The Great Pumpkin - '71 Duster
Couple updates.
Made an attempt to install a set of Cal Custom valve covers I got at Carlisle but they didn't work out. I went through a bunch of steps and got them on only to find out that the rockers were hitting the underside of the covers. I had a feeling that was gonna happen, it looked fairly tight under the filler cap hole but I forged ahead anyway. So on startup, I made sure to listen for it. Sure enough after a few seconds of run time I hear a really loud clackety clack and I shut it down. Luckily there was no damage but there were a few witness marks on the baffles. Oh well. Generic MP covers back on. There are valve cover spacers out there to raise the top of them up a little bit, may look into those at some point. Got a shiny new breather cap installed as a consolation prize.
When I got the car aligned a few months ago, I was standing along side of the rack and the guy doing the job noticed the wheel bearings were a tad loose. I finally took the time to tighten them up a little yesterday. The nuts were actually just beyond finger tight and there was a little wobble so yeah, they needed a little tightening up. No more wobble but not overtightened.
Did an oil change to see if it might help with the valve tick I mentioned in the last update. I have good pressure, but the oil was really black and thin. It didn't really smell like gas but it had to have been. I've been doing a lot of messing around with the carb, guess it must have been dumping gas down the cylinders even though my A/F meter was saying I was on the lean side. Sometimes this double pumper makes me want to try the old Thermoquad I have on the shelf. I'm learning there is an art to tuning a race carb for part throttle operation.
Made up some new fuel bowl feed lines. When I went to install the Cal Custom valve covers, they interfered with the regulator setup I had on there. I had wanted to make a new set for a while anyway because the line from the pump to the bottom of the regulator was just touching the intake runner which I never liked. The new ones have a more pronounced angle which raises the whole thing up higher thus moving everything away from the runner and valve cover.
Also, I got a new cool guy Simpson SFI rated lap belt. It's a latch link type that locks in when you pull down and opens with a velcro strap. AFAIK, you don't have to recertify lap belts every two years unless they are part of a harness that attaches to a roll bar. I figured these were a good upgrade from 43 year old seatbelts. NHRA says the OE belts are good though as long as they are in the original position and are fastened down properly. Call me a dork but it feels 'safer' with a 3" belt with an SFI rating though.
Last bit of maintenance/safety was getting new rear tires. Given the amount of time I spent under this car over the last year, I got up close and personal with the tires and knew that they needed to be replaced. I finally saved up enough pennies from my paper route to buy new ones. I just bought the same ones I had, M/T drag radials, 275/60/15. They're good tires and look like they were made for Dusters with offset springs. The old ones were seven years old and dry rotted badly. M/T says the effective service life of their tires is four years so they were WAY overdue. The front tires are probably just as old but they seem OK to me.o dry rot, checking or unusual wear. I needed to air them up a little but they look fine otherwise.
OK, here's some pics.
Ye Olde Cal Custom valve covers, straight from the swap meet. I hit 'em with Easy Off to get the baked on crud off the insides. Then some mild degreaser and scotch brite and a wire wheel for the tough spots. After they were clean I shined them up with some Mother's polish. Came out OK. I like 'em better than the Mopar ones. Too bad I can't use 'em without spacers.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0471_zps422d189a.jpg
That's original crud you're looking at.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0468_zpsc91204d4.jpg
After some elbow grease.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0473_zps2e3f5af7.jpg
As is often the case with small block valve covers and aftermarket intake manifold runners, you have to grind a clearance notch in the lip to get them to seat properly over the lip of the runner. I tried to do it cleanly. The Mopar ones that are on the car look they they were done with a Sawzall.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0477_zps2e38c54a.jpg
Shiny new breather cap. It's a Spectre brand if anyone cares.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0485_zps27bd255a.jpg
Cool guy Simpson lap belt. Looks serious.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0480_zps0a850681.jpg
And here are the new sticky Mickeys.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0481_zpsaff24727.jpg
Check out these tire treads. Bad!
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0483_zps0a5410b1.jpg
More to come.
Couple updates.
Made an attempt to install a set of Cal Custom valve covers I got at Carlisle but they didn't work out. I went through a bunch of steps and got them on only to find out that the rockers were hitting the underside of the covers. I had a feeling that was gonna happen, it looked fairly tight under the filler cap hole but I forged ahead anyway. So on startup, I made sure to listen for it. Sure enough after a few seconds of run time I hear a really loud clackety clack and I shut it down. Luckily there was no damage but there were a few witness marks on the baffles. Oh well. Generic MP covers back on. There are valve cover spacers out there to raise the top of them up a little bit, may look into those at some point. Got a shiny new breather cap installed as a consolation prize.
When I got the car aligned a few months ago, I was standing along side of the rack and the guy doing the job noticed the wheel bearings were a tad loose. I finally took the time to tighten them up a little yesterday. The nuts were actually just beyond finger tight and there was a little wobble so yeah, they needed a little tightening up. No more wobble but not overtightened.
Did an oil change to see if it might help with the valve tick I mentioned in the last update. I have good pressure, but the oil was really black and thin. It didn't really smell like gas but it had to have been. I've been doing a lot of messing around with the carb, guess it must have been dumping gas down the cylinders even though my A/F meter was saying I was on the lean side. Sometimes this double pumper makes me want to try the old Thermoquad I have on the shelf. I'm learning there is an art to tuning a race carb for part throttle operation.
Made up some new fuel bowl feed lines. When I went to install the Cal Custom valve covers, they interfered with the regulator setup I had on there. I had wanted to make a new set for a while anyway because the line from the pump to the bottom of the regulator was just touching the intake runner which I never liked. The new ones have a more pronounced angle which raises the whole thing up higher thus moving everything away from the runner and valve cover.
Also, I got a new cool guy Simpson SFI rated lap belt. It's a latch link type that locks in when you pull down and opens with a velcro strap. AFAIK, you don't have to recertify lap belts every two years unless they are part of a harness that attaches to a roll bar. I figured these were a good upgrade from 43 year old seatbelts. NHRA says the OE belts are good though as long as they are in the original position and are fastened down properly. Call me a dork but it feels 'safer' with a 3" belt with an SFI rating though.
Last bit of maintenance/safety was getting new rear tires. Given the amount of time I spent under this car over the last year, I got up close and personal with the tires and knew that they needed to be replaced. I finally saved up enough pennies from my paper route to buy new ones. I just bought the same ones I had, M/T drag radials, 275/60/15. They're good tires and look like they were made for Dusters with offset springs. The old ones were seven years old and dry rotted badly. M/T says the effective service life of their tires is four years so they were WAY overdue. The front tires are probably just as old but they seem OK to me.o dry rot, checking or unusual wear. I needed to air them up a little but they look fine otherwise.
OK, here's some pics.
Ye Olde Cal Custom valve covers, straight from the swap meet. I hit 'em with Easy Off to get the baked on crud off the insides. Then some mild degreaser and scotch brite and a wire wheel for the tough spots. After they were clean I shined them up with some Mother's polish. Came out OK. I like 'em better than the Mopar ones. Too bad I can't use 'em without spacers.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0471_zps422d189a.jpg
That's original crud you're looking at.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0468_zpsc91204d4.jpg
After some elbow grease.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0473_zps2e3f5af7.jpg
As is often the case with small block valve covers and aftermarket intake manifold runners, you have to grind a clearance notch in the lip to get them to seat properly over the lip of the runner. I tried to do it cleanly. The Mopar ones that are on the car look they they were done with a Sawzall.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0477_zps2e38c54a.jpg
Shiny new breather cap. It's a Spectre brand if anyone cares.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0485_zps27bd255a.jpg
Cool guy Simpson lap belt. Looks serious.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0480_zps0a850681.jpg
And here are the new sticky Mickeys.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0481_zpsaff24727.jpg
Check out these tire treads. Bad!
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj214/rmchrgr/IMG_0483_zps0a5410b1.jpg
More to come.