1969 Dodge Dart Swinger clean up

[dadsbee]

Drive shaft reinstalled after a complete degrease and U joint check out. Since it still has some interesting markings on it I didn't paint it.

Hex ends scraped clean of paint, ready to install the torsion bars.

Bars wrapped in shrink wrap so I don't mess'm up.

Torsion bar dust boot slid fully up a taper I made from a piece tubing to expand it's diameter.

Taper with seal on it set into LCA socket, torsion bar held tightly against it and seal quickly slid onto the bar.

Torsion bar ends greased, both ends.

Torsion bars where installed while holding LCA fully down and the adjuster almost all the way down in the arm, then tapped in with a piece of wood and hammer. Then lock clip installed in the socket groove.

Some grease forced into the torsion bar socket and then the dust boot installed over the round boss.

LCA adjusters returned to the same position as when they were removed. Easy to measure from the flat adjuster plate surface to the bolt head.

Upper control arm rubber stops were set in place before loading up the torsion bar. Once the torsion bar adjusters are tightened up the UCA holds the rubber bumper down so you can tighten the nut.

 

[mbaird]

I cut the end off of a trany funnel to install the T- bar boots .

 

[dadsbee]

Yep.. lol, but I had to cut it and use it for something else after my last install!

 

[dadsbee]

Shop was getting out of hand. A bad habit of mine with flat surfaces and add to that for over a year I haven't been allowed to have anyone in the shop, so with nobody to be witness to my mess I haven't really cared what it looked like. I was sure I had a wing in the shop somewhere and couldn't find it, so spent the day working on getting things cleaned up a tad. Found the wing and cleaned up the numerous boxes into just one small box of parts left to put on the car + the battery and radiator so I'm getting close. Hopefully I'll get the brakes back on tomorrow, grease the front end and maybe get some wheels back on. Gotta do the sway bar bushings as well and then I can lower the car back down and get things hooked up in the engine compartment.

 

[missing linc]

I'm just as bad when it comes to "accumulating stuff on any flat surface", for that reason I have very few flat surfaces in my garage anymore, at least flat surfaces that don't move. I will normally take a day or half day to clean everything up, put all my tools away and start over.

 

[Dana67Dart]

At least you have a shop to be messy in.

I have 3 car garage with so much of everyone else's crap that I have no room for my own. 2 cars will fit in but you have to turn sideways to get into my Dart. I have started threatening my wife that I will turn one of the bacement bedrooms into a part restoration room, paint hood, sand blaster, storage racks, the works! Hadn't worked yet!

 

[dadsbee]

I'm so bad I use saw horses & body work horses to throw a sheet of plywood on top and make more flat spaces when the one I'm using runs out of room. I have 6 sets of those in the shop. I only got the center of the shop partially cleaned up today. Still haven't touched the curtained in area or the mess in front of my parts storage shelf. I'd put some into my 3 x 40' marine containers, but they're all full of airplane crap...

 

[fran blacker]

I'm so bad I use saw horses & body work horses to throw a sheet of plywood on top and make more flat spaces when the one I'm using runs out of room. I have 6 sets of those in the shop. I only got the center of the shop partially cleaned up today. Still haven't touched the curtained in area or the mess in front of my parts storage shelf. I'd put some into my 3 x 40' marine containers, but they're all full of airplane crap...

And the losing battle continues ......

If you start a project and stalls for a reason (laziness doesn't count) and you need a second bench. Another project/repair needs to be done, the catch you need to cleaned it before you start. The viscous circle continues.

 

[dadsbee]

Received my correct bumper jack from @ike61 today. Other than postage, a great deal that just needs some paint. A couple pictures show what an identical jack (box/weight/etc) shipped to me just 15 months ago cost vs current day. Neither cheap, but USPS is up 23%.

 

[fran blacker]

Received my correct bumper jack from @ike61 today. Other than postage, a great deal that just needs some paint. A couple pictures show what an identical jack (box/weight/etc) shipped to me just 15 months ago cost vs current day. Neither cheap, but USPS is up 23%.
View attachment 1715718184 View attachment 1715718185 View attachment 1715718186 View attachment 1715718187

Just shipped a 9.4 oz pkg to your area $21.25 USD. yikes!

 

[B3422w5]

While that may be true, something that nice, I sure as **** wouldent be taking it apart.

me either. Something that is nice, that hasn't been apart, is hard to beat

 

[dadsbee]

me either. Something that is nice, that hasn't been apart, is hard to beat

We're not gonna start this nonsense again are we, 4 months later...

..but you are correct on one thing, the suspension had never been apart and it sure was BEAT !

 

[moparmat2000]

I am so sorry I was the one who started that nonsense in the first place. Fixed it for ya. I deleted the post.

 

[dadsbee]

LOL, like I said back then... we're good. The car is getting there as well ! Even filled her rear end today before I forgot with about 4 pints of 80W90. I use a bulk jug, but have saved this nice squirt bottle since the 1980's...

 

[dadsbee]

Cleaned up the relatively new emergency brake cables with some lacquer thinner.

Bit of lube worked into both of the cables.

Cables snapped back into place on both backing plates.

My spare retainer clip collection happened to have two correct clips for the emergency brake frame bracket.

Emergency brake cables retained on the frame rail bracket.

A bit of brake lube on the shoe positioning pads.

Rear brakes back on. I actually managed to keep them as an assembly coming off and going back on without a BOOONG ..

Drums cleaned up and back in place.

New adjuster plugs installed to the brake backing plates.

 

[dadsbee]

Front brake calipers back on and being safety wired.

Not going nowhere now...

Couple shots of grease in each of the new suspension parts, upper ball joints and driveshaft U joints.

Sway bar, mounting brackets and bushings.

Installing the 55128 poly bushings from the PST suspension kit.

A TAD easier to put in place this round, with the strap cut open

Easy peezy.. 5 minutes. Now to do it again as I was talking to the Wife while I worked and installed them with the bar upside down! Center hump goes up...

Brackets re and re'd, bar oriented correctly this time and mounting brackets clamped tight for welding.

Lets see how little paint or rubber I can burn.

Quick bead on both brackets.

 

[dadsbee]

Sway bar up into place.

I used the poly bushings from the PST 98105 kit and the correct OE style link bolt and cup washers from the other kit I bought. FS0088A from National Moparts, they are also available from Jeff at 521 Restoration.

Mix and match. Poly bushings, OE repro link bolt / washers / nuts.

Sway bar link tightened into place on both sides.

Cleaned up the missing paint with a foam brush and my semi-gloss mix.

Cleaned up the inside of the wheels.

Wheels on.

Wheels torqued. A bodies are only 55 ft-lbs on their 7/16-20 studs. This car has 7/16" rears and 1/2" fronts on the Wilwood disc hubs, so 65 ft-lbs on the fronts.

Getting close!

Alternator back on with a new belt.

 

[dadsbee]

Simple brake system with no valves, so time to let gravity do her thing to bleed the rear brakes. I always like a loop up to the frame to show that the air is coming out.

Here come the bubbles...

Nothing but fluid now and considering I have the wheel cylinder pistons pressed right in it's hopefully the only bleed it will need. Fronts I never disconnected, so they're good to go.

Steering column coupler fell right on it's spot when I was installing the engine. Notch shows where the master spline is that lines up with same on the input shaft of the steering box.

Coupling down into place and split pin going in.

Cover popped off and oh what a great place to work in.

Reason the cover popped off is that the previous hack didn't install the steering column far enough forward. The coupler "shoes" are showing, protruding from the coupler.

After verifying that the collapsible shaft was still solid (and there's no outer mesh tube deformation) I loosened the steering columns three retainer bolts and slid the column forward and then tightened it all back up.

Now the cover can go back on with a bit of manipulation and turning the wheel 90* at a time to get the tabs on all 4 sides.

Final tabs being punched into place.

 

[dadsbee]

Reverse radiator flush.

Correct 2949 066 radiator. Appears to be freshly recored.

Looks so much purdier with an OE style fan in place vs that **** $20 flex fan. Looking at it though, I need to swap out those painted bolts holding the radiator in place.

Figure I've got'm, I'll use some of these Corbin clamps up top on the radiator hose and heater hoses.

Transmission cooler lines hooked up to radiator.

Always one part you forget. Radiator support to K frame brace being media blasted just as it starts to rain of course.

Brace dipped in my ever lasting semi-gloss mix. Still have a good quart left...

Where replacing those broken off rocker cover wiring clips shines!

Upper radiator hose in place with Corbin clamps.

Heater hoses installed with Corbin clamps at the firewall.

 

[dadsbee]

4.5 quarts of PennGrade 10W40 poured in for now.

This old gal is some of the best $1500 I ever spent.

Battery hold down clamp wouldn't fit over the battery topper, as the rubberized dip was so thick. Fixed that with a lick off both sides.

Almost ready to start.

Figure while I'm here, swapped out the smooth overflow hose for something more correct with ribs. Didn't meet the 100% OE correct requirement on my Bee restoration, but close enough for the Dart.

Transmission was a fresh rebuild, so the fluid is going back.

Funnel in place and called it another long day.

 

[dadsbee]

Correct reproduction of a '69 and older "small rivet" 16lb pressure radiator cap. Available from Richard at Restoration Parts and Materials.

Transmission fluid going in.

Wednesday cocktails..

AV100LL and some Shell premium.

Empty was a tick below the E, put in 2.5 gallons and gauge comes to life.

About 8 gallons in the tank and showing almost 1/2. Amazing, as it's a new sender and they rarely work correctly.

Ready to fire her up.

Definitely not impressed that the last guy didn't tighten the fuel bowl up. Shitty thing about that and rattle can engine enamel.

Good oil pressure and the aftermarket temperature gauge works as well.

Dash temperature gauge functioning as well.

 

[dadsbee]

Bagged and taped for some touch up paint.

Back to looking good again.

Something about getting old, but I'll take this look over "bling" any day.

Radiator support to K frame brace installed.

Almost forgot the new splash shields.

Shields riveted into place on the frame rails.

A couple trim rings have some dings.

Went though my spares and found a couple nice ones to replace the dinged ones.

Gave the bumpers a quick scrub with MAAS.

Don't look too bad. Car could use new bumpers, but they'll do for now.

 

[dadsbee]

Wife's pretty damn happy with her Grocery Get'r..

Took her for a boot to the gate and back to get the newspaper.

Admiring the work...

Some days you should leave well enough alone, but I can't live with those T5 rear marker bezels and the reflectors have to come out on Darts to get them out. Megaparts Jamie loves me... has a pair on the way!

Bezels need to be White. Why anyone cuts a decal around the hole like this baffles me. Gonna have to paint the "ring" as well.

Hoist is freed up !

 

[dadsbee]

First start.. alternator belt not happy...


Might have some cam in her..

 

[dadsbee]

Best I can do, not putting a new decal on her.

Scuff and paint.

Bezels painted and cleared, with new reflectors on their way from Megaparts in WI.

Looks better already.

Trip to the bank under lock down will have to suffice as the shake down tour. Then the gas station and the LONG way home.

On her hard and running nice at 192F and still 58psi oil pressure.

Filled the tank to the first nozzle kick off. No tank leaks and gauge reads FULLL.

Eyeballed the front suspension parts adjustment pretty close. Doesn't pull and runs down the highway at 60+ with the steering wheel perfectly centered.

Autometer tachometer installed.