Dan Babb Posted September 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 No performance mods in this motor's future...it's got more than enough power...probably too much for this old school suspension. Brakes are OK. If I were to do anything at all, it would be to change the front to the Fatman setup and to change the rear springs to a coil-over 4 link.....and those things wouldn't happen for many years. The only updates I really plan are to add an ipod sound setup and put the heater in. Someday, I may try to trim out the interior...I'm just not a fan of how to interior kits made for this truck look. For the exhaust, I had to take the driver side pipe and have it run under the front of the oil pan over to the passenger side. Then merge it with the passenger side tube and run one tube out on the passenger side. With the steering, gas and brake setup all on the driver side, there wasn't any room to run the pipes out on that end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bach4660 Posted September 10, 2011 Report Share Posted September 10, 2011 For the exhaust, I had to take the driver side pipe and have it run under the front of the oil pan over to the passenger side. Then merge it with the passenger side tube and run one tube out on the passenger side. With the steering, gas and brake setup all on the driver side, there wasn't any room to run the pipes out on that end thats a good idea, do you mind if I "borrow it":cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Babb Posted September 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 I actually got the idea from looking at pictures here. Someone else put a baby hemi in their truck and that's how it was routed. The way the guy made the connections, I can remove the pieces that go under the pan so I could easily drop the oil pan if needed. I'm not thrilled with how he made the connection to the driver side. I don't think it flows well the way he did it...but I can get that section fixed more to my liking one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayfarer Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 For the exhaust, I had to take the driver side pipe and have it run under the front of the oil pan over to the passenger side. Then merge it with the passenger side tube and run one tube out on the passenger side. With the steering, gas and brake setup all on the driver side, there wasn't any room to run the pipes out on that end. Dan, good to hear that the major work is behind you now. What diameter pipe did you run from the merge aft? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Babb Posted September 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 The whole system is made with 2" pipe. The part of the system that I don't like is that on the passenger side, the connection looks like an upside down T. There's no blending or curve into the exhaust...it drops straight down into the pipe from the top. From a flow standpoint, that can't be the most efficient way for it to run. I could see the exhaust pulse hitting the pipe and coming back toward the oncoming pulse that's right behind it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayfarer Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 Your merge sounds just like what the factory did for many years. If you have need to make changes I am sure that the engine would appreciate a 3" pipe from the merge aft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Babb Posted September 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2011 Having a bit of an issue with the engine...feels out of balance. Been reading and it sounds like it could be the torque converter. I'm not looking forward to pulling the trans out now that I have everything installed. That's gonna suck. Anyway, I took some time to clean up the look of the interior by installing a floor mat. I searched high & low for a plain rubber mat, but couldn't find anything that was wide enough and thinner than a pickup bed liner. While walking through Home Depot, I saw they had this 3'x5' door mat. It was around $17, so I figured I'd give it a shot. It cut easy enough with a utility knife and I think it looks ok for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted September 17, 2011 Report Share Posted September 17, 2011 Wow! What workmanship. I like the new gauges, though not original they look nearly so. Put you picture in my future reference file. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raidmagic Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 That floor mat was a great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moparmonkey Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 Having a bit of an issue with the engine...feels out of balance. Been reading and it sounds like it could be the torque converter. I'm not looking forward to pulling the trans out now that I have everything installed. That's gonna suck. Are you still running the original harmonic balancer behind the front pulley? I'd probably look there unless you know something about the torque converter I don't. The hemi's should all be neutrally balanced, so if the torque converter for that auto wasn't that could definitely be the issue. But if its also a neutral balance, I'd look at the harmonic balancer next if its the original. The rubber has a tendency to break down, I know both of the harmonic balancers for my '70's 318's were junk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albolton Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 If its when your driving maybe have a look at pinion angle, and also make sure that the slip yoke isnt bottoming out, ...just a thought..good luck, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albolton Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 how did you make out with your vibration issue?.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Babb Posted October 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Honestly...I'm ready to douse the truck in gas and toss a match at it. Got everything back together last night and it still seems out of balance. I don't understand why it would feel smooth with the trans & converter off, but feel out of balance with it back on. If the out of balance is on the engine, would the extra weight of the converter magnify it? As mentioned before, the engine ran smooth and the out of balance developed after a short time (only a few rides in the area...I think I've only got 14 miles on the ODO and it ran fine for 13 of them. I'm at a loss on what to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg g Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 The viscous coupling in the TC should act as a vibration Damper. Is the vibration present sitting still or running down the road? I would start by checking the driveshaft, maybe rotating it 180, and rechecking its balance. The other thing to check is motor mounts, are they all snugged up, did one of them slip, are they too tight. Is your exhaust clear of any interference? Is there an engine miss associated with the vibration? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Babb Posted October 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 It's at idle...so it's not a driveshaft issue. Mounts are snug. Tell me about the engine miss and how that could effect things. I don't think I have a major miss, but if I listen at the tail pipe, there is a different sound every so often. I will pay more attention and even get a video to see if it's rhythmic. I will also use a temp gauge to see if the exhaust port on the header is around the same temp for each cylinder. I'd think if I had a constant miss, that it would be cooler at that port. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg g Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Or you can pull the plug wires one at a time to see if you can isolate a missfiring cylinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catfishcuz Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 The viscous coupling in the TC should act as a vibration Damper. Is the vibration present sitting still or running down the road? I would start by checking the driveshaft, maybe rotating it 180, and rechecking its balance. The other thing to check is motor mounts, are they all snugged up, did one of them slip, are they too tight. Is your exhaust clear of any interference? Is there an engine miss associated with the vibration? Also check your trans crossmember mount. Butch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catfishcuz Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Did you put a new rubber mount on the trans. crossmember in your pictures that one looks like its kind of dried up. Butch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buds54dodge Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 I think I would look for a miss or crossfire in the engine,maybe a compression test. You changed the converter, but really if it or the flywheel were bad you would have had the problem immediately. Fan blade, waterpump bearing in my experiences have caused odd vibration problems, pop the belt off and start it to eliminate these. When the converter is attached to the pump and full of fluid it puts a load on the engine which could explain no vibration when disconnected because there's no power demand. I certainly don't know everything but hope this helps in the diagnosis,Bud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knuckleharley Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Way to go, Dan! BUDGET! LOL! You can forget budget now. Someone should have told you about Rock's Law. Estimate what you think it will cost and the amount of time you think it will take........then multiply by 4! You'll be closer than you'd like to admit. I always thought budgets were a nice theory you could use to amuse yourself with when things were going badly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knuckleharley Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 I decided not to buy the hemi becuase I was a little discouraged by the rebuild prices I have done some reasearch they range from any where from 2000 to 6000 and these are soposedly very common numbers:eek: its much cheeper to rebuild my old flathead than through money at hemi for me, even though I would love to have one in my truck I have a couple of small block Chevy engines with over 2 grand in their rebuilds. One has Dart 2 heads,but the other (412 small block) is just a total rebuild with engine balancing. Hell,I put over 1800 bucks in a machine shop rebuild of a 194 cubic inch OHV 6 in my 58 Rambler,and this was 10 years ago. It costs money if you do it right,regardless of what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knuckleharley Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Why are you so obsessed with getting the engine low? It ain't like you are building a sports car that will be taking on sharp curves. Also,if it were me I would decide on the transmission I was going to use and get it and use it for the mockup before I started doing any cutting or fabricating. Won't a 727 bolt directly to the 354? If not,and IF it will work,I have a 2-speed automatic in a 56 DeSoto you can have if you will come get it. I live in northeastern NC. You can have the transmission,not the car. I'm putting the DeSoto hemi in my 33 Plymouth coupe with a 727 push button auto. Same thing goes with bolting on the exhaust mainfolds or headers you are going to use unless you go for fenderwell headers, It's best to have everything you are going to use in place when you get started on this in order to make sure you will have no clearance problems when it all starts going together. This includes the radiator,front suspension and the brake system. If push comes to shove you can usually move the radiator ahead a little to make clearance if you don't want to recess the firewall. I have heard there is also an adaptor that allows the use of SBC water pumps on hemi Chrysler engines. This will give you some room as well as a water pump you can buy anywhere if it goes bad. You can even eliminate the water pump mounted fan and use a electric push fan in front of the radiator to get a little more room. You can buy one with thermostat that kicks it in and out at temps you select,or you can just wire a toggle switch into the wiring on a fan without this feature and turn the fan on and off as needed. The idea is to get it reasonably low and level,and make sure you have at least 1 inch of clearance between the back of the block and the firewall. Even more clearance is better if you can swing it because it will keep the engine heat out of the cab. I would avoid notching the front crossmember if possible. IF you have to,you can always make a "cup" out of strap steel to weld back to the crossmember to give the balancer clearance while returning the strength to the crossmember. Make sure you drill some holes or a big hole in the bottom so water can run out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knuckleharley Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 [quote name= I can go back about 1 1/2 or so if I bring the engine just a bit higher without having to recess the firewall. I don't have the skills to do that in my own garage' date=' so I'd rather not have to cut it. [/quote] Another way to go about that is to not recess the firewall at all. Cut out a recessed firewall from a more modern car or truck that had a V-8,and then just weld that into place after cutting a hole that size in your existing firewall. Or you could even get fancy and make the new firewall insert a bolt-in if you have the ability to make a flange for it and the new transmission tunnel to sit flat. Every junk yard I have ever been in has cars sitting around with no engines in them and recessed firewalls from the factory,and nobody is trying to buy the firewalls so the price should be right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knuckleharley Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 .... I can then really see if how much firewall I would have to cut if I can find a way to solve the welding dillema. Contact local welders. If you get everything cut and trimmed ahead of time,it shouldn't cost you that much to have a local welding pro stop by with a mobile welder to do the final welding for you. I've known lots of people to do this when making major chassis mods and other things that HAVE to be done right. They just tacked them together and let the pro do the real welding. The result is usually a stronger weld that is easier to clean up to look nice and it has to be cheaper than buying a new MIG welder for a one-time job. Maybe even cheaper than renting one. And yes,you can rent 110 volt MIG welders. I have a 110 volt HTP MIG welder that will weld up to 1/4 inch of steel with one pass. I purposely bought a 110 so I could roll it all around the shop and plug it in anywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richardb Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 To quote Knuckleharley: It costs money if you do it right,regardless of what it is. I cannot agree with this statement more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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