273 Build

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If you happened to read my "stupid stuff" thread you know that I muffed up a head gasket. I was in a hurry I guess and tore open the head gasket bag and bent the gasket. When I tried to straighten it there was a buckle in one of the fire rings. Duh! So I ordered more....The saga continues. LOL
 
Got my head gaskets in yesterday and torqued both heads down. I also checked all my pushrods for straightness and lubed them up. I need to clean and inspect my rockers/shafts and replace the adjusting nuts if I can find some. Last Monday I glass beaded the manifolds (intake and exhaust) and the timing cover and the pulleys and brackets. I got my exhaust system from Accurate LTD and it looks great. I need some paint and a lot of time and I can get this thing together and running. Mike
 
Got my 10.5:1 .040 over pistons last week. New SS exhaust valves came with the pistons. The harmonic balancer/cam/lifters.springs/retainers are all here now and the machinest is ready to start on the heads. Now if I could just afford the TTI's I want to get to handle the exhaust-----------
Got the power steering pump out and into NAPA for rebuild-----
Front KH conversion starting this week------
Life is good! Rat:-D
 
Sounds like we're on the same path. Keep us posted with your build. Mike

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As always, good news, bad news. I finally got some time to work in the garage
today. I cleaned my blasted parts and started some painting. I used Eastwood Factory grey high temp coating on the exhaust manifolds. They look pretty good but I will give them a second coat. The paint streaks a bit because of the metal in it. It is a brush on and comes with sponge brushes which work well. I usually start off in a hurry and don't think things through. Well today is no exception. I started painting my alternator brackets and wondered why it looked like poop. Duh! I should have used some primer. Oh well, stopped b/4
I got too far. I disassembled my rockers for a thorough cleaning and inspection. Everything looks good there. Bad news. Push rods are too long! Dang I knew that would happen. I ordered a checker from Mancini. I'm sure you-all have one laying around that you would love to get rid of. I might as well have one too. Never know, I might build another motor. This is fun. I can't believe I'm being so patient about the obstacles. and the slow process. Time to sign off. Here's some photos. toolman

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I got my pushrod checker from Mancini today. Checked for proper length and ordered Comp Cams pushrods that were .150 shorter than the stockers. Talk about tolerance stacking. toolman
 
I agree that the Egge website is useless. I also tried to find 273 pistons. In vain. Spent about 20 minutes using the search function to try and find them -no good. I had to ring them up and they told me the part numbers.

Looks like you got the second best 273 ever made (unless yours is the HP 273 with 275 rated HP? BUt i thought they had factory headers too) Four barrel inlet, solid cam and closed chamber heads. In Australia, we only got a very few of these, most of ours were the 2 bbl, hydraulic cam and pressed rockers, open chamber heads. After the 340, they are still my favourite LA engine. You guys are so lucky over there, so many keen Mopar places with guys that know what they are doing. Over here, mention Chrysler and they take a step back. Most machine shops are full of Chev and Ford crap, so we have to explain Mopar basics (such as 360's and some 340's and 440's are externally balanced, oiling system etc). It can be frustrating at times!!
 
I'm not out of the woods yet. I got my pushrods today. The rocker hits the cup of the pushrod. I may need shorter pushrods yet. If they were shorter, I would have to screw the adjuster in farther to get the proper lash and the cup wouldn't hit the rocker body then. The angles just aren't quite right. The ones I got were .150 shorter than stockers but I either need shorter ones yet or some rocker shims. I gotta' study this. toolman
 
Did you go away from the stock ball on your rockers? I thought my stock length pushrods were going to be too long until I tightened them down.

What length did your cam company (Isky) recommend for pushrod length? (I seem to recall you saying you went Isky)
 
I am using my stock rockers and the pushrods are a cup on the rocker end. Isky didn't recommend anything and I did mill the heads so the tolerances are all jumbled up. I could have measured the pushrod wrong. My neighbors dial caliper was a .200 per revolution and it's easy to be off by .100 if you're not paying attention. I should have screwed the adjuster in further before I used my pushrod checker. The instructions said expose 2 threads but 3-4 threads would get the cup away from the rocker arm body and I would have a little shorter pushrod because of that..... I bet that's it!
 
I got a few things done today. I Installed the timing cover,the oil pan, painted my pulleys and brackets,Ground my rockers for spring retainer clearance, and did a oil change and trans service on my tool truck. I still can't find the red paint I like. The oil pan is Napa Mopar red. I went to Sherwin Williams this morning looking for the elusive KS130 which is supposed to be the correct color. KS130 is listed as cherry/American Beauty/Inl.Harvester red. I bought a can of K362 cherry red and it's not the right shade. It's not quite as blood red as the NAPA Intl. Harvester red. The timing tab in my photo is K362 compared to Napa IH on the oil filter adapter. If I see a red small block on here I will pm the owner and find out what paint they used. I think I need to get away from the IH red. It's too blood red and not bright enough. I 'm picky I guess but my distributor and bell housing are more red than the NAPA red which is more orange red.........I need a whisky!!! LOL ( I didn't look at these photos before I loaded them here) toolman

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Mike:
I had NAPA look up the color of my car when I painted the top. He had to call back east but they gave him the mix. He mixed me up a quart of single stage polyurethane that did the top with enough left over for the engine compartment. I am goin to paint my engine with the same paint using my HVLP. I will try to post a photo.

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Mike, check the radius of the pushrods you got. I have Isky's and mine are only out 1 thread and clear by a mile. I think you may have the wrong cup end...
 
Thanks Moper, I'll check it out. toolman
 
Same size. Stock cup is slightly larger in fact. Inside dimension is the same. I got in a hurry and didn't measure correctly. I was never good at geometry. LOL
 
I got my rocker geometry all fixed with the correct length pushrods and by shimming the rocker shafts .030. I have been blasting, priming and painting
parts. I took the timing cover back off last weekend to center it. I didn't use the balancer to center the seal when I originally installed it. I also pulled the pan and stripped the paint and blasted it also. I blasted the intake a month ago and never got paint on it so it flash rusted in places so I blasted it too. I sure am glad I have a close Mopar friend with a nice glass bead cabinet. Got my radiator done and bellhousing too. It's starting to look like I might get this thing together sometime this summer lol Here's a few new photos. toolman

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I always liked close-ups. Check out the clearance between the 340 valve springs and the rockers. I spent a long time grinding and test fitting for clearance. Mike
 
Mike, is that an original 273 radiator? I will need to upgrade mine from /6 when I get the motor in. What do you recommend for a replacement?
 
That is the original. There is "ac" stamped on top so Mopar must have used the air conditioning radiator for the hipo motors. I don't think I have a heavy duty cooling option. These radiators may be hard to find but I haven't checked. I never had any overheating problems before and I hope I won't have problems with the new motor. Mike
 
My '65 original has the DCPD emblem stamped on it. I dont remember seeing AC on mine, but it is the thick 3-core. By the looks of yours, it seems similar or the same. When I'm back at the house my curiosity is peaked, will have to check the other stamps on it.

Only had problems with it once, out on the freeway, 115 degree heat between vegas and mesquite. It blew a crack thru one of the rails that had been slightly damaged by a rock. Long hot day at a gas station in mesquite while I waited for my brother to come out and put it on a dolly to bring it home. A Torch and some solder and it was good as new.
 
very cool build Mike!!!!! I'm rebuilding my 318 and it has been a blast all along the way...I love cleaning parts, painting, putting stuff together!!
 
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