273 copper head gaskets SCE

[Dave_J]

Now, just imagine if you had removed the 273's factory huge wrist pins and replaced them with 8 real light ones and then had the crank re-balanced removing the excess weight there too. A 273 would rev like a Yamaha R1.

Way back in the 1964 model year 273, Ma Mopar being cheap AZZ, used the 'OFF THE SHELF' forged Poly 318 crank. But the 273 piston is much smaller and lighter than the Poly teen's so they used a HEAVY wrist pin to match the 'BOB' weight to the 318's piston.
You can not put your little pinky finger inside the 273 wrist pin, the inside diameter is about 7/16 inch.

So replace those 8 heavy Scheduled 80 pipes and that removes a lot of 'Bob" weight. Then you can machine off a lot of weight off the counter-weights on the crank. Proper reduction can equal over 5 to 6 pounds less rotational weight.

 

[stroker402]

Oh this little 273 revs pretty quick for what it is... That isn't even a 2000 RPM Rev. I can imagine though with a little lightning up will do... Most people do not believe this is a 273 engine

 

[Dave_J]

We did a clone 66 D Dart 273 and did the max weight reduction. In a Burgundy 1965 Dart GT everyone thought it was a 340. A racer Brown cam, 780 CFM Holley, fenderwell headers and a 4 speed.

 

[stroker402]

We did a clone 66 D Dart 273 and did the max weight reduction. In a Burgundy 1965 Dart GT everyone thought it was a 340. A racer Brown cam, 780 CFM Holley, fenderwell headers and a 4 speed.

Any pictures of that '66 dart. There's a YouTube video of a white one with red interior. They took it for a spin up and down the street and that one had a 340 in it. Sounded pretty nasty

 

[stroker402]

We did a clone 66 D Dart 273 and did the max weight reduction. In a Burgundy 1965 Dart GT everyone thought it was a 340. A racer Brown cam, 780 CFM Holley, fenderwell headers and a 4 speed.

65 dart GT . I had one it was a convertible I installed a Mopar crate motor 360 Magnum 402 stroker in it ran 11 5 all day long on motor

 

[Dave_J]

Any pictures of that '66 dart. There's a YouTube video of a white one with red interior. They took it for a spin up and down the street and that one had a 340 in it. Sounded pretty nasty

No. Most of my pictures of my early cars were lost in one of my military moves from Germany. Family pictures and "Super8' movies too.

We put a Magnum 5.9 with a Voodoo Roller cam and the A500 trans into a 1966 Dart Wagon. Spliced in a lot of a Dakota's wiring and ECM. Split the driveshaft hump and crossmember to fit the A500. With 4.10:1 suregrip and MT DOT slicks it would yank the front wheels off the ground. The low first gear in the A500 made the net effect of the 4.10's into 4.59:1 and 2.95:1 in overdrive.

 

[toolmanmike]

The low first gear in the A500 made the net effect of the 4.10's into 4.59:1 and 2.95:1 in overdrive.

Best of both worlds.

 

[stroker402]

Update ! after getting the 273 up and running again as I mentioned in a earlier post that I noticed the timing was at 13" initial . it has the fbo plate in a mopar electronic distributor ... so I set it according to what fbo says with the plate set at 14* and 20* initial for a total of 34* total timing . took it out for a spin and engine did not like that ... the hole car just shook violently . so I backed it down to 15* initial 29* total and it did not respond well and down on power. It seems that 13* is the happy spot but why is it so retarded at 27* total ? should be more like 32-34 total range . I even did it the old way by ear listening how the rpm rises when advancing dist and back off 2* and the result was 13 initial timing . . distributor has stock springs in it .

 

[446acuda]

Now, just imagine if you had removed the 273's factory huge wrist pins and replaced them with 8 real light ones and then had the crank re-balanced removing the excess weight there too. A 273 would rev like a Yamaha R1.

Way back in the 1964 model year 273, Ma Mopar being cheap AZZ, used the 'OFF THE SHELF' forged Poly 318 crank. But the 273 piston is much smaller and lighter than the Poly teen's so they used a HEAVY wrist pin to match the 'BOB' weight to the 318's piston.
You can not put your little pinky finger inside the 273 wrist pin, the inside diameter is about 7/16 inch.

So replace those 8 heavy Scheduled 80 pipes and that removes a lot of 'Bob" weight. Then you can machine off a lot of weight off the counter-weights on the crank. Proper reduction can equal over 5 to 6 pounds less rotational weight.

That's crazy about the thick wall wrist pins! I don't recall any other engine with bs like that. On the plus side, I would think that a 273 crank in a 340 would require very little Mallory metal.

 

[toolmanmike]

That's crazy about the thick wall wrist pins! I don't recall any other engine with bs like that. On the plus side, I would think that a 273 crank in a 340 would require very little Mallory metal.

You could. I'm sure the racers have done just that. In a way, pretty smart of Mopar doing that. Just change the wrist pins, a machined part, and you don't need to make new forging dies for a different design crank.

 

[ddartdude]

Any pictures of that '66 dart. There's a YouTube video of a white one with red interior. They took it for a spin up and down the street and that one had a 340 in it. Sounded pretty nasty

If it's my white D/Dart with the Cragars on it, it currently has a 360, 380hp Mopar Performance magnum crate engine in it. It's quick.

 

[stroker402]

If it's my white D/Dart with the Cragars on it, it currently has a 360, 380hp Mopar Performance magnum crate engine in it. It's quick.

there is a you tube video with 66 ddarts backing out of a garage , would those cars be yours ?

 

[ddartdude]

Yes they are both true D/Darts that I own. The candy apple red and white mother of pearl was Ted Spehar and Ralph Costa's D/Dart -original race engine with a larger cam.. The all white one came out of CA. Was Dana's old car. He put the crate engine in it. Has 4.10 gears in it.

 

[stroker402]

UPDATE UPDATE ! I put on approx couple hundred hard miles since I installed the mr gasket1112 head gaskets and had the head milled so they were flat . Now I have another issue... It is huffing smoke/ exhaust pressure out the valve cover filler holes. both sides . Just happened so will do compression check on it today . either that head gasket pupped again or broke a ring or hole in piston. this is the 3rd time with issues. it's a 273 commando engine. I very seldom ever had to mat it to the floor and open the secondaries but the every time I gave a quick stab to the floor is when I always popped a head gasket. and now this issue. what is going on ?