Startin to work on the Clone Runner (it's PAINTED!)
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- GTX (RS)
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:27 pm
- My Cars: 1971 Satellite
- Location: Stoney Creek Ontario Canada
Re: Startin to work on the Clone Runner (it's PAINTED!)
Man, its great having a neighbor that has an industrial size sand blasting cabinet at home.
Got the pieces blasted and ready for paint.
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- GTX (RS)
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:27 pm
- My Cars: 1971 Satellite
- Location: Stoney Creek Ontario Canada
Re: Startin to work on the Clone Runner (it's PAINTED!)
So the time has finally come for me to get my engine broken in.
I took it in to a buddy I went to high school with that owns an engine machine shop.
It's located in Fonthill, Ontario. So Friday night I get the engine off the stand and hooked up to the engine hoist. Next was to get it in the back of the minivan and onto the cradle.
I took it in to a buddy I went to high school with that owns an engine machine shop.
It's located in Fonthill, Ontario. So Friday night I get the engine off the stand and hooked up to the engine hoist. Next was to get it in the back of the minivan and onto the cradle.
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- GTX (RS)
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:27 pm
- My Cars: 1971 Satellite
- Location: Stoney Creek Ontario Canada
Re: Startin to work on the Clone Runner (it's PAINTED!)
Saturday morning I arrive to his shop.
Unload the engine and get it ready to go into the dyno room.
Here is the dyno room. Here's the engine mounted to the dyno. Here is Al checking rocker arm clearance. We primed the engine to get oil everywhere it needed to be and the result oil pressure was this. Got the engine fired and put thru it's heat cycles.
That was it for Saturday.
Unload the engine and get it ready to go into the dyno room.
Here is the dyno room. Here's the engine mounted to the dyno. Here is Al checking rocker arm clearance. We primed the engine to get oil everywhere it needed to be and the result oil pressure was this. Got the engine fired and put thru it's heat cycles.
That was it for Saturday.
-
- GTX (RS)
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:27 pm
- My Cars: 1971 Satellite
- Location: Stoney Creek Ontario Canada
Re: Startin to work on the Clone Runner (it's PAINTED!)
If any members here read the magazine RPM....Als shop was featured in thier June of 2021 edition.
They had a display of the article in the dyno control room. Anyway, I come back Sunday and Al has already put the inner valve springs back on the engine.
The inners were left out by the guy who put the engine together because of the solid cam its running it would be easier on the valvetrain during break in.
BUT we have a problem....
The underside of the rocker arms hit the valve retainers.
They had a display of the article in the dyno control room. Anyway, I come back Sunday and Al has already put the inner valve springs back on the engine.
The inners were left out by the guy who put the engine together because of the solid cam its running it would be easier on the valvetrain during break in.
BUT we have a problem....

The underside of the rocker arms hit the valve retainers.
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- GTX (RS)
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:27 pm
- My Cars: 1971 Satellite
- Location: Stoney Creek Ontario Canada
Re: Startin to work on the Clone Runner (it's PAINTED!)
So over we go to the machine shop and Al grinds away a relief in the area that was hitting on all of the rocker arms.
Al does the rocker clearance once again - .012" on the intakes and .014" on the exhausts.
Then fire up the engine and get the first pull. 423 horse at a touch over 5000rpm. I'm
Now, Al wants to put a small phenolic spacer under the 800 Holley. It's about 1/4" thick.
Next pull.... 441 horse! a 20 horse increase with just a tiny spacer!
One last thing and tweak the timing to have 37 degrees total.
Bam...... 460 horse and 480 ft lbs of torque!
Can't wipe the smile off my face.
It's just a 0.030 over 360 with 340 J heads and a solid cam......
Now its
time.
Next I put the rockers back on their shafts and line them up with their respective valves.Al does the rocker clearance once again - .012" on the intakes and .014" on the exhausts.
Then fire up the engine and get the first pull. 423 horse at a touch over 5000rpm. I'm

Now, Al wants to put a small phenolic spacer under the 800 Holley. It's about 1/4" thick.
Next pull.... 441 horse! a 20 horse increase with just a tiny spacer!
One last thing and tweak the timing to have 37 degrees total.
Bam...... 460 horse and 480 ft lbs of torque!
Can't wipe the smile off my face.
It's just a 0.030 over 360 with 340 J heads and a solid cam......
Now its

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- GTX (RS)
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:27 pm
- My Cars: 1971 Satellite
- Location: Stoney Creek Ontario Canada
Re: Startin to work on the Clone Runner (it's PAINTED!)
So this weekend I had some time to put together the steering column.
Got a new turn signal unit for as the old one was broken.
Cleaned up the turn stalk with a little mothers polish.
All in all not too bad and not to hard to do.
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- GTX (RS)
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:27 pm
- My Cars: 1971 Satellite
- Location: Stoney Creek Ontario Canada
Re: Startin to work on the Clone Runner (it's PAINTED!)
I installed the pot coupler today.
And the finished column.......finally. 
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- GTX (RS)
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:27 pm
- My Cars: 1971 Satellite
- Location: Stoney Creek Ontario Canada
Re: Startin to work on the Clone Runner (it's PAINTED!)
Moving on to the dash cluster.
I had to make a new gasket. And fit it like so. Bought a glove box at a local Mopar swap meet. Got the proper screws ready. Put it all together.
I had to make a new gasket. And fit it like so. Bought a glove box at a local Mopar swap meet. Got the proper screws ready. Put it all together.
-
- GTX (RS)
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:27 pm
- My Cars: 1971 Satellite
- Location: Stoney Creek Ontario Canada
Re: Startin to work on the Clone Runner (it's PAINTED!)
I had some time today to install the dash cluster & wiring harness holder into the dash frame.
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- GTX (RS)
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:27 pm
- My Cars: 1971 Satellite
- Location: Stoney Creek Ontario Canada
Re: Startin to work on the Clone Runner (it's PAINTED!)
Today, I was going to attach the wiring harness to the back of the cluster.
The original harness was hacked by the previous owner when he turned the car into a drag car.
So I bought one from a member on Moparts site.
He assured me that there were no issues with this harness.
Well, I found issues...in the back of the fuse box. As you can see, the red connection looks like its had some excessive amps going thru it.
And some electrical tape to add an additional wire. So I dug out my original fuse box which was in better shape. And switched over all of the connections.
The original harness was hacked by the previous owner when he turned the car into a drag car.
So I bought one from a member on Moparts site.
He assured me that there were no issues with this harness.
Well, I found issues...in the back of the fuse box. As you can see, the red connection looks like its had some excessive amps going thru it.
And some electrical tape to add an additional wire. So I dug out my original fuse box which was in better shape. And switched over all of the connections.
Last edited by 71Beeper on Sun Jun 12, 2022 7:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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- GTX (RS)
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:27 pm
- My Cars: 1971 Satellite
- Location: Stoney Creek Ontario Canada
Re: Startin to work on the Clone Runner (it's PAINTED!)
Its much better now.