Cody's 1973 Duster (UPDATED: ENGINE COMPARTMENT OVERHAUL DONE!!!!: 8/14/10)

[69*F5*SE]

I'm one of those guys who likes the original appearence of the engine compartment, valve covers and all.  But, I think it'll still look cool.   

[69bronzeT5]

Match the heater hose(I'd get black if you can)

I have about 10 feet of heater hose here. It's black. How hard would it be to take the red one off, cut the black stuff I have down to size and put it back on?

Hoses...wipe em all down and put a little shine on a rag and wipe it on

What do I use for that?

[Tilar]

Probably something like Armor all or anything that will shine tires would be ok.

[mikepmcs]

exactly, get something that shines rubber like armor all(but i don't use it because of it's past bad rap)
Tire wet will do fine to clean up all the hoses....basically any tire shine or rubber shine will do. Shoot, use wd-40 if you got it handy, just a little bit to blacken them up a but is all you need.

If you got the hose, cut it off and do it up, that will work just fine.  take it off at the water pump first so the liquid will be easier to catch rather than starting at the firewall.

[wordslikebullets]

Go out and get some Meguiars Hot Rims Mag/Aliminum polish for the Valve Covers that you got and shine them up.  I Would take out the horn, windsheild wiper motor and clean them really good then paint them a semi gloss Black.  I would then remove every thing from the fire wall, side fenders and used some degreaser then scrub the walls down really good.  Taking a softer wire brush to any of the rust spots and a scuff pad to the rest of the gold painted areas.  Then I would tape off the Windshield and fender where there is other paint and rattel can throw down some primer lst it sit for about 30 mins and then use some flat balck to paint the fire wall, fenders and any other areas that you can reach.  Cover the Motor and all of the wires with an old towel and it should coume out good.  This is not a long term fix just to make it look presentable it might last you 2 years.

After you have let the paint sit for one day you could go in with two product to cleaner all of the rubber hoses aand stuff.  Meguiars makes a product in there pro line called Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner #39 to clean all of the hoses and rubber trim and then follow that up Vinyl and Rubber Cleaner Conditioner #40. 

I did this to my car a few years ago and did it all in a day and a half. 

[69bronzeT5]

Well, let's see....today I took the air cleaner off and sanded it down. I'll be painting it orange. I like that colour of air cleaner better than black. It'll make it pop! I took the battery out and scrubbed it clean. Painted the gold stripes on the front blue to match the car. Cut the side trim down to size and cleaned them up. They shine now! I also wire brushed the trunk to get rid of all the surface rust and crap. Then I painted it black. I took the spare tire from the Charger and cleaned it up and then put it in the trunk of the Duster. It sits perfectly in there and looks great. I also dug 4 nice floor mats out of the garage, vacuumed them and put them in the car. I also cleaned up my trunk mat and put it in the trunk behind the spare tire. Oh I wire wheeled the spare tire holder and primed it. I'll paint it satin black tomorrow. Tomorrow I plan on putting my 2 new plug wires on (to replace the burnt ones from the headers), new valve cover gaskets on, bleaching and cleaning the washer bottle, cleaning the grille and engine compartment (scrubbing oil and crap off the inner fenders), putting the side trim on and then painting the air cleaner.

[mikepmcs]

 
Good progress there for sure.

Watch the torque on them valve covers.

[Tilar]

Definitely good progress. You going to show us an updated pic after you finish with it?

[69bronzeT5]

Good progress there for sure.

Watch the torque on them valve covers.

My dad did say don't over-tighten them but how tight should they be?

[69bronzeT5]

You going to show us an updated pic after you finish with it?

Nope! Just for my eyes!!!





(kidding )

[Tilar]

You going to show us an updated pic after you finish with it?

Nope! Just for my eyes!!!

     

[TUFCAT]

GIVE ME PICS!! - - or your Uncle Tufcat will get on a plane to Vancouver and you will be sorry.

[69bronzeT5]

I'll get some pictures once I get home, gotta run to the auto parts store!

[2Gunz]

Good progress there for sure.

Watch the torque on them valve covers.

My dad did say don't over-tighten them but how tight should they be?

Im sure somebody has the proper torque specs and will post em.

If it where me I would finger tighten em till you cant anymore.

Then do half a turn with a wrench and see if it leaks.

If it leaks go a little more.

If you tighten em to much you will bend the tabs on the covers and its a pain to
make it stop leaking after that.

[69bronzeT5]

See if it leaks? Like run the car for a minute or so and then see?

[69bronzeT5]

Okay....some pictures

[69bronzeT5]

Okay. So I changed out the melted plug wire (couldn't find a new one that would fit so I used one from a spare 383 distributor I have here). Changed the valve cover gasket, put everything back together. Went to start it and it ran for a couple of seconds (4-5?) and then died. Thought okay, I flooded it so I waited a couple of mins, came back and went to start it...it turned over but wouldn't start. I only tried that for a couple of seconds and then packed it in for the night. So what's up? An answer tonight/morning would be appreciated. I'll be up at 8am PST....I gotta leave by 10am PST.

[Tilar]

You didn't by chance have a rag stuffed in that air cleaner when you were painting it and forget to take it out? Maybe left the filter inside and painted it shut?

Take the filter back off, Look down inside and move the throttle by hand and make sure it squirts a little gas when you do. You may have to open the choke by hand to see down inside.

With it starting and running for 4 or 5 seconds could be fuel or electrical either one, but I doubt it's flooded unless like I said above, something restricting the air flow.

Oh, and on tightening down the valve covers, The way I do it is like this: Use a ratchet and socket, snug them down good and then I place my hand right over top of the head of the ratchet and just using the one hand you can tighten them down to where it feels like it's pretty tight. You CAN break them off but basically you're just twisting with one hand kind of like if you were to try to turn a screw driver by putting the end of the handle in the palm of your hand. It's kind of hard to explain it but it works for me.

[mikepmcs]

You didn't by chance have a rag stuffed in that air cleaner when you were painting it and forget to take it out? Maybe left the filter inside and painted it shut?

Take the filter back off, Look down inside and move the throttle by hand and make sure it squirts a little gas when you do. You may have to open the choke by hand to see down inside.

With it starting and running for 4 or 5 seconds could be fuel or electrical either one, but I doubt it's flooded unless like I said above, something restricting the air flow.

Oh, and on tightening down the valve covers, The way I do it is like this: Use a ratchet and socket, snug them down good and then I place my hand right over top of the head of the ratchet and just using the one hand you can tighten them down to where it feels like it's pretty tight. You CAN break them off but basically you're just twisting with one hand kind of like if you were to try to turn a screw driver by putting the end of the handle in the palm of your hand. It's kind of hard to explain it but it works for me.

Retrace your steps...everything you did.  Either the plug wire is out of place, not on properly, something with the air cleaner, there is a wire knocked off, vac line off, etc....... just like what tilar said.  "Last thing fixed, first thing broken"  that's 99% of the time IMO. 

Also, that's how I tighten delicate stuff too.  I even use a quarter inch drive ratchet for extra assurance I don't twist it off....cause I will

Also, what's this getting up at 8 crap.  I'm up at O dark 30, already run 3+ miles by 0530, washed 2 loads of laundry, dishes, vac, ironing, helped at the old folks home, held a top secret meeting at the pentagon, etc... by 0800.    Ok, the first stuff is true anyway... Don't be sleeping your life away, you can sleep when your dead.

Car looks great by the way, have a good time today.

Mike

[69bronzeT5]

You didn't by chance have a rag stuffed in that air cleaner when you were painting it and forget to take it out? Maybe left the filter inside and painted it shut?

Nope, had 3 rags in the air cleaner....3 are sitting on the floor of the garage. Took the air filter out before I painted it.

[69bronzeT5]

Car show here I come. Good news and bad news. Good news, it was the wire I replaced. The way the boot was sitting on the distributor made me think it was on properly. This morning I pulled the boot back and really pushed it hard down onto the distributor. Then I put the boot down back. Turned it over and it started and then died. Waited a minute, tried again. Start and ran awesome. I took it up the street and checked for the oil...it was still dripping abit so I tightened the valve covers a bit more. But it's running great now and it WAS the wire! Bad news is...I don't think my neighbours like me anymore

[mopar73]

The Duster is cleaning up great!! I've got to get one of those Mr. Angry Stickers, they look awsome

[Foreman72]

man all you need is ralley wheels

[mikepmcs]

 

[dkn1997]

your are gonna kill your brakes with the old two foot shuffle when your drivin' dude!!!   

that thing sounds very nice.