Dartin for Divorce

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Gearhed73 said:
I agree with kursplat. You have a great starting point here. No need to go crazy just yet. Get all your tuneup basics covered and then use your test equipment to help determine the health of this 340. Cylinder pressure, vacuum reading and timing. I would also like to see a oil pressure reading with a mechanical gauge. These numbers will give you a very good idea of how this engine is doing...hell, maybe get it on a chassis dyno. That being said, I would get the headers going.
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That sounds like a homework list, or a honey do list

I don't have a way to do vacuum, oil pressure or timing but YouTube is great for figuring these things out. I've been watching carb tuning videos today.

I have a huge final in pharmacology tomorrow so hopefully I can keep from distractions for a little bit to study.
 
These tools can be found pretty easily and at fair prices. You will need them all, so think if them as an investment.
 
Gearhed73 said:
These tools can be found pretty easily and at fair prices. You will need them all, so think if them as an investment.
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X2 I gave my vaccum gauge to my cousin that I bought as a teenager, it was around 30 years old, and my compression gauge from the same vintage.
Still have my timing light I bought 35 years ago.
Oil pressure gauge, just mount one under the dash.
 
Gearhed73 said:
These tools can be found pretty easily and at fair prices. You will need them all, so think if them as an investment.
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Sorry my sarcasm/dry humor is hard to convey over the interwebs.

I wanted to mount an oil pressure guage already, timing light and vacuum guage I'll go out and pick one up. I'm sure they aren't to hard to work.
 
No, easy work, they are tools, just like wrenches and sockets, you can use them on alot of cars, kinda like a OBD2 scanner for newer cars.
 
Just picked up a Bosch timing light, the "better" one with what ever extra stuff it senses lol, figured it would be better to have more tests if needed for long term. New header bolts, air filter, vacuum/fuel pressure guage, and some more exhaust gaskets these are soft aluminum.

Ill probably start taking things apart tonight and tomorrow.

After the new stuff is installed I'll do all the testing .
 
That was quick.You dont really need to take anything apart to perform these test. I wont bore you with the details of how to use this equipment.. plenty of how to's online. Not only will you learn about the overall condition of your 340 but you may even find some HP hiding.
 
Gearhed73 said:
That was quick.You dont really need to take anything apart to perform these test. I wont bore you with the details of how to use this equipment.. plenty of how to's online. Not only will you learn about the overall condition of your 340 but you may even find some HP hiding.
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Yea I just want to have all the new parts on before testing anything so I can have that as my base.

Should be fun.
 
Well I aimed the timing light at the crank pulley just for ***** and giggles when I got back from school shopping for the kiddos....

I quickly realized really fast I have not a F'ing clue on what anything means:rofl:. My idle rpm is 750-760 though because that's what the timing gun said.

Edit: So I may not having a timing tape on my engine which is why I may not be able to read anything and know what my timing is.
 
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Found some timing marks in the dampener, there are 2 of them. (Sorry about the dark picture my phone had 4% battery left and I couldn't use the flash). When I shine the light on the pulley the mark is between 1-2 o'clock. When I pull the plugs tomorrow I'm going to see about trying to mark the block and pulley at TDC in that area.

Since the car is jacked up I also looked around underneath and the side of the engine. It's dirty, but it looks like it actually may be leaking the oil not from the exhaust manifolds but actually the head gaskets, (between the block and the heads)... I'll have to spray the engine again tomorrow after I yank everything off, I'll probably try to hand clean in the hard to reach places at that time as well since I will have much more room.

Just learning away. Cheers for the evening it's been a long week and definitely beer 30 right now .

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I"m pretty sure your timing indicator should on on the passenger side, bolted to the bottom of the water pump. Dont forget to unhook the vacuum line going to your distributor. There is also a good thread on total timing in the small block section here. Id be willing to bet the suspect head gasket leak is just residual oil from a valve cover leak, either way the compression test will help to isolate it.
 
I just re-read your post.. you dont need a timing tape to read your timing. It makes it nice, but the TDC mark on your dampner and the timing pointer on you engine will be enough.
 
Hey DentalDart, I've been watching this thread since you got the Dart and it is really nice to see someone asking for advice, actually taking that advice and learning something, you will be a professional gearhead in no time. If you haven't got all the tools you need take a look at Summit Racing, they have just about everything you are going to need at fair prices and if you spend over $99 the shipping is free and usually arrives in two days, the only draw back is you don't get to drive your'e BEAST to auto stores looking for what you need. Good luck and keep up the excellent work.

Jeff
 
Gearhed73 said:
I just re-read your post.. you dont need a timing tape to read your timing. It makes it nice, but the TDC mark on your dampner and the timing pointer on you engine will be enough.
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Looking for the timing pointer on the engine now. Drained the radiator again and still a bunch if slimey rust in there. It wipes away with my finger though, it probably has to just be driven a bit to really get it off.

So with the ribs smoking and this thing in the air should be a good day

We are taking the kids to the pool in a bit and my daughter wants to drive the purple car. I told her we couldn't because j have to fix it she said "Listen, no, we are taking the purple car because the purple car is MY car and you have to listen to what I say." She's a monster!

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jeffnmo said:
Hey DentalDart, I've been watching this thread since you got the Dart and it is really nice to see someone asking for advice, actually taking that advice and learning something, you will be a professional gearhead in no time. If you haven't got all the tools you need take a look at Summit Racing, they have just about everything you are going to need at fair prices and if you spend over $99 the shipping is free and usually arrives in two days, the only draw back is you don't get to drive your'e BEAST to auto stores looking for what you need. Good luck and keep up the excellent work.

Jeff
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Thanks for following and enjoying it, I'm surprised most guys in here haven't seen how dumb I am and left haha. Pull a part off and out a part on like the Jeeps suspension, bumpers, racks etc that was easy. Carburetors, timing lights, non-electrical diagnostic etc this is so different. Heck when I asked for a timing light at the auto parts store the guy said "timing lights, aren't those things a tool of the past." He showed me the two old ones they had and the plastic packaging had dust all over it

I love summit and jegs! I'm constantly looking on those sites, I will for sure be buying my bigger things from them, unless someone here in fabo or local to me has it in their garage.

For the little things I just search the auto stores near my house and my school and usually one of the places have it .
 
Found my timing marks!

This water pump was definitely needing to be switched out! Gross, I can only imagine what the inside of the block looks like! Apparently routine up keep was not a priority for this car for a LONG time. What I'm doing now is just going to be apparently a temporary fix, eventually the engine will have to get pulled and a proper professional cleaning.

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kursplat said:
because you don't have enough studying to do...:D

How To Articles | For A Bodies Only Mopar Forum
Everything you wanted to know about ignition advance
Distributor starting point for a curve
How to Assemble the Front of a Small Block
How to Check Compression
Leak Down Procedure (Pic Heavy)
How to: Short Nose Water Pump
PICKING THE RIGHT CARBURETOR SIZE FOR YOUR MOTOR
How To Limit and Adjust Chrysler Vacuum Advance Cans

enjoy
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Haha I have been reading those the past couple days, love the how to articles, I've been trying to read them and watch YouTube videos.

I'm more of a see it with explainations to learn kind of person.
 
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