1969 Dart Street/Strip (Re)Build
You guys know as well as anyone if you've followed this thread from the beginning that I'm always fighting some battle with the car. Couple nights so I found a small dab of oil under the car, again. I was about to go irate! I got under the car and the back of the oil pan was dry which was a good sign that it wasn't the rear main again. All the oil seemed to be coming off the bellhousing. The oil dye was still in the motor so I got my black light out and started searching. What I found was the driver's side rear pan bolt loosened up and was leaking.
The oil must have been coming out during the track runs, hitting the flexplate, and flinging the oil inside the bellhousing. Once it sat for a couple days, the oil collected at the bottom of the bell and dripped out. Tightened up the bolt but haven't driven it since. So that's probably fixed.
Then while I was under the car, my hand brushed across an edge of the the k frame and I heard the sound a piece of paper would make if you brushed your hand across the edge. Well it turned out to be more powdercoating that is peeling like burned skin. I've said it once and I'll say it again. Do not use PowderTech in Wichita, KS! They are horrible!
And finally, when I was getting ready to install the street tires, I noticed this.
That's the driver's side tire worn on the inside edge with belts showing (less than 1000 miles of wear). Passenger side is fine. So there are two scenarios in which this can happen. Either the housing is bent from the power of the car or from the welding of the 4 link mounts. That or MadDart who built this rear screwed up and got the end fitting crooked when he shortened the housing. Either way this a big kick in the nuts. The rear is already offset to the passenger side by about 1/4" and I have to use a spacer on the driver's side to make sure the tire won't rub the wheel well and frame. If the shop has to cut the end off and straighten it, then I'm going to make this situation a little worse because the housing will get shortened a bit more on that side. So the whole rear will have to come out and get jigged up to find out what's going on with it. What a cluster.
You guys know as well as anyone if you've followed this thread from the beginning that I'm always fighting some battle with the car. Couple nights so I found a small dab of oil under the car, again. I was about to go irate! I got under the car and the back of the oil pan was dry which was a good sign that it wasn't the rear main again. All the oil seemed to be coming off the bellhousing. The oil dye was still in the motor so I got my black light out and started searching. What I found was the driver's side rear pan bolt loosened up and was leaking.
The oil must have been coming out during the track runs, hitting the flexplate, and flinging the oil inside the bellhousing. Once it sat for a couple days, the oil collected at the bottom of the bell and dripped out. Tightened up the bolt but haven't driven it since. So that's probably fixed.
Then while I was under the car, my hand brushed across an edge of the the k frame and I heard the sound a piece of paper would make if you brushed your hand across the edge. Well it turned out to be more powdercoating that is peeling like burned skin. I've said it once and I'll say it again. Do not use PowderTech in Wichita, KS! They are horrible!
And finally, when I was getting ready to install the street tires, I noticed this.
That's the driver's side tire worn on the inside edge with belts showing (less than 1000 miles of wear). Passenger side is fine. So there are two scenarios in which this can happen. Either the housing is bent from the power of the car or from the welding of the 4 link mounts. That or MadDart who built this rear screwed up and got the end fitting crooked when he shortened the housing. Either way this a big kick in the nuts. The rear is already offset to the passenger side by about 1/4" and I have to use a spacer on the driver's side to make sure the tire won't rub the wheel well and frame. If the shop has to cut the end off and straighten it, then I'm going to make this situation a little worse because the housing will get shortened a bit more on that side. So the whole rear will have to come out and get jigged up to find out what's going on with it. What a cluster.