This is like a master class in Mopar engines, drive trains, body styles, etc etc. I’m so glad you are sharing the knowledge. 🤓

I want to see the video of you taking out the exhaust manifold bolts. Those can be the biggest ball busters.

@markwise9868

2 жыл бұрын

It's because they thread into the coolant passage and get corroded. Yep, they suck!

Get well soon 🙏 Steve and we will rewatch all of the video again for you to get well soon!

Hey Steve, Gary, "The G-Force>" Lilley here, gonna give you a tip, when replacing the Freeze plugs be sure to clean out the casting clay. I had a 1972 318 904. Auto Dodge Polara Four door, think Walking tall Sheriff's car, mine was that same sand beige color. One of the freeze [lugs rotted out and when I went to replace it, I found the lower part of the water jacket was full of clay?!?! I asked someone about it and they said Dodge was going thru hard times in '72 and they may have let stuff like that slide, I decided to check the other side, when I was done I had over half a plastic 5 gallon bucket of casting clay. I replaced the carburator with a Rochester 2 jet from a '70 307 Chevelle, the car got 20 mpg consistently, but if I was towing another car with my tow dolly it got 22mpg! Great car!

@vincemajestyk9497

4 ай бұрын

I don't think it left the factory like that. They used sand in the casting process. I've had cars that had that gunk too and it's almost always some radiator sealer like 'Bars Leak' with those pellets which are pecan shells. The heater cores get plugged too. There is no way any MFR would compromise cleaning the cores out. It's an automated process and not doing it right doesn't save much but costs a ton to skip it. I've had a lot of used cars and it's always traced to cooling system sealer. Those pellets are the absolute WORST. It looks exactly like what you describe, and also using tap water in the system.

Steve since when do the pushrod oil through lifter my 75 400 has solid pushrods and oils through the cam timed by the openings in the cam bearings through a oil galley that feeds the heads into the hollow rocker shafts!!!

@vernonslone8627

2 жыл бұрын

Yep they don't oil thru the pushrods.....The later small block Magnum motors do...

@moparnut6286

2 жыл бұрын

@@vernonslone8627 yep I wonder if anybody else caught that! Lol 😆

Great video, those 440s are getting hard to find at a reasonable price.

@albertgaspar627

2 жыл бұрын

It's getting to the point its worth buying an old motor home just to get the big block for the same $1,000. If you own property, then you get a bonus--wood and windows for building yet another shed on the property as the price of lumber goes up. then you can wood panel the inside, wire up outlets, sell the bathroom and kitchen setup to your buddy wanting to build a hunting/fishing cabin and use the generator for the next big power outage. Or be like RoadKill and pay someone to haul it all away and make the most expensive 8:1 Cr 440 ever :)

@sbfguy7793

2 жыл бұрын

@@albertgaspar627 shhh. Don't give away all the secrets.

@albertgaspar627

2 жыл бұрын

@@sbfguy7793 maybe we can get the Mopar guys to do what the Chevy crowd has--dump all their "old worthless iron" for cheap to chase after the new small block design :) I mean the LS engine is a nifty design and all, but i'm finding chevy V8 parts at prices i haven't seen since 1973. I'm surprised more Mopar guys aren't worshipping at the altar of the Gen III Hemi and ditching Dad's old 340/383/440 for firesale prices. maybe moparworld is full of older guys....

@tl5108

2 жыл бұрын

@@albertgaspar627 yeah it seems mopar guys like the older shit more for the most part. At least the most of ones that actually work in their stuff

@albertgaspar627

2 жыл бұрын

@@tl5108 Living up in the snow belt near where Mags is posting, gotta admit the Mopar fans take it in the shorts when they want a RWD vehicle that's rust free and cheap to stick a V8 in--they better like pickup trucks. Or they leave the new Hemi right in the car they found it in, even if it looks like a 4 door Taxi. The solid metal states get a better selection.

Mopar engineering attention to detail was top notch. They weren't afraid to take chances either. My assumption is their design and engineering staff back then was young and fun.

Those are the cleanest cast iron logs I've ever seen

I love this build but, are you sure RB motors use oil feed pushrods? My 440 feeds oil through a drilled embossment in the block up through the fourth rocker mount into the rocker shaft.

@Torquemonster440

2 жыл бұрын

With hydraulic lifters , this setup will oil both through the pushrods and through the shafts too. Buy yes, the standard method is through the shafts.

Such a wealth of information! I have a 383 in my 65 Coronet and didnt know the history of its design. Thank you, Steve!

Another test for pushrods is gently drop them on the concrete floor...if they ring...they're good.

Steve, best practice when removing rocker shafts is to back off the five screws a couple turns each, and slowly release the spring pressure on all, rather than removing each screw completely and as in your demonstration, leaving one end pedestal fully loaded and bending.

@albertgaspar627

2 жыл бұрын

good point

Couldn't help but notice all those Tidy Cat litter containers. When I lived up in the land of ice & snow used to keep a couple in the trunk for weight and also to use under the wheels for traction. Also was handy to keep one filled with ice thaw by the front door because the bags were messy to work with.

@albertgaspar627

2 жыл бұрын

and if you get the non-clay stuff, its cheap for soaking up spills on concrete floors. just don't recycle it with the kitty :)

I thought I had a good grasp of knowledge of old cars/hotrod as a motorhead, then I saw Steve Magnante and I realized nope I am just a Padawan and Steve is the Master 😉. Great videos . Please never stop

I really enjoy this Project REM Charger. Thanks for sharing Steve

Lots of good parts to sell off there. Heads, manifolds etc. Good swap meet stuff. Like your disassembly talk thru. Good stuff!

At 4:53 my buick,231v6 has shaft mounted rocker arms too! Great episode thanks Steve!!!!

Steve's gettin' serious now, slippers are off, boots are on. 👍😁🍺

Steve, I feel like you are one of us, you know the guy with a V8 on the garage floor sitting on a milk crate. I could learn a lot just from watching you because man you know so much

I'm loving these videos. Your knowledge and passion is obvious, as you speak freely and logically in this disassembly series.

Great info, I’ve always been a GM guy interesting to see the differences in the engines.

@budpool4835

2 жыл бұрын

So much easier to work on. Distributor up front is the best.

Steve, When you have an ongoing posting, you should number each episode to allow people to see them in order. Very interesting so far by the way.

Always a great source of information about good old American muscle cars and engines, especially Chrysler stuff from the ‘60’s- ‘70’s. Keep up the good work Steve.👍🏼

This is the type of content I really enjoy and want to see Steve. Your wealth of knowledge about the small details that add up to making an engine work is impressive.

Long live the king of cars 😎

That dipstick tube looked mysteriously clean and came out with relative ease for a 40 yr old engine 😉

@budpool4835

2 жыл бұрын

Looked brand new.

@edpinkerton7947

2 жыл бұрын

Not the original chrome replacement

@vincemajestyk9497

4 ай бұрын

@@edpinkerton7947 Chinesium bling. Many different OE PN's too based on oil pan config.

I hope Steve goes live sometime

I had some of those type manifolds on my '70 Dodge W200 Powerwagon. I think the outlet was maybe 2". I went to a 'custom exhaust shop' and they put 2 1/2" duals on it for me. What I didn't know at the time was they compressed the pipe to fit 'inside' the flange to the manifold. I noticed it was a little weak for a 383 towing. About 15 years later I pulled the manifolds to put on some C Body HP pieces and saw the opening through the pipe at the exit was pinched to 1 3/4" or so on both sides! I welded some mandrel bent pipes to a new 2 1/2" flange. I really never used the truck much like that maybe 4 thousand mile. I saved that piece though.

in the late 70s, I bought a 413 from my neighbor. the heads were awesome. 2.14" intake. 1.88" exhaust. he didn't have the rocker pedestals. I ordered a set through Mancini Racing. $256 plus shipping, etc. it was about $314 in the end. I think they might have been made to order, because it took about a month to get them.

@vincemajestyk9497

4 ай бұрын

Those pedestals weren't unique to the Max Wedge. The period Std RB engines had them too. In the '70's you could have just picked some up in the junkyard for next to nothing. I did. I actually bought a whole set of rockers, shafts, springs, pedestals and hardware from one of those engines about 15 years ago for $125. For the '70's that was a PREMIUM for those pedestal parts. Shipping was insane too. Judging by those prices they sent them to Europe and then back to you. BTW, the normal intake size on those heads was 2.08 and 1.88 on the exhaust.

We're happy to have you here on KZread Steve! It's always a treat to watch your video's👍

Yeah Brother Steve, You're keeping me on the edge of my seat and hanging on every video. Thank you for bringing a totally different style and informative approach to the tear down and build process.

Get well Steve!!

Steve, you are not just a MOPAR, but an automotive, Encyclopedia. Thanks for all of these incredibly informative videos. I was a much younger man when I followed your build of the Wilshire Shaker altered. Keep up the great work! 👍

The knowledge you have is mesmerising! I'm just blown away by the stream of information you deliver. Brilliant stuff.

Keep it going Steve

Love these videos, keep ‘em coming

Love this series Steve!

Loving this video series. Thank you for letting us join you.

thanks

Sweet. Looking forward to this build Steve.

Loving the videos Steve

Nice to see the project coming along Steve!

When I derbies all my engines were either rebuilt or freshened up and they all ran better than my personal vehicle or my tow rig.

Love, love, love these videos plus REMcharger is brilliant. Thanks for strappin' us all in and bringin' us along for the ride!

Absolutely love your channel the wealth of knowledge you have this mind blowing.

Steve: Your contact is excellent! I look forward to watching your videos! I hope you’re going to document the rest of the build.

I'm 100% a fomo guy, but I can really appreciate this style of youtuber. Good stuff!

Awesome Steve!

Broken stud on the rear exhaust with that weird long nut that went inside the manifold, and frozen heat riser that would rust in place. It also had an annoying rattle when it was working. Thats what I remember.

Maybe I missed it. I learned that the factory didn’t use exhaust manifold gasket’s. Of course someone may of had them off , and put gaskets on when putting it back together ? Thanks for the vids 👍🏻

@vincemajestyk9497

4 ай бұрын

Correct. On big blocks the parts were just bolted together. One way to tell if it's ever been apart. Every topend gasket kit I've EVER bought for those engines had the metal/asbestos silver gaskets.

Thank you great video!

Man I love learning about this engines! And specially Mopar engines! This is great content, looking forward for the next chapter!👌😎👍

Thank you for all the info. I never new any of this background info. Can't wait to see the end result.

Certain parts look immaculate coming off. Iron exhaust manifolds, dipstick tube, rocker covers. Someone had a plan for the engine, started to execute, then changed their mind. Makes it easier for Steve. Even if it has a spun bearing, it won’t matter to him since all that’s going to be replaced.

Those stock exhaust manifolds are efficient to somewhere in the range of just off idle.

@albertgaspar627

2 жыл бұрын

yeah, not to disagree with Steve, but once the engine stops running hot air thru 'em, they rust. Cast iron keeps things quiet compared to thin tubes, but they can crack and they sure ain't efficient unless they are a factory header design like Pontiacs etc. Used to chop saw those from end to end and port the heck outa them to avoid buying brand new Pontiac headers--cost nothing when you already had the tools and welder.

@vipottaja

2 жыл бұрын

I have compared the small tube 1 3/4" primary headers with factory E-body magnum headers. The engine made its peak power at about 5000 rpm. The difference in torque was bigger at lower rpm than at peak power, still they were about 25 hp down at peak. 10% at low rpm, 5% at peak power. Bigger primaries might have changed it a little bit.

I thought GM's claim with their rocker arms was the ball-stud arrangement, which Pontiac actually developed. Chevy was barely along in development of their OHV V8 when Z.A.D. wrote his "youth market" letter to upper management. The Chevy V8 wasn't on schedule until at least a mid 1958 release date, so they had to rush development and 'borrowed' alot from Pontiac, the ball-stud rocker being one of them.

@elebeu

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, I had heard that Pontiac developed the stamped steel ball stud rocker and Chevrolet incorporated it. Both are similar in production concept to the shaft mounted set up.

I've always read that Pontiac had developed the stamped rocker arm and shared it with Chevy.

That was a short tease, but keep going.

FANTASTIC

Love Mopar big blocks and small blocks

good stuff

Steve I always appreciate your knowledge but you better look at those pushrods again. Big Mopar always oil from the rocker shaft down to the rocker and onto the pushed. Those pushrods will be solid if they aren't aftermarket or something.

@vincemajestyk9497

4 ай бұрын

The OE pushrods are really HEAVY.

Thought it oiled up threw heads no 2 and 4 rocket bolts and thru shaft

Just a wealth of information... very interesting. Plate C

I always thought that the 440 rocker arms were fed by oil through the rocker shaft like the LA engine 318,360,340?

Hooked, with you to the end.

I seem to have un normal things happen to me. You talked about pushrod going through the rocker arm. My 18 month old A12 put the pushrod thru the top of the LIFTER! Was just cruising down the road at about 2000RPM andTAP TAP TAP. The pushrod cup in the top of the lifter shattered into four pieces.

I had always heard that the stamped ball stud rocker was a Pontiac invention that was shared with chevy for their last minute redesign of the small block .Their 1st 50s V8 attempt being the weight and cost equal of the Caddy . Pontiac being the smallest and least funded division had to engineer really hard when going from 20s inline flathead 8 to modern OHV V 8 . My uncle worked for a Tool and Die shop that built tooling for the surviving big 4 of the 50s and 60s . He said the Pontiac was ready for late 54 but was held up as to not steal the show from the All New Chevy of 55.

Rockers are oiled form the head thru the shaft

Should be a great sleeper! There is a mopar big block exhaust manifold dyno test on Nick's garage including max wedge, vs headers. I was surprised at what the max wedge exhaust made.

I’m Restoring my 1967 Plymouth Sport Fury with the 440/375 hp Super Commando with the Original 915 Heads! 😉

Love it.

Good one

I'd love to hear about Amc

The knowledge you share is truly amazing..now stop teasing us and get on with it 😂

Detroit Diesel 6.2 and 6.5's also use rocker arm shafts, but the plastic retainers are a big problem area, especially considering Diesel compression.

Let us know if you use gaskets on the Ramcharger headers. Mine burned through back in the day and I went without them. It would tick when cold but stopped when things got hot.

@vincemajestyk9497

4 ай бұрын

Most of the typical 'header gaskets' can't take the heat from the cast iron manifolds.

Good Ol 440

Steve you need some cordless impacts,once you have them you'll be hooked

@albertgaspar627

2 жыл бұрын

depends. when taking an engine apart for the first time, using hand tools can reveal if a bolt is stretched too much or is giving you problems before it snaps inside the block, etc.

I was always told to loosen the rocker shafts off a little at a time to avoid bending the shafts if you undo the bolts one at a time the pressure of the valves and pushrods will bend the shaft and you don't want that and that is why you loosen the bolts a little at a time to release the pressure of them

Steve needs a shop stool.🤣

Awesome

Steve, great video as always! One question. I’m diggin the fact that you are keeping the patina but are you going to flat clear the body? The reason I ask is two things. One, clearing it will preserve the body and protect it from rusting. Two, I have heard that when a car that has spent it’s entire life in a dry climate and it goes to a climate that is not as dry that the body will actually deteriorate quickly and rust do to the humidity in the air and the fact that the paint is dried out and cannot protect the body of the car from rusting. Is that true or a myth? I would hate to see your awesome car start rusting because it is no longer in TX and is now in the Northeast. I am from NJ so I am obsessed with keeping my classic cars from rusting because I live in a harsh climate like beautiful New Jersey. Would love to see you do a video on this subject. I think a lot of people would benefit from good facts. Thanks!!!!

Had a pushrod punch through a stock rocker arm in a customer's 400. I had never seen that happen befor but it was pretty neet. Punched an almost perfect circle out of it.

Seeing the rocker designs are the same as an LA small block, is there any interchangeability? As the BB has an offset intake push rod similar to an LA/TA head. I know Indy did something with the Edelbrocks and BB rockers when moving the pushrod holes. Is the shaft diameter the same? The center to center of the valve tip to shaft?

@vipottaja

2 жыл бұрын

Shaft diameter is the same. Dimensions are all different. Factory BB rockers ahve greater offset and they are longer. Don't know which rocker arms Indybrocks use, but their own SB heads share the rockers with their 440 wide port heads and have a considerable offset.

You are supposed to start with the center bolt on the rocker shaft and loosen it one quarter turn then the one to the left or right then the opposite one then the same with the end ones and repeat the process until there is no more spring pressure on them and then screw the bolts out. The same with head bolt starting with number one on the torque sequence. Wrong, the rockers are lubed through the oil holes in the block and heads to the rocker shafts. Also for anyone building an engine that is going to reuse the push rods and lifters they have to go into the same hole in the same orientation as they came out, that is the top of the push rod has to remain up. At least that's what every engine book I've ever read says. I strongly suggest that everyone buy at least two good books on engine building before you start a project and read them.

Steve is a knowledgeable. Thanks feed the KZread math. Good to see him in boots instead of slippers.

The fact that they are both one piece , stamped steel is where the similarities between the Mopar and GM rockers ends . The shaft mounted rocker arms are much more stable , especially with increased lift and rpm levels , because the ball stud design lets the rocker arm move around , which alters lift . The ball stud design also produces more friction , and allows the rocker arm to go dry after sitting . Due to the design of the Mopar rockers , they hold a puddle of oil in the bottom for instant lubrication , no matter how long the engine sits without being ran .

I'd advise loosening all rocker shaft bolts about one full turn. Before removing all the bolts.

Great info, but c'mon Steve, look me in the eye and tell me that dipstick and tube are OE and had never been out before....lol

Hey Steve, what happened to the 62 hardtop you had in California?

Whenever I see an old Winnebago Brave or Indian in the junkyard, I say to myself, I should see if it has the 440.

If they sit for a while, there's a good chance they'll bend a pushrod on startup. Only takes a sticky valve.

Nick from Nick's Garage dynoed factory big block manifolds and they lost 25-35 horsepower over headers. The best factory manifolds are the 413 upturned types then the later 60's log type that were supposed to be "performance " type ones but losing 35 h.p. doesn't seem high performance to me.

@auteurfiddler8706

2 жыл бұрын

You are skipping a type. Best: 413 Max Wedge, middle (not shown in this video ) GTX/ R/T etc upswept manifolds, worse (as shown here) car and truck log type.

@vincemajestyk9497

4 ай бұрын

I still have the magazine, it would take me a while to find, but there was a dyno test in a Mopar magazine I got in the early '90's where they tested a 440 6bbl that was 'mildly' modded with HP manifolds (the 'normal' 383/440 B-body ones) VS a set of headers and the difference was 75HP! I believe the header primaries were 1 7/8" (possibly 2").

@vincemajestyk9497

4 ай бұрын

@@auteurfiddler8706 I took those log POS off my 383 truck and threw them in the trash. They're horrible. I was able to use some C body BB HP manifolds and it was huge. I didn't want headers due to the underhood heat and they'd probably glow from towing.

rocker arm ratios can get you a bit more lift and duration if you play around a bit. stock is generally 3.5:1 or something in your average chevy small block. if you went to a 4 something to one you would get a few thousands more lift and a few degrees more duration from a stock cam.... something to think about when tuning.

Steve I have I idea for you. Could you go year by year and make and model for the years? I have a hard time guess all this info and thought you maybe clarified better

You really need to beg, borrow or steal an engine stand Steve. ;)

Big block Chrysler’s oil through the rocker shaft?

I've put two pushrods through the stamped steel rockers. Now I either continue with the stamped rockers or I bite a very pricey bullet and go roller rockers. Not sure yet.

👍