12:05 Garage- ’70 Duster build

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Hemi update!

I was able to make some decent progress over the weekend. I got the let side fuel rail bracket made up so I'm calling that small project done except for the Cerakote. Note the hidden fuel rail pressure sensor. View attachment 1716239990View attachment 1716239991

Also pinned out the engine harness connector. I still need to go through and ring them all out. I may recruit the wife or daughter to hold one of the meter leads to speed up that process.
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I made a lifting bracket out of some scrap angle iron, which worked beautifully. The engine hangs almost perfectly level once the flywheel and bell housing are mounted. I test fit the bellhousing and checked the runout of the trans bearing register. Lucky for me it is within the .005" tolerance Tremec transmissions like.
View attachment 1716239998
When the bell was installed, I figured I'd check header and starter fitment to make sure everyone would play nice together. There was a very small interference on one corner of the bellhousing. Nothing a little grinding couldn't resolve.
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The starter is a mile from anything hot and drops in and out without having to remove the header. This is a starter from an early 2500 truck with a G3 and manual trans. I will need to drill the threads out of the top hole. No biggie. While this was setup, I also check starter gear to flywheel ring gear. It also looks perfect. I love when things actually work. Also note the charge wireway previously mentioned. It ends nicely right by the starter and will stay secure and out the way of anything moving or hot.
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Lastly, TTi says a Z-bar can be made to work with their headers with modification. Here's a photo of why that needs to be done.
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Notice the tube is on a fairly large angle here just to get the arm where it needs to be. Based on my measurements, it needs to be offset by 1.25" to clear the header tube. I'm going to replicate the bracket with a dogleg in it and just remove this one and weld the new one on. Nothing special, just 1/4" thick flat bar with a hole in it.

I didn't get around to coating the intake and other pieces, mostly because it was way too windy yesterday to be painting. I also plan to coat my radiator and fan shroud at the same time. I want to make sure I gather all the pieces I want coated so I can do them all at once.
Your wiring solution looks very clean, much better than the rat's nest I have mostly hidden!
I love the lifting bracket, I want one and so will many other s it does a much better job of distributing the weight across many bolts!
That starter is the bomb. It so much smaller than the traditional mini-starter. I found the block needs a littler clearance/trimming.
I just shortened the bottom of my Tti 340 Z-Bar by about 3/4" for clearance. I have zero issues with my old school Z-Bar.
Great progress, let's get'er done for May!
 
Your wiring solution looks very clean, much better than the rat's nest I have mostly hidden!
I love the lifting bracket, I want one and so will many other s it does a much better job of distributing the weight across many bolts!
That starter is the bomb. It so much smaller than the traditional mini-starter. I found the block needs a littler clearance/trimming.
I just shortened the bottom of my Tti 340 Z-Bar by about 3/4" for clearance. I have zero issues with my old school Z-Bar.
Great progress, let's get'er done for May!
My local SCCA just released their May date and location. They are trying a new spot which happens to be the drag strip I used to frequent. There's also a small road course at that track and they are having the autocross on portions of the road course. I have to click this job into overdrive so I can try to make it! That track is about double the distance I used to drive for autocross, making it a 1.5 hour drive. Oh well, it's a street car, right?
 
Nice job. Looks like you are close to swinging it in?

I would be a little nervous about the fuel pressure sensor developing a crack. Looks like it has a bit of a cantilever there.
 
Nice job. Looks like you are close to swinging it in?

I would be a little nervous about the fuel pressure sensor developing a crack. Looks like it has a bit of a cantilever there.
It certainly is close. Pulling the 408 is my next large thing to do. Ringing wires out and modifying the z-bar will be weeknight projects this week.

That street T is aluminum and the sensor doesn't weigh anything. It will be fine.
 
My local SCCA just released their May date and location. They are trying a new spot which happens to be the drag strip I used to frequent. There's also a small road course at that track and they are having the autocross on portions of the road course. I have to click this job into overdrive so I can try to make it! That track is about double the distance I used to drive for autocross, making it a 1.5 hour drive. Oh well, it's a street car, right?
No Problem Raceway? I'm so fortunate that the STL SCCA autocross venue is about 6 miles from my house. We had 155 cars yesterday! The Sunday before, April 14th, Boeing Autocross also holds open events at the same location where they limit to no more than 75 cars. So I've already autorcross'd at three events this season. And WWT (Gateway) is just 30 miles from my house we're I'll be attending the Hemi Challenge May 4th for free. You just have to run the gauntlet through STL to get to Gateway! In addition, we have three Cars & Coffees a month all on different weekends, Friday nights at Sonic and various car shows which I don't attend since I'm not a car shown guy. Now I need to practice slow in and fast out corner techniques into the tight technical parts of the autocross. I hope to have my **** together before we meet again at MoParty 2024.
 
No Problem Raceway? I'm so fortunate that the STL SCCA autocross venue is about 6 miles from my house. We had 155 cars yesterday! The Sunday before, April 14th, Boeing Autocross also holds open events at the same location where they limit to no more than 75 cars. So I've already autorcross'd at three events this season. And WWT (Gateway) is just 30 miles from my house we're I'll be attending the Hemi Challenge May 4th for free. You just have to run the gauntlet through STL to get to Gateway! In addition, we have three Cars & Coffees a month all on different weekends, Friday nights at Sonic and various car shows which I don't attend since I'm not a car shown guy. Now I need to practice slow in and fast out corner techniques into the tight technical parts of the autocross. I hope to have my **** together before we meet again at MoParty 2024.
Yes, No Problem Raceway. You are lucky there are so many events nearby. I was looking at the results from yesterday since I couldn't go, there were only 36 cars. The weather was nice, not sure why the turnout was so low.
 
Not a ton of progress due to other obligations, and I needed to rewire my boat trailer lights. Whoever designed those pinch type connectors needs to have his whole house wired with them. What a crap design, especially on a trailer that goes into water!!!!

Anyway, I got the car pushed outside to clean the oily residue off everything before proceeding.

engine comp.jpg


Also the prerequisite to using car accessories requires cutting nice paint.... Trimmed, seam welded, and sanded. Just a little sanding and primer and I'll be ready for some touch up.

rail.jpg


Also got this cool doodad from Sublime. What a great idea for cars still using analog gauges.

housing.jpg
 
Not a ton of progress due to other obligations, and I needed to rewire my boat trailer lights. Whoever designed those pinch type connectors needs to have his whole house wired with them. What a crap design, especially on a trailer that goes into water!!!!

Anyway, I got the car pushed outside to clean the oily residue off everything before proceeding.

View attachment 1716243352

Also the prerequisite to using car accessories requires cutting nice paint.... Trimmed, seam welded, and sanded. Just a little sanding and primer and I'll be ready for some touch up.

View attachment 1716243351

Also got this cool doodad from Sublime. What a great idea for cars still using analog gauges.

View attachment 1716243354
Right there with on cutting the front passenger frame-rail to clear the alternator and I also have the Sublime for one of three (ECM, dash & mechanical) temperature gauges
 
Z-bar modification is done! I typically save small projects to do during the weeknights. All in this likely took just over an hour. I think I'm going to cut that whole corner off the bell housing. Things are just too close right there for me and I don't see any reason for it to be there.
Picture angle makes it look like the new arm is hitting the tube, but it swings just fine with no contact.
zbar.jpg
z bar.jpg
 
Not much to update that is picture worthy. I did get the wife to come out to the garage to help me ring out my engine harness. Happy to report I didn't screw it up!
I did get the frame rail primed and sanded a few times. It's masked and ready to paint. Hoping to get this done at some point this weekend. After I get this painted, I'm going to run the polisher over the whole engine compartment and the engine will be ready to drop in.

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Funny how the easiest tasks always make the largest visual impacts. It's the small things that take forever and go unseen. I got the frame rail sprayed and figured I'd shoot some cerakote too. I may have mentioned I was able to find the same size radiator with inlet/outlet on the same side made by the same manufacturer as my old one. That was intentional so I could use my same fan shroud.
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I have to say the HDK sure made things easy to go in. I originally had the engine mounts set to have the engine all the way back. This proved to make things very tight on the firewall and also made the head contact my already shortened steering column shaft. I decided to pull the engine full forward and everything is happy now. Appears to be about the same place as the small block based on access to bell housing bolts from the top.

Not shown in these pictures are, both headers are in, just need to tighten all the bolts. The clutch/pressure plate, bellhousing and starter are now installed as well. Lots of small things to do. I'm traveling for work this week, so I guess all I can do is think about how much there is to do..
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Just started this thread at the beginning. Holy Crap! You've got some skills. Half way there. Gotta get back to work before they can my ***. lol
 
Just started this thread at the beginning. Holy Crap! You've got some skills. Half way there. Gotta get back to work before they can my ***. lol
Thanks! It's been quite the journey if you start all the way from the beginning!
 
Had a few hours on Saturday to knock some things out. I must have had a brain fart when I originally ordered all my AC parts. I always thought the condenser could be larger. The AC cooled pretty good, but on those really hot days, it couldn't keep up. I once read it best to have the biggest condenser possible. I went along with that because I'm not an AC guru and the internet is always right... :thumbsup: I ordered a condenser that is has a coil the exact size of the radiator support opening. I made up some brackets for it and couldn't install because I'm also changing the receiver/dryer (because internet says so when you open the system) and that hasn't shown up yet. Space a is a premium behind the grill on this car so I'll have to wait for that to come in before I can install everything.
My main power wire lands on the starter and I found it got a little crispy from heat. Likely from being too close to a header tube. The conductor was good, just the jacket got warm. Happy I found that. So a new wire has high temp loom on it even though it isn't any where near these G3 headers.
Headers are all snug, which was interesting on the passenger side. No way I'd want to do that with a factory K. Although, I would have likely had all that assembled and dropped the K out if I didn't have the HDK.
Z-bar is in and clears everything perfectly.
Test fitted some heater hoses. They lay out nice and neat.
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Plans for the week are to install condenser coil and radiator. I have identified an upper and lower rad hose that I think will work, so I'll pick those up from the local auto parts store. I'll also put the steering shaft back in and hope it doesn't hit these headers...
 
I'll concur with big condenser and replace drier advice. If more folks agree with you, you're probably right!
 
I have to say the HDK sure made things easy to go in. I originally had the engine mounts set to have the engine all the way back. This proved to make things very tight on the firewall and also made the head contact my already shortened steering column shaft. I decided to pull the engine full forward and everything is happy now. Appears to be about the same place as the small block based on access to bell housing bolts from the top.

Not shown in these pictures are, both headers are in, just need to tighten all the bolts. The clutch/pressure plate, bellhousing and starter are now installed as well. Lots of small things to do. I'm traveling for work this week, so I guess all I can do is think about how much there is to do..
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The mounts were designed with a small block 727 attached plus a 3/16 spacer....and the OEM transmission mount dead in the center of the crossmember. Everything was a give / take as to front / back and side / side but that is why the HDK mounts allow adjustment.....for the optimum placement for each builder.
 
Weekly update.
New condenser is in along with the radiator and fans. I also decided bringing the AC lines to the fender apron like they were previously wasn't going to happen. I moved the heater hoses up to the top 2 holes and I'll make a plate to cover the lower 2. AC line will now run behind the bumper. I was starting obsess over the AC lines and realized I was wasting time by not actually moving forward with items that will make the car run. After I had a talk with myself, I got back on track. I'll get back to the AC when everything else is done.
The upper rad hose is an 06 Charger RT, which fit pretty good with a little trimming. The lower I purchased won't work. It's more of a 90 degree angle and it looks like I will need a 45 degree.
I had a friend help me stab the trans, but still need to connect everything to it. I'm sure some have seen the poor reviews on the aluminum Lakewood housing. I have to say, that thing worked perfectly. It dialed in without having to use offset dowels, the factory Z-bar linkage bolted right up also. I did hav to get their fork bracket, but that worked perfect with my old fork. The trans literally slid right into it. No complaints from me. Don't believe everything you read online!
I have several items come in, which opens up lots of small projects. Which always results in needing to get more stuff....
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Continuing with my scheduled weekly update for those following along.

I feel like I spent a lot to time on the car, but it looks the same...haha. Got the clutch linkage in and adjusted and all is good with that. The steering linkage needed to be fiddled with since it was touching a header tube. All it took was shortening the double D shaft that connects the column u-joint to the rack u-joint.
I've seen a couple methods of priming the engine oil on these motors, but I created a new method (at least I've never seen it). I have a 12V oil transfer pump for pumping oil in and out of my boat engine. I decided to give it a try on pumping oil into the oil port. It worked flawlessly. It built up so much pressure it stopped the pump. I'd let it sit with pressure and rotate the engine. It only took about 1.5 quarts to get oil dripping out the rocker shafts. Quick and easy!
I also discovered my trans mount is junk. It compresses almost an inch once weight is on it. It's a rubber mount that came with the conversion kit. I guess its about 20 years old. I have a polygraphite mount incoming.
Also received my remote PS reservoir. It's an Allstar performance part and very nice quality. I got it mounted up so I can make some new lines. Of course I don't have the fittings to complete that, so those are also incoming. I'll cerakote the tank to match the radiator because polished aluminum hurts my eyes. Also note, the radiator cap is on the opposite side now. I'll make up the overflow tube crossover to the tank between the radiator and core support.
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I modified the factory accelerator pedal to accept a universal cable. I need to make a bracket by the throttle body still.
Lastly, I put the manifold on for good, at least I hope so. So why not take some glamour shots.


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I still have a long list of little things to get done, but I feel like I'm making good progress. I'm hoping I can make some noise within the next 2 weeks. That will put me around 6 weeks for the swap start to finish. I can't complain about that!
 
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