Rusty's not very quiet cuda progress

I don't recall, is it a stock cam or aftermarket? The erratic vacuum would tell me aftermarket. If stock, the vacuum could suggest slight compression leakage due to non-use for a period. This may self-cure after some road time. And for the "clunky noises", Do you know how many parts are moving around in there?
 
I have no history on this engine but did get off the pistons that they were 30 over, so it has been worked on, with that I would bet money that there's a different cam to go with it & those adjustable rockers I pulled out.

I was actually thinking to ask mark if he had the tools for a compression test, would be good to know where they are at?

When it arrived it had a pretty good knock in there somewhere, it would fade away pretty quick as the oil circulated & it warmed up a little.

Was intending on a rebuild, when the price jumped from 4 grand a few years back to around 8 I said screw it, just need it to last a few years & the next owner can do it!

All I did was check the torque on all the bolts I could get to in there & look around, it looked pretty clean & there was no metal in the pan, put it back together & now I pray a little!
 
OK, got the door up, opens & closes from outside real nice & body lines are good, problem is I still need a shoulder ram to get out from inside, Mark thinks the problem is in the door, maybe a bent rod, guess I'm taking that apart AGAIN!

Had to borrow a compression tester but I think I'm good there, most came in just under 175, one around 170 & #6 was the worst at 167ish?
All I could find I the book with some reference to 100 at full throttle with plugs out, which makes no sense to me, how do you run it with no plugs?
Anyway the other thing there was they should not differ by more than 40.
 
You've got very good compression, except (maybe) the 167. You should've dribbled some oil in that cylinder & re-checked. If it comes up a lot, it's a ring seal issue. If it only raises slightly, it's a valve seal issue. Which could be related to the inactive years, or a small carbon deposit on a valve/seat. Either issue should clear up with road time. But in the end, the erratic vacuum makes me think even more-so that you have non-stock cam. It will never idle smooth as silk.
 
Well when I mentioned the knock it originally had the guy who was I think trying to talk or price me out of the rebuild said he thought it may be a slightly worn piston & to just buy a can of renew oil treatment, which I actually ordered today. What if anything it will help, who knows?
Last thing to do is the final bleed of the brakes & then I'll drop it back on the ground, raise the front back up a little, the rockers were level when I first dropped it, front settled quite a bit, I think over an 1"
Then I'll move it around the yard a bit.
Next decision I have to make is do I get the insurance going, take it to my guy for the alignment & get a few torque specs done I couldn't do without a lift & drive it a bit around the hood & see what falls out.

Or, do I tear the front of the motor apart & install the A/C under hood kit first?
 
Not sure how long that A/C kit is gonna take, instructions are kinda vague, there's 2 fittings I have to have crimped after I lay them out to size I guess, that was unexpected, they should all be the same I would think.
Insurance wasted while it sits again kinda sucks, but then again if a tree falls on it now I'm screwed?
 
I've been carrying insurance on my A12 since it left here over a year ago, and the Duster hasn't moved under it's own power since then either. It stinks to pay for insurance on a car that's not moving, but

 
some minor successes today, got the door working good from both sides, I think it was mostly lube that did it? lines are good! 20240501_154551.jpgGood thing I checked the window while I was in there & had the panel off, the door move screwed that up good, popped in as I opened it & would not close, ended up with the adjustment which was to bring the top in all the way to all the way out, go figure!
finished off pressure washing the garage ....................20240430_120421.jpg& took care of a tough one, put on the front plate mount. whew didn't think I'd get through that! 20240501_154529.jpgSo this is what the plugs looked like when I did the compression test, all pretty much the same.20240429_133354.jpg
 
OK, air cleaner time, figured I'd stick it on to keep the critters out , well I think it's a summit, no way in hell it's going on this carb.
Pushes on the rad hose & hit's the fuel line.
First will a stock one fit this carb?
I doubt I'll find that, what aftermarket would work, I'm leaning to the black mopar ones if possible?

Anyone have something I could buy off you?


20240423_145843.jpg20240423_145910.jpg
 
So getting ready for a box of knobs coming from one of the guys on my model train forum, yea I'm doing this over there too!

I went to put on the blue one that had the metal, it was still pretty loose, so It ended up taking 2 layers of masking tape to get it nice & snug.20240502_150058.jpg
Blue one is on, parts that I hope will fix the yellow on are due in sat. if not maybe 4 layers of tape!

So I reread the A/C instructions, says I'm gonna reuse the pressure control. so I pull it off the old receiver, clean it up put it on & start looking for a hose I have to reuse, good thing at this point I lay out all the parts, well in there is a new pressure switch, so I proceed to do that little job again.
Good thing I didn't clean up the metal part of the hose, I had added the liquid lines to the order & it was in there too. 20240502_153616.jpg
 
looking for some clips for the upper side window trim, looking for 4 or 5 not too sure how much life the few good ones have?
20240503_161430.jpg20240503_161439.jpg
 
Another rube fix, one of my attempted repairs failed, so I made a little metal strip to hold it in, now I just have to touch up the paint. 20240503_143224.jpg20240503_143310.jpg
 
So I tried the one man brake bleed job with the tubing in a cup, seemed like it went well, then I raised the front a little (not near enough yet) & put her on the ground.
Well it's ALIVE, it wanted to go, but did not want to stop. Guess I need a bit more bleeding & maybe hook up the booster.
I'm at least 1/2" off (low) in the front to get it level, did 10 1/4 turns on each adjuster looks like I need bout 20 more.
Basically just moved it back & forth a few feet, at least I didn't hear any crazy noises!
That low exhaust still has me worried.
 
So with the scoops sealed up I put the insulation back on the hood, now I just hope the mice don't come back!

So this is my exhaust problem, the front end still has to come up about 1" but that's not gonna fix this! 20240504_163026.jpg
Thinking maybe I put the rear pipes in upside down I measured the off set, looks to me like not enough room to flip them it would hit the floor I think.

Now if I jack up from the low area it seems to go up & fit nicely in all the groves & indents made for it in the cross brace, but it is lifting the headers, which I would think is lifting the engine, that can't be good.
If I could do that I could add hangers at the tranny cross brace & get it up 3 or 4 inches.

I went out back with it jacked up last time & it did not affect the tips.
 
Maybe when I jack it back up again I'll try & rig a straight edge at the back of the motor & see how much it moves when I jack up the exhaust.
Now I bet I threw away all the unused hangers I had from the original setup!
 
Put a board between the pipe & floorboard at a high point near the lowest point. Then jack the low point up until it stays where you want it to be. It will take a lot of pressure, but the pipe will give & bend.
 
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