A Technical Drive in the Minnesota winter.
Hello Mopar friends and greetings from the tundra up here in Minnesota. Here's something a bit different if you're technically inclined like me. If you're not interested in this stuff, that's okay too and you can just skip over it. So here goes.
Out into the garage where my very stock and original 225 powered 1974 Duster has been sitting overnight. Outside air temperature 25 degrees, about 40 degrees in the garage, barometric pressure 30.07 inches. The mission today is a five hour daytime round trip from Minneapolis north to Cloquet MN and back. Preflight goes smoothly, oil quantity at the "full" mark on the dipstick. Coolant, brake, steering and windshield washer quantities full and normal. All five tires inflated to 30 psi, as per the placard. Two water bottles loaded into the center console along with winter outerwear should it be needed. Buckle in (engine won't start without my seat belt fastened) followed by six pumps on the throttle as the accelerator pump primes the engine and the choke plate closes. Hit the starter and 160 amps from the absorptive glass mat battery goes directly to the starter motor. Engine catches immediately and accelerates to 1650 RPM on high idle as the choke pulloff opens up the carb bore. Choke heater is now powered and slowly pulls the choke plate fully open over the next minute. The steering hydraulic pump - which has never been apart since it was built over half a century ago - immediately wakes up and pressurizes the recirculating ball steering gear. Full steering boost is now available. Meter Match fuel quantity signal processor is now up and running. Ammeter shows 10 amps positive as the 34 ampere rated alternator sends its current through three rectifiers and immediately replenishes the battery's 12 volt DC power. Within a minute, the ammeter shows negligible charging as the NOS stock voltage regulator regulates system voltage to 14 volts. Alternator looks very healthy with a rapid recharge of the battery. Say what you want, but I'll take an old school ammeter any day of the week over a voltmeter. Kick down the throttle after a three minute warmup and the fifty year old Plymouth engine settles into a 750 RPM burbling idle.
Down the driveway and it's off to I-35 heading north into the Boreal forest. Coolant temperature looking excellent, coming right up to 195 degrees and regulating there for the entire drive. Out of the traffic now and up to 75 MPH, and it's time to engage the cruise control. The stout little slant six loves the cold, thick, oxygen rich Minnesota air. Down to 20 degrees outside now, -25 with the wind chill at the radiator. 50 percent Prestone II antifreeze/softened water mix is now dumping its waste heat into the factory two row brass and copper radiator, thanks to one of the last guys in Minnesota in his old school radiator shop where he rebuilt this unit. The A-904 Torqueflite transmission's hydraulic pump is circulating its hydraulic oil forward into the oil cooler in the bottom of the radiator, keeping the fifty year old factory original tranny running perfectly. A brief throttle burst to pass a semi kicks her down into second gear, then right back to third as the engine settles in at 2650 RPM at 75 MPH. Time to engage the factory cruise control, and the throttle servo picks up its vacuum source at the power brake booster and engages the unit. Glad I spent the money on an NOS servo, as it keeps the speed nearly flawlessly at 75 MPH. Up the hills the speed sags a bit as the servo doesn't have enough throw internally to give the engine full throttle. Coming down the back side, she comes right back up to 75. I was lucky to find one of the last dual throttle cruise control brackets for a slant six engine left out there, and today's the payoff. The rebuilt heater box with its new copper and brass heater core makes everything warm and toasty in the Minnesota winter. Keeping the temperature selector lever in the middle yields a very comfortable 72 degrees in the cabin. Arriving in Cloquet it's time to refuel with 91 octane ethanol free gasoline at the only service station in the world designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Pulling in and shutting down, I tell the mechanic to "fill'er up with premium and check the oil" as I go in to hit the bathroom.
Now it's time to head back, and the motor quickly climbs up to 195 degrees and stays right there. Passing Willow River, I see three bald eagles and four crows feeding on a road kill deer on the shoulder - my nature treat of the day. Everything is running perfectly. The highway is bare and dry, with unlimited visibility in the weak winter sun. Pretty noisy in the cabin at 75 MPH, so I use noise cancelling headphones to eliminate the ambient noise and accommodate some hearing loss (too much time in a C-130). Starting to get a bit drowsy, so I down a five hour energy drink and immediately feel much better and more alert. Calculated fuel economy 15.5 MPG after the fuel stop. The Meter Match signal processor that I installed gives me a very accurate fuel gauge now. Cross checking the speedometer with the speed app on my i-Phone shows a 1 MPH difference between the two. Glad I exchanged the speedo drive gear in the tranny with a 28 tooth gear to get the speedometer readings right exactly on. Everything is perfect, traffic is light and there's a beautiful view out the window. Charging system perfect, NOS Chrysler ECU firing the ignition flawlessly and the engine hums along like it could go on forever.
This is the payback for all the trips to the junkyard, e-Bay searches for date coded NOS components, and skinned knuckles out in the garage. Pulling into the driveway now, it's into the garage and up with the hood to let the trusty slant six cool down. Glad to be back home after a lovely ride as it begins to get dark. A quick check under the hood to wipe up some excess oil on the valve cover, and I put Dusty to sleep. Days like this are why we love this hobby. Thanks for reading, even if it was probably too much information. Now, I'd love to read your story - so please post one. Be well and God Bless!
Hello Mopar friends and greetings from the tundra up here in Minnesota. Here's something a bit different if you're technically inclined like me. If you're not interested in this stuff, that's okay too and you can just skip over it. So here goes.
Out into the garage where my very stock and original 225 powered 1974 Duster has been sitting overnight. Outside air temperature 25 degrees, about 40 degrees in the garage, barometric pressure 30.07 inches. The mission today is a five hour daytime round trip from Minneapolis north to Cloquet MN and back. Preflight goes smoothly, oil quantity at the "full" mark on the dipstick. Coolant, brake, steering and windshield washer quantities full and normal. All five tires inflated to 30 psi, as per the placard. Two water bottles loaded into the center console along with winter outerwear should it be needed. Buckle in (engine won't start without my seat belt fastened) followed by six pumps on the throttle as the accelerator pump primes the engine and the choke plate closes. Hit the starter and 160 amps from the absorptive glass mat battery goes directly to the starter motor. Engine catches immediately and accelerates to 1650 RPM on high idle as the choke pulloff opens up the carb bore. Choke heater is now powered and slowly pulls the choke plate fully open over the next minute. The steering hydraulic pump - which has never been apart since it was built over half a century ago - immediately wakes up and pressurizes the recirculating ball steering gear. Full steering boost is now available. Meter Match fuel quantity signal processor is now up and running. Ammeter shows 10 amps positive as the 34 ampere rated alternator sends its current through three rectifiers and immediately replenishes the battery's 12 volt DC power. Within a minute, the ammeter shows negligible charging as the NOS stock voltage regulator regulates system voltage to 14 volts. Alternator looks very healthy with a rapid recharge of the battery. Say what you want, but I'll take an old school ammeter any day of the week over a voltmeter. Kick down the throttle after a three minute warmup and the fifty year old Plymouth engine settles into a 750 RPM burbling idle.
Down the driveway and it's off to I-35 heading north into the Boreal forest. Coolant temperature looking excellent, coming right up to 195 degrees and regulating there for the entire drive. Out of the traffic now and up to 75 MPH, and it's time to engage the cruise control. The stout little slant six loves the cold, thick, oxygen rich Minnesota air. Down to 20 degrees outside now, -25 with the wind chill at the radiator. 50 percent Prestone II antifreeze/softened water mix is now dumping its waste heat into the factory two row brass and copper radiator, thanks to one of the last guys in Minnesota in his old school radiator shop where he rebuilt this unit. The A-904 Torqueflite transmission's hydraulic pump is circulating its hydraulic oil forward into the oil cooler in the bottom of the radiator, keeping the fifty year old factory original tranny running perfectly. A brief throttle burst to pass a semi kicks her down into second gear, then right back to third as the engine settles in at 2650 RPM at 75 MPH. Time to engage the factory cruise control, and the throttle servo picks up its vacuum source at the power brake booster and engages the unit. Glad I spent the money on an NOS servo, as it keeps the speed nearly flawlessly at 75 MPH. Up the hills the speed sags a bit as the servo doesn't have enough throw internally to give the engine full throttle. Coming down the back side, she comes right back up to 75. I was lucky to find one of the last dual throttle cruise control brackets for a slant six engine left out there, and today's the payoff. The rebuilt heater box with its new copper and brass heater core makes everything warm and toasty in the Minnesota winter. Keeping the temperature selector lever in the middle yields a very comfortable 72 degrees in the cabin. Arriving in Cloquet it's time to refuel with 91 octane ethanol free gasoline at the only service station in the world designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Pulling in and shutting down, I tell the mechanic to "fill'er up with premium and check the oil" as I go in to hit the bathroom.
Now it's time to head back, and the motor quickly climbs up to 195 degrees and stays right there. Passing Willow River, I see three bald eagles and four crows feeding on a road kill deer on the shoulder - my nature treat of the day. Everything is running perfectly. The highway is bare and dry, with unlimited visibility in the weak winter sun. Pretty noisy in the cabin at 75 MPH, so I use noise cancelling headphones to eliminate the ambient noise and accommodate some hearing loss (too much time in a C-130). Starting to get a bit drowsy, so I down a five hour energy drink and immediately feel much better and more alert. Calculated fuel economy 15.5 MPG after the fuel stop. The Meter Match signal processor that I installed gives me a very accurate fuel gauge now. Cross checking the speedometer with the speed app on my i-Phone shows a 1 MPH difference between the two. Glad I exchanged the speedo drive gear in the tranny with a 28 tooth gear to get the speedometer readings right exactly on. Everything is perfect, traffic is light and there's a beautiful view out the window. Charging system perfect, NOS Chrysler ECU firing the ignition flawlessly and the engine hums along like it could go on forever.
This is the payback for all the trips to the junkyard, e-Bay searches for date coded NOS components, and skinned knuckles out in the garage. Pulling into the driveway now, it's into the garage and up with the hood to let the trusty slant six cool down. Glad to be back home after a lovely ride as it begins to get dark. A quick check under the hood to wipe up some excess oil on the valve cover, and I put Dusty to sleep. Days like this are why we love this hobby. Thanks for reading, even if it was probably too much information. Now, I'd love to read your story - so please post one. Be well and God Bless!
