Tooljunkie

Did a 360/727 in my 51. Lots of work. Would i do it again? Likely not. If i swapped out the front end for a lebaron k member and front suspension. Or a small block chevy to avoid the steering box issue. 3.9 would allow you to move engine forward, but i wonder what oil pan would work. i cut/modified my pan in order to clear axle and steering, to maintain the flat floor. Cutting floor and firewall is common for lots of engine swaps.

At 142 foot-lbs i think the hub would be impossible to remove even with a proper puller. Most of the drums i have pulled were really stuck. And nothing states what if any lubricant should be used.

New glass fuses are notorious for this. Have seen it quite often.

I used a mid 70’s dodge 1/2 ton rear. 8-3/8 ring gear. Put in 3.55 gears. Im running 265’s on the back and with the automatic im right around 2,000 rpms at 60 mph. needed to use new perches, i made mine using square tubing and a hole saw.

my 51 did this just as we were all geared up to go on a road trip. By pulling door shut and locking from the inside it would stay closed. A coiled spring broke,and i managed to repair it with parts from a spare latch.

My wife insisted on seat belts, and i overbuilt the mounts top and bottom. I agree with the non-collapseable steering column being an issue. So my next builds will include an updated column.

I think unbolting cam gear will allow access to the retainer. Probably the easiest course of action is to have a machine shop replicate the part. If its like the 218, pan has to come off to completely remove timing cover.

Took three of us to get the glass in. From the inside. I tried to rope it in, but being 2 piece glass it wasnt working. I had a hook and a fiber stick i used,working from the bottom up. Alternating side to side. Carefully working the rubber out and over the pinch welds. and it leaked. Small bead of urethane sealed it somewhat.

Not all the bushings are left hand thread. Those are good videos.

And if its like my 50, the shackle bushings arent the most pleasant things to deal with. There are resources here on the forum explaining the replacemet of said bushings. A couple are left hand thread.

When i started fixing up the frame rails on my 51 i used my ball joint press. Also provided a way to pry and twist the frame into submission. this old body metal isnt as easy to manipulate like later model stuff. i have yet to make up some dies,but its on an as needed basis. your press idea should work well, i would have made it with deeper jaws for other uses as well.

This is one i found in its last habitat,price was fair so i grabbed it. 4” roof chop and set up for small block chevy. Front end may be dakota, havent identified it yet. Owner started on it,and lost interest and traded it for something else. Im on the fence whether i carry on with someone else’s vision or plunk body onto a 4wd chassis i have.

Exactly! And mimic what the working side does.

Remove catch and slot the mounting holes in sheet metal. mine took some tweaking, i recall having to bend the catches to align with the latch.

I used a spare rear filler panel and inverted it. Much better look than nothing there at all. Thought i had a photo, but i dont.