69' Dodge Dart Resto/Upgrade in NY

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rr4406pak

rr4406pak

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Location
Marion, NY
Let the journey begin...
Had this Slant 6 225 Dart with a/c for the last 23 years (and brought all 3 kids home from the hospital in it). Still has the fender tag and build sheet.
Picked up a 340 for it along the way and always promised myself I'd drop it in, so now's the time. I am not a great mechanic (learned everything I know from my Dad [who was a master] but he was not a good teacher) so I'm going to do the best I can and I'll use this thread as a diary for motivation and help.

It was originally a 3 speed manual car but previous owner changed it to auto on the column.
Was originally T5 bronze fire metallic but the guy painted it a Pontiac green.

Here's the 340. It's been sitting for 20 years and locked up. The guy I bought it from said it had been circle tracked and seized up. He said it had been bored .30 or .60 over already, not sure.
Am I correct to assume it is a 1972 block? I believe it is worth saving due to how rare 340's have become. If I have to sleeve the block I wonder how much that would cost?
I also want to keep the a/c when I drop the 340 in.

I am also converting from auto on the column to console on the floor. I have a console out of a 1968 Dart.
Also converting from bench seat to bucket seats. I have a pair of original Dart bucket seats.
I tore the carpet up today and it looks like there are no holes for the bucket seats.
Did they use different floor pans for buckets vs. bench?
Do the brackets on the bucket seats look original? Looks like they are missing studs (and the studs for the buckets looks much smaller than the ones on the bench).
What is the best way to install the bucket seats?
Thanks.

340 1.jpg


340 2.jpg


340 3.jpg


Console interior.jpg


front floor.jpg


Front seat bottom.jpg


Front seat side.jpg


interior shot.jpg
 
Those look like 10.5 to 1 replacement pistons, most likely oversized. Clean off the top of one and it should be stamped what size they are. No matter what, the short block has to come apart and the parts will need to be cleaned, checked and measured.
 
Here is a pic showing 3 of the 4 inner bucket seat track studs on my 69 Dart from the underside. The 4 inner track holes will not be there on a bench seat car.

100_3175.JPG
 
Thanks for the pic of your seat track studs. Looks like they don't have the reinforcing metal brackets like the out side ones do.
Should the bucket seat studs line up with the outside holes? Mine don't look like they do.
It appears where the outside mounting holes are the floor pan is on an angle and the inside mounting surface is flat. Is that correct?
Also, do the brackets on my seats look correct? (if so I'll just drill holes in the correct places and install heavy bolts).

Inkedfront floor_LI.jpg
 
Those seats and tracks do not look like they came from a Chrysler product. I have never seen a seat back release knob like the one seen on the seat in your picture.
 
Welcome aboard!

They are not '69 Dart seats, so you will need to start fabricating to make them fit. I think they are going to sit too high. Those "risers" make them look like they maybe came out of some kind of truck/van?

If the motor is already .060" over, chances are it'll now need sleeves. I was quoted $100/cylinder a few year ago, but prices for that kind of work are all over the place. But it's a big reason why swaps to 360s and 408 stroker "crate" engines are so popular these days. Unless its a numbers-matching car, having a '340' doesn't really matter to most people.
 
After research I found out those are 69' Mustang seats. So I'm using them until I can find the real deal.

Brushed off the pistons and it looks like they are .030" over. Good news!
I'm going to take it to the machine shop once my guy gets back from an elk hunt and have it checked out to make sure the block is usable and not too thin (he says some 340's can be too thin in spots...)

piston.jpg
 
Those are Mustang seats. Not Mopar at all. Low back suggests 69 or earlier

EDIT: looks like you figured that out already.
 
Removed rod caps and the crank.
How can you tell if it is forged or cast?

I never thought these pistons would ever come out.
Managed to pound out (with wood dowel) all 4 pistons on the passenger side of the engine.
Cylinders don't look too bad. Very exciting! This engine might be savable after all.

Crank.jpg


Engine holes.jpg
 
rr4406pak said:
Removed rod caps and the crank.
How can you tell if it is forged or cast?
Click to expand...

The easiest way is the parting line. See the attached picture from Moparts.
From what I can see, it looks to me like you have a cast crankshaft.
Who is your engine guy? I live about an hour west of you.

crankshaftid.jpg
 
rr4406pak said:
The engine guy recommended to me was:
Kirkim Machine
Dansville, New York.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I don't know them, but that means nothing.
There's a shop north of Syracuse I've heard some good things about, but don't have any real close knowledge. They are Competition Wedge Engines in Central Square. Just fyi.
 
rr4406pak said:
Removed rod caps and the crank.
How can you tell if it is forged or cast?

I never thought these pistons would ever come out.
Managed to pound out (with wood dowel) all 4 pistons on the passenger side of the engine.
Cylinders don't look too bad. Very exciting! This engine might be savable after all.

View attachment 1715820353

View attachment 1715820354
Click to expand...


Be sure to keep you rod caps with the same rods that they came from. They may or may not be stamped numbered.
 
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694spd said:
Keep you rod caps with the same rods that they came off of. They may or may not be stamped numbered.
Click to expand...

I highly doubt I’m going to use these same rods and pistons again, but thanks for the tip, I will keep the caps mated to their respective rods.
(It looked like the valve or something impacted number 1 piston as I see damage on top of the piston).
 
Rods can in most cases can be "resized" and reused unless they are bent. Buying new rods can get costly and unnecessary if you are doing a mostly a "stock/street" rebuild.
 
Finally got all 8 pistons out. All cylinders look good. I put a small dent in the bottom edge of one cylinder where the rod hit it when I was pounding out one. Ugh. Hope that isn't a big deal.

Managed to find a set of J heads, the oil pan, windage tray and the timing case cover in the barn.

Using a rasp on a cordless drill I ground off all the casting flash I found on the block. Especially around the oil return holes to improve oil drain back to the oil pan better. That was very satisfying.

Now I just have to wait for my machine shop guy to get back from his hunt so I can drop this thing off to finally determine if the block is useable.

PS: Found a set of original set of Dart front buckets for $100 in Ohio. Will be a 6 hour road trip to get them, but what the heck. I need em'.

IMG_0856.jpg
 
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The 340 is off to the machine shop!

Upon initial inspection by the machinist, pitting (from sitting water in the cylinders) in a few holes is pretty bad.
Some cylinders may need to be sleeved.
I could probably afford one or two sleeves, anymore than that I'd have to think about it..
*fingers crossed* for good news to come back...

block & truck.jpg
 
Engine is currently being hot tanked and sonic tested.

Meanwhile, I found another piece to the puzzle. Only 4.5 hours away.
An A-body 8 3/4" rear end (supposedly out of a Duster) with 3.23 gears and a Sure-Grip center in a 741 case! YEAH! Bye-bye 7 1/4" rear.

rearend.jpg
 
I'm also converting the car from column shift to floor shift.
Found a crack at the bottom of the shifter:
Shifter crack.jpg


MIG Welded the crack up and ground it down. Left some meat on there to keep it strong:
Shifter weld.jpg


Got the AMD floor shifter console mounting brackets in and mocked up the shifter:
Shifter.jpg


I can't seem to get the front floor console mounting bracket to fit under the front of the console. There's plastic tabs that prevent it from going in. The holes don't line up. Do I need to grind the plastic away?
dont fit 2.jpg
dont fit1.jpg
 
Are you able to slide that bracket at all so all the holes line up? I wouldnt grind on the console....I would be "tweaking" the bracket if absolutely necessary.
Good progress!
rr4406pak said:
I'm also converting the car from column shift to floor shift.
Found a crack at the bottom of the shifter:
View attachment 1715841588

MIG Welded the crack up and ground it down. Left some meat on there to keep it strong:
View attachment 1715841589

Got the AMD floor shifter console mounting brackets in and mocked up the shifter:
View attachment 1715841591

I can't seem to get the front floor console mounting bracket to fit under the front of the console. There's plastic tabs that prevent it from going in. The holes don't line up. Do I need to grind the plastic away?
View attachment 1715841596 View attachment 1715841595
Click to expand...
 
4spdragtop said:
Are you able to slide that bracket at all so all the holes line up?
Click to expand...

No, it’s not possible with how the plastic console is molded.
The bracket slides in on one side of the molding plastic bumps but the holes don’t line up at all.
Why would they make it like that?
 
Got a better pic of console upside down? Also a couple of the problem areas on bracket and console. Unfortunately I just reinstalled my console or I could confirm measurements.
rr4406pak said:
No, it’s not possible with how the plastic console is molded.
The bracket slides in on one side of the molding plastic bumps but the holes don’t line up at all.
Why would they make it like that?
Click to expand...
 
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