my dart left me stranded

-
63dartman

63dartman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2005
Messages
2,230
Reaction score
24
Location
rio rancho, nm
It started out at work on friday morning.(i work nites) Kinda chilly so I let her start to warm up a little and she gave me a little cold weather stutter, normal for a carb with no choke. The stutter turns into a stall with a very slight popping noise. Tried to start her back up and she just cranks and cranks. A quick check told me I was getting no spark. Had to leave her at work and had to walk home about a 1/2 mile. It was damn cold too O:) Got up early and went over to try and fix it before work. My first guess was the coil since I am (was) using an msd box. Well the coil was good and the box is fried. Only one month old too. Will be going back to MSD for a refund. It smells nice and krispy too. Not sure what made it give out but it did. I did a temp wiring job on the old mopar orange box I had and limped her home.
I also put in some crane roller rockers on friday afternoon. Turns out my preload was bad too, a couple of valves were not closing all the way, slight popping out of exhuast.....well, I went back to the mopar orange box and all is good now. Rockers are adjusted once again and she is running good again. I sure wish someone that is good at adjusting rockers could watch me do it. Everytime I've tried to adjust the damn things I end up with too much preload. I used the chart that has been posted somewhere on this site. I loosen the adjuster, tighten it by hand just until I feel a little drag on the pushrod as I am spinning it and then another 1/4 turn and lock it down. Not sure what I am doing wrong but, I am definately consistant because I screw it up every time. I know I'm not going into the spring pressure on the lifter too, I am just perplexed because I know it's a simple adjustment. Alright, I guess I'm done venting about my mechanical defficencies, It took me three days to get everything running right again, I had several issues with the wiring when I went back to the mopar box.(had my distributor wires crossed too)FWIW the mopar box seems to be just as good as the MSD, if not better.
I think the wife is happy too, she said I was a little moody the last few days. Nothing like a good running mopar to brighten up the day!!
 
You might think I'm crazy but get the motor warmed up and adjust them while it is running. Put some news paper below the valve springs to catch some of the oil that will splash out. When you adjust them while it is running you are actually adjusting them at the state that is most important running rather than with a feeler gauge. I used to adjust mine on a chevy truck like that after I had the cam out or rebuild and never had to adjust them again. It was something like adjust it until you hear the valve tap and adjust it until it was gone and then another 1/4 turn or maybe 1/2 turn. It has been a long time.
 
mullinax95, I've seen several posts here and there about adjusting the rockers running. It is nearly impossible to adjust mopar adustables with the engine running . The adjuster is at the pushrod end and that spells trouble to me. How can you keep any kind of tool on the adjuster if its bouncing up and down? Chevy rockers are bolted from the center and I have done those running, but never a mopar shaft rocker system. Is there a trick I'm missing?
 
Ivd never had the need to set them running on my 340
first of all, if you dont have the adjuster nuts with the locknuts, BUY EM...if you have the factory distorted nut (it will just have a hex top and relies on being distorted to keep it from loosening) toss em, unless you like adjusting valves every week and twice on sundays...
2nd, get the mopar valve adjusting chart, you used to be able to see it enough to be useable right in the mopar performance catalog
Tighten the adjuster nut on the valves indicated on the chart until you reach zero clearance, indicated by turning the pushrod as you tighten it or wiggling it up and down until you feel no play...
add 1/2 turn on the nut and lock it down....done...
never had to touch mine after this proedure
 
63dartman said:
mullinax95, I've seen several posts here and there about adjusting the rockers running. It is nearly impossible to adjust mopar adustables with the engine running . The adjuster is at the pushrod end and that spells trouble to me. How can you keep any kind of tool on the adjuster if its bouncing up and down? Chevy rockers are bolted from the center and I have done those running, but never a mopar shaft rocker system. Is there a trick I'm missing?
Click to expand...

I see what you are talking about. I read on the allpar.com that a fellow adjusted his running and it was Mopar. So I assume it can be done but I've never tried a Mopar.
 
here ;)

valve%20las%20adjustment%20chart.jpg
 
Make sure the valves are fully seated when making your adjustments. Being off just a little makes a big difference.
 
Don't feel too bad, when I first got my adjustable rockers I did the same thing. I landed up putting the old stuff back on and then just did one side and waited a few days till I did the other. I think you need to wait a few mins. for the lifter to come all the way up and once you set it leave it alone. After a few more mins. the pushrod will feel loose again but its ok.

As far as the MSD box, I have hear of them going bad but I must be luckly cause my 6 box lasted 8 years and was still working ok when I got my 7al and thats fine also. I do know there is other brands out there.
 
Yeah, I used the very chart listed in this post, spun the pushrod till I could feel slight pressure on the pushrod and gave it a 1/2 turn past that and locked it down. I am using the crane gold rockers. The second adjustment after I realized something was wrong was just going back in and backing them off a half turn, now it idles and runs without the popping and no tapping. I didn't try to recheck the preload. I was too afraid of screwing it up again. LOL. Is it standard procedure to recheck the preload once the engine has warmed up? I know there is some variance checking hot or cold but I didn't think it was enough to cause hydraulic lifter issues. Thanks for all the posts too. Hopefully, I will get this right the next time, I guess I could always enroll myself in the mopar performace rocker arm adjustment course. I hear it's a highly advanced class where the teach you how to turn a wrench a 1/4 turn and feel drag on pushrods O:)
 
No I never hear of readjusting preload on hydraulic lifters. I just was screwing up cause I did not think that after a while the pushrods would feel loose again. But that is what happen till the motor starts up. Its really not that hard, its just not second guessing yourself. Hope MSD gets you a new box or atleast makes your old one as good as new.

I did forget that the first year I had my MSD 6 box the motor would not start, ship the box to MSD and 3 weeks later got it back saying the box was A ok. I am not sure if its was but after that it was fine for 7 years
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top