a68postcar
Well-Known Member
it's the little things. you know?
1974 Duster
- Thread starter gdonovan
- Start date
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Yup, slow but sure I'll get to them all.
Success!
Tonight I swapped in the spare 8.25 with Jeep 3.55 gears and Auburn locker into the Duster and ran it on the stands, silent as the grave!
Very happy, can't wait to move the brake hardware and lines over to the new rear and road test =)
No more single legger 2.45's, hello 3.55 posi!
EDIT- Added pics!
Speedo is way off in the weeds now! LOL! I'll have to tinker around with a gear this week. Drum pain is VHT caliper red from Autozone, I'll get the calipers next week. This was enough adventure for the last 3 weeks! I have some Ebay and parts sales to do to pay for everything.
Acceleration is better but still needs improvment, stock cam and head 318 runs out of steam in a hurry.
The Duster is crying for a Magnum motor ;-)
Tonight I swapped in the spare 8.25 with Jeep 3.55 gears and Auburn locker into the Duster and ran it on the stands, silent as the grave!
Very happy, can't wait to move the brake hardware and lines over to the new rear and road test =)
No more single legger 2.45's, hello 3.55 posi!
EDIT- Added pics!
Speedo is way off in the weeds now! LOL! I'll have to tinker around with a gear this week. Drum pain is VHT caliper red from Autozone, I'll get the calipers next week. This was enough adventure for the last 3 weeks! I have some Ebay and parts sales to do to pay for everything.
Acceleration is better but still needs improvment, stock cam and head 318 runs out of steam in a hurry.
The Duster is crying for a Magnum motor ;-)
Aggravation.
The extra acceleration is nice but not without a price.
Last night drove up to the Berlin Turnpike for Ralphs cruise and some problems cropped up. Due to the higher engine rpm at cruise the car now has a wicked exhuast drone and the driveshaft vibrates. I think the alternator is chiming in too!
arg.
Have a driveshaft I can swap in, might just buy a new alternator to cover that base and not sure what the heck to do about the drone. I'm thinking different mufflers or installing an H or X pipe to see if it shifts it to a different range or eliminates altogether.
Need to order side stripe kit from Phoenix this week.
Gary
The extra acceleration is nice but not without a price.
Last night drove up to the Berlin Turnpike for Ralphs cruise and some problems cropped up. Due to the higher engine rpm at cruise the car now has a wicked exhuast drone and the driveshaft vibrates. I think the alternator is chiming in too!
arg.
Have a driveshaft I can swap in, might just buy a new alternator to cover that base and not sure what the heck to do about the drone. I'm thinking different mufflers or installing an H or X pipe to see if it shifts it to a different range or eliminates altogether.
Need to order side stripe kit from Phoenix this week.
Gary
sublime green
Well-Known Member
Looks good. what did you use for the inside of your quarter panels? Where it looks like felt or something on the inside? My dad made ours look terrible and I'm just wondering how you did it because we might have to also. we got sme material and I'm sure we could do it, just curious on your method.
Changed driveshafts today, 2 new u-joints to be safe, new ac-delco alternator, new molded hood insulation showed up! (installed) and installed the new rubber piece on the back of the hood.
Car is much better! Still have the drone from the exhaust though, was getting ready to make the H-pipe when the drill I was using with the hole saw expired.
Ran the numbers through a gear/speed calculator, around 1000 rpm jump going from 2.45's to 3.55's
80 mph use to be 2500 rpm, now more like 3600 rpm.
Have to see how it works out with the magnum motor, almost wish I held out for 3.21's though... Nothing that can't be changed later if need be.
Perhaps an overdrive trans is in order ;-)
Car is much better! Still have the drone from the exhaust though, was getting ready to make the H-pipe when the drill I was using with the hole saw expired.
Ran the numbers through a gear/speed calculator, around 1000 rpm jump going from 2.45's to 3.55's
80 mph use to be 2500 rpm, now more like 3600 rpm.
Have to see how it works out with the magnum motor, almost wish I held out for 3.21's though... Nothing that can't be changed later if need be.
Perhaps an overdrive trans is in order ;-)
DionR
Well-Known Member
Do it!!!
Some pics from yesterday..
The hood pad was from replacemints on Ebay- The seller was more than happy to sell me two, gave me a killer price and a low price for shipping.
You will be very happy doing business with them!
The seal on the back of the hood was from Jacks auto parts, purchased a year or two ago and just installed it with the clips yesterday.
The hood pad was from replacemints on Ebay- The seller was more than happy to sell me two, gave me a killer price and a low price for shipping.
You will be very happy doing business with them!
The seal on the back of the hood was from Jacks auto parts, purchased a year or two ago and just installed it with the clips yesterday.
I'm going to do it, looking for a unit now.
Fire up the welder baby, were going overdrive!
DionR
Well-Known Member
What's the plan?
3.9 V6 42RH (1991-1995) beefed up to 44RE/A999 specs.
The smaller overdrive trans will be easier to install and since the car will have nothing stouter than a 5.2 magnum with minor mods I'm not worried about breaking it.
The Duster is to be the "looks mostly stock, long distance, comfort cruiser" with a/c and the overdrive fits well with this plan.
With a trip or two to the track to see if it breaks 13's ;-)
The Dart be a fun beast with the 4-speed and some really cooking mods under the hood, the GTX will be very stock looking and mostly restored.
EDIT- Oh I forgot to mention I picked up an orange 340 air cleaner with rear flapper off Ebay so I can make the car look like a stock 360-4bbl car =)
DionR
Well-Known Member
Ah man, I was hoping for a 5 speed! :-D
I understand, though.
Almost, the '74 air cleaner had an oval snorkle, that one (if it's like the one I have) is rectangular. Makes little difference, I think it's close enough to run it on my factory 360 car. :toothy10:
Yup I'm aware of that but I think the 340 cars got the extra flapper in the back and the 360 didn't.... I think.
The Dart might get one in the future, depends on how well the drivetrain combo works out.
I might make enough torque where it is an non-issue.
DionR
Well-Known Member
As I understand it, the one with the flap is a '72 340 peice. The '73 aircleaner looked identical, but without the flap, and the '74 changed to an oval snorkle.
Haven't researched it much, I found one with the flap at the Portland Swap 15 or so years ago and liked it, so that's what I run.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrYaqKphkE0"]YouTube- 5.2 Dodge Magnum Motor running on floor[/ame]
Test firing the used 5.2 Magnum engine to see if compression and oil pressure was good, 65 psi at idle!
Used a Mopar M1 intake, Carter Thermoquad off my GTX, 273 flywheel & bellhousing and mini-starter from a truck. Ignition was a 440 distrutor with a Mopar black box and a MSD Blaster II coil.
I think I'm going to clean it up and slap it in.
Test firing the used 5.2 Magnum engine to see if compression and oil pressure was good, 65 psi at idle!
Used a Mopar M1 intake, Carter Thermoquad off my GTX, 273 flywheel & bellhousing and mini-starter from a truck. Ignition was a 440 distrutor with a Mopar black box and a MSD Blaster II coil.
I think I'm going to clean it up and slap it in.
jomoper
Mope or Nope
Sounds Good !
The cranking compression is all over the place though, from 60 psi to 150!
I'm thinking of checking my truck when I do plugs next week, it has 40k more than this one.
This motor was from a running truck and is pretty clean inside too. Very baffling...
Tonight I made up a 2.50" H pipe, added a factory weight to the back of the trans (from a 75 Dart) and changed out the speedo gear for the correct unit.
Car is MUCH (quieter) going down the road now and my butt dyno is telling me it picked up some power which is a big surprise to me. I honestly didn't think the H-pipe would make a difference with this combo but the car revs up faster in a notable manner.
Have a few odd rattles to address, maybe next weekend.
Car is MUCH (quieter) going down the road now and my butt dyno is telling me it picked up some power which is a big surprise to me. I honestly didn't think the H-pipe would make a difference with this combo but the car revs up faster in a notable manner.
Have a few odd rattles to address, maybe next weekend.
Joe Mc
No Car Like A MoPar!
Purpose of the weight on back of trans?
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