Re-Rebuilding the 440-493 in a 1970 Charger

[Fran Blacker]

Studs.

 

[Kern Dog]

I bought these at the ACE Hardware:

I like the black finish and the built in washer design.
As an aside, I started using these hose clamps for the fuel lines:

They don't cut into the rubber like these:

I save the worm clamps for the other cars and emergency repairs though.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

 

[Kern Dog]

With the master cylinder bench bled and installed, I finished up a few more things. Mary helped bleed the hydraulic clutch, then I poured in 4 gallons of 91 octane gas, connected the lead wire to the starter, connected the battery, filled the carburetor float bowls with gas, checked all my connections and got ready to start it.
With Mary in the car and me out in the engine bay looking for leaks, It fired on the first twist of the key!
With a few adjustments, it was idling and timed to what I previously ran....31 degrees total at 2500 rpms. At 3000, there was some screeching noises that caused me some concern.
Back at idle, I looked for leaks but didn't see any right away. I backed out the idle mixture screws since the A/F meter was in the mid 16s. When in the mid 14s, the idle picked up a little. This cam is a bit more choppy than the '528 so it has to idle a little higher. I ran it to 1000 rpms.
With the engine at temp and the oil pressure good, I started to bleed the brakes.
I noticed a leak in a line that I had replaced. I must have flared it wrong. I let Mary go back to her own stuff and replaced the brake line and restarted the car. The steering wheel feels unusually stiff to turn. I don't know if the steering box is getting enough pressure. I added fluid 3 times but I wonder if the pump will be adequate. I think the noise above 3000 rpms was coming from the left side of the engine, likely the pump.
I noticed a leak at the rear main seal. While running, it is flinging fine drops of oil. I took the lower cover off and ran the engine to look but with the cramped space, I can only guess that it is the rear main and not a gallery plug. I looked through my photos....I took pictures like a Japanese tourist so I expected to find a picture of the rear main. the only one I found was this....

The half that is in the block is in correctly but I have no picture of the half that is in the aluminum retainer.

This was before I cleaned it and put in new side seals.

I had it right in this instance. I'll probably have to pull the pan to verify it this time. I really wish I had taken a picture before I installed it.

I'm in a spot here. I don't want to run the engine with this oil leak. I'll have to pull the pan and windage tray to get to the rear main seal.
The brakes are another variable. I installed this rebuilt power steering pump and either it is not up to the task of supporting both the steering and the hydroboost or it needs more fluid. It keeps dropping after the engine is ran but is not leaking out. I don't know if it makes sense to bleed the brakes and get that settled if I may end up pulling the Hydroboost and just settling with a manual master cylinder like I had originally had. Changing master cylinders means bleeding the system again. I do have the 15/16" master cylinder that I had first installed before Dr Diff made me the offer to use this HB unit.
On the bright side....
The engine started up and runs great. I love the sound of it. Oil pressure was great, no sign of overheating. No water or fuel leaks. I'm way over the hump with the project. I'm down to fixing a few details and that is a relief to me.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

I don’t know what to tell you about the oil leak, I usually just ignore them and let the car mark it’s territory


But that’s great the car fired up, and the vitals were good! Means the engine is ready to tear up the streets again.

 

[NoCar2023]

I did my rear main twice, and it still leaks. I am going back to a rope seal next time.
I also had a screeching noise from the engine's left after I changed the intake and carb. It turned out to be the PCV valve. I never noticed it before.
Did you bleed the P/S system?

Bleeding System | Power Racks

 

[Kern Dog]

During the engine build, I had some leftover gaskets and seals from other builds or partial builds. Some were 318-360. some were 383-440.
One of those was the rear main oil seal.
Most of the stuff is easily identifiable for being LA or B/RB but the rear main seal isn't one of them. I don't know what difference there might be between the two engine series.
I used an official "Mopar" seal kit that I had here. I didn't buy it, I must have obtained it through some parts collection that I bought. I figured that it was a factory approved part and that it should be good.
I'll pull the pan and the rear main seal retainer. If the seal is pointing wrong, I'll admit to it and replace both halves and hope that I fixed it. If it was in the right way but wasn't sealing, I'll have to replace it anyway. Getting the upper section out shouldn't be that hard since the engine only has 15 minutes of run time on it. I've done this before with this car on jackstands 20 years ago.....It should be a lot easier now.
Oh....The screech was the fan belt....That idler design seems ripe for trouble.

The power steering fluid is already dark. It was all new when I started the engine. Either this pump is bad or there is something weird going on.
It won't provide much steering assist if any.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I honestly think most rear seal leaks aren't the seal at all... I think most of the leaks are the side seals... I've heard of a few folks having trouble with the billet seal retainers leaking from the side seals too...

I used the stock seal retainer & I fill the V shaped cavity on the rear of the engine with "the right stuff"... I've had pretty good luck doing it that way...

 

[Kern Dog]

I did my rear main twice, and it still leaks. I am going back to a rope seal next time.
I also had a screeching noise from the engine's left after I changed the intake and carb. It turned out to be the PCV valve. I never noticed it before.
Did you bleed the P/S system?

The system was dry other than what residual fluid was in the steering box. I filled the reservoir and had Mary saw the wheel once the engine started. I added fluid to keep the level up. It never made that grinding noise they make when they are low.

 

[Kern Dog]

I honestly think most rear seal leaks aren't the seal at all... I think most of the leaks are the side seals... I've heard of a few folks having trouble with the billet seal retainers leaking from the side seals too...

I used the stock seal retainer & I fill the V shaped cavity on the rear of the engine with "the right stuff"... I've had pretty good luck doing it that way...

I shined a light up in the back of the block with the engine running and the gallery plugs are dry. The side of the seal retainer appears dry.

Another adjustment of the belt eliminated the fan belt screech. It isn't like the Non-A/C setups with the alternator belt also serving the fan. That one seems easier to get tight and to stay that way.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

If your idler is making noise you might want to get one of these.

Engine Idler Pulley

 

[Kern Dog]

One time when I had a "rebuilt" trans fail, the fluid was dark and smelly with 2 miles on it. The fluid in the P/S reservoir is dark already but smells okay.
I wonder if the banjo fittings at the hydroboost unit didn't leak because they weren't getting much pressure. I have several used pumps here that I can try for free. I can also try bypassing the HB and just connect the pump back to the steering box and see if it works there.
First up, I need to stop the rear main leak.

 

[NoCar2023]

Maybe the discolored fluid is from assembly lube in the new components.

 

[Kern Dog]

Even with these issues, I'm calling this a win so far.
The engine sounds great with this bigger cam. I love the raspy exhaust tone with a longer duration cam with lots of overlap. It should run strong like it did the last time I used it.
I was quite amazed to see it start right away. I have an FBO ignition box and matching coil from FBBO member "Beanhead". I wanted to wait until the engine was up and running before swapping them in. The ECU has a rev limiter which will help me keep from scattering this engine when I'm caught up in the moment.
One thing that does annoy me is valve cover leaks. I think that I have discovered why these seem to always drip at the rear lower corners.
Look at the photo below and note the area where the arrow is pointing.

While this is the front, the rear is the same. The indentation leaves a barely supported section where the gasket sits. The gasket distorts slightly and leaves room for a leak to develop.

 

[moparedtn]

I'd like to a)offer my

very happy for you Greg!

Secondly, I'd like to put in a request for a video of the rascal running....

 

[hunt2elk]

On the valve cover gaskets, I have found that it helps to push the cover up towards the carb before snugging up the screws. As far as the rear main seal, that area seems to have really gotten problematic in the past couple of years. My 451 is leaking around the crank after a freshening up with new bearings and gaskets. The engine builder sent it home with me last spring and was it leaking terribly. He told me to pull the motor and bring it back. He had it for 2 months and had it on the dyno 8 times. Finally put a rope seal in it and sent it back to me. I put it in the car, and guess what, it still leaks. That's why I asked you what kind of seal system you went with a couple of pages ago....

 

[moparedtn]

Dang y'all. Is JB Weld warming up in the bullpen on these rear mains?

 

[Kern Dog]

On the valve cover gaskets, I have found that it helps to push the cover up towards the carb before snugging up the screws. As far as the rear main seal, that area seems to have really gotten problematic in the past couple of years. My 451 is leaking around the crank after a freshening up with new bearings and gaskets. The engine builder sent it home with me last spring and was it leaking terribly. He told me to pull the motor and bring it back. He had it for 2 months and had it on the dyno 8 times. Finally put a rope seal in it and sent it back to me. I put it in the car, and guess what, it still leaks. That's why I asked you what kind of seal system you went with a couple of pages ago....

I do shove the valve covers UP before snugging the bolts down. That does seem to help since the valve cover gasket rail seems to be overall wider than the rail on the heads. Gravity allows the oil to rest on the lower rear area and if the covers are allowed to slide down, that area that I highlighted has even less contact.
I don't know that exact part number of the rear main seal that I used. It was in a plastic bag with a Mopar label on it. I am going to have to be more careful from now on.

 

[RemCharger]

The small block seals have ears off the sides to seal the cap to the block.
Can't see how they could be interchanged.

 

[khryslerkid]

I pulled the master cylinder to bench bleed it. When I first installed it to the hydroboost unit, I did so to have it in place to form the brake lines. I knew it would have to come back out to bench bleed.
Make note of the following:
Stainless steel, pan head screws S U C K in this application.

View attachment 1365665

These are what Dr Diff included in the kit to attach the master cylinder to the Hydroboost unit. They look great but the smooth finish makes them hard to thread by hand. I put anti-seize on the threads even though the HB is iron. The access to install these is crowded with the brake lines and hydraulic lines in place so a standard 6 point hex fastener is a better idea. You can grip them and thread them in much easier.

Looking good Greg

I found in the past that a stainless steel fastener doesn't always get along with a regular steel threaded hole. They can become galled pretty easily.