Tech Q and A
What chassis/frame will the 340 cid crate engine typically bolt up to? I will be adapting the front portion of a frame to a 1940 1/2 ton Mopar frame (Plymouth PT-105). Measurements to determine which chassis will best mate with my existing frame will take some time at a local salvage yard, but for a starting point I would like to look at those that you confirm this crate engine will
MM: The 340 crate will drop directly into any car/truck that previously had an LA engine in it from the factory. In other words, any vehicle that came with a 273, 318, 340 or 360 V-8 would be a good candidate, from which to take measurements.
I own a 2010 Dodge Challenger with 3.5L V-6. After researching the Mopar Performance Catalog at Mopar.com, I noticed Mopar Strut Tower Brace, P5155002, lists only vehicles with 5.7L and 6.1L engines. Are the strut towers different on V-6 Challengers (compared to V-8 models)?
MM: We have not yet attempted to install that strut tower brace on a 3.5L Challenger. If the brace will clear the rear of the intake manifold of your 3.5L, the brace should work out perfect.
I’m 59-years-old and have been a diehard Mopar guy since I was 18. I am working on a project now—a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner convertible with 4-speed. This RR has factory disc brakes and I’m not able to find a set of brake pads for it. The calipers are 4-piston Bendix units. As far as I can figure the set up is an early disc brake application for Mopar. I’ve found a couple of part numbers, but none match up to the shape of the original pads. I’ve already had the calipers rebuilt and they are ready to go so any help you can supply would be great—so I can get the car back on the road.
MM: Try CENTRIC Part No. 10200190, C-TEK standard metallic brake pads from www.rockauto.com.
I’ve been driving my 1971 Dodge Super Bee for 3 months. Recently I started it up, put it in drive and the rear wheels skidded along (8 ¾" differential with 2:76 gears). I jacked the car up, dropped the driveshaft, turned the shaft and the transmission is okay but the wheels do not turn. Nothing appears broken. Do you know why the differential would tighten up like that?
MM: It could be a number of things, but one thing is for sure, you’ll need to tear it down to figure out what’s going on in there. It could be anything from a lack of gear oil, to a damaged ring and pinion, locked-up brakes, to seized bearings.
I read somewhere about oiling problems to the bottom end of 440 engines. I recently tore down a 1973 440 (140,000 miles) for oil pressure issues not related to the oil pump. The crankshaft was heavily scored from the thrust bearing toward the rear main cap. What would cause this and how do I prevent it in the future? Can the crank be turned .010 under and still be safe for a mild build for off-road use?
MM: Probable cause of premature thrust bearing surface wear: assembly error, or failure to seat the thrust bearing during assembly. Failure to perform the procedure generally causes a misalignment between the upper and lower thrust bearings, and a resulting loss of oil film on the bearing surface and bearing itself in the thrust area. If it was torn down (for oil pressure issues), I’m under the assumption that the bearings were worn out if the pump was okay. We feel a crank can be turned .010 under with no issues, but if it’s a stock crank, consider replacing it—just due to the fact they’re cheap and available. As far as the engine goes—140K—that’s no spring chicken. Depending on how everything looks, bore it, square it up, include new bearings and you should be good to go.
I just purchased a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere that has been cloned into a GTX. It has a very strong 440 with a 4-speed transmission. However, I have a driveability problem. At 50 mph and above the car vibrates badly. After inspecting the tires and wheels, bearings and related parts we determined that the vibration is in the driveline. Immediately thinking that a U-joint had gone bad, I discovered that a brand new driveshaft and U-joints had been fitted to the car. Upon further inspection, I found the mystery. The new shaft is configured with a splined slip joint toward the trans end of the shaft. This was done because the tranny has a fixed U-joint yoke on the tailshaft, just like the one on the 8 ¾" differential on the other end of the driveshaft. Weird? The 4-speed itself is a Mopar cast-iron piece with a dog-leg Hurst shifter. Any idea on what it is? Where did it come from? I have no history on the car. By the way, the driveshaft appears to be balanced and the U-joints are not tight and are phased correctly.
MM: Someone has created “Frankenstein” by installing a trans with mid-’60s ball-and-trunnion joints into a late-’60s vehicle that should have been equipped with standard U-joints. It didn’t work out quite right, so they cobbled it together by splicing a transmission slip yoke into the front of the driveshaft instead of using the proper trans and having a proper driveshaft made. We recommend to swap the tailshaft of the trans over to the later style, and get a proper driveshaft made.
I’m looking for rallye gauges for my 1973 Plymouth Road Runner. It has a factory mounted tachometer in the dash, next to the speedometer. Any type of information you can give me
MM: A couple good Web sites to check out are Moparts.com and Texasacres.com. Moparts has a classified section and there’s just about one or two of everything for sale on there. Texas Acres specializes in early Mopars and just might have what you’re looking for. And, last but not least, check out eBay.®
I am in the starting stages of swapping a 4.7L out of my 2002 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab® for a 5.7L HEMI.® How difficult is this job going to be? I’ve already got the HEMI out of a 2004 Dodge Durango. I noticed the engine mounts are different and some wiring seems to be missing. Any info on this swap would be appreciated.
MM: There’s a bunch of guys out there that have performed this swap—best place to check is dodgedakotas.com, dodgeforum.com and dakota-durango.com. We’ve seen a few successful swaps that are well documented on these sites—all you have to do is a little searching.
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Reply #1 on : Sun January 02, 2011, 16:27:06
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Reply #2 on : Mon January 03, 2011, 09:37:25