What did you do with your ebody/Mopar today?

[ec_co]

Watched my paint guy do a little panel beating and then went and picked up my rebuilt 4 speed OD

[jimynick]

Seeing as how son Nick hasn't been able to give the old man a hand lately and that I'm getting tired of looking at the new engine hanging on the engine hoist, I thought I'd keep chipping away. I got out the new clutch and it came with not only the pressure and friction plates, but a new throw-out bearing, input bushing and alignment tool, nice! Wanting to check the fit of the alignment tool I stuck it in the crank and imagine my surprise when while taking it out it not only came out, it brought the new, oversized pilot bushing with it! Yikes! Then ensued a sanding session to shrink the barrel of the tool and lubing it. Fun? Wow! I finally got it to loosen up a bit and installed the clutch. Thinking I should torque the pressure plate bolts, I looked all over and never really did find a spec, except one oblique one that kinda called for 30lb.ft and I went with that. Washed all the black, old kife out and off the bellhousing and pulled the hurtin' throw-out bearing as well. Lubed up all the contact points sparingly and had to pull the fork boot to get the fork and bearing in and together, fighting all the way. Jesus! Nick told me where he'd set the new mini-starter and that brought in the rear vertical splash plate. Somebody before me had gotten tired of the passenger side being bolted in and had snipped the rt end off it! This required an hour of hammering the dents out of it and some creative drilling and bolting before I finally got the starter in and the cover bolted. Thank Christ I wasn't paying some shop $100+/hr to deal with this sh...tof! I then jacked up the engine and started to stuff it back in the hole. It's nearly a press fit to do with the hood on and I had to stop 1/2 way in when I realized I couldn't push it in and lower it at the same time and a halt was called for a beer/stogie break . Plaintive emails were sent to Nick and a non-committal return leaves me, and the engine literally hanging. May have to dragoon the neighbour yet! Thank God it's a while until driving weather! 

[YellowThumper]

Finishing up new wiring looms to repace  all temporary wiring strung everywhere to test and confirm function. Pictured is coil loom. Then neatly tucked into coil mounting bracket.

[blown motor]

I finally got around to cleaning up the 74 after last fall's final couple runs of the season. By the way, those letters on the licence plate stand for Black Noisy Fun Vehicle. 

[70_440-6Cuda]

took my Hemi leaf springs in to have them rebuilt and restored, dropped my engine off to have it finished off and dyno tuned, and dropped off the Dana 60 for rebuild..... next step, disassembly!

[jimynick]

Realizing I may have gotten the cart before the horse, I pulled the 1/2 installed new engine back out and forced myself to go buy cleaner and brushes, so that I could crawl under the Challenger to begin cleaning the leaky old 360 schmutz out of the engine compartment. Fun? Wow! I soon realized that I'm not as supple as I once was, about the same time I realized I should have bought a better cleaner. The Simple Green stuff was about 50% efficient and a lot of elbow grease was expended to try to take the engine grease off! I sure hope the stroker doesn't leak like the original did! Four hours later it looked 80% and that's about as far as she's going to get! 

[blown motor]

After three short days of cleaning cars, blackening tires and vacuuming interiors it was time to add to the shop art. I picked up the banner and the tire cover at an online auction for $5.

[dodj]

I checked the mouse traps around the car....

[jimynick]

After three short days of cleaning cars, blackening tires and vacuuming interiors it was time to add to the shop art. I picked up the banner and the tire cover at an online auction for $5.

AND, he came over to my place and helped me to re-install the new engine! We had fun with the headers and the engine mount stand, but my torch and Murray's tweaking got 'er done. It was the usual press fit and it took the two of us to shove/lift/push/lower/ cuss and crawl, but we did it and there's no way in hell I could've done it by myself. Thanks again Murray, greatly appreciated! 

[blown motor]

Glad to help you Ian. I was little worried at one point when you were under the car putting the heat to that stand. I thought I was going to have hook the engine hoist onto your belt loop to get you up off the floor. 

[jimynick]

"I thought I was going to have hook the engine hoist onto your belt loop to get you up off the floor" Don't feel bad matey, I thought you were, too! Repeat after me, "it's great to get old!" 

[dodj]

Gl I thought I was going to have hook the engine hoist onto your belt loop to get you up off the floor. 

And that would have made a great addition to the pic of the day thread...

[YellowThumper]

3D printed bulkhead shield for the win.
ASA carbon fiber should handle heat.

[jimynick]

The slog goes on! Thinking (my first mistake) that I'd see what it would take to reinstall my blingy chrome alternator after it stopped charging, I took it out to our local generator/starter shop, and lo and behold what did I find but an old friend behind the counter! George got the alternator inspected and it was a litany of woe I can tell you! It ended up that if I went to Tarana and picked up the new one, and several of the shop's, that the price would be appropriate. So, off and onto the highway of much money (the 407) as I made my way in the peasoup fog to get my new toy. Somewhere in the wilds of Vaughn I found those two giant warehouses chock a block with starters and alternators and pumps etc, On the $20 one way trip home on the 407 all went well and I off-loaded the shops 20+ pieces once home. I went back in today and George was there and made my heart skip a beat when he showed my the list price of the alternator was $381.00! Jesus, George, I only want one, not 3-4! Long story short, $120 later I walked out the door. There's a generator shop that gives charging a whole new meaning, eh?!
 Ever try to find the encapsulated speed nuts that Mother Mopar spec'd to hold on the appliques on the front fenders on '72-74 Challengers? Heh heh- bonne chance! I called Alan Gallant and he regaled me with tales of the Quebec parts villains' who charged him $5 per nut on his last seeing them! I then went to Spae-Naur in Kitchener (with the applique) and THEY couldn't help. Oh boy! Dejectedly driving home, as I passed Breslau I had a sudden (and infrequent) thought and went to see an old bodyshop acquaintance. Describing my plight to Willy, he directed me to his hardware cabinets and in a minute, Eureka! There they were! I scored 16 of the wee bastards and Willy said "give me $2" I gave him $3 and finished the ride home warm in my petite victory. one more step on the road to redemption I guess. 

[blown motor]

How many of these "wee bastards" did wee Willy have Ian?