DodgeCoronet.com

My car was just put away at my mates garage. He will store my car in a warm garage space while we rebuild the engine, gearbox and rear end.


The plan is to get the engine completely refreshed and most likely add some HP to the mix. My car has the original engine in it, same with the gearbox, my rear end is not the original one, it was changed at some point to a 489 case 8 3/4 with open wheeler center 3.23:1 ratio.


Overall I want the engine bay to be as CLOSE to looking stock as possible. This is going to be a challenge and sure real MOPAR people will know what we have done, but all my original parts will be retained so it could go back to stock , head-wise etc.


The plan:


The engine is coming out on the 15th of this month (November) - My mate and I will be taking it out.
Disassemble the engine entirely, check bores etc. Determine what we need to rebore to, machine work etc.
Based on the machine work choices, select the new pistons ring packs etc. My thoughts are leaning towards flat tops, modern style ones. Compression aims for this engine are for near stock levels of compression.
Cam will most likely be Hughes Whiplash ROLLER Cam that has the following specs:


Camshaft Technical Details
Intake Valve Lift 1.5 .510"
Exhaust Valve Lift 1.5 .521"


Intake Valve Lift 1.6 .544"
Exhaust Valve Lift 1.6 .555"


Intake Duration at .050" 228°
Exhaust Duration at .050" 236°


Lobe Separation Angle 107º


Intake Opening at .050" 12° BTC
Exhaust Opening at .050" 50° BBC


Intake Closing at .050" 36° ABC
Exhaust Closing at .050" 6° ATC


Heads are a choice between the RPM's or the new 'Garlits' ones. I am leaning towards the Garlits ones, I am interested in them and have been talking to the guy doing the machine work on them already.
Intake will be something from Edelbrock, no choice yet. And a Holley DP of some type.
Exhaust manifolds will be changing from my stock LOG TYPE, to HP repros from Year One. They are ordered already, but long lead time from Y1. They are saying they won't ship until early December, not a problem..it's winter.
Exhaust system will include QTP Electric cut outs, and most likely a Magnaflow system, with H-Pipe, 2.5" at this point.
Diff will get an Eaton truetrac center, we will use my gears, so I will stay with 3.23:1


We have not decided to by bare heads and build them ourselves or get them built already. I have offers on both ways from Hughes for the RPM's and Toth Performance.



Today a mate and I took the engine out, gearbox out, removed the Diff center too. Then we disassembled the engine as well. SO it is now ready to go to the machinist for cleaning, checking and any work that it might need. From the looks of it, not very much work is needed. We will most likely line bore it though, since one crank journal looks to have suffered from lack of oil, most likely at the start of it's life.


But a lot of GREAT news.


I am as close to 100% sure now that this is the genuine original engine for my car!


Check the stamp out on one of the cam bearings:




From what I gather, bearing is Clevite 77, stamped 9th month 1966. if I am wrong about this please let me know. But if this is correct, it all makes perfect sense, since my car was built November 22nd 1966.




More evidence, My block has the cast numbers and what I believe is the cast date:


2468130 put's the block in the correct time frame and the 7 66, would be 7th month 1966 cast date..What do you all think? I believe this is correct, and fits with my cars build date.



My heads have the numbers: 2406516



I am not using them, although they are in great condition. But I will clean them up and store them in case I sell the car and the next owner wants to take it back to stock. (for the record I am never planning to sell this car..But silly money offered..she's gone LOL)


I have a question for the gurus..


Since everything points to this engine never being worked on, at least the bottom end, we could not work out why the color of the rods were like this? Forgive my ignorance on big blocks, as this is the first one I have ever pulled apart that was original. And all my other builds back in the day were on Mopar small blocks. But I have never seen rods like this (color wise). Did Ma Mopar coat them with copper?



And this is why we are going to check the crank for straightness and line hone the block.


Looks like this journal starved for oil at some point.



None of the other journals or mains show any signs of movement or vibration. Piston walls all look new, bores are still rock stock bore size. So we will go 030 on this when we bore it. (purely because 030 pistons seem easier to get than 010. I am not sure why this is? Anyone know?


So that's it for today..a final car porn shot..

Couple of points:

- be very careful which intake you choose - many of the aftermarket ones are tall and you may be challenged getting an air cleaner to fit. I run a Holley Street Dominator intake which I really like with a 1/4 inch spacer (for heat isolation), and it is a low profile intake. With a drop base air cleaner and a thin K&N air filter, it barely clears the hood. I don't believe there would be any way a stock air cleaner would fit.
- Which manifolds did you buy - the later '68 or the 67 440 units? I have no experience with trying to install the '68 HP manifolds on a '67, perhaps someone else can comment. I also don't know if there would be any interference using a 440 manifold on a 383. I do know that I could not install the 440 manifolds in my car (now has a 440) without lifting the engine so I went with headers instead. I am referring to the driver's side - passenger side is no problem. Will you be bending custom exhaust pipe? The old pipes won't fit. I bought a nice 440 (for HP manifolds) 2 1/2 inch system from Don's exhaust but with 2 1/2 inch pipe almost no clearance near the gas tank so rattling is a serious potential issue.
- My suspicion on the rods is that they were sprayed with copper to resize the rods. That is not normal for a big block.

There are no differences between the HP manifolds, they work on all b/rb big blocks.

I have not chosen an intake yet, but I know it's going to be tough to get my stock air cleaner to fit..Most likely impossible. I am going to try though, mostly I believe the mods need to be on the base plate, so might need some magic there. I have a couple of mates that have good metal skills, way better than mine. So I will throw the task to them once we are at that stage.

I have heard of this copper plating technique as well. but every single rod has it, and the engine has never been rebuilt, so there is also a story going around that some engines had rods this color to signify a stage in quality control? I am not sure I will get the bottom of this either way. I was going to change the rods anyway.

All new exhaust is getting put in. I will have a magnaflow H-pipe in either 2.5" or 3" and the QTP's added in after the down pipes and at the stage where the exhaust starts to level out.

TekHousE Wrote:There are no differences between the HP manifolds, they work on all b/rb big blocks.

The 67 383 never came with HP manifolds, only the 440 did. And this driver side manifold is different (one year and one application only) than the 68 and newer ones. Believe the passenger side is the same as the 68 and later ones.

I have both versions at home (68 HP and 67 440 HP) - will be home on Thursday and can take side by side pics if you like. I was warned that I really needed the 440 manifold on the 440, but for the life of me I don't remember the paperwork.

What kind of fuel pump are you planning on using on this beast?

Hmm, the HP manifolds might not work then. They have not shipped them as they are back ordered. SO I am going to check into it more.

I am thinking the stock fuel pump, but do you think I need something better?

TekHousE Wrote:Hmm, the HP manifolds might not work then. They have not shipped them as they are back ordered. SO I am going to check into it more.

I am thinking the stock fuel pump, but do you think I need something better?

I think you need to find someone that has actually put HP manifolds on a 67 383 to get better info. The 440 manifolds are available typically around $200.

I think a stock pump will not suffice for what you are doing. Gotta go right now, but later I will post my experience with fuel pumps on my daughter's car.

OK thanks.

As for the HP manifolds I have the Year One repops on order. So there is not problem to cancel if they are not going to work.

Looking at the pictures Year One has on their website, they are showing casting numbers 2843992 (left side) and 2806900 (right side).

Left side is 68-69 383/440 Magnum

Right side 67 440 Magnum, 68-69 383/440 Magnum

So if the manifolds pictured are what they are selling, then they will fit cast iron heads. You're on your own if using aftermarket.

Driver side 440 HP manifold casting number is 2806974.

I would rethink your choice of cams just to get that back up on one of the most important components of your build.
are you racing it?
Cruizing it?
What will you mostly be doing with it?