tech
Tech Help & Other Goodies
This is a page of info I have collected off the web. This format is designed for printing.
Tech Tips
Replacement Parts from Other Makes or Models
Windshield washer pump for 64-65 Mustang is a good match for the 64-66 A-body pump. Bolt locations may be slightly different, but base from original pump can be swapped. Link
Hood to cowl seal for 63-64 Ford Fairlane / Mercury Meteor it is the same length and almost the same width(1/16-1/8" very small) as the factory Barracuda seal. The fasteners are not in the same spaces, but the first and last hole are. The Ford fasteners are a little bigger. Basically, if you are not afraid to drill a few holes that no one will ever see, you can save $30 with this seal. C3OZ-16740-A
Ball and trunnion boot can be made from a VW Split Swing Axle Boot. Link
Need to repair the fresh air inlet on your early A-body? If you do not want to cut open the cowl you make the repair, a 65-68 Mustang Cowl Repair Kit will help fix the problem. Kit includes sleeves, sealant, and instructions. Provides a watertight repair for this trouble area. Link
Chrome or black Windshield Lock Strip from a 73-90 Chevy/GMC full size truck or Blazer fits the 64-66 A-body windshield and rear glass gasket. Link
In need of Rocker Molding Clips for your early A? Universal trim to fit molding clips are $0.60 each verses $5 each for repop originals Link
I have read that Chevy S10 Windlace is a cheaper alternitive for 64-66 A-bodies
Roger K of the EVBC found LED bulbs to make the dash light brighter. Link
Dash defrost vents from 73-80 Dodge truck and vans are the same at the 63-66 A-Body as well as the vent hoses. Part number may be L716DX9 for the vent.
Windshield Washer Bag (or Jiffy Jet Bag) for a 66 Mustang can be used to replace or add to your 62-64 A-body. Using Goo-Gone you can remove the Ford logo. Try to find one with a white back for the most original looking bag. Link
Speedometer cables can be expensive for the early A bodies. If your housing is in good shape, try a core cable kit to replace the worn or kinked inner cable. Don't forget to lube your new cable with graphite. Link
Need Division Bar Lining for the front track of your early A's door windows? Hightechglazing.com sells it for 1/4 of the automotive restoration warehouse
Common Repairs
Most mechanics will replace the electronic ignition system, complaining bitterly about Chrysler electronics. This is a good indicator that you need a different mechanic. (The ballast resistor is a white piece of ceramic mounted to the firewall near the windshield wiper motor. There are two sets of wires going into it. This is some feedback we received:
Just wanted to tell you that replacing the resistor was in fact easy, and was the problem. I'm wheeled again, for only $6.50. And if it weren't for your page, I'd have spent $50 for a tow, and maybe $50 labor on top of $6.50 parts...One thrilling instance of the Net actually doing someone some good. Thanks again. (from Alec Dinwoodie)
How do you know if you need a new ballast resistor? Your car won't start -- it will crank but as soon as you take the key off START and let it fall to RUN, it will stop.
Also unknown to most mechanics is the crankcase ventilation system and the crankcase inlet air cleaner, an extremely important part which must be cleaned once a year (unless you like blue smoke, in which case I suggest you buy a used Ford Escort or a Chevy 305).
The biggest problems with the Valiant were rust in the rear quarter panels due to a bad weld and water leaks through the dashboard (curable by taking the steps in this link). These led one columnist to comment that the Dart's combination of water leaks and unkillable drivetrains led thousands of people to drive around with wet feet.
A report on fixing electrical problems is at the end of this link. It includes a reference to Stan Martin's guide to alternator upgrades. Another site, AllPar, has a guide to upgrading cars with points to electronic ignition. For the many people who would prefer to keep their points, at least for a while, but do not know how to replace or gap them, we have a step by step guide here.
Wet weather stalling and idle problems can be fixed by using a high quality distributor cap and rotor (Mopar or Blue Streak), distributor cap gasket (Standard PN AL-483G), silicone covered lifetime-warranty wires, and by putting weather-strip foam over the ignition and voltage regular modules.
If you find your windshield wipers only work when dry, try putting window foam tape over the wiper motor to keep the water out.
RKJGuy@aol.com says: $150 will buy a new weather-stripping kit for ragtop Valiant/Darts. The store is Andy Bernbaum Auto Parts, (614)244-1118. He also suggested Kanter for other parts; they are at (800) 526-1096 (US). Mention code W615-HMN56 and get a free (usually $3) catalog!!.
Iver Krogh writes that gas gauge failure may actually be due to loss of the ground strap clipped between the gas level sending unit outlet and the steel fuel line on the frame.
A common problem on slant-six equipped cars is exhaust manifold cracking. Wes Moeller suggested getting a Dutra Dual Exhaust Manifold. He casts new manifolds for the first three cylinders, then you modify a stock exhaust manifold by cutting off the front leg in front of the outlet and capping the opening. "This way you can have dual exhaust by having a muffler shop adding just one pipe, or just run a short pipe from the new front manifold into the existing pipe. Even though the exhaust manifold you have now is cracked, you still might be able to use it. Doug Dutra can explain it to you better than I can."
Many of us have found that our automatic-equipped Valiants (and other cars!) would not start in Park sometimes, but needed to be switched over to Neutral. Bill Watson suggested two possibilities: the shifter linkage might be out of adjustment, very slightly.
The linkage from your steering column attaches to an "arm" that sticks out from the tranny on the driver's side. Get under the car while someone moves the gearshift linkage. This way you will be able to determine which way it goes when you put it into park.
What you do is place the car in park, loosen the bolts to the "arm", push the arm all the way in the direction park is engaged. Then push your gear level all the over the left - as far into "P" as it will go. Then tighten everything up.
The problem could also be the neutral safety switch, if it will not start at all:
As for finding the neutral safety switch, there will be a small wire attached to your starter solenoid that leads down under the floor toward the transmission. Follow this wire. You will find the neutral safety switch at the other end of it.
Gage Rage
Go here Gage Rage
Elecrtical Diagrams
Water Leaks
Windshield wiper pivot arms-
The rubber water seals surrounding the windshield wiper pivot shafts may dry-rot enough to let water come through the shaft holes, dribbling down wherever it desires floor. These parts are not available from Chrysler but a replacement kit is advertised in Harden's Muscle Car catalog; it is an inexpensive kit which comes with new gaskets for the inside of the pivot mounts and some caulk strips. The procedure requires the removal of the shafts and arm assemblies which is a bit of work, but it was well worth it!
The kit was made by Schumacher Creative Services in Seattle.
Plugged Cowl Drains-
Between the hood and the base of the windshield is a little grille (which is also present on most modern cars. This is the cowl. Keep it clean of leaves and other trash. The cowl is used to bring air into your heater and a/c system (HVAC). If the drains are not kept clear, water may sit there and cause rust and worse problems.
Other Areas-
If it not from the wind shield it is from the dash to cowl side (fire wall to side panel) the only way to find it
is just close the car up and stand on your head with a flash light and look for the drips to start. When you find it do not bother with any type of cheap sealer like something from the hardware store. You will need something that will bond with the area you put it in. The dealers have good material for that.
Discs
Reprinted from: http://www.geocities.com/steve.knickerbocker/indextemp.html
Be careful on your choice of discs as MoPar went from the old 5 on 4 inch bolt pattern to the more
common 5 on 4.5 inch bolt pattern at the end of the 72 model year.
Early style discs (pre 73)
This disc brake setup has the 5 on 4 inch bolt pattern. All of you who wish to keep this pattern
listen up. Basically, you will need to find a 72 or earlier A or E body donor with factory discs.
Again, everything between the ball joints will need to be swapped. That's it! this is good for those
of you who wish to keep the 5 on 4 inch pattern. The down side is that there are very few
aftermarket rims out there to fit this pattern. The problem with this approach is the fact that these
parts are real pricey if you have to replace anything, save bearings and seals. They work well and
will allow you to maintain the "stock" look and your current rims.
Late style discs (post 72)
This disc brake setup uses the more common 5 on 4.5 inch bolt pattern. This is a bolt on swap for
any A body. You will have two options for rotor size, 10.87" and 11.75" rotors. The larger rotor
requires the use of 15 inch rims minimum.
Small rotor swap
Swapping in the small rotors is extremely easy. Find any 73 and newer A or E body. Use everything between , and including, the ball joints. If the disc brake ball joints won't fit in your control arms (a rare occurrence but does occur in some cases) the get the control arms as well, A body only here. Install above parts into your A body and it's done.
Large rotor swap
Since A bodies didn't come with these rotors, stock, it's slightly more involved. Basically, you will
use everything from the small rotor swap except the rotors and the caliper adapters. You will need
to use the bigger rotors, obviously. These rotors can be found on a horde of mid to late 70's B and
C body cars. Grab the caliper adapters and calipers, if different than your current calipers, off the
rotor donor. Install these in place of the smaller rotors and caliper adapters. You must use 15 inch
rims for this swap.
Calipers
There are two types of calipers you may use in this swap, sliders and pin type calipers. Either type
can be used with either rotor size. The difference is in the adapters. The slider type caliper can be
identified by the fact that it rides in a groove machined into the caliper adapter. The pin type can
be identified by the fact that the caliper rides on a pair of pins. Some people feel the pin type is less
prone to sticking. I prefer the slider type and have had no problems with sticky calipers. The key is
to install them by carefully following the Factory Service Manual, get one. Do not try to use the
pre 73 calipers in this swap as they won't work without serious fabrication. The pre 73 calipers are
of the four piston design whereas all the post 72 calipers are of a single piston design.
Caliper Adapters
There are four different caliper adapters available. They can be broken down into two groups,
adapters for the slider calipers and adapters for the pin type calipers. There are two different slider
adapters, one for the small rotor and one for the large rotor. There are two different pin adapters,
one for the small rotor and one for the large rotor. Pay attention and get the right set. It would be
wise to grab the rotors, calipers and adapters off the same donor if at all possible.
Adjusting brake biasing
For your safety your front brakes should always lock up before your rear brakes. If your rear
brakes lock up first you could be in big trouble as your rear end will tend to come around on you.
To compensate for this you could run larger bore calipers in the front, smaller bore wheel cylinders
in the rear, or get an adjustable proportioning valve. The easiest, and most cost effective would be
the adjustable proportioning valve. They tend to run around $40 mail order. If you convert from
drums to discs use the metering valve off the disc donor car. This will ensure that your brakes,
front to rear, are applied evenly.
Safety Considerations
Since your life could depend on the ability of your brakes to function correctly you must be
careful. Using parts "as is" out of a junkyard is asking for it. Replace all brake hoses with new,
period. Turn your rotors or drums, rebuild yourself or buy NEW, not rebuilt, calipers, wheel
cylinders and master cylinders. Replacing the pads, wheel bearings and seals is another good idea.
One thing to keep in mind is that, while they work, organic pads are at the bottom end of the
performance spectrum. Installing a set of quality semi-metallic pads will improve braking
performance. Fully metallic pads are a no-no on the street, they tend to perform poorly till warmed
up.
Some New info I Read Recently Tells Me That On 1973 & Up Donar Car Disc Brake Swaps, You Will Need The Upper Control Arm With Ball joint & The Lower Ball Joint. The Lower Ball Joint Should Fit Your Existing lower Control Arm
Upgrade your 8.25" rear axle to discs.
From some reading, it seems that the A-body 8.25" (8 1/4) axle can be upgraded to rear discs using parts from a 93-98 Grand Cherokee.
Find a doner Grand Cherokee with a 8.25 or a Dana 35 (some mods will be needed for the Dana backing plate to fit the 8.25) and get the backing plate, calipers(cores), rotors, proportioning valeve and all the brake hardware. Note, you should never reuse calipers or softlines, but you can use this for test fits and the calipers can be traded in for a core charge.
Once you have all your parts, remove the drums and inspection plate from your 8.25. Remove all the hardware and axles. Unbolt the drum dust cover and replace with the disc sheild. Reinstall your axles and the other disc hardware the opposite of how you removed them off the donor Jeep.
More detail, but related to Jeep swaps. Most all info translates to the A-body 8.25 also.
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/zj-disk-install-c8-25-functional-e-brake-920103/
http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/rear-zj-disc-brakes-cherokee-xj-chrysler-8-25-a-57807/
Mopar Brake and Suspension.
65-72 A-body w/10x2.25" drums to 5x4" Kelsey Hayes discs (66-72 A-body)
what follows are the results of your request. Parts noted with a "(used)" notation indicate parts that can only be obtained in
salvage yards. Parts noted with a "(rare)" notation indicate parts that are difficult to find. In most cases, these difficult to find
parts are expensive (both to purchase and in some cases, to have rebuilt).
· 66-72 A-body disc spindles (used) (rare)
· 66-72 A-body disc lower ball joint
· 66-72 A-body Kelsey Hayes disc spindle (used) (rare)
· 66-72 A-body Kelsey Hayes disc rotor and caliper (rare)
When swapping from drum to disk, a disk brake master cylinder (MC) and proportioning valve is required. available options:
· Use a cast iron unit or use a light weight aluminum unit from a late 70's-current RWD car. the aluminum unit requires a Mopar
Performance adapter (or one can be fabricated) to mate the later 2 bolt flange to the 4 bolt flangeof the 60's and 70's. For best performance, use a power brake MC where you have a power brake booster and use a manual MC where you have manual brakes ( don't use a manual MC on a power booster).
· You have various options with the proportioning valve (or metering block). A stock mopar disk brake proportioning valve can be used. These should be termed "combo" valves because they combined three functions: proportioning to the rear brakes, hold-off valve to to operate the rear brakes first, and a safety valve to isolate lines with leaks. The other option is to use a drum brake metering block and adjustable proportioning valve (like the ones available new from Wilwood) plumbed into the rear brake line.
Switching to a Dual Master Cylinder
It is no big deal. If you have worked on brakes before and can take your time and be contentious, here are the steps and parts required:
Get a '67 up all drum M/C, and use your push rod with it. To convert to power, get the booster and M/C from a car in the junkyard. Make sure the booster has the same bolt pattern as your old master cylinder and that the push rod for the booster is about the same length as your old push rod. Look for another A-body around the same year as yours is. Power brakes were an option on some years, but I don't know when they started.
You will have to flare your own lines because the tube nuts needed for the master cylinder are an odd size and you will have trouble getting pre-flared lines with those nuts on them (be sure and double-flare)
Both lines are about 20" long, and need to follow the contour of the original single line. Both will be 3/16 instead of ¼
The tube nut on the far end of the front brake line needs to have 7/16 inch threads but a 3/16 bore to match up with the old 4-way brake union that will be used only for the front brakes in this conversion.
Get a 3/16 flare plug(3/8 threads), and disconnect the rear brake line from the 4-way union down near the left front sub-frame stub. Put the plug where the rear line went to, and buy a union to join the male end of the old rear brake line to the male end of the new line that you made to go from the front fitting(for the rear brakes) on the new master cylinder. You will have to bend the old rear brake line up to match the angle of the new line.
Join those two, and disconnect the old 1/4 inch line from the top of the main union that the rear and front lines ran to. Attach the new line that you made for the rear port on the new master cylinder to the place where the old 1/4 line went to. This is the line that needs to have the 7/16 thread, 3/16 bore tube nut on the end.
Bleed and check everything for leaks and hit the road!
Here are the parts you need:
· '67 to '72 (maybe later) all drum, non-power master cylinder
· 40" (Approx) 3/16 brake line tubing (STEEL ONLY!)
· 1/2" thread, 3/16 tube nut
· 9/16" thread, 3/16 tube nut (on some M/C this is also 1/2" -measure 1st)
· 7/16" thread, 3/16 tube nut
· 3/8" thread 3/16 tube nut (standard size)
· 3/8" thread flare plug
· 3/8" thread flare union
Replacing and Gapping Points
Your points, once set, should be good for trouble-free operation for at least a year, and most likely more. It's nice every couple times a year to adjust em- and it's not hard, the tools aren't expensive. yeah, you'll probably get a handful more horsepower with electronic ignition, but for me part of the fun of old cars is dealing with the old technology. Course, it depends if this is your resto ride, or your custom street machine, or all ways in between. However, if you want to save the $$$ and set your own points, here's how to do it:
You'll need a set of point gappers, which are the same as spark plug gappers but a thinner size- Mopar plugs are gapped at .035, while points are .020 for /6 and .017 for all V8s. You can get a gapper at any parts store for maybe five bucks- it's just a set of little pieces of metal of the right size to stick in there. You need the kind that are a thin strip of metal- the disk kind you can use for plugs won't work because you can't fit it down in there.
Replace the points by popping the side clips on the distributor cap and pulling the cap off, being sure not to knock the wires loose. The points are held down by a single screw (large regular screwdriver) which you don't want to drop down in the distributor. (this is why I keep a magnet in my toolbox.) There's a wire from the coil which attaches to the points with another screw.
Once you get the old points out, be sure you've lubricated the new points by soaking the little felt wick on better points, or just putting a smear of points grease on the little plastic piece that rests on the central shaft. Bettr points usually come with a tube of this grease. By the way, when buying the points you usually get a choice of the 1.99 kind or the eight dollar kind (or some such price). Always get the better ones- cheap points are no bargain, and good ones aren't expensive compared to the performance they give.. (cheap points have lightweight springs which can behave unpredictably at high rpms)
Attach the wire, and bolt the new points down barely snugly. Now you need to set the point gap. turn the central shaft (by turning the fan by hand, or by bumping the starter motor a second) so the lump on the central shaft is pushing directly on the points- in other words, when the points are at maximum opening.
You can adjust the point gap by loosening the hold down screw until it's just barely loose. notice there's a slot for sticking a screwdriver into the points frame, so by twisting, you can move the points frame to slightly open or close the gap. Use the gapper to measure the distance.
Adjust the gap to .020 for /6s or .017 for V8s. This will get it in the right ballpark, enough to make the car run, and in fact, good enough. If you want o adjust it more exactly and get that much better performance, you'll need a dwell meter. This you can get at any discount auto place. This is an electrical meter with two clips- connect one to the wire that goes between the coil and the distributor, the other to the ground. When you crank the starter (it doesn't have to start) you should be able to read the dwell angle on the meter- it should be 40-45 for /6s and in the 27-34 range for V8s (check specs for your particular V8).
What dwell angle means is the angle of rotation of that central shaft in which the points are CLOSED. So... if your dwell is too low, make the gap smaller. If too high, make it bigger. You can check it with the meter and fine-adjust it far better than you can with a gapper tool- and this will give you the best performance. If you are on the cheap, though, don't sweat it.
When it's right, tighten that hold down screw snugly, and then check the gap one more time- it's easy to get it out of whack when you tighten it.
Put the rotor and cap back on. (I'm embarrassed to say how many times I forget to replace the rotor, and funny how the car suddenly won't start.)
One more thing: if you change the point gap, you have to check the timing- because changing the gap changes the point in the shaft's rotation in which the plug fires. So get out your timing light, clip the #1 (front on /6) plug wire, smear a white crayon on that thin line on the harmonic balancer, disconnect and plug the vacuum advance hose between the carb and distributor, and fire it up. I believe your /6 '72 Scamp should be timed at Top Dead Center, but my book only goes to '71. E-mail me if you can't find a spec (your auto parts store should be able to look it up if you don't have a book) or if anyone else wants specs for older stuff, let me know. Anyway, you set the timing by loosening the hold down bolt way down at the bottom of the distributor, then by gently rotating the distributor until the timing light shows the mark where it should be on the little scale. Tighten it down, reconnect the advance, and yer good to go.
All this is much easier than it sounds one you've done it a time or two. This plus a fresh set of plugs, and you've got your tune-up.
Fast Ratio Steering
There Are Two Ways To Update Your Steering. First, You Could Change The Pitman Arm, Second, You Could Overhaul Your Box To Fast Ratio. Lets Take A Look At The Pitman Arm Swap.
To Have "Fast Ratio" Steering, You Need Longer Pitman & Corresponding Ideler Arms As Those On The TA/AAR Cars Of Trams Am Fame. As These Parts For These Cars Are Not Made Any More By Ma MoPar, It Seemed That This Upgrade Was Futile.
Recently, Just Suspension Has introduced A Fast Linkage Kit Including The Pitman & Idlerarms. This Is a Bolt In Upgrade. The Only setback for Early A Body Owners Is The output Shaft Diameter Of The Early Box. This Box Has A small Diameter Shaft & The Kit Is Designed For The Larger Shaft Boxes Used After 1973.This is Also A bolt In Item So No Problems There.
The Only Thing Left To Modify Is The Internals Of The Box. The TA/AAR Cars Had Different Internal Turn Or Bump Stops To Keep You From Over Turning The Steering. If you Install The kit To your Box, Be Careful Turning In Parking Lots Or Parking The Car. There Are Places That Can Alter The Box To The Correct Bump Stops If Necessary.
Second way Requires Replacing The Wormshaft In The Box. Firm Feel Has Come Up With A Faster Ratio Worm Shaft. Virtually Any Manual Box You Find Will Be 24:1 Ratio. The Firm Feel Unit Has A 16:1 Ratio. If You Have A slant 6 Car You Might Want To Get A 8 Cyl Box. The /6 Box Had Bushings, Not Bearings, Which Are No Longer Available. You Can Put The New Worm Gear In The /6 Box.
With This Upgrade There Is No Pitman/Idler Arm Swaps Needed & The Bumpstops Are Incorporated in The Worm Gear.
Can Get The Complete Rebuild In The Feb 1999 Issue Of MoPar Action
Suspension Rebuilding
Now That You Know How To Make Your Car Stop Better, Here's How To Make It Handle Better.
Lets Start With Tires & Wheels. Simply Upgrading From 13in Rims To 14in Or 15in Rims & The Correct Tires To Fit The Wheel Wells Will Improve Handling Greatly. The Original Tire/Rim Combo Has A Large Sidewall Tire That Will Flex Excessively During Cornering. The Idea Is To Have Short Sidewall Tires & Larger Diameter Rims Achieve This.
Springs Control The Ride Height Of A Car, Not The Shocks. If Your Rear Springs Are Weak, Replace Them. If The Torsion Bars Sag, Don't Just Turn Them Up. Install Heavy Duty Bars For Improved Handling. With The Springs In Good Shape, Lower The Car Approx. 1 1/2 to 2 inches. This Is Done By Adjusting The Torsion Bars In The Front & By Using Lowering Blocks In The Rear. This Lowers The Cars Center Of Gravity, Thus Making It Handle Better. Good Gas Shocks Are A Must. Adjustable Shocks Are A Good Idea Too.
Most Of The 64 to 66 Barracudas & Valiants Didn't Get Anti-Sway Bars, So Adding One To The Car Is A Must. Install A Front Anti-Sway First Keeping The Diameter At Approx. 1 in to 1 1/8 in. Install A Rear Bar With A Smaller Diameter Than The Front Bar. Also Using Polyurethane Link Bushings Instead Of Rubber Will Increase The Anti-Sway Bars Effectiveness.
Check The Front End Pieces. Replace All Worn Parts(Ball Joints, Tie Rod Ends, etc..) & Check the Steering Box For Excessive Play. If Everything Is OK, Then Install Polygraphite Control Arm Bushings. Polyurethane Will Squeak While Driving & Even Though You Can Install Grease Fittings To These Bushings, Polygraphite Is Self Lubricating. These Bushings Won't Have Much Deflection As The Original Rubber Ones Deflect A Lot
By Making One Or All These Upgrades, The Handling Of Your Car Will Greatly Improve. You May Not Be Able To Out Corner That Porsche, But You Might Take That Camaro!
More Suspension
If you need new leaf springs (sagging rear suspension), try Performance Suspension Technology (1.800.247.2288), Kanter Auto Parts (800-526-1096), or The Paddock (1.800.428.4319) (thanks, EmpireMR@aol.com, who also suggests replacing the torsion bars for a handling upgrade). You may also want to follow Stephen W. Coleman's <scolema4@ford.com> advice to look up Detroit Spring, near Troy, Michigan. Kanter sells new leaf springs at $350/pair or coil-over booster shocks, which may help do the same job, at $90/pair.
If you have a sagging front suspension on a 1970s A-body, try adjusting the front torsion bars. There is an adjustment bolt in each lower control arm. You may need to use heat, penetrating oil, and a big bar (ss80xt@worldnet.att.net). Chris Jardine adds that:
Many late 60's and early 70's A-body Chrysler products had a problem with the rear mount for the torsion bar. Water collects in the channel and rust occurs. After a decade or so the channel that the mount is welded into rusts through and the mount twists and that side of the car falls onto the rebounce (sp?) bumper. If this is what happened you will need to find a local frame/suspension/alignment shop that has someone who has welded in new material to replace the rusted stuff and then realign the ride height when done.
Paul Clark wrote:
(Responding to a post about a very visible angle to the front wheels, which was only helped a little by replacing the ball joints)
Yes, this angle is probably caused by a worn upper control arm (UCA) bushing or two. It's hard to detect this with the 'jiggle test', because unlike tie rods, ball joints, and pitman arms, the preload of the front springs keeps them too tight to budge by hand even if there's a half inch of play on 'em. I had this problem with my '64 GT too. You can often see it though by putting the car on a jackstand and then putting a jack under the lower control arm. As you jack it up, the pivot point (inner part of upper control arm) should pivot but not shift; often it gets so bad that the rubber bushing is completely gone in there and you're running metal on metal. You can also see this because the bolt that goes through the UCA is no longer centered because the bushing is gone. If you can see a visible tilt to the wheel, as you describe, this is probably the case. If you can see shiny silver on the pivot bolt, your bushings are shot.
To repair this, you have to pull the upper control arms, which is easy enough (jack the car up, remove the wheel, pop the upper ball joint with a pickle fork, and remove the bolt that UCA pivots on) but the hard part is getting the old bushing out of the UCA. The 'regular' way to do it is with a hydraulic press (at your local machine shop), though I've heard enough stories of people who figured out how to do it using a vice or some kind of jig with a hydraulic jack, and using pieces of pipe or sockets as fittings.
The cheap and dirty way is to get a whole new UCA with decent bushings from your local salvage yard. AFAIK all A-bodies, at least 63 and up, interchange. In fact, I have a pile of extras lying around in my garage- you can have one for free if you stop by in person :) I expect the cost of shipping one is more than the cost of a junkyard piece. Note that if you do this, the left and right side aren't interchangeable- they're mirror images of each other.
If you do the 'correct' fix and replace the bushings, you'll need two for each side, and if you're going to all that trouble, you might consider upgrading polyurethane bushings, which are much stiffer and give a firmer, more stable ride. One brand (PST) calls theirs 'polygraphite', which just means they impregnate the polyurethane with graphite for lubrication and increased life. Bushings aren't terribly expensive- I seem to recall the 10-20$ range each, though don't take my word for it. The improvement in your handling will be spectacular!
Lower Control Arm bushings seem to wear out less frequently, which is good because they're more hassle to replace- but I'll leave that description to others, cause I haven't done it (yet.) It usually involves burning out the old bushing and, such, and you have to remove the t-bars to get to them.
Carburetors & Tuning
There Were So Many Types Of Carburetors Used By Chrysler On The Slant 6 & V8 Engines That I Can't Possibly Give Specific Info On Each Carb. You Should Get A Service Manual For That. I CAN Give Some Insight Into Rebuilding Them.
You Need To First Identify Your Carb. It May Be A Holly, Carter, Ball & Ball, etc...Just Look At The Carb Body Itself. Most Carbs Had A Tag Attached To It With All The Important Info You Need To Order A Rebuild Kit. If Not, Write Down Any Name & Numbers You Can Find On The Carb. All Info Will Be Useful.
Be Sure To Get a Complete Kit. Some Kits Don't Come With Floats & Need To Be Purchased Seperately. Get a Few Cans Of Brand Name Carb Spray. If You Feel The Need, Some Parts Stores Sell Carb Cleaner In 1 Gallon Cans with A Handy Tray Inside.
OK, So You Got Your Rebuild Kit, Your Floats, Your Carb Spray, Your Can 'O Cleaner & Your Carb In Your Hand Leaking Gas Down Your Arm, What’s Next? Make a Note Of How All The Linkages Are Set & How They Go Together. Take a Picture. Draw A Picture. Some Linkages Have Different Holes To Put Them In. Take Note Now So You Have Less Trouble Later.
Now Take The Carb Apart Carefully One Step At A Time. Watch Out For Spring Loaded Screws With Check Balls Behind Them. If You Miss Where They Came Out Of You Will Have problems.
Now That You Have It In Many Pieces, You Can Put The Main Body Of The Carb in Your Bucket 'O Cleaner For An Hour or So To Soak Or Clean Every Passage With The Spray. Even If You Soak The Carb, You Will Have To Spray All Passages To Clear Them Of Debris & Varnish.
Clean All The Little Pieces Too. Make Sure All The Passages in The Throttle Plate Are Clear. Check The Air Horn Passages. Check All The Shafts That Pass Through The Carb. If They Have Too Much Play It Translates Into A Vacuum Leak.
By This Time You Have Already Opened Your Kit & Most Of The Parts Look Familiar. Once You Have The Carb Clean You Can Start Reassembling The Carb In Reverse Order You Took It Apart. Check The Manual You Bought With The Specs In It To Correctly Set The Float Level.
Also By Now You Know Where The Fast Idle Cam Is & The Base Idle Setting & The Air Mixture Screws Are. Once You Have The Carb Assembled & Reinstalled, All These Will Need To Be Adjusted. To Baseline Set The Air Mixture Screws, Turn Them In Until They Bottom Out, Then Turn Them Out One & One Half Turn. Don’t Turn Them In Too Tight. Gently Until You Feel It Hit, Then Back It Off.
The Base Idle Screw. Turn It Down Until It Starts To Move The Linkage, Then Stop. Close The Choke Butterfly & Make Sure The Fast Idle Screw Is On The Highest Step. Now Start The Car. You May Have To Adjust The Base Idle Screw Until The Engine Stays Running. Check For Any Fuel Leaks. After The engine Is Warmed Up, Make Sure The Choke Is Off & Set The Base Idle To The Spec In Your Book.
Now For The Mixture Screws. Turn Them Out Some. Then Turn Them In Until The Idle Starts To Get A Little Rough, Then Back It Off Until The Idle Smoothes. Double Check Your Timing At This Time. Adjust It If Necessary & Adjust The Base Idle If Necessary.
Shut Off The Engine & Wait For It To Cool Down. Set The Choke. Make Sure The Fast Idle Screw Is On The Highest Step On The Cam. Start The Engine & Set The Fast Idle To Spec.
If You Have Made It This Far & Your Engine Runs Smooth As A Kitten, Then Congratulations!! If Your Engine Runs Better, But Not Smooth, Your Carb May Have Internal Problems That a Overhaul Can't Fix & Replacement Is The Only Option. If Your Car Doesn’t Run At All Or Pours Clouds Of Smoke, Re-read This Article & Start Again.
Remember, Get A Manual! The Instructions In The Kit Are Guidelines. So Is This Article. The Manual Has Photos To Help The Novice Do a Good Job. I’m An ASE Certified Auto Technician & I Always Use The Manual Just So I Don't Forget Something. Follow The Book & The Tips I Have Here & Your Overhaul Has A Good Chance Of Success.
Valve Adjustment
by Daniel "/6 Dan" Stern
The FSM procedure for adjusting the tappet clearance is STUPID!!! They make it seem ten times harder than necessary. I have 2 pet methods.
METHOD 1, I think is the best.
You will need a 0.010" and 0.020" valve clearance feeler gauge, the kind that's bent at the end, broader and longer than the ignition type. Also a 7/16 wrench (to remove the valve cover) and a 3/8" wrench, to adjust the tappets. I use a 3/8 drive, 3/8" socket wrench to adjust the tappets--a 3/8" box/open end wrench is too short for good leverage.
Warm the car up THOROUGHLY (on the highway, ten miles or more. Idling in the driveway will NOT do the job.) Shut down, pop the valve cover. Now--start the engine again. Adjust the carbureter idle speed and mixture screws until it's idling slowly but consistently. (plugging the PCV valve with a piece of duct tape will slow it way down.) You want it idling on all cylinders, but as slowly as possible.
Now, before you start, notice that in the center of the engine, there are two intakes side-by-side. The order is E-I-E-I-E-I-I-E-I-E-I-E. Put your socket wrench on the first (frontmost) valve, and get used to the wrench jerking up and down. Just hold it loosely. Select the 0.020" feeler gauge, and slip it between the end of the rocker arm and the top of the valve stem. Each time the valve opens, the feeler gauge will be clamped tightly between rocker and stem. While the valve is closed, you will be able to slide the gauge in and out. You want a slide-fit, which is tighter than a loose slip-fit, but looser than a tight friction fit. Moving the gauge in-and-out rapidly in time with the valve opening and closing is a good way to do it. Don't try to get it spot-on. . .just get it close. Next, move to the intake valve to the left of the exhaust. Repeat the procedure, but use the 0.010" gauge. You want the same kind of fit. If it will be easier, go ahead and do ALL the intakes (with the 0.010) and then ALL the exhausts (with the 0.020) .
Now, after you've done them all, go back and do them again. You will find that some of them (most of them) are not as perfect as you had thought. The above sounds arduous, but I can do 4 or 5 of these cycles in a leisurely 45 minutes. Spend the extra time--it's worth it. Too loose by a few thousandths--doesn't matter. Engine may even idle a bit smoother. Too tight--by ANY AMOUNT--will burn valves and cost power and gas mileage.
METHOD 2: if for some reason you don't want to do it running. This is not as accurate as the above, but is as accurate as the shop manual method. Get the same 0.010 and 0.020 gauges, but also buy a CHEAP distributor cap. Wells makes cheap ones. Cut off all six towers. Punch-out the aluminum inserts. Widen each of the six holes. Now, with the engine running, (with the real distributor cap, not this dummy one!) set ignition timing at idle to ZERO (i.e. TDC). This is after having warmed up the engine on the highway as above. With the valve cover off and the engine shut down, snap-on your new dummy distributor cap. Now just turn the fan so that you can see the rotor under hole number one, and adjust the frontmost 2 valves. (look at the manifolds to see which valve you're adjusting.) Turn the fan so it's pointing to the next hole. If the rotor moves CLOCKWISE, the order is 1-5-3-6-2-4. If it moves COUNTER CLOCKWISE the order is 1-4-2-6-3-5. 1 is frontmost, 6 is rearmost. work fast so the engine doesn't cool down too much. Either way works, I just like the first way better and I get better results with it.
BTW--before you adjust the valves, use a spray can of Gumout and a copper wire to probe and clean the hole in the end of each rocker arm (at the valve end.)
Fuel System Upgrades
This Upgrade Will Improve Fuel Delivery If You Choose A Bigger Carb Or Fuel Injection.
Most Early Car Have 5/16" Fuel Lines. You Need To Replace Them With 3/8" Fuel Lines.
That’s The Easy Part. Now You Have To Remove The Fuel Tank Sending Unit & Replace The Pickup Tube. I Don't Know If A Sending Unit Is Available For The Early A Bodies With The Larger Tube. If You Find One, Use It. If Not, You Have To Swap The Tube.
Once You Have The Sending Unit Removed, You Need To Take Some Measurements Of The Sending Unit To Get The Bends Right & The Rheostat In The Correct Position On The New Tube. Carefully Remove The Rheostat From The Old Tube. Cut The Tube Off At The Inside of The Bulkhead Fitting. Use A Propane Torch To Melt The Solder & Twist The Tube Out
After The Tube Is Out Of The Flange, Take A Tapered, Round Punch & Carefully Widen The Holes. DON’T DRILL IT! You Need To Leave The Swedged Surface So The Solder Will Stick & Seal The Tube. Make The hole Just Large Enough To Push The Tube Through With Some Resistance.
Take Your New Tube & Put A Flare On The End Using Your Double Flaring Tool. Perform Only The First Step Of A Double Flare To Form A Barbed End. Then Make The 90 Degree Bend & Slip The Tube Through The Flange. Finish Duplicating The Bends, Solder The Tube In Place & Tack Weld The Rheostat Back To It's Correct Position.
Put On a New Pickup Filter, Re-Install The Pickup Assembly & The Pluming Part Is Done!
Now For A Part That Scares Some People. Wiring. If You Choose A Electric Fuel Pump, You Need To Correctly Wire It So The Pump Won't Run If The Key Is On But The Engine Is Not Running.
You Will Need A Fuel Pump Relay For A 1976 to 1980 Audi Or Volkswagen. I Selected This Type Of Relay Wiring Because It Is Used With Points Or Electronic Ignition. You Can Get The Relays From Your Local NAPA Parts Store. Part Number FR100 If You Have Points Ignition. Part Number AR 292 If You Have Electronic.
The Relay Has 5 Terminals. Each Terminal Has A Number On It.30,15,31,31B,&87.This Is How To Wire It....
Terminal 30 Goes To A "Hot At All Times" Power Supply.
Terminal 15 Goes To "Key On" Power Supply
Terminal 31 Goes To "Start" On The Ignition Switch
Terminal 31B Goes To The Negative Side Of The Coil
Terminal 87 Goes To The Positive Side Of The Electric Fuel Pump
I Would Mount The Relay Under The Dash To Keep It Safe From The Elements.
You Might Want To Contact Your Local VW Dealer To See If A Pigtail Connector Is Available For The Fuel Pump Relay. This Will Greatly Simplify The Installation.
This Setup Will Only Supply Power To The Pump If The Key Is In The Crank Position Or The Key Is In The Run Position WITH The Engine Running. This is The CORRECT Way To Wire A Electric Fuel Pump.
Remember, Use Solder To Join Wires & Shrink Wrap To Protect Them. Crimp Connectors & Tape Are For Hacks.
VIN Number Breakdown for 1964-1965
Tag Location: 1964 - 1965 models have the VIN located on a stainless steel plate riveted to the left front door hinge pillar post.
Number of digits in the VIN: 10 total digits, comprised of both numbers and letters.
First Digit or Character: Car Make, can be a number or a letter -
1 = Valiant L6
2 = Belvedere L6 (1964) / Dart L/6 (1965)
3 = Belvedere V8 (1964 / Belvedere L6 (1965)
4 = 330,440, Polara, L6 (1964) / Belvedere L6 (1965)
6 = 330, 440, Polara, Polara 500 V8 (1964)
7 = Dart L6 (1964)
L = Dart V8
R = Belvedere V8 (1965)
V = Valiant V8
W = Coronet V8 (1965)
Second Digit: Series number -
1 = Valiant V100, Dart 170, Belvedere I (1965), Coronet (1965)
3 = Valiant V200, Dart 270, Belvedere II (1965), Coronet 440 (1965)
4 = Valiant Signet, Barracuda (1964), Dart GT, Satellite (1965), Coronet 500 (1965)
5 = Valiant V100 Wagon, Dart 170 Wagon, Belvedere I Wagon (1965), Coronet Wagon (1965)
7 = Valiant V200 Wagon, Dart 270 Wagon, Belvedere II Wagon (1965), Coronet 440 Wagon (1965)
8 = Barracuda (1965), Belvedere taxi (1965), Coronet Taxi (1965)
9 = Belvedere Police (1965), Coronet Police (1965)
0 = Belveder Super Stock (1965), Coronet Super Stock (1965)
Third digit: Model Year - 4 = 1964 and 5 = 1965.
Fourth Digit: Assembly Plant - Chrysler used 6 different plants to assemble 64-65 Dodge and
Plymouths.
1 = Lynch Road, Detroit, MI
2 = Dodge Main, Hamtramck, MI
3 = Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, MI
5 = Los Angeles, CA
6 = Newark, DE
7 = St. Louis, MO
Fifth through Tenth Digits: Sequential production number starting with 100001.
Engine Numbers For Engines Up To 1974
To Find The Engine Number For Slant Six Engines, Check The Passenger Side Of The Block Just Below The Head. For V8 Engines, Check The Drivers Side Front Of The Block Below The Head.
The Engine Number Contains The Build Year & Engine Displacement. It May Contain A Assembly Date. The Assembly Date May Be As Simple As 3-15(march 15th),Or Based On The 10,000 Day Calendar(2787=March 15 1969).
The Simple Date Is Decoded Like The SO NUMBER on Fender Tags.
The Letter Before The Number Is The Model
Year...A=1965,B=1966,C=1967,D=1968,E=1969,F=1970,G=1971,H=1972,J=1973,4=1974.
Example....B-273-A24 Reads As...1966-273cid-october 24th
You Can Also Tell The Block Displacement By The Casting Number. Often, But Not Always, A Casting Date May Appear On The Side Of The Block.
Casting #-----------CID-----------Year---------Family
2202843.................170.................................G
2205630.................170.................................G
2264478.................170.................................G
2463230.................170..............1965...........G
*******.................198.................................G
2202857..................225................................RG
2205528..................225................................RG
2463430..................225................................RG
2806830..................225................................RG
2465330..................273...........1964-1966....LA
2536130..................273............1965............LA
2466090..................318................................LA
2536030-318...........318...........1967-1975....LA
2566080..................318................................LA
2806030..................318...........1967-1974....LA
2780930-340...........340...........1968-1973....LA
3577130TA-340.......340...........1970-1971....LA(TRANS-AM)
3418496-360...........360...........1971-1974....LA
3870230..................360...........1975 & UP....LA
Tune up Specs
Year Model Plug Gap Point Dwell Point Gap
1964/1965 273 cid/235hp .035 27-31@ .017
Intake Valve Exhaust Valve
Timing(deg)MT Timing(deg)AT Clearance Clearance Intake Valve Opens
10 BTDC 10 BTDC .013 .021 14 BTDC
Fuel Pump Pressure Idle Speed Cranking Compression Pressure
5-7 psi 650 145 psi
@ Adjust Both Sets Of Points To This Figure. With Both Sets Connected, Total Reading Should Be 38 deg.
All the info above was taken from other sites and/or people. I have not used all this info as of yet, but I will!