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- Thread starter Dr.Jass
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Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
Considering the weather, I was feeling a little Gene Wilder this morning.
This was literally the first turn of the key with fuel; you can hear the surprise in Stretch's voice.
View attachment 1stFire.mp4
This was literally the first turn of the key with fuel; you can hear the surprise in Stretch's voice.
View attachment 1stFire.mp4
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
Believe me, so was I.
I don't think any of us expected it to fire that quickly... but the first thing I thought was, "YES!"
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
All was not 100% upon first start, joyful as it was. The link bar or pushrod for the clutch safety switch broke after the second start, and the tach wasn't working correctly. Both were my fault, since I'd not been careful connecting the link and it was bent at a strange angle, and I'd reversed the signal and illumination wires (which vary, depending on your make and model of tach). Also the factory temp gauge doesn't work, though the wiring tests fine. Grounding the wire didn't pin the gauge so it's something in the cluster, potentially the gauge itself.
Monday I rewired the tach, which took some time since everything's hard-wired (solder, heat shrink, etc.). I also spent some time diagnosing the temp-gauge wiring, obviously finding that to be OK. Last night, I fabbed a new clutch switch link bar using a drum brake spring. That was rather time consuming... just as I was finishing the loop on the first one I made, it broke off. I planned ahead and bought two springs, so I started over. My method was a little cleaner this time, so the loop came out passably well... however, I bent the "jog" in it (where it passes through the switch) a little closer to the loop than it looked on the broken OE link. I straightened it and as I was finalizing the second jog in the wire, this one broke. I was out of springs, so I looked to see if I could still make the remains work, and that's when I discovered my original bend would've been perfect. Now it's a bit too long, but it works. Since the switch arm is spring-loaded, I was able to turn the jog into more of a hook. It works swimmingly. I know this because...
...the curiosity was killing me so I started the car again tonight. Right off the bat, damn! This thing starts incredibly well. More importantly, though, the clutch switch is as was never intended (this car wouldn't have had one, remember?) and the tach now reads correctly. Not surprisingly, it runs much better when the tachometer's light bulb is not drawing its positive signal from the negative side of the tach. I'm kind of surprised it ran at all on Sunday, with that light bulb providing a constant drain. I was able to get it to idle down to 1,000RPM consistently by taking more than a turn out of the idle screw; 900RPM would hold for about a minute and then it would jump back up or die. It's still not on the idle circuit, but it's both a bunch smoother and a lot louder. Although I didn't flat-foot it, I did blip it a few times... she doesn't mess around making revolutions. 4,000RPM is right now. I didn't have any tuning tools at hand since didn't plan on running it long (out of deference to the neighbors) but the improvement was noticeable.
Going back to last night, I did finally acquire a set of fender-mount turn signals that were both suitable for the car--truly crappy chrome--and serviceable (I had two other sets on which the bulbs couldn't be changed). I drilled the fenders as necessary, bolted 'em down and plugged 'em into the harness. They're just turn-signal indicators for the moment; line-lock indication will come when I wire up the rest of that contraption.
Monday I rewired the tach, which took some time since everything's hard-wired (solder, heat shrink, etc.). I also spent some time diagnosing the temp-gauge wiring, obviously finding that to be OK. Last night, I fabbed a new clutch switch link bar using a drum brake spring. That was rather time consuming... just as I was finishing the loop on the first one I made, it broke off. I planned ahead and bought two springs, so I started over. My method was a little cleaner this time, so the loop came out passably well... however, I bent the "jog" in it (where it passes through the switch) a little closer to the loop than it looked on the broken OE link. I straightened it and as I was finalizing the second jog in the wire, this one broke. I was out of springs, so I looked to see if I could still make the remains work, and that's when I discovered my original bend would've been perfect. Now it's a bit too long, but it works. Since the switch arm is spring-loaded, I was able to turn the jog into more of a hook. It works swimmingly. I know this because...
...the curiosity was killing me so I started the car again tonight. Right off the bat, damn! This thing starts incredibly well. More importantly, though, the clutch switch is as was never intended (this car wouldn't have had one, remember?) and the tach now reads correctly. Not surprisingly, it runs much better when the tachometer's light bulb is not drawing its positive signal from the negative side of the tach. I'm kind of surprised it ran at all on Sunday, with that light bulb providing a constant drain. I was able to get it to idle down to 1,000RPM consistently by taking more than a turn out of the idle screw; 900RPM would hold for about a minute and then it would jump back up or die. It's still not on the idle circuit, but it's both a bunch smoother and a lot louder. Although I didn't flat-foot it, I did blip it a few times... she doesn't mess around making revolutions. 4,000RPM is right now. I didn't have any tuning tools at hand since didn't plan on running it long (out of deference to the neighbors) but the improvement was noticeable.
Going back to last night, I did finally acquire a set of fender-mount turn signals that were both suitable for the car--truly crappy chrome--and serviceable (I had two other sets on which the bulbs couldn't be changed). I drilled the fenders as necessary, bolted 'em down and plugged 'em into the harness. They're just turn-signal indicators for the moment; line-lock indication will come when I wire up the rest of that contraption.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
I took the instrument cluster out today to continue diagnosis of the non-functioning temperature gauge, and found I had continuity from the sender to the gauge stud... for further verification of the issue, I jumped a AA battery to the gauge terminals, and got no needle movement (it should've read about 1/3 scale). I jumped online to save a search for a '68-'69 Valiant temperature gauge, but I didn't have to do so. I found an NOS one in the box for $39 with free shipping. That should be here by next weekend.
In the loose-ends department, I finally unbent and properly adjusted the brake-lamp switch, so I now have functioning brake lights. That's a much-easier job with the cluster out, believe it or don't. All the upper-pedal mechanics are right there.
I also moved the fuel-pump relay to a less-obvious position so it can't be seen from the driver's seat. I left the fuse behind the gauges for easier access. All the attendant wiring still needs to be tidied but that'll come after the radio's wired and everything else dash-wise is done.
My friend Ryan came down the alley again, having heard the car start. I'd been trying to figure out my reverse lights and reverse itself--it just didn't seem like the shifter was fully engaging, and releasing the clutch with the car running proved me right... not even a grind. We set about diagnosing the problem. He dove under the car and removed the linkage rod, and was unable to put the transmission in reverse by hand. I grabbed the empty transmission case that provided the gearset for the one in the car to look at the reverser, since I never touched it or the one in the car. Our best guess is there's a problem with the reverse detent mechanism. The reverse shift fork seems to be hanging up on it... which means it has to come back out (the detent mechanism, not the whole transmission). I didn't have a clean drain pan nearby, so I didn't attack the issue further. I think I can swap the whole detent mechanism from the '65 case into the '68 without too much issue (or fluid loss, if I work really fast).
At that point my out-of-town sister stopped by unexpectedly. We decided to go out for dinner, so that was it for the car today. Not sure what to do tomorrow, but I'm sure I'll figure out something to accomplish.
In the loose-ends department, I finally unbent and properly adjusted the brake-lamp switch, so I now have functioning brake lights. That's a much-easier job with the cluster out, believe it or don't. All the upper-pedal mechanics are right there.
I also moved the fuel-pump relay to a less-obvious position so it can't be seen from the driver's seat. I left the fuse behind the gauges for easier access. All the attendant wiring still needs to be tidied but that'll come after the radio's wired and everything else dash-wise is done.
My friend Ryan came down the alley again, having heard the car start. I'd been trying to figure out my reverse lights and reverse itself--it just didn't seem like the shifter was fully engaging, and releasing the clutch with the car running proved me right... not even a grind. We set about diagnosing the problem. He dove under the car and removed the linkage rod, and was unable to put the transmission in reverse by hand. I grabbed the empty transmission case that provided the gearset for the one in the car to look at the reverser, since I never touched it or the one in the car. Our best guess is there's a problem with the reverse detent mechanism. The reverse shift fork seems to be hanging up on it... which means it has to come back out (the detent mechanism, not the whole transmission). I didn't have a clean drain pan nearby, so I didn't attack the issue further. I think I can swap the whole detent mechanism from the '65 case into the '68 without too much issue (or fluid loss, if I work really fast).
At that point my out-of-town sister stopped by unexpectedly. We decided to go out for dinner, so that was it for the car today. Not sure what to do tomorrow, but I'm sure I'll figure out something to accomplish.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
OK, so I lied... I wasn't done with the car today.
I got bored so I jacked up the car and removed the reverse detent. There was no ball at the end of the spring. The car still won't go in reverse, so that means the ball fell out of the detent assembly and has wedged itself somewhere in the works, probably between the detent cam on the reverse-fork shaft and the case itself. I spent about an hour trying to figure out where it exactly is, but no amount of probing, dragging, or poking around with tools had any effect. I 'm thinking multiple attempts to put the car in reverse have created a little divot in the case in which the ball is sitting, and try as I might I can't dislodge it (hard to do when you don't know exactly where it is). So the next step will be to remove the side cover and see if I can accomplish something through that opening. I have no intention of doing that in the dirt under the car, though, especially since the next step if that doesn't work is removing and disassembling the entire transmission.
For one fucking ball bearing. Unbelievable.
I got bored so I jacked up the car and removed the reverse detent. There was no ball at the end of the spring. The car still won't go in reverse, so that means the ball fell out of the detent assembly and has wedged itself somewhere in the works, probably between the detent cam on the reverse-fork shaft and the case itself. I spent about an hour trying to figure out where it exactly is, but no amount of probing, dragging, or poking around with tools had any effect. I 'm thinking multiple attempts to put the car in reverse have created a little divot in the case in which the ball is sitting, and try as I might I can't dislodge it (hard to do when you don't know exactly where it is). So the next step will be to remove the side cover and see if I can accomplish something through that opening. I have no intention of doing that in the dirt under the car, though, especially since the next step if that doesn't work is removing and disassembling the entire transmission.
For one fucking ball bearing. Unbelievable.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
I haven't updated in a week, but I've been steady at 'er. Sunday's weather didn't cooperate ("I'm outdoors, y'know...") nor did Monday's, so I took a couple of days off. If I don't work on it, I feel like I wasted time, though.
Avoiding the transmission issue entirely until I could get it on the hoist, I turned my attention back to the audio. The "real good" Audiovox speakers (
) that the previous owner installed would never do, so out they came.
The voice coil in the LH speaker is, uh, crunchy to say the least. The RH's coil wouldn't even move at first, but I worked it and got it to what feels like trying to sand 80-grit sandpaper with 40-grit sandpaper. Trash.
I had a set of new Infinity Reference speakers originally intended for the Imperial (they've been around awhile) but I've since upgraded everything for that car. The lesser Infinity line will do just fine in Agnes. I still want to protect that investment, though, so my intention was to make grilles out of the back-mounting spacers and use baffles in the trunk. The former worked out well, the latter not so much.
I'll spare you the step-by-step (maybe a post somewhere else) but the grille-making was fairly similar to what I'd done up front, 'cept different. Anyhow, I went from these:
To the finished product in a bit over an hour:
That should keep the UV rays and dust out, and nicely hide the Infinity's silver cone and tweeter.
I set about cleaning the Audiovox grilles, since BrainTrust had destroyed the OE package tray to show off his K-Mart purchase, with said package tray coming in for a solid cleaning itself. The grille picture is upper, uh, detailed (?) and lower as-removed. The difference was more dramatic in person. Anyhow, I like the grilles; they scream "cheap" (nobody steals Audiovox anything) but are very period-looking to back when I was a kid.
Halfway done with the package tray, and you can see why it needed a thorough cleaning.
Setting the speakers in place taught me something: 6x9s have changed in the last 50 years. The Infinities would not front-mount under any circumstances--they just won't sit flush in the recesses.
I removed the baffles and still no go. At first I thought it was Infinity's "Plus One" cone design, which moves the surround edge perilously close to the edge of the frame (the back-mounting spacers are extremely thin). Testing with the crappy Audiovox speakers showed they won't front-mount either, though. Back-mounting it is, as much as I prefer the other way.
Note to Future Jass: modify the Challenger and Imperial package trays before you put anything together.
I'll also be upgrading the wiring from BrainTrust's 24-gauge wiring (seriously!) to 12-gauge pure oxygen-free copper stuff. With an extremely low-power deck and wiring the phone company deems too small, it's amazing the speakers made sound at all.
Even in 1969, the factory wiring was 16-gauge.
I should've run a resistance comparison; alas, it didn't occur to me at the time. Anyhow, if anyone's curious the 12-gauge stuff is made by The Install Bay. I won't speak to all their installation accessories, but I've used their wiring for years and have always been happy with it: thin but very durable insulation with good heat resistance, it tins very well during soldering, and is quite flexible. Such wire is total overkill on this job, but it's what I have.
Anyhow, that mucking about tore up three nights this past week; I tended to start a bit late and dusk is coming earlier and earlier. But that gets us to Saturday, and that with Sunday is a much gooder update. I'll get to that tomorrow... it's late and I'm tired.
Avoiding the transmission issue entirely until I could get it on the hoist, I turned my attention back to the audio. The "real good" Audiovox speakers (
) that the previous owner installed would never do, so out they came.The voice coil in the LH speaker is, uh, crunchy to say the least. The RH's coil wouldn't even move at first, but I worked it and got it to what feels like trying to sand 80-grit sandpaper with 40-grit sandpaper. Trash.
I had a set of new Infinity Reference speakers originally intended for the Imperial (they've been around awhile) but I've since upgraded everything for that car. The lesser Infinity line will do just fine in Agnes. I still want to protect that investment, though, so my intention was to make grilles out of the back-mounting spacers and use baffles in the trunk. The former worked out well, the latter not so much.
I'll spare you the step-by-step (maybe a post somewhere else) but the grille-making was fairly similar to what I'd done up front, 'cept different. Anyhow, I went from these:
To the finished product in a bit over an hour:
That should keep the UV rays and dust out, and nicely hide the Infinity's silver cone and tweeter.
I set about cleaning the Audiovox grilles, since BrainTrust had destroyed the OE package tray to show off his K-Mart purchase, with said package tray coming in for a solid cleaning itself. The grille picture is upper, uh, detailed (?) and lower as-removed. The difference was more dramatic in person. Anyhow, I like the grilles; they scream "cheap" (nobody steals Audiovox anything) but are very period-looking to back when I was a kid.
Halfway done with the package tray, and you can see why it needed a thorough cleaning.
Setting the speakers in place taught me something: 6x9s have changed in the last 50 years. The Infinities would not front-mount under any circumstances--they just won't sit flush in the recesses.
I removed the baffles and still no go. At first I thought it was Infinity's "Plus One" cone design, which moves the surround edge perilously close to the edge of the frame (the back-mounting spacers are extremely thin). Testing with the crappy Audiovox speakers showed they won't front-mount either, though. Back-mounting it is, as much as I prefer the other way.
Note to Future Jass: modify the Challenger and Imperial package trays before you put anything together.
I'll also be upgrading the wiring from BrainTrust's 24-gauge wiring (seriously!) to 12-gauge pure oxygen-free copper stuff. With an extremely low-power deck and wiring the phone company deems too small, it's amazing the speakers made sound at all.
Even in 1969, the factory wiring was 16-gauge.I should've run a resistance comparison; alas, it didn't occur to me at the time. Anyhow, if anyone's curious the 12-gauge stuff is made by The Install Bay. I won't speak to all their installation accessories, but I've used their wiring for years and have always been happy with it: thin but very durable insulation with good heat resistance, it tins very well during soldering, and is quite flexible. Such wire is total overkill on this job, but it's what I have.
Anyhow, that mucking about tore up three nights this past week; I tended to start a bit late and dusk is coming earlier and earlier. But that gets us to Saturday, and that with Sunday is a much gooder update. I'll get to that tomorrow... it's late and I'm tired.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
We'll try this again.
Agnes found her way to work on Saturday, courtesy of S.H.A.T. There was a lot I wanted to accomplish, but of course the first order of business was getting after the transmission. Stretchpants had other matters to which to attend, but before he left he was magnanimous enough to mount up these bad-boys so I could trial-fit them later in the day. They're Nitto NT555RII drag radials, in 275/50R-15, which should've been about perfect on the 9"-wide wheels.
(Crappy dumbphone photo)
While he was doing that, I got after the transmission by removing the shifter linkage--something at which I've gotten quite good over the past two months--and taking off the side cover, at which I'm not so good. Taking it off actually wasn't that bad.
At this stage of disassembly, even grabbing the idler gear I still could not make the transmission go any further toward reverse, nor could I find the missing detent ball. I worked it back and forth a bit, putting a little extra pressure on it each time. Eventually it gave way and engaged reverse. I went deep-see gear-oil fishin' with the retrieval magnet, and after a few minutes it came out with the renegade ball on its end. Repeated movement of the actuator using the reverse linkage showed repeatable results, so I replaced the side cover. Now, I sorta suck at side covers anyhow, but with the transmission installed in an A-body it's a special treat. When you remove it, you'll probably get it out with the 3-4 fork still in the actuator. Ain't no way you're getting back together that way, though... at least, I definitely couldn't. The process goes something like this: Install the 3- and 9-o'clock bolts in the cover to keep the gasket oriented. Hold the side cover between your palms, hoping the gasket doesn't move and the bolts don't fall out. Use fingers of each hand--left hand for 3-4, right for 1-2--to rotate the precision-machined forks into their equally precision-machined actuator bores while making sure the forks don't disengage from the synchros. Shout words that would've gotten your mouth washed out with soap when the bolts fall out and you get to start over, because without bolts the side cover will just fall off and disengage the forks.
I eventually got it on the third or fourth try. I reinstalled the shifter linkage and adjusted it (an M6x60 bolt is literally the perfect Hurst alignment tool, for the record) then refilled the transmission with GL4 lube. I lowered the car only to find that the shifter would now engage reverse beautifully, but I had no other gears available. I connected the battery and bumped the engine over with the starter, and then everything worked... phew! 'Twas just minor alignment issues among the synchros and gears. I adjusted the over-stop bolts--which I'd literally forgotten to do on every previous shifter adventure--and reinstalled the boot.
Now to see if I'd wired everything correctly in the swap from auto to manual trans. I turned the key to "Run" and engaged reverse... hard to tell due to the flash, but she's lit:
Next, I flipped on the parking lights (for maximum effect), turned off the shop lights, and made sure I could see behind me when necessary:
Cheap upgrade: When I first checked the backup lamps, the LH bulb was burned out. Not satisfied with just tossing in a replacement had me checking the bulb specification manual. I found that GE/Wagner #2396 is the brightest bulb available for this socket. My factory bulbs were 1073s, but the 2396 will also replace the 1078 and 1156 common to Mopars into the 1990s. I'm sure that somewhere in Engineeringland there's a reason for the existence of three virtually identical bulbs (the 1073, 1078, and 1156 are the same voltage, amperage, shape, base, candlepower and wattage) but the 2396 is 25% brighter than those. I didn't take a photo of the side-by-side, but they are visibly brighter, even in full shop lighting. Yes, you can get mega-bright LEDs (I have them in the Dakota), but for around $2 you can upgrade your lighting and keep the stock look.
At this point, it was time to see if the drag tires were going to actually fit. They do, splendidly... and by that I mean, "This car literally would not suffer any more tire without modifications." Whomever ordered my swap-meet Center Lines originally knew his business.
The next two pictures were taken with my ancient dumbphone, so apologies for the lack of quality)
Stretchable had also re-seated the beads on the 165R-15 front runners, so I could check the overall "track day" look. I really couldn't get a good angle on the car, though.
How close is the tire fit? You be the judge.
I might have gotten away with the taller 60-series 275, but it would've been perilously close to the wheel opening at the front. My tires are 25.7", while the 60-series version is 28".
The wheels' offset really couldn't be any more perfect. Hats off to wheel-ordering guy, wherever he is.
I began to mess with the exhaust, but as it turned out I had two sets with me (some pipes intended for the Imperial) and I got frustrated rather quickly. A lot of that was being hot, tired, and hungry... but I got the collectors in place, anyhow.
Wanting to accomplish just one more thing, I climbed into the trunk to install the 6x9s from beneath. Nothing photo-worthy there, and none of my cameras were nearby anyhow. Now I was really overheated, so I was ready to call it a night. That was it for Saturday's work.
Prior to leaving, though, I had one more thing to do. His Royal Expandability needed the stall I was using to effect some dire trailer repairs the Sunday morning, so Agnes couldn't stay where she was.
Behold, the first time this car has moved under its own power since the V8 conversion, open headers and all:
CAUTION: VIDEO IS LOUD. Adjust your speakers accordingly (way up, you sissy).
View attachment Moves (In-Car) SD Mono_sm.mp4
Agnes found her way to work on Saturday, courtesy of S.H.A.T. There was a lot I wanted to accomplish, but of course the first order of business was getting after the transmission. Stretchpants had other matters to which to attend, but before he left he was magnanimous enough to mount up these bad-boys so I could trial-fit them later in the day. They're Nitto NT555RII drag radials, in 275/50R-15, which should've been about perfect on the 9"-wide wheels.
(Crappy dumbphone photo)
While he was doing that, I got after the transmission by removing the shifter linkage--something at which I've gotten quite good over the past two months--and taking off the side cover, at which I'm not so good. Taking it off actually wasn't that bad.
At this stage of disassembly, even grabbing the idler gear I still could not make the transmission go any further toward reverse, nor could I find the missing detent ball. I worked it back and forth a bit, putting a little extra pressure on it each time. Eventually it gave way and engaged reverse. I went deep-see gear-oil fishin' with the retrieval magnet, and after a few minutes it came out with the renegade ball on its end. Repeated movement of the actuator using the reverse linkage showed repeatable results, so I replaced the side cover. Now, I sorta suck at side covers anyhow, but with the transmission installed in an A-body it's a special treat. When you remove it, you'll probably get it out with the 3-4 fork still in the actuator. Ain't no way you're getting back together that way, though... at least, I definitely couldn't. The process goes something like this: Install the 3- and 9-o'clock bolts in the cover to keep the gasket oriented. Hold the side cover between your palms, hoping the gasket doesn't move and the bolts don't fall out. Use fingers of each hand--left hand for 3-4, right for 1-2--to rotate the precision-machined forks into their equally precision-machined actuator bores while making sure the forks don't disengage from the synchros. Shout words that would've gotten your mouth washed out with soap when the bolts fall out and you get to start over, because without bolts the side cover will just fall off and disengage the forks.
I eventually got it on the third or fourth try. I reinstalled the shifter linkage and adjusted it (an M6x60 bolt is literally the perfect Hurst alignment tool, for the record) then refilled the transmission with GL4 lube. I lowered the car only to find that the shifter would now engage reverse beautifully, but I had no other gears available. I connected the battery and bumped the engine over with the starter, and then everything worked... phew! 'Twas just minor alignment issues among the synchros and gears. I adjusted the over-stop bolts--which I'd literally forgotten to do on every previous shifter adventure--and reinstalled the boot.
Now to see if I'd wired everything correctly in the swap from auto to manual trans. I turned the key to "Run" and engaged reverse... hard to tell due to the flash, but she's lit:
Next, I flipped on the parking lights (for maximum effect), turned off the shop lights, and made sure I could see behind me when necessary:
Cheap upgrade: When I first checked the backup lamps, the LH bulb was burned out. Not satisfied with just tossing in a replacement had me checking the bulb specification manual. I found that GE/Wagner #2396 is the brightest bulb available for this socket. My factory bulbs were 1073s, but the 2396 will also replace the 1078 and 1156 common to Mopars into the 1990s. I'm sure that somewhere in Engineeringland there's a reason for the existence of three virtually identical bulbs (the 1073, 1078, and 1156 are the same voltage, amperage, shape, base, candlepower and wattage) but the 2396 is 25% brighter than those. I didn't take a photo of the side-by-side, but they are visibly brighter, even in full shop lighting. Yes, you can get mega-bright LEDs (I have them in the Dakota), but for around $2 you can upgrade your lighting and keep the stock look.
At this point, it was time to see if the drag tires were going to actually fit. They do, splendidly... and by that I mean, "This car literally would not suffer any more tire without modifications." Whomever ordered my swap-meet Center Lines originally knew his business.
The next two pictures were taken with my ancient dumbphone, so apologies for the lack of quality)
Stretchable had also re-seated the beads on the 165R-15 front runners, so I could check the overall "track day" look. I really couldn't get a good angle on the car, though.
How close is the tire fit? You be the judge.
I might have gotten away with the taller 60-series 275, but it would've been perilously close to the wheel opening at the front. My tires are 25.7", while the 60-series version is 28".
The wheels' offset really couldn't be any more perfect. Hats off to wheel-ordering guy, wherever he is.
I began to mess with the exhaust, but as it turned out I had two sets with me (some pipes intended for the Imperial) and I got frustrated rather quickly. A lot of that was being hot, tired, and hungry... but I got the collectors in place, anyhow.
Wanting to accomplish just one more thing, I climbed into the trunk to install the 6x9s from beneath. Nothing photo-worthy there, and none of my cameras were nearby anyhow. Now I was really overheated, so I was ready to call it a night. That was it for Saturday's work.
Prior to leaving, though, I had one more thing to do. His Royal Expandability needed the stall I was using to effect some dire trailer repairs the Sunday morning, so Agnes couldn't stay where she was.
Behold, the first time this car has moved under its own power since the V8 conversion, open headers and all:
CAUTION: VIDEO IS LOUD. Adjust your speakers accordingly (way up, you sissy).
View attachment Moves (In-Car) SD Mono_sm.mp4
thrashingcows
Drowning deep in my sea of loathing...so I'm
Such a good feeling to have the car move under it's own power after so long...Congrats!
thrashingcows
Drowning deep in my sea of loathing...so I'm
Just a thought on that side cover install on the tranny...what if you had put in a couple dowls, alignment pins, or bolts with the heads cut off, so you could lift up the side cover and shift forks, and get it into in place and then slide it onto the pins.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
That probably would have helped a bit, in terms of keeping the gasket positioned (the gasket manufacturer insists that you don't use sealant, a rule best illustrated on Magnum engines) but it's still a trick to get the forks aligned whilst keeping them engaged on the synchros. The side-cover bolts are shouldered though, so there'd still be some play with studs.
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
After a whole week off--and I hated every minute of it--I was back at it Saturday with gusto.
'Twas exhaust day, and I was flying solo. I'd never done a complete exhaust, front to back, previously. Stretch had helped me a little bit with the tailpipes and resonators last week, but it was mostly up to me and yesterday Stretch had other business to which he needed to attend. Played with his deck all day, I'm told.
I'd originally purchased a complete 2½" header-back exhaust for this car from Summit Racing, but as time passed during the engine build I started to wonder if it was enough. I had a 3" X-pipe kit lying around for more than a decade (Remember the LeBaron? Me either) and had bought a set of Magnaflow 3" mufflers to use with it, figuring I could taper the pipe after the mufflers and prior to going over the axle. I also ordered a set of Jones Exhaust "Header Buddies", which are designed to not only eliminate the collector gaskets, but replace the flat collector flanges with an adjustable ball... that would give me some freedom during installation.
Except it wouldn't. The Jones parts I got were flat-out made incorrectly, as there was a straight section of pipe ahead of the ball part. That I could've overcome with grinding, however the TTi headers have their flanges welded on the inside, right at the flange--there was no way those balls were going to seal. Hopefully, they'll work for the Challenger (Hooker Darkside) headers.
As of yesterday AM, for simplicity's sake I'd decided to just bite the bullet and install the 2½" system, routed into the sides of the extension pipes that came with the headers, at a smooth angle. That would leave the open end available to install cut-out plates that could be opened up at the track. Once I got to the shop, though, I decided I had all day so I might as well futz with the X-pipe a bit. Futz I would.
Note to Nuts: If you ever walk into an exhaust shop and ask them to install a custom X-pipe, you don't get to complain about the price, period. Even with well-made parts and all the tools of the trade available to me, getting everything cut so it would align, with the X-section where I wanted it and maximum ground clearance, took me well over an hour. The worst part was, after I was sure I'd screwed myself and cut one pipe too short, I reversed the pipes ahead of the X and it went together much more smoothly. It was still a pain, though.
It's a bit more evident in this shot that the outlets of the "X" are actually angled up toward the floor to provide more ground clearance in the rest of the system. Things would have gone much more quickly had I not cared about tucking things up as high as possible.
The extension pipes came next, requiring serious shortening where they enter the X-section. I wanted them as close as possible to the driveshaft without possibility of rubbing, to take advantage of the tunnel.
They're pretty close to the floor, but they won't hit either it or the ground. In fact, from the side of the car, they can't even be seen. These two next shots best illustrate their proximity to the floor.
All welded up and ready to continue. Though I had a rack of pipe available, I was out of the 3" that came with the X-pipe kit. This turned out to be the perfect spot to taper the exhaust down to 2½", though that certainly wasn't by my design... it just worked out that way.
I had a pair of really-nice Flowmaster tapered cones--3"ID to 2½"OD--left over from the LeBaron (Remember that car? Nor do I) so I decided to swap sizes and use parts from the Summit kit to reach the turbo mufflers they'd provided... the Magnaflows were back in their boxes at this point. Could I have used them? Possibly, but there's precious little room in the "muffler wells" and their forward end would've been perilously close to the floor had I used the tapers after them.
Of course, at this point I had real momentum going and completely forgot about the camera, other than this shot of the silliness whilst I was welding the tailpipes, which are (thankfully) 2-piece on the A-body application.
The reason I say "thankfully" in terms of the two-piece tailpipes is because they saved a ton of work. They're split directly over the axle, and of course are designed for a stock A-body. As you'll recall, I moved the springs inboard 3" on each side, so they now occupy the exact spot the tailpipes want to be. Because of where Summit's vendor split them, it was a fairly simple matter of rotating each section to get the after-axle section well outside the frame rails--far enough, in fact, to install resonators (AP 700196, 2½" ID in/out) in an attempt to further quiet the engine.
The resonator/tip hangers were highly-modified Nickson 17144 "upside down" hangers, which are similar to the standard universal hangers but have the clamp built-in and upside-down (the U-bolt faces up) so no unsightly U-bolt ends or nuts are visible. They went from this:
To this:
They're mounted using the otherwise-dormant original bolts for the leaf-spring shackle hangers.
Once I had the tailpipes finalized with maximum clearance to literally everything--brake and fuel lines, fuel tank, frame, and the drag tires--they were welded into 1-piece units. I then determined muffler location. I had to cut off a few inches of the over-axle pipes to move them back. Since this kit also fits Darts, with their 3"-longer wheelbase, there was plenty of pipe to spare. Once the mufflers were located to my liking with universal hangers at the back, I installed the pipe tapers and found two sections of the Summit system that, once cut to length, installed like it was the original design. I band-clamped the tapers to the 3" from the X-pipe, and clamped the mufflers to the tailpipes... that leaves me options for later, should I decide I want a change. I also band-clamped the resonators to the over-axle pipes for the same reason. Everything else was welded 358° (I'm sure I missed a couple of spots
).
Final results:
Other than the headers and the forward section of X-pipe, about which I could do exactly nothing, the exhaust is tucked up and hidden nicely... resonators and all.
Other than the fact that there are two of them, the tailpipes don't exactly scream "high performance!" either.
Well, until you start the car anyhow. Despite four mufflers, this engine insists on being heard:
Volume warning, as usual.
View attachment Exhaust - Nuts (mono).mp4
'Twas exhaust day, and I was flying solo. I'd never done a complete exhaust, front to back, previously. Stretch had helped me a little bit with the tailpipes and resonators last week, but it was mostly up to me and yesterday Stretch had other business to which he needed to attend. Played with his deck all day, I'm told.
I'd originally purchased a complete 2½" header-back exhaust for this car from Summit Racing, but as time passed during the engine build I started to wonder if it was enough. I had a 3" X-pipe kit lying around for more than a decade (Remember the LeBaron? Me either) and had bought a set of Magnaflow 3" mufflers to use with it, figuring I could taper the pipe after the mufflers and prior to going over the axle. I also ordered a set of Jones Exhaust "Header Buddies", which are designed to not only eliminate the collector gaskets, but replace the flat collector flanges with an adjustable ball... that would give me some freedom during installation.
Except it wouldn't. The Jones parts I got were flat-out made incorrectly, as there was a straight section of pipe ahead of the ball part. That I could've overcome with grinding, however the TTi headers have their flanges welded on the inside, right at the flange--there was no way those balls were going to seal. Hopefully, they'll work for the Challenger (Hooker Darkside) headers.
As of yesterday AM, for simplicity's sake I'd decided to just bite the bullet and install the 2½" system, routed into the sides of the extension pipes that came with the headers, at a smooth angle. That would leave the open end available to install cut-out plates that could be opened up at the track. Once I got to the shop, though, I decided I had all day so I might as well futz with the X-pipe a bit. Futz I would.
Note to Nuts: If you ever walk into an exhaust shop and ask them to install a custom X-pipe, you don't get to complain about the price, period. Even with well-made parts and all the tools of the trade available to me, getting everything cut so it would align, with the X-section where I wanted it and maximum ground clearance, took me well over an hour. The worst part was, after I was sure I'd screwed myself and cut one pipe too short, I reversed the pipes ahead of the X and it went together much more smoothly. It was still a pain, though.
It's a bit more evident in this shot that the outlets of the "X" are actually angled up toward the floor to provide more ground clearance in the rest of the system. Things would have gone much more quickly had I not cared about tucking things up as high as possible.
The extension pipes came next, requiring serious shortening where they enter the X-section. I wanted them as close as possible to the driveshaft without possibility of rubbing, to take advantage of the tunnel.
They're pretty close to the floor, but they won't hit either it or the ground. In fact, from the side of the car, they can't even be seen. These two next shots best illustrate their proximity to the floor.
All welded up and ready to continue. Though I had a rack of pipe available, I was out of the 3" that came with the X-pipe kit. This turned out to be the perfect spot to taper the exhaust down to 2½", though that certainly wasn't by my design... it just worked out that way.
I had a pair of really-nice Flowmaster tapered cones--3"ID to 2½"OD--left over from the LeBaron (Remember that car? Nor do I) so I decided to swap sizes and use parts from the Summit kit to reach the turbo mufflers they'd provided... the Magnaflows were back in their boxes at this point. Could I have used them? Possibly, but there's precious little room in the "muffler wells" and their forward end would've been perilously close to the floor had I used the tapers after them.
Of course, at this point I had real momentum going and completely forgot about the camera, other than this shot of the silliness whilst I was welding the tailpipes, which are (thankfully) 2-piece on the A-body application.
The reason I say "thankfully" in terms of the two-piece tailpipes is because they saved a ton of work. They're split directly over the axle, and of course are designed for a stock A-body. As you'll recall, I moved the springs inboard 3" on each side, so they now occupy the exact spot the tailpipes want to be. Because of where Summit's vendor split them, it was a fairly simple matter of rotating each section to get the after-axle section well outside the frame rails--far enough, in fact, to install resonators (AP 700196, 2½" ID in/out) in an attempt to further quiet the engine.
The resonator/tip hangers were highly-modified Nickson 17144 "upside down" hangers, which are similar to the standard universal hangers but have the clamp built-in and upside-down (the U-bolt faces up) so no unsightly U-bolt ends or nuts are visible. They went from this:
To this:
They're mounted using the otherwise-dormant original bolts for the leaf-spring shackle hangers.
Once I had the tailpipes finalized with maximum clearance to literally everything--brake and fuel lines, fuel tank, frame, and the drag tires--they were welded into 1-piece units. I then determined muffler location. I had to cut off a few inches of the over-axle pipes to move them back. Since this kit also fits Darts, with their 3"-longer wheelbase, there was plenty of pipe to spare. Once the mufflers were located to my liking with universal hangers at the back, I installed the pipe tapers and found two sections of the Summit system that, once cut to length, installed like it was the original design. I band-clamped the tapers to the 3" from the X-pipe, and clamped the mufflers to the tailpipes... that leaves me options for later, should I decide I want a change. I also band-clamped the resonators to the over-axle pipes for the same reason. Everything else was welded 358° (I'm sure I missed a couple of spots
).Final results:
Other than the headers and the forward section of X-pipe, about which I could do exactly nothing, the exhaust is tucked up and hidden nicely... resonators and all.
Other than the fact that there are two of them, the tailpipes don't exactly scream "high performance!" either.
Well, until you start the car anyhow. Despite four mufflers, this engine insists on being heard:
Volume warning, as usual.
View attachment Exhaust - Nuts (mono).mp4
thrashingcows
Drowning deep in my sea of loathing...so I'm
I think you are enjoying that too much. 
The install on the system looks amazing and it sounds really good!! 
The install on the system looks amazing and it sounds really good!!
Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
The constant revving is not something I particularly enjoy--the car simply won't idle. The carb needs some serious attention it's not yet received and the timing is God knows where (too far advanced, I'd bet). I want to do the tuning at home, where all my tools are--timing light, vacuum gauge, etc.--but I did not want to be out there in the yard constantly revving the thing with open headers. The garage and house effectively block the sound between the car and the only neighbors I really hate, so I'd just piss off the ones I like. While the carb is off for adjustment, it's very likely to get the main body upgraded to one from a Holley 9831 (830CFM) if only for the enhanced driveability one gets with the annular-discharge boosters over the standard type.
Thank you for the compliments. I'm fairly proud of the results, all things considered. It does sound good, although I do wish it were a tad quieter simply due to the intended "sleeper" nature of the car. Stretch ran it a bit for me so I could hear it from behind the car and I like the tone just fine. Ain't no denying that gear drive, though... sheesh. The noise is the #1 reason I dislike gear drives. If I wanted to hear constant whining I'd have stayed married.
Thank you for the compliments. I'm fairly proud of the results, all things considered. It does sound good, although I do wish it were a tad quieter simply due to the intended "sleeper" nature of the car. Stretch ran it a bit for me so I could hear it from behind the car and I like the tone just fine. Ain't no denying that gear drive, though... sheesh. The noise is the #1 reason I dislike gear drives. If I wanted to hear constant whining I'd have stayed married.