My other Early A ---65 Dart post
Diving into the engine of the 66 parts car. I was really hoping to just loosen up some rust in the bores, give it a quick hone and reseal. The rust is bad from water entering through the distributor hole. Even if it wasnt rusty, the engine is pretty much worn out. It has a new set of main bearings and I believe new cam and lifters. The cam bearings are wiped out and the cylinders have a large ridges at the top from wear. The heads are nothing special. Small valves and ports. I dont think I even want to mess with a full rebuild on a 318 since I have a 360 block that I would rather use.
Looking at the accident damage I had assumed it was a running driving car. No way that much frame damage could be done without it actually moving down the road at a fast speed. Even the fuel pump was broken off the block which led me to believe that it had not been ran since the accident. Also the rear cooler line fitting is broken off flush to the case. Once I started the disassembly it was apparent that I was wrong. Loose and missing bolts were the first sign. Then once I separated the engine from the transmission I was stumped to find no front pump seal for the torque converter. There has been water entering the transmission and it looks a bit rusty inside. This car has not ran under its own power in a long time. I have not started to tear apart the transmssion to get a good look inside and possibly rebuild it but my chances dont look good.
Maybe they knew someone like me would be foolish enough to think it was a good drivetrain. Or did they really think they were gonna pull the frame rail straight and get it going again? There is a chain welded to the k frame I believe was used to try and straighten the damage. Why would someone take the time to install the transmission and driveshaft with no converter seal knowing they would just have to do it all over again? I dont believe the seller had any knowledge of the car. It was a small salvage yard with lots of makes models in various condition. He said the previous owner had planned to repair the car but then passed away.
The local pick a part charges extra if you dont bring a core for exchange when buying just about anything. I can still use the motor and transmission for a core charge if I happen to find a donor in the junkyard. So at least I got that goin for me.
View attachment 1715534971
Diving into the engine of the 66 parts car. I was really hoping to just loosen up some rust in the bores, give it a quick hone and reseal. The rust is bad from water entering through the distributor hole. Even if it wasnt rusty, the engine is pretty much worn out. It has a new set of main bearings and I believe new cam and lifters. The cam bearings are wiped out and the cylinders have a large ridges at the top from wear. The heads are nothing special. Small valves and ports. I dont think I even want to mess with a full rebuild on a 318 since I have a 360 block that I would rather use.
Looking at the accident damage I had assumed it was a running driving car. No way that much frame damage could be done without it actually moving down the road at a fast speed. Even the fuel pump was broken off the block which led me to believe that it had not been ran since the accident. Also the rear cooler line fitting is broken off flush to the case. Once I started the disassembly it was apparent that I was wrong. Loose and missing bolts were the first sign. Then once I separated the engine from the transmission I was stumped to find no front pump seal for the torque converter. There has been water entering the transmission and it looks a bit rusty inside. This car has not ran under its own power in a long time. I have not started to tear apart the transmssion to get a good look inside and possibly rebuild it but my chances dont look good.
Maybe they knew someone like me would be foolish enough to think it was a good drivetrain. Or did they really think they were gonna pull the frame rail straight and get it going again? There is a chain welded to the k frame I believe was used to try and straighten the damage. Why would someone take the time to install the transmission and driveshaft with no converter seal knowing they would just have to do it all over again? I dont believe the seller had any knowledge of the car. It was a small salvage yard with lots of makes models in various condition. He said the previous owner had planned to repair the car but then passed away.
The local pick a part charges extra if you dont bring a core for exchange when buying just about anything. I can still use the motor and transmission for a core charge if I happen to find a donor in the junkyard. So at least I got that goin for me.
View attachment 1715534971