Chris' 1968 Charger Upgrades 6/13 Bunch of updates, done uploading

[Chris 69]

Hi guys, this forum has been so helpful over the last 8 years of owning the Charger I thought I'd create a post detailing improvements that I'm currently performing. Hopefully this thread will help others too!

It's a 1968 Charger 'H'-code 383 4bbl. It was numbers matching when I bought it, auto on the column. I changed it to auto on the floor.

This year, I decided to convert it to a 4-speed, however the scope of the project has since increased beyond what I originally anticipated. Now the scope includes:

1. 4-Speed swap.
2. 383 to 440 swap.
3. Disk brake conversion, all 4 corners.

I've rebuilt one engine in my lifetime, a 390 Ford, but I've never swapped a transmission or worked on the brakes, so I may have some more questions! AK's 4-speed conversion thread has been very helpful during this process.

I'll detail progress to date in the following posts.

Chris

[Chris 69]

First, I gutted the interior and removed the door for access, and so I wouldn't have to kick the boat out of the garage every time.

[JB400]

 

[Chris 69]

Next was transmission removal. My two-car garage is very space-challenged...

[Chris 69]

Trans is out!! Unfortunately, the aftermarket exhaust I had put on routed the balacing pipe under the mid-back end of the trans. Made it challenging to remove.

Of course I used removal of the trans as an excuse to buy a transmission jack from HF! Transmission fluid got everywhere...what a mess.

[Chris 69]

Here's a shot of the motor support (since the trans was removed), primary ramps, secondary jack stands, and tertiary jack stands for safety.

[Chris 69]

Performed a runout check on the bellhousing, it was out of spec about 0.019", so I needed 0.021" offset dowels. Unfortunately, I could not remove the automatic's dowel pins with the block still in the car. Of couse the dowel holes are blind!

I tried using my vise grips to get those dowels out, no luck. The would spin, but I couldn't pull them out. I tried mig-welding threaded rod onto the dowels, but I couldn't get a good weld on the driver's side dowel to hold the threaded rod on. I was tring to make a puller with a threaded rod, metal pipe, washer and nut. Time for the motor to come out.

At this point, the boat was kicked out of the garage to the side yard to make room for the engine. Good thing the side yard has a hard cover.

[Chris 69]

Now that the engine is out of the car, next was to remove the automatic's dowels from the block.

First dowel: Drilled it, tapped it, inserted threaded rod, put a 1" steel pipe around it, washer on top, and tightened the nut on the threaded rod until the dowel backed out. Piece of cake!

Second dowel: Not a piece of cake - Drilled it, then proceeded to break the tap off in the dowel. At this point I got invited to go on a hike up to Whiskytown Falls. I went on the hike.   The next day...to remove the dowel, I had to use a piece of angle, threaded rod, 3" PVC pipe, and my vice grips. I mig-welded the vice grips to the dowel, threaded the road into the vice grip handle, slid the 3" PVC over the vice grips, Put the angle channel (with a hole in it) on top of the PVC and backed out the dowel with a nut. The dowel came out!

[Chris 69]

At this point, and with the urging of my co-workers, the decision was made to go ahead with a 440 swap. The 383 was already out of the car, I have always wanted to install a 440, and the bellhousing needs to be aligned to "a" block, so it might as well be a 440!

Here's a photo of the block at the engine shop.

Planning on about 10:1 compression, and the builder says to expect about 450-470hp.

Planning on using:

Edelbrock Perfomer intake.
Holley 4160 750cfm carb.
Heads off my 383 (906 heads).

[Chris 69]

Next was dissasebly of the 383 since I'm planning to use some of the parts on the 440, including:

-Exhaust manifolds.
- Oil pan.
- Valve covers.
- Heads.
- Water pump and housing.
- Harmonic balancer.
- Pulleys/fan.
- Fuel pump.
- Maybe some more stuff, can't remember right now.

Tore down the 383, and noticed that piston arm bearings were wearing unevenly. Maybe the crank was not aligned correctly??

[Chris 69]

Right now the 440 is being built. Should be ready in about 2 weeks.

Here's the 4-speed hole in the floor. I also "modified" the auto shifter bracket.

[Chris 69]

Here's the A833 4-speed trans. Out of a 1969 Roadrunner according to the stamping.

Bought from a guy locally along with the bellhousing, three flywheels, center hump section/brackets/floorboards, and 4-speed linkages.

The guy also let me pick through his spare switch, emblem, and miscellaneous parts box. He also threw in a '69 Charger gauge cluster and a bunch of chrome trim. It's amazing how fast one can acquire car parts....

Anyway, back to the trans: had it rebuilt by a local shop, including all new gears.

For other 4-speed parts, I went through Brewers. Wayne has been great to work with, and is always happy to answer my questions.

[Chris 69]

Now the project has taken another turn. My Dad has been very nice to me. He hears about this 440 going in the car, and he's driven it with the "marginal" drum brakes, next thing I know, he's ordering a disk brake conversion for the car:

MP Brakes Rallye fronts and Pro Driver rears. These just arrived today. See photo.

The other photo is using MP's template to check brake clearance on the rear wheels: 15x8 Cragar D-windows.

[Chris 69]

So that's where I'm at today:

1. A833 is ready to go.
2. 440 is being built.
3. Disc brakes kit in the garage.

Looks like tomorrow I'll be working on brakes, and maybe modifying the auto trans cross member to accept the 4-speed.

I'll update this thread as progress continues.

[Q5XX29]

Looks like a fun project! Looking forward to following along. Thanks for sharing.

[myk]

Now HERE is a man that works on his car.  Hats off to you, sir...

[tan top]

   good stuff 

[Dino]

Oh sure, make me look bad with my procrastinating!   

Great work, I'll be following this one closely.   

[familymopar]

This is a great thread so far.  Can't wait to see the progress!

[cdr]

looks like a great fun project.

[WHITE AND RED 69]

Great work! Brakes look sweet. Can't wait to see more.   

[will]

Are you sure you want to go with a performer, or would you rather go with the performer RPM? Just some food for thought. I'm enjoying this thread. As soon as my car gets home I'll be throwing lightning speed rebuilding effort towards mine. Not ready for the swap your doing yet, gotta recoup some funds for an engine (STROKER). I'll be schlepping with a 383 for a summer or two, then a 440 stroker/5 speed passon. Keep up the good work.

[Back N Black]

Nice work! 

[Nickrc3]

Please explain how you determined the engine offset dowels were .019" out?  Dial indicator installed within the new 4-speed bellhousing?
Installing the .021" dowel pins will ensure alignment?

Great write up. Thanks.

[Chris 69]

Please explain how you determined the engine offset dowels were .019" out?  Dial indicator installed within the new 4-speed bellhousing?
Installing the .021" dowel pins will ensure alignment?

Great write up. Thanks.

Basically, I followed the steps outlined here:
http://www.hurst-drivelines.com/wp-contehud/uploads/GM-Dial-Indicating-RobbMC-instructions-Revised-6-15-09A.pdf

Here's how I understand the process (let me know if there's anything that should be corrected):

1. Install the bellhousing, torque bolts to spec (50ft-lbs).

2. Mount the dial indicator/magnetic base to the crank flange. Note that the dial indicator does not need to be centered on the crank, but you want to make sure the plunger doesn't "top" or "bottom" out in the bellhousing hole the transmission slides into.

3. You need two people to do this: One to turn the motor with a breaker bar on the harmonic balancer bolt, and one to watch the dial indicator. Turn the crank slowly. The needle will start to move. Watch for it to change directions. At the point where it changes directions mark the bellhousing.

At this point, if the needle changed from rotating clockwise (CW) to counterclockwise (CCW), this is the point on the bellhousing that is closest to the crank's center point. If the needle changed from rotating CCW to CW, this is the point on the bellhousung that is furthest from the crank's center.

4. Keep rotating the crank until the needle changes directions again. This will be the furthest or closest point on the bellhousing as described in Step 3. Mark this point on the bellhousing. (If in Step 3 you found the closest point, Step 4 locates the furthest point and visa versa).

5. Zero the dial indicator out on the "furthest point".

6. Rotate the crank 360 degrees and watch the dial indicator. It should read it's highest value at the "closest point" mark. Record the largest value read from the indicator during the rotation (also verify this largest value is read from the "closest point" mark).

7. Take that number and divide by 2. The result is the run-out value to used to select the offset dowels. For example, when I did this on the 383, I read a maximum value of 0.038". Divided by two is a run-out of 0.019". Offset dowels are available in 0.007, 0.014, 0.021. I need the 0.021" offset dowel to align this bellhousing to my 383.

Based on information I found on multiple internet forums: the maximum tolerance allowed is 0.010", divided by 2, it's a run-out of 0.005". This means that you want to select an offset dowel that is within 0.005" of your measured run-out.

8. If measured run-out is greater than 0.005, remove bellhousing and the automatic transmission dowels, and install offset dowels.

9. For installing the offset dowels, if you put a straightedge across the two points marked on the bellhousing, the dowels should be rotated such that it offsets the bellhousing in the direction of the "furthest point" to the "closest point".

10. Install the bellhousing and rerun the check.

Hopefully this helps.

I bought my offset dowels from Brewer's Performance. However, since I decided to go with the 440, the dowels have not been installed. I will have to do this run-out check on the 440 as well!