Got the charger back up and running today!

[69wannabe]

What seem's like forever has only been maybe less than a month. Got my new heads in from Jim LaRoy on the 16th of may and have been gathering up parts here and there since march like head bolts, head gasket's and a rear main seal. Got the engine out somewhere around the 20th of may I guess and have been working on it pretty steady since then. Trying not to get in a rush to get it back together and touching up things here and there like paint and wiring that needed some attention take more time than I like it too but in the end it is better to be patient and not get too anxious to hear it run again.

Got the rear main seal replaced and the bottom of the engine basically re-sealed up and flipped it up right and swapped the new heads on and got it back together and back in the car last week but wound up taking in a friend's toyota tacoma to do what I thought would be a quick brake job on but it was so bad it took me most of last week to get it going again. It had to have front pad's, rotor's, caliper's, rear shoe's, wheel cylinder's, axle bearing's, axle seal's and the rear drum's turned. Last but not least the parking brake cable was broke too. I had a busy week at work and then monday-thursday evening's were all on this toyota.

Got it done thursday evening late and then my niece's jeep had to have front brakes so I worked on it friday evening and saturday afternoon after working at my regular job most of the day. It suck's having to work on other crap when I really want to be working on my car. Finally sunday I got the carb on the charger and the new mancini water pump and housing on there and yesterday got the radiator, shroud and fan and new fan clutch on it last night.

Got home today and installed the new radiator hoses and heater hoses and tied up a few loose end's here and there and decided it was time to see if I did good or not. It started up pretty good, a little sluggish tho and a few of the lifters were ticking pretty loudly but after some running and setting the timing it started sounding pretty dang good. I ran it about 30 min's and the temp stayed around 170 to 180 ish and I kept watching the ground for leaks (especially the rear main area) and so far it isn't leaking so I am hoping that I finally solved my rear main seal leak for the first time since I installed the stroker kit.

I still got to put the hood back on it but it is back together for the most part and the shop is clean for a change since this time last month. Drove it for a short trip down the road and back and it seem's to be running pretty good. Before I put the hood on i'm gonna clean around the fender's and inner fenders and get the hood back on it and maybe it will be good to go for awhile.

[garner7555]

Awesome!   Maybe you will notice a jump in power with the new heads.   

[M5Ivan]

I'm sure it felt good taking it out for a spin!! Nice work.

[c00nhunterjoe]

If jim did them, it should really wake up. What did he do to them?

[69wannabe]

If jim did them, it should really wake up. What did he do to them?

He did what he called a street port/prep on them. Nothing crazy really I just cruise around mostly. He sent me a flow chart for the intake and it was like 285 for the intake at 500 lift and 240 for the exhaust at 500 lift I think. That sound's right anyway. I was pushing it up in the rpm's a little bit today and I could notice in the upper rpm's it really seem's to have went up a couple of ball sizes    I was running 110 before I knew it!!!!  Been wanting to do some aluminum head's forever but I wanted to be able to have them worked over by a good shop to make sure they were right and finally I got it done.

I drove it maybe 10 to 12 miles today and it ran out pretty good, I had to idle it up just a little bit since it seemed to be idiling slightly low compared to normal. May just be the difference in the flow of the heads but it was only about 100 rpm's lower than where i'm used to seeing it so just about an 1/8 turn on the curb idle screw and it was back to normal. I haven't even touched the mixture screw's yet but in a day or so I will check and see where they are at. Must be pretty close since it run's and idle's really solid.

My hat's off to Jim (heyoldguy on here) The heads looked absolutely perfect when I received them. They were so impressive just to look at and they run as good as they look for sure!!!! He come's very highly recommended!!!

[69wannabe]

And by the way I meant to post the also good news.

DAY #2 No leak at the rear main!!!  Still holding my breath every time I look under it tho......

[cdr]

 

[Charger_Fan]

Gotta love that first spin around the block, after you've done major wrenching on a car. The second spin around the block, I call the "test beat", where I go out & flog the crap out of it!

[69wannabe]

I actually flogged it pretty good on the first trip out, didn't get to do that on the second test run since I had my little dog in my lap. No trip out today since it's pouring rain outside. Was hoping to get my hood back on today but it's too nasty outside so maybe I can get it bolted on this weekend.

[69wannabe]

Trying to post a few pic's of some of the work done. Didn't really take alot of them since i'm usually focused on what i'm doing instead of taking pic's of it.

[69wannabe]

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[69wannabe]

[69wannabe]

Well we had some luck getting some pic's posted or should I say she had some luck. My computer skill's are very lacking when it come's to posting pic's. The very bottom pic was when I was pulling it out and it kinda goes up from there. Got the hood back on it today and drove it a few miles and up the highway for a few miles and brought it back and let it idle and watched for any drip's from the rear main and all is well for the third day out. So glad to get it all back in one piece, my little garage isn't really big enough to spread out an engine project like I would like to do but it work's.

[69wannabe]

Still watching the concrete for drips after driving for about an hour or so yesterday and i'm glad to say that it's still dry under there!!!!  Maybe it will stay that way!!!!