FAT265

Well 21 dec 2006

I fired up my new engine for the first time.
Ran in the cam for 30 mins at 3000rpm ( did probably 3*10 minutes runs )

Everything was well so it was time to run in the engine.
I made the mistake of using a stock stall convertor and it was a pig down low
but I put up with ( shifting to neutral ) whenever i stopped as it wouldn't idle at all.

( Not that you should idle a new engine ) it would stall instantly so idling wasnt a issue

After a week of driving around varing the load etc. it was time to install the 3000rpm high stall
ahhh now she idles when i stop at the lights.

She idles at about 900rpm with a nice lump in gear and about 1100 in neutral anything less and the engine wants to jump out of the bay.. sounds very nice and goes pretty hard.

Im still to take her down the 1/4 ( small oil leak ) not rear main and need to get a helmet.
She has taken out a new WRX a VL turbo and some Porche sofar.

Should be good for low 14's at the moment as I cant get any traction off the line.
Even with 305 50 15's they are so so old and hard but look the part.

I wanna getsome MT sportsmans or Street Radials maybe go 275/60/15 28inch tall if they fit.
Still got some tuning to do ( its hard with only club reg ) but easy with wide band o2 sensor display and laptop logging. tune was good until i install 3 inch system. now she leans out a bit up top.

Im so close to pissing off the carby and setting up the EFI everything is there surge tank new fuel lines and return wiring computer etc. jut wanna drive it a bit b4 i pullit apart again.

having fun hey charger !!!

ENGINE: Well the engine is almost built here are the specs

Honed Standard Bore Standard pistons
New rings, New main bearings and rod bearings.
RPM main studs and head stud kit
ARP rod bolts
Perkins fluid damper
Home made adjustable vernier cam sprocket ( modified rollmaster )
Crow cam grind 6686 ( didn't want to go much bigger ) cause i didn't want to rev it that much past 5500
245 head with 265 valves with alot of porting flowed about 360 HP if memory serves me correct.
I got the flow figures ( buggered if i know where i think i lost the sheet but did post into into mopar market )

Umm what else cain 4bbl manifold 780cfm vac secondaries holley. Yep its bit but with correct tuning it won't run fat ( i got a wide band o2 sensor ) and if i can get the mixtures correct on a stock 245 and not have it run fat it will be even easier on this motor.

CHASSIS

Today i finished repairing the chassis rail around the stearing box. welding in some supports and finished the job off with some body solder then some body deadener threw some dirt on it rubbed over it with a dirty rad and it looks like it was never done. ( just the way i want it )

Next up firewall plenum repairs.

Its time to remove the engine to weld up the chassis firewall and floorpan..
DEtails and pics wil followo shortly..

To be added

Took the charger out of the garage so i could reverse it in as I got some new bushes to install in the leafe springs..

Somehow after driving it out and attempting to reverse it back in I again forgot that my stupid shifter is back to front..;

I did it selected park while still moving at walking pace.. now the noise was really bad bang bang bang as it i assume jumped over the gear park that issupposed to stop one from moving in park.. ( read other blog on shifter for full details )

Again everythig still works.. But I have come to the conclusion that i just got 2 buy a mega shfter og some description. If i don't I will just end up stuffing the box by the time i get around to fixing the jag shifter..

So what next the leaf spring bushes...

Ok where do i start. Well I got a 2 speed powerglide in the charger and because at the time after purchasing the glide and getting a custom tail shaft anf 3000 high stall I didn't have any money left for a shifter.

First up was the option of making some type of bracket & linkage to use the current stock T bar shifter that was used with the now removed BW35.

Hmmmm Um.. This is too hard. what next ( get a monaro shifter ) nope that is too hard i can't be bothered explaining.. anyway I went to my local pick a part local wreckers and starting to look at some other cars as options. with the cable driven variety being a prefrence. I stumbled on some old rustred XJ6 jaguar that has a turbo 400 box i believe and a cable shifter ( nice shifter ) so about 1 hour later I managed to get one out for a grand total of $25

I got it in but the cable was too short and pulling from the wrong way so its in reverse as in where park normally is this is first and visa versa..

Months have passed everything fine ( still no reverse lights neutral starter motor enhibbiter thingie )

But I can drive the car so everything was good so far while i manage to modify a recently aquired 2nd shifter from ebay..

OK here comes the gut wrenching.. stuff..

Now imagine this we all know where 1st in right..
Now ne all know how much fun it is to slam it down into first and give it a boot full..

:)

or should I say :(

I slotted reverse at 60km/h BAAAAANG !! cruntch and engine stalls after rear wheels lock up but lucky i managed to slam it back into neutral or some other forward moving gear.. ( not park )

I pull over rolling engine stalled and with a warm soft turd in my pants..

MAnaged to work out where neurtal was after a brain fade from what happened.

I started her up and everyhting was fine nothing broken..

So we live to drive another day.. ( got to fix that shifter )

The heater core was leaking even since i got the car in 1987 and i had just removed and blocked off the water to the core since then. If you had read my plenum removal blog you will see i wanted / ended up removing the heater.

Well after fighting with trying to get it out it looks like the little spring clippy things had to be removed that allowed the box to come in 1/2 this way the front cover can be removed making the box narrower so that i could pull it forward then down to take the rest of the back 1/2 out of the car..

Its out and I can see more RUST !!!!! well lucky i did remove it as if i did to the cut and re weld of the new metal i would of missed out on the worst bit and also the the underlas sound deadening most likely would of caught fire when i was welding..

Now as it stands I have a bit hole i mean space where the heater used to be alone with some really itchy hands from the dreaded fiberglass backed cardboard sound deadening stuff that chrysler used from new..

NExt up i got to start to drill out the spot welds in the donar firewall and determine the best way and largest section i want to cut out to make this repair the easiest/best and neatest repair.. Im sure I can get it welded ( sean will do this for me efi100 as he has the mig and the experience well more then me anyway and i got enuf metal on the other bits i got ( not my charger ) before we tackle my car.

House renovations are taking up most weekends so the updates will be slow.

Until next blog

Back about 17 years ago when i got my charger the firewall section of the plenum was fiberglassed up and not noticable some years passed and i could see a crack in the firewall i peeled it back to see what looked like fiberglass. it was ! I pulled some more and as it turns out the previous owner had cut out the rust and fiberglassed up the plenum. I removed the fiberglass and painted it so it wouldn't rust. Now 17 years later I'm starting to do the repairs.

I purchased a entire firewall from a friend from the charger club of vic this is awesome as after close inspection it has never rusted and doesnt even have signs of rust other then some surface rust from being stored outside..

I actually started to install some autometer gauges that i got 2nd hand from ebay australia the mechanical ( capilary oil pressure ) gauge was installed but i was worried about the capilary tube as it was getting hit by the underdash wiper arm mechanism when the wipers were turned on ( there is alot of stuff moving about under the dash )

I looked at all the cables that goto the heater box and thought well the heater got to come out anyway to do the plunum repair so now is a good time to remove it.. so here i go

Ok well I finally set this thing up. If you want to read about progress and details of my project check out fat265.com but for now I will be using this to update my daily thoughts re the charger and any progress..