70 Challenger going Plum Crazy

[Dakota]

Sometimes, we live our lives to provide an example for others about what not to do.   Such is the case with me trying to save a little money when it came to a late choice to switch to a throttle body injection system (FiTech) for my engine.   I had already purchased a stock replacement tank with plans to run a carb with the mechanical fuel pump.   Once the switch to EFI was started, I went with a Tanks Inc fuel pump that's inside the tank.   Rather than buy another tank already set up for the pump ($250ish), I purchased a "Weld in Fuel Pump Recess" ($45 - see the 2 vendor pics below) and modified my stock tank.   Though my welding skills are limited, I got the recess in.   Other than the recess install time (let's call it "more welding and grinding practice"), the install seemed to go OK.  Where the balance tipped about this not having been a good idea was when I ended up spending a couple of hours this afternoon cleaning the inside of the tank to remove the metal debris from the recess installation.   The cleaning involved pouring some WD-40 in the tank and then using a couple of different magnets and a bunch of paper towels to remove all of the metal grit (see last pic).   I'm happy to report that I didn't have to call 911 to help free my arm from inside the the tank.... let's just say there were a few close calls.   

The tank is clean now, but if I were going to do this again, I'd buy the 2nd new tank.   Or maybe not change my mind about using a carb until "later" so that I could get the car on the road sooner.   

If I keep learning from these mistakes, I'm going to be a freakin' genius when I'm "done" with this car.

Despite all this, it was a good day - I was back in the garage.

[Chryco Psycho]

Maybe you could have sold the stock tank ,
Unfortunatley education always costs money 1 way or another .
AT least you have it done now 

[Dakota]

 

The stock fuel sending unit ended up in the same space as Tank Inc. internal pump.   I didn't correctly anticipate this conflict when I put the recess in for mounting the pump on a stock fuel tank.   

I'm punting on this tank. I just ordered the EFI tank from Tank Inc along with the required aftermarket fuel level sending unit.   

This car project certainly has been humbling.

[Morty426]

The stock fuel sending unit ended up in the same space as Tank Inc. internal pump.   I didn't correctly anticipate this conflict when I put the recess in for mounting the pump on a stock fuel tank.   

I'm punting on this tank. I just ordered the EFI tank from Tank Inc along with the required aftermarket fuel level sending unit.   

This car project certainly has been humbling.

They will do that

[Chryco Psycho]

Di you get the tank installed yet ?

[Brads70]

The stock fuel sending unit ended up in the same space as Tank Inc. internal pump.   I didn't correctly anticipate this conflict when I put the recess in for mounting the pump on a stock fuel tank.   

I'm punting on this tank. I just ordered the EFI tank from Tank Inc along with the required aftermarket fuel level sending unit.   

This car project certainly has been humbling.

Might be a bit late but the trap door option they offer is a nice feature too IMO.
http://www.tanksinc.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=543/category_id=167/mode=prod/prd543.htm

[anlauto]

What kind of screws are those 

[Brads70]

What kind of screws are those 

German.....

[Dakota]

Di you get the tank installed yet ?

Not yet @Chryco, but hopefully will do during the next week.  Working on the fuel and brake lines right now so I know which way to point the tank fittings.

I like the trap door @Brads70, but I just couldn't bring myself to cut the trunk floor after recently painting it. 

[Brads70]

Di you get the tank installed yet ?

I like the trap door @Brads70, but I just couldn't bring myself to cut the trunk floor after recently painting it.

I get it. My trunk floor and drop off need replacing I have the parts here to do it but just no time. I figured I'd instal it in the old floor and if I didn't like it I'd omit it in the new one.

[Dakota]

Slow but steady progress continues.

I ended up going with a Powermaster 95 amp alternator.   The Quality Power alternator previously purchased was too wide and ended up hitting the passenger side valve cover.   It's possible to make the QP alternator fit but mounting it on the front of the alternator support bracket instead of the back, but then I'd end up with only 1 belt to run the a/c unit instead of the 2 that are standard.   There's already a "future home" for the QP alternator planned.   

Based on the published details, the QP alternator is 0.6" wider than the Powermaster version.   The 2nd pic below shows the valve cover clearance with the Powermaster alternator.   It's not much, but it'll work.   The clearance is slightly better by a hair with stock valve covers.

[Dakota]

A layer of Dynamat Extreme has been installed.   I bought this stuff back in 2010 for a different car.  I was pleasantly surprised that it seemed to work despite it's age.   

I had a laminate roller for pressing down the Dynamat.  There was a suggestion on a YouTube video I watched about using a hard ball to press the Dynamat into corners and curves.   I ended up using the hard red plastic ball shown in the picture.   One of my dogs picked this up in the street while my wife and I were walking her.   I think it originally came from a McDonaldland play area.  What the heck, it worked.   I ended up using about 41 square feet of the Dynamat to cover the floor from the firewall and up to and including the area under the back seat.  There were only 4 small cuts on my hands afterwards so it wasn't terrible.

It's mostly covered now, but that's POR-15 on the floor pan and Eastwood's Rust Encapsulator on the firewall.  I ran out of POR-15 so I ended up switching since I had some of the Eastwood stuff on a shelf.

Chip Foose apparently used to be the spokesmodel for Dynamat which apparently included getting his picture on the boxes.   I think he's aged a bit since the picture was taken, but then again so have I.

[Dakota]

A couple of other items added:

The first pic shows a "Sector Support Kit" (SSK) which attaches to the underside of the Pitman arm.   This assembly fits over the where the nut would usually go.   It's supposed to take some of the flex out of the Pitman arm by locking it in with the K-member.   

There's a link on FirmFeel's website to a 2011 Mopar Action article with a write up the installation of a prototype version of the SSK.   The article is helpful except the pictures show the threaded sleeve being installed with the hex head facing down.   It's supposed to be installed with the hex head facing up (hex head closest to the steering box).   I was not able to find a 1-5/16" socket deep enough to tighten this with a ratchet, so I ended up using a large crescent wrench instead.   

The directions that come with the SSK show the correct orientation for the hex sleeve.

The other picture shows a FirmFeel roller bearing kit installed on the idler arm.  This was relatively straightforward work.   The shims that came with the kit made it pretty easy to get things snug.   As they note on the instructions, this add-on can only be done on a Moog idler arm.

Hopefully all these little tweaks will provide the advertised improvements to handling.  I'm not sure that I'll be driving aggressively enough to know, but I kinda like knowing it's there.

[73440]

I have looked at those kits from Firm Feel , was the install easy to do ?

[Dakota]

I have looked at those kits from Firm Feel , was the install easy to do ?

They were both relatively straightforward in terms of prep and installation.

For the Sector Support Kit, I initially got myself confused following the Mopar Action article too closely because I couldn't figure out how the kit was supposed to go in with the hex sleeve facing down.   Once I realized what I was doing wrong, the remaining challenge was getting the bolts in position for the final mounting.   With the engine in place and working on my back, there wasn't a lot of maneuvering room.   This would've been a lot easier to do before putting the K-member in the car if the steering box is already mounted.

For the idler arm roller bearing, a carbide bit on a die grinder is a must for removing the original internals of the Moog arm.  I'm certainly not gentle enough with an angle grinder to use one for the metal removal.  A vise worked fine for pressing in the new internal pieces.