) but was unsuccessful. I apparently didn't clean it well enough. What can you do with carb cleaner, paint thinner, and a toothbrush? So I bought a new Holley 6886.
Now it runs and stays running.
But it doesn't fire on all cylendars. (Thanks for withholding the jokes.) While idling it bumps and jumps and obviously doesn't want to use all pistons. I took it for an oil change just to get rid of whatever was in it.
Did I mention it had sat since 1998? Sixteen years, being started a couple times a year.
The gentleman at Canadian Tire, Art, said it wasn't worth changing the oil because, according to the dipstick (the dipstick, not the man), it had water / antifreeze in it. He said the dipstick indicated it had way too much oil in it, suggesting that water had filled up the bottom half. He did not drain the oil to see. However, the coolant reservoir is not low.
I looked later and could NOT find any antifreeze. Nothing smelled or tasted sweet. I think my next step is to drain off a bit of oil and see if anything has sunk to the bottom - I.E. water and / or antifreeze.
I know my timing is off. I mean the engine's. And I know this Holley must be adjusted by a technician.
But does anyone have any suggestions? According to Art, I need to ditch the engine and buy a good used 318 or 360 that doesn't have a cracked head or leaky gasket.
My specific question is, should there actually be water and antivreeze in the oil, can I replace the head gasket and hope that the bottom half is still okay?
According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_B_engine, 1978 was the last year Dodge made the 400 'wedge'. Is this a dud engine?
I thank anyone for their comments and suggestions.