An update on SunnyD.

[Smellslike1974]

Today me and my dad installed my main bearings,seals and crankshaft and bolted on my oil pump.My only problem Is the cam bearings.Auto zone,pepboys,advanced auto,napa,and my two local speedshops don't rent out cam bearing installation tools(most dont even sell them).The only cheap ones i have seen for sale on line say for chevy and they are like $40-$150,all others around are $300.Im not sure what I'm gonna do.

Anyone know any other ways of getting the bearings out and installing them correctly?I have seen the tools,doesnt look like much.Wish i could make my own tool that would do the job correctly.

[landon1]

may be cheaper, easier, and maybe even smarter to have a shop do it - that way, if they get one wrong, it's on their dime.

[Smellslike1974]

Ill have to contact the shop that did my valve guides.I would think its easier to put in cam bearing then machining heads.So it may not be that much.Its gonna be a pain having to take the motor there.i wonder if they can switch cam bearings in the back of a truck. jk

[Smellslike1974]

Today me and my dad got most of the engine together.Pistons and all are installed,cam is in,timing gears are on,The heads would have been torqued but i need an adapter for the wrench because the sockets too big to fit between the new springs...


All this time going through minor setbacks and now I'm waiting because of an adapter!

[Smellslike1974]

*see first page*

[Smellslike1974]

2 days ago I sprayed primer on my intake and exhaust manifolds.So far I'm not sure if i want them yellow.I may leave them primer,or at least the manifolds primed..Everyone is saying black,and also the valve covers black but I'm not trying to make my 318 into a bumble bee.

Today I was out there painting my valve covers,timing cover and water pump.



Tomorrow I have to oil my new lifters,clean my push rods up,rockers,fuel pump,my brackets,alternator,starter,ac unit.I also want to go over my engine bay and pray some black on the k member.Then figure out where some other firewall stuff goes.there plenty of little things I cant rmember right now.

But....If I get everything done before the weekend.There is a good chance my engine will be In ready to break in.

[Smellslike1974]

*see first page*

[72 RR fan]

Yea, I wouldn't do the bumble bee colors either. The yellow by itself will pop. Once you get the accesories on it, there will be some contrast in colors. Looks good

[Smellslike1974]

Thanks!

Before we put the intake on.(and dont bother telling me about the dreadful intake gaskets,i made sure i sealed them good.)

[carman]

Hey there looks like you are doing a good job but one thing i see in your last pic is that you have no cam break in lube on that cam.Not telling you what to do but with all that hard work the last thing you want to do is wipe a lobe off that cam on break in.Also make sure you use a zink additive to the oil also helps the cam live.here is a pic of a cam in a motor i doing for a friend of mine.Also here is some of the assembley lubes i use.

[Smellslike1974]

I did put lube on it.the lube lunati gave me with the cam,may not look like it but its on there.may have just more on one side then the other.

[Smellslike1974]

Spent 13 hours on the car today.Everything's hooked up besides coil and gas line.

We planned on starting it for the first time tomorrow but my radiator decided to spit all the antifreeze out.Has a quarter size hole in it.Now I need to find a radiator! i went back at my lebaron and its a totally different radiator,trans cables and all.

jeg,nothing lower than 600
summit has some for around 300

my search continues.

[landon1]

if you like to fabricate mounts, i just bought a universal griffin aluminum chevy radiator for ~$200, made mounts of aluminum with rubber insulators, then made my own lower radiator hose - top one is still for a 318 '71 satellite.

[Smellslike1974]

Ill keep that in mind.Im still looking around seeing whose cheaper.I was at a swap meet today and they had a radiator for 50 bucks,stock,worse then mine.It figures.

[Smellslike1974]

Just for the hell of it i went back to my lebaron again,undid the fan shroud and it turns out it IS the same radiator as my satellite!Now i thought it was before,but with the shroud in the way i thought i saw trans lines attached some wheres else and thought it was smaller,but no .So I took the radiator out,its in perfect shape,was clean inside too.Right now I have a gloss black drying on it,ill install it later and do my engine break in when my dad gets home.

But on another note.RIP Lebaron,Its basically a parts car now.


I thank you Mopar gods.