@@DeadDodgeGarage I have a 69 Charger my mechanic friend and I nicknamed VooDoo child because things happen we can't explain and feel like he's laughing at us. If I told you stuff he's done you'd say we're crazy but I have it on video.
nice job sir,, great to see so many dodges in one place , thanks for the video jamie...hay i bot a 69 charger in 1977 when i was 18 ,lol it got stolen. so I,ve been hoping to get another,,one since then lol . fraser
Just asking: Is it enough to scrape off the residue from the old gaskets with a blade? Don't they need proper planing? I'm just curious because I learned that this is such a sensitive job to ensure the next gasket doesn't blow again after a couple of miles.
It’s enough, at least for a composite gasket on these poorly finished old iron castings. Resurfacing is absolutely the best thing to do - but does every single engine that blows a head gasket get fully broken down and sent to a machine shop to have the decks on the block resurfaced? Absolutely not. Heads often do - but the ones that generally need it the most are aluminum. Engines with MLS head gaskets are a lot pickier about their sealing surfaces. But for this old stuff, it’s not as important. Scraping it and sending it has worked fine for countless jobs just like this.
I have seen gray/silver 318 in 3 different 69s. Was this a thing that was a thing to do. Not factory right? Oh by the way though look good silver/gray lol
Nice, nice, and nice! As much as I like 318s (I have had at least one in my life since I got a drivers license a LONG time ago), the Charger body style needs much more power under its hood to be truly in love with itself.
I… completely agree. I love 318s, and in smaller cars they are just awesome. Trucks too. I found it quite underwhelming in the Charger. That may be a particular issue with this engine though. I’m the first to say that not everything is a hot rod, and a street car doesn’t need 400 horsepower to be fun. But… a little more power on tap would be really nice.
@DeadDodgeGarage well, our community has certainly got the potential to get you there... you and Chris Birdsong [Junkerup] and of course, Just Mopar Joe, are great examples of keeping the faith. I'm 58, graduated in '85 from High School. Grew up around grumpy old guys that didn't really say many encouraging words to us, then 'young' Mopar guys,, now, I'm watching younger guys coming along like you guys and I am hopeful we find a way to 'pay it forward' and keep it alive amidst the full court press to eradicate what seems like every vestige of 'Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and, [ahem],,,, muscle cars..... I first caught wind of you, posting about scrounging all your capital and wherewithal to buy the red 68, AND roadtripping it back home with your baby girl. I was touched, because MAYBE she will always keep that in her heart as the future unfolds and the insane left keeps trying to villify our old cars versus 'the green new deal' and ev's. Maybe your kiddos and those of other friends of mine will hold the line against the insanity, thanks to having been exposed to their Dad's madness with Coke Bottle Chargers and Winged Plymouths.... and 64 Dodges and Plymouths..... Glad you are out there keeping the faith man.
So, head bolts not torqued? Yikes what else is waiting for you in there? means the restorer was "not an engine guy" and the engine was not a priority. Scary thought. love it. That red '68 is the stuff of dreams. cheers.
Beautiful Charger , Jamie ‼️ That engine dose look incredibly clean , despite the , eerrrr .. umm .... head bolts not being torqued properly It's actually impressive it drove that far ( 1800 miles ) , with lose head bolts 🔩 I'm glad you're taking the extra time & attention to this engine A 1977 , 318 ?? Multi layer steel head gasket or Are you using a Composite , because it's , iron to iron , head to block ? Oh , btw . Oldsmobile V8s late 60s early 70s , you don't have to remove the distributor either 😉
I am also impressed, knowing what I know now. We used standard Felpro composite head gaskets - I always do. MLS isn’t a good option unless both surfaces are freshly machined perfectly straight, and they are supposed to get a special surface finish as well. The composite has always done me proud.
I've been waiting for this one. I figured it had to be the head gasket since you didn't hear anything break. My only concern now is did the guy who didn't believe in torque wrenches also put together the bottom end?
Yes someone else asked the same… and I had the same concern… I feel like we would probably have noises or other symptoms by now if there was an issue there. But it’s a real concern.
It looks great with the spray bomb detailing, a very nice looking car. This might be obsolete information, like about 40 years old, but you know how they tell you to retorque the head bolts after running it through a thermal cycle? Well, I actually did it, which means pulling back the exhaust manifolds, but I was very surprised at how much the head bolts had loosened off.
I’m hip to that recommendation. It’s so impractical in most situations, and I’ve done a good bit of reading on it. I seem to recall that retorquing was a good idea for steel shim gaskets, but shouldn’t be necessary with more modern gaskets. It’s been a while since then and can’t remember for sure. In any case, I’ve never done it.
Told you yours was the best,awesome seeing it in a different perspective, like following you in the 69. Especially when Tom took off and that 383 was talking to you. Had bad machine work done on heads in a 360,head gaskets left the building and took out. 1 and 3 pistons. Was in a flybridge boat for 25 miles doing 3200. Didn't know till I slowed down,blowby smell kinda gave it away.😮
Oh wow… that sounds like fun times. Yeah, you were right. A lot of people said it. Personally I found humor in the several comments which said “sell yours, buy the ‘69, and put a 383 in it” when what I would be selling is a numbers matching 383 car with under 100k miles 😅
Jamie - you da man- you were 100% right about the head gasket. Nice seeing it gone over, cleaned up and buttoned up nice and tight... Torque wrenches are Good ;)
Missoula!! I used to live in Kalispel, 150 miles north. The most beautiful part of this country!! I live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania now but I loved Montana
Strange... This video reminds me of the time a was a professional donut inspector. Umm, never mind. Anyway, I don't think the 318 is mad at you. I think the Charger is mad at the 318! After all, it's a CHARGER!!! It wants to feel awesome power of a 440 or Hemi, just like you and I do!
I had a ‘68 Charger that originally had a 383 4bbl 4 speed, had a transplanted ‘69 340 4 speed installed, it was a beast! 3:91 Sure Grip, MOPAR 292 duration cam, head work, 10.2 compression, electronic ignition (Mallory), Holley 650 double pumper with a Weiand aluminum intake. This car would stomp my ‘69 road runner, GTX, or a 1993 Z28!
Ah.....in reference to the comment I left on the previous video, I was under the impression your '68 was a project, not a running, driving, excellent looking example of an all numbers matching car that already has a 383 in it. No matter - I learn. Still love the colour on the '69 though......so pretty.
A Charger with a 2bbl? That's like taking a shower with your socks on.....very unsatisfying. Time to upgrade to a decent intake and 4bbl, something that'll really feed 'er the onions. Cheers from Alberta.
I have had lots of fun times with the Carter BBD… But after all the pain in the ass this one has now caused, I’m coming around to that way of thinking.
@@DeadDodgeGarage "60's Chargers had a reputation...they were the Boss, the King of Muscle Cars. Anytime you stepped up against a Charger, you just knew it was going to smoke your ass. Can't do that with a 2bbl. Chargers were a breed apart, top of the muscle car food chain....the apex predator of street speed.
Ya know I thought something was not right about the 69 when you were here. It sounded off. I bet if we would have torqued the head bolts it would not have puked. Oh and I had a carb kit on the shelf for this too. Oops forgot to mention that minor detail.
Well, hindsight and all… just really no reason to even think to check that. Exhaust manifolds, valve covers, rocker assemblies… all in the way just to check head bolts. And on the carb, an accelerator pump would have been really nice to have. Haha. But I managed.
Not often you see a pair of beautiful charger's going down the road the 68 is my favorite they should of kept the round side marker lights and taillights on that body style thanks for sharing
I have recently found your channel and have been enjoying your content I just am a little amazed at your knowledge and impressed with what you do and Feel like you should be much older than you are I was born and raised in the Spokane area and now live in Montana So I also enjoy the backdrop of your drives Keep up the good work
Nice! Yes I hear that a lot. Haha. I don’t know how I ended up like I am, but I’m happy with it. I’ve been able to do a lot of stuff that I enjoy - and that others can’t. Thanks for watching!
It’s a Snap On, which basically just means it was stupidly expensive, but my old business paid for it… I’m sure there are cheaper beep style wrenches out there, but the Snap On is really great. It has a built in angle mode too. I have them in 3/8” and 1/2”.
Come on man... throw that two barrel to the side, get you an ontake and put a four barrel on that thing. It feels wrong seeing that little carb on a 69 charger. I love your channel btw!
But it’s correct original type stuff... It’s also really, really easy to work on - as I talked about in this video. This is a highway cruiser with air conditioning. It’s a lot more important to us that those parts fit correctly than squeezing a few more ponies out of it or looking impressive. Having said that… this BBD is pretty much junk now. A four barrel would fix it. And I have an intake.
I live in Connecticut and believe it or not its bin years since i have seen a Charger, then today driving down the road a BEAUTIFUL black 69 charger R/T passed me! It was super clean and it sounded like a proper charger should.
Man, they’re just coming out of the woodwork. I saw a ‘68 while I was driving my ‘68 on Friday, and a friend saw a ‘68 R/T driving today in Iowa. Now this. Crazy.
I runs like an old Dodge. My 77 Dodge van ran the same. I despise Carter carbs, the BBD is a POS. I even had the pick up go in the distributor. I still own a 2000 Dakota with a 5.9 swap from a 3.9. Yes, it had the cracked Magnum heads. I swapped the Ram EQ heads from Hughes. I also own a 2017 Dodge Challenger GT AWD in Go Green. I tow my 16 foot Lund fishing boat with it. Do a 360 done up with hidden extras. For Classic cars, Oldsmobile's for me. I am currently doing a Terminator X Max on a SEFI converted RPM intake on a rebuilt Olds 350 with forged Mahle pistons, Molnar rods and a 330 internally balanced forged crank and will get a TKX 5 spd in my 70 Cutlass S.
Perfect video with perfect timing. I just got done dropping a 440 in a 69 charger for a customer and you upload 2nd gen charger. Its charger day YAY lol. I agree with the hoarding part, I literally have 3 340s in my shop right now and couple 440s plus anything small block mopar parts you can think of. So if you need anything or a stroker kit let me know. 😂😂😂
I like my '69 Charger R/T SE.... I like even more the fact it's unrestored, unmolested, and factory X9 Black in still 'minty' condition... with the unrebuilt #'s 440 Magnum that is music to the ears when romped on ? Things start happening really quick at that point even by todays standards..... very surprising ! I lift the hood once a year for fresh set of Points/Condenser/Oil Change and do about 3,000 miles a year..... Just say'in.... Na-Na-Na-Boo-Boo fellas !
Ive got a 74 charger 318 3 speed automatic. Got it for $400 when i was 14. It was ready for the scrap yard. I put about 150lb of new metal into floors and fenders but it still has the original drive train lol.
Those cars are beautiful, thanks for the vid, I fell in love with the 318 when my brother bought a 69 Satellite with one. It ran pretty darn good even with it's little Stromberg and single exhaust.
It's not good when some clown doesn't torque the cam shaft bolt.. Luckily an Act of God resulted in failure parked in the garage and not on the road. It just wouldn't start instead of possibly having a valve stick open and shattering a piston.
BTW old AFB jets can be used in old AVS carbs too, you hafta swap the metering rods and flat access covers for the primaries because AFBs are two step rods as opposed to three step AVS rods. The AVS primary jets are taller for the third step.
Ahhh, that’s interesting. I’ve seen those taller covers and three step rods, but hadn’t made the mental leap to realize they are just for the old AVS. Cool stuff.
360 heads = measurable compression and port velocity losses on a stock 318. Absolutely a mistake. The four barrel possibility was discussed, and after what transpired in this video and after filming was done… we probably should have given that some serious consideration.
I love the 69. But like I said previously, the 68’s are more better (imo opinion of course). I think you’re dual wielding the right amount of awesome with the blue Demon and red 68(black top and polished slots would be the ultimate),but If we all liked the same thing that would be boring. I love the High Impact(HIP) colors Chrysler put out from 69-73 and in a perfect world I would own the the Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry Charger(in 68 trim of course), pistol grip 4sp or Slap-Stik 727 equipped.
Interesting that Charlie just commented the same thing about wanting the Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry car! That’s one I don’t hear very often. I’m very happy with my pair. Also I really like the dual wielding reference. Haha. The one thing is, I think I need to complete the set and have red, white and blue. My wife’s wagon could count I guess, but it’s also hers. There is also my ‘79 300… anyway, I’m painting my classic drag racer project Barracuda white and I think that takes care of it. Haha.
If you ever get down to Billings, let me know. I would Love to see the Purple 69. I also love 318's. Ever consider a 4 barrel and a cam change? Just asking.
That car was sold months ago. We are in Washington. Some flipper guy bought it, and it’s for sale somewhere in Oregon now. And yes, we briefly considered improving the power situation, but decided it was better off for our purposes perfectly stock - as Mike had built it.
Did it eventually stop blowing smoke? And how long did it take? Ive just been through the same thing and the left bank exhaust and muffler has been saturated in oil. Still smoking 50 miles later so Im not 100% that something else isnt going on 😞 Any tips 🙂
It did stop. It took several drives to do it. But I can’t say specifically how many miles. As for yours, all I can say is that it’s essential to actually confirm the failure. If you found the cause and fixed it, your smoke should go away. If you made a guess, or possibly found a second issue, maybe not. But it usually doesn’t take more than a few drive cycles.
I love 318 too. We had a 70 Sport Satellite with the 318 2 barrel and I 68 Charger which and my brother dropped a 440 in it. Unfortunately it was stolen. All that was 40 years ago and I still dream that I own that Charger. Now all these years later I bought 300J with the Cross Rams and A/C!! Slowly restoring it.
No, I *completely* forgot about it until Evan reminded me after filming this one. We’re going to put a distributor in it that actually works, and give tuning it another shot!
I don't share your love of the BBD. In fact there's an LD 340 intake and 1407 sitting on the shelf waiting for the next one that shows up. If it's any condolation I hate the Holley two barrels that came on 360's even more.
Yeah those aren’t my bag either. I just like the BBD. I’ve had some good times with them. But the four barrel Carter / Edelbrock is almost just as serviceable, and much more gooder for horsepower and such. And after the catastrophe with this BBD… we already made the joke about swapping it for a four barrel.
Holley 2210 is a better carburetor, is easy to tune, and will give better fuel mileage and a better running car. Ofc it would have more power and better fuel mileage with a 383 in it.
Sell that monkey due and get a real mopar classic like a 1969 dodge polara two door post 🧐 i used to like chargers until i realized everyone else does 2 they immediately lost there shimmer and honestly 68-70 chargers are lame 👎generation after especially the super bee edition are formidable dream cars 😎
Ok, I will let literally everyone alive know that Chargers are no longer cool. I guess I'll sell both of mine too. Might as well. I mean if they're lame! I would hate to own two extremely sexy, legendary muscle era Mopars that people constantly freak out over and try to buy if they are lame!
You should of put a new timing chain on since you had the timing cover off and by the way my 318 is Hemi Orange it was black from the factory being it came out of a 1985 plymouth cop car and Orange is better then black for a engine and better then blue .
First, that engine is low mileage. There was a bit of slop in the chain, but not an excessive amount worth worrying about. Second, we didn’t have one handy. Lots of engines that shouldn’t be orange have been painted orange. Chrysler reserved orange for HP engines and Hemis - and we do the same.
i always enjoy these videos , i recently saw that my aftermarket chrome oil breather is spraying oil on the valve covers , anything to look for ? (always learning from guys and videos like you ) i have a pcv valve but the oil breather is not connected to the air filter . 400 big block originally a 2bbl now 4bbl street demon carb mostly stock except msd ready to run distributor and coil
Not at all uncommon to get a bit of dribbling. If it’s excessive… it could be a sign of blow by / ring wear, or another means of compression escaping into crankcase, like a blown head gasket as we found on the ‘69. Do make sure your PCV valve is still good (rattles when shaken.)
I was about to say I've ***NEVER*** seen a Chrysler small block blow a head gasket. I had honestly thought because of the pinging and timing issues it was having, I was thinking you'd scorched through a piston. Especially seeing the blowby, smoke out the tail pipe and the oil usage. But then seeing all the loose bolts on the top end during disassembly; If this were my car/my engine; me being the paranoid sum-bitch that I am.... I'd question things like rod bolt torque, main cap torque; even flexplate bolts and everything else. Clearly, whomever "built" that engine didn't own a torque wrench.
My current thinking is that the timing issue led to pushing the gasket out in that location, and maybe that somehow loosened the bolts? It’s a thought. I don’t know how I completely forgot about the distributor situation during this video.
It was really easy on this one because there is actually room around the small block, and the previous owner hit the hardware with never seize. The easiest exhaust manifold removal I have ever been involved with… good luck on the 440. There is no space. Do they even come out with the studs in place? I don’t know…
They were an option, yes. The brochure says the 318 was the base engine, but it doesn’t list the slant six - which was possible to order as well. Now that’s a slug… the 318 is a fine engine, when it’s running right. I was recently reminded that this one doesn’t have a functional timing curve… so that could be related to it not running the best.
I understand you didn't want to get involved with shooting the engine paint but I've had the experience that if the paint sucks, it will probably look like crap in a year or two. Maybe that's not a big deal but it is on my car and painting it in the car sucks.
It’s more that it was impossible for us to get everything clinically clean in the amount of time we had available, and our talented painter wasn’t with us for a few days so it wasn’t really an option anyway. No time to tank these parts, the engine block couldn’t come out this go around. It’s highly likely it will look like crap in a year or two either way. The paint will be burned off the exhaust crossover in the intake - fast. It’s also likely that the next guy won’t even keep the 318… so in the grand scheme of things, the calculation is short term glory > long term longevity on this one. I’ve had rattle can jobs hold up pretty well with adequate prep work similar to what we did here.
That’s interesting. I have nothing against Rochester in general, and have had some Quadrapukes that worked pretty well. But have no experience with the two barrels. The real party piece of the BBD is that you can pull the needle and seat in a minute, or swap the accelerator pump or clean out the bowl in five - all without ever pulling the carb. I just like that simplicity.
Well that ship has sailed, and this one has been sold. I decided to keep my numbers matching 89k miles 383 car… and I don’t really regret it, but I liked this one a lot too.
I would keep the 68 even with a small block , love your blue Demon too , i hope you gonna do something with the 73 mustang . I had some of them they are lot a fun too lol well done
I do love anything Pre Stellantis (however its spelled pffst!) Mopar. Im weird like that. Also block drains only come out 10% of the time and that's with a blow torch and a can of PBlaster. Easier to just knock out a low and easy to get to freeze plug thats gonna need to get replaced anyway. Also, Technomancer Pro Tip: When the carbide scrapers are at home, vice grips and razor blades.
@@DeadDodgeGarage Consider yourself lucky. Haven’t had one come out without a fight and only won 10% of those fights in 20 years of pro wrenching in the Mojave. Nice Video btw.
1) that would be a pointless expenditure that takes time we don’t have 2) the problem was very, very obvious 3) it never used coolant, overheated, or had any other symptoms other than the loss of compression to crankcase on one cylinder. There is zero concern here of cracks. These heads, like, never do that. If we had a coolant consumption problem that was not explained by a gasket problem, that would be cause to have them checked. We didn’t. I should think that, given the fact it was clearly fixed and no longer had insane blow by after I was done, it is obvious that I made the correct decisions. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like wasting time and money.
I don’t think they are reproduced. You’re probably going to have to get a used one… and I’m pretty sure it’s ‘65 only. My first instinct is to call Wildcat Auto Wrecking - or Vanessa with Five Point Parts that used to work there. She’s really good at tracking things down.
This guy might look like a ragged gearhead.. but 3 Chargers? He might as well be wearing a million dollar suit with a lot of bling and slicked back hair.
I only own one of them, and I had to sell five much crappier cars and trucks (ok, one was a Cobra replica, but that’s this whole other story) and a car trailer to get it - and I still owe a friend the $2000 I borrowed to seal the deal over a year later. I am not that guy. I made a lot of sacrifices to make my dream reality.
just found this channel, (liked and subscribed), My first car was a 68 Coronet 318, also had a 77 Van, (also a 318) and a 70 Polara, (440). That Polara is one that I sure wish I had kept. the Chargers featured on this video are beautiful. Liked and subscribed and looking forward to watching more videos with lots more Mopars.
You have a cool job you get to work on old mopars I grow up driven them and wish I had some of my old cars now but back then they were just cheap fun had no idea what they would be worth 40 years later you really are lucky to have a job that you get to play with old stuff I miss the good old days
It took all of those to get it to close all the way. It doesn’t feel heavy at all. None are particularly strong springs. And… the throttle shaft is well beyond worn out already. Haha. Thanks!
It was a head gasket broken and blown into crank case, possibly due to long term pre-ignition over the course of the trip that was the result of a totally messed up distributor. After the head gasket replacement, it ran awesome and there was zero smoke. Did you not finish the video? Lol. I did another video on the distributor later.
Not seen - the fuel line splitting at the fuel filter when I put it away after Jamie left. Seriously - this car wants to get set on fire.
It doesn’t like me/us
Thanks Tom for letting Jamie film this content in the shop! Appreciate you letting us come along for the ride!
@@DeadDodgeGarage I have a 69 Charger my mechanic friend and I nicknamed VooDoo child because things happen we can't explain and feel like he's laughing at us. If I told you stuff he's done you'd say we're crazy but I have it on video.
Beautiful car, good time for a nice intake and 4 barrel upgrade
nice job sir,, great to see so many dodges in one place , thanks for the video jamie...hay i bot a 69 charger in 1977 when i was 18 ,lol it got stolen. so I,ve been hoping to get another,,one since then lol . fraser
Just asking: Is it enough to scrape off the residue from the old gaskets with a blade? Don't they need proper planing? I'm just curious because I learned that this is such a sensitive job to ensure the next gasket doesn't blow again after a couple of miles.
It’s enough, at least for a composite gasket on these poorly finished old iron castings. Resurfacing is absolutely the best thing to do - but does every single engine that blows a head gasket get fully broken down and sent to a machine shop to have the decks on the block resurfaced? Absolutely not. Heads often do - but the ones that generally need it the most are aluminum. Engines with MLS head gaskets are a lot pickier about their sealing surfaces. But for this old stuff, it’s not as important. Scraping it and sending it has worked fine for countless jobs just like this.
I have seen gray/silver 318 in 3 different 69s. Was this a thing that was a thing to do. Not factory right? Oh by the way though look good silver/gray lol
I have no idea why it would be “the thing” - but as far as I know, not factory.
@stannelson2582 Love the sound of the starter when it is cold starting. Go Sabres!
Nice, nice, and nice! As much as I like 318s (I have had at least one in my life since I got a drivers license a LONG time ago), the Charger body style needs much more power under its hood to be truly in love with itself.
I… completely agree. I love 318s, and in smaller cars they are just awesome. Trucks too. I found it quite underwhelming in the Charger. That may be a particular issue with this engine though. I’m the first to say that not everything is a hot rod, and a street car doesn’t need 400 horsepower to be fun. But… a little more power on tap would be really nice.
@@DeadDodgeGarage Stroker?
@@DeadDodgeGarage This car needs at least an LA 360 or an RB 383. A Slant Six or a 318 does not do it justice.
You deserve way more subscribers.
Thank you! We’re getting places now! Almost at 20k… I can’t complain. But I have my sights set on 100k 😅
@DeadDodgeGarage well, our community has certainly got the potential to get you there... you and Chris Birdsong [Junkerup] and of course, Just Mopar Joe, are great examples of keeping the faith. I'm 58, graduated in '85 from High School. Grew up around grumpy old guys that didn't really say many encouraging words to us, then 'young' Mopar guys,, now, I'm watching younger guys coming along like you guys and I am hopeful we find a way to 'pay it forward' and keep it alive amidst the full court press to eradicate what seems like every vestige of 'Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and, [ahem],,,, muscle cars.....
I first caught wind of you, posting about scrounging all your capital and wherewithal to buy the red 68, AND roadtripping it back home with your baby girl.
I was touched, because MAYBE she will always keep that in her heart as the future unfolds and the insane left keeps trying to villify our old cars versus 'the green new deal' and ev's.
Maybe your kiddos and those of other friends of mine will hold the line against the insanity, thanks to having been exposed to their Dad's madness with Coke Bottle Chargers and Winged Plymouths.... and 64 Dodges and Plymouths.....
Glad you are out there keeping the faith man.
Many years ago I saw a 318 duster with a offenhouser intake and 3 strongberg carbs. Never got the chance to see it run. Jimbo
So, head bolts not torqued? Yikes what else is waiting for you in there? means the restorer was "not an engine guy" and the engine was not a priority. Scary thought.
love it. That red '68 is the stuff of dreams.
cheers.
Those head bolts would make the voices in my head SCREAM take the motor out and pull the pan. Check the torque on rods and mains.
Been waiting for this one. What's not to love about a Charger?
Well… I do love it, but this one has slightly become a pain in my ass.
Beautiful Charger , Jamie ‼️
That engine dose look incredibly clean , despite the , eerrrr .. umm .... head bolts not being torqued properly
It's actually impressive it drove
that far ( 1800 miles ) ,
with lose head bolts 🔩
I'm glad you're taking the extra time & attention to this engine
A 1977 , 318 ??
Multi layer steel head gasket or
Are you using a Composite , because it's , iron to iron ,
head to block ?
Oh , btw . Oldsmobile V8s late 60s early 70s , you don't have to remove the distributor either 😉
I am also impressed, knowing what I know now. We used standard Felpro composite head gaskets - I always do. MLS isn’t a good option unless both surfaces are freshly machined perfectly straight, and they are supposed to get a special surface finish as well. The composite has always done me proud.
The only big question is did the guy with the bad torque wrench tighten down the main and rod caps?
The thought has crossed my mind… 🙈
I've been waiting for this one. I figured it had to be the head gasket since you didn't hear anything break. My only concern now is did the guy who didn't believe in torque wrenches also put together the bottom end?
Yes someone else asked the same… and I had the same concern… I feel like we would probably have noises or other symptoms by now if there was an issue there. But it’s a real concern.
It looks great with the spray bomb detailing, a very nice looking car. This might be obsolete information, like about 40 years old, but you know how they tell you to retorque the head bolts after running it through a thermal cycle? Well, I actually did it, which means pulling back the exhaust manifolds, but I was very surprised at how much the head bolts had loosened off.
I’m hip to that recommendation. It’s so impractical in most situations, and I’ve done a good bit of reading on it. I seem to recall that retorquing was a good idea for steel shim gaskets, but shouldn’t be necessary with more modern gaskets. It’s been a while since then and can’t remember for sure. In any case, I’ve never done it.
You should.
Told you yours was the best,awesome seeing it in a different perspective, like following you in the 69. Especially when Tom took off and that 383 was talking to you. Had bad machine work done on heads in a 360,head gaskets left the building and took out. 1 and 3 pistons. Was in a flybridge boat for 25 miles doing 3200. Didn't know till I slowed down,blowby smell kinda gave it away.😮
Oh wow… that sounds like fun times. Yeah, you were right. A lot of people said it. Personally I found humor in the several comments which said “sell yours, buy the ‘69, and put a 383 in it” when what I would be selling is a numbers matching 383 car with under 100k miles 😅
Jamie - you da man- you were 100% right about the head gasket. Nice seeing it gone over, cleaned up and buttoned up nice and tight... Torque wrenches are Good ;)
One of your best videos; good balance of eye candy, wrenching and sharing of your extensive and impressive knowledge.
Nice engine work guys, condensed perfectly! Whoever put that engine together last time didn't know what they were doing?
I think some details were lost in translation… most things were fine, but loose hardware here or there.
Looks great guys 👍and if installing transmission cooling lines is your favorite job then you need a hobby besides chargers.
There *might* have been a touch of sarcasm involved there 😅
Missoula!! I used to live in Kalispel, 150 miles north. The most beautiful part of this country!! I live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania now but I loved Montana
Strange... This video reminds me of the time a was a professional donut inspector. Umm, never mind. Anyway, I don't think the 318 is mad at you. I think the Charger is mad at the 318! After all, it's a CHARGER!!! It wants to feel awesome power of a 440 or Hemi, just like you and I do!
Alright, I’m kind of coming away to that way of think 😅
I had a ‘68 Charger that originally had a 383 4bbl 4 speed, had a transplanted ‘69 340 4 speed installed, it was a beast! 3:91 Sure Grip, MOPAR 292 duration cam, head work, 10.2 compression, electronic ignition (Mallory), Holley 650 double pumper with a Weiand aluminum intake. This car would stomp my ‘69 road runner, GTX, or a 1993 Z28!
Also had some head work done on W-2 heads and headers with Walker Super Turbo Mufflers.
Ah.....in reference to the comment I left on the previous video, I was under the impression your '68 was a project, not a running, driving, excellent looking example of an all numbers matching car that already has a 383 in it. No matter - I learn.
Still love the colour on the '69 though......so pretty.
Purple charger runs excellent! Great job! I noticed the steering wheel is not straight. Take care of that would ya?!😂😂
It’s on the list. Haha.
A Charger with a 2bbl? That's like taking a shower with your socks on.....very unsatisfying. Time to upgrade to a decent intake and 4bbl, something that'll really feed 'er the onions. Cheers from Alberta.
I have had lots of fun times with the Carter BBD… But after all the pain in the ass this one has now caused, I’m coming around to that way of thinking.
@@DeadDodgeGarage "60's Chargers had a reputation...they were the Boss, the King of Muscle Cars. Anytime you stepped up against a Charger, you just knew it was going to smoke your ass. Can't do that with a 2bbl. Chargers were a breed apart, top of the muscle car food chain....the apex predator of street speed.
Ya know I thought something was not right about the 69 when you were here. It sounded off. I bet if we would have torqued the head bolts it would not have puked. Oh and I had a carb kit on the shelf for this too. Oops forgot to mention that minor detail.
Well, hindsight and all… just really no reason to even think to check that. Exhaust manifolds, valve covers, rocker assemblies… all in the way just to check head bolts. And on the carb, an accelerator pump would have been really nice to have. Haha. But I managed.
Not often you see a pair of beautiful charger's going down the road the 68 is my favorite they should of kept the round side marker lights and taillights on that body style thanks for sharing
This video reminds me of my 70 Road Runner. Especially when you were driving. Same dash and gas gage reading the same. I would love to share a picture
This takes me back to when I was in high school in the late 90s with my 68 Plymouth Satellite 2 door with the 318.
Great video. 👍🏻
I have recently found your channel and have been enjoying your content I just am a little amazed at your knowledge and impressed with what you do and Feel like you should be much older than you are I was born and raised in the Spokane area and now live in Montana So I also enjoy the backdrop of your drives Keep up the good work
Nice! Yes I hear that a lot. Haha. I don’t know how I ended up like I am, but I’m happy with it. I’ve been able to do a lot of stuff that I enjoy - and that others can’t. Thanks for watching!
What kind of torque wrench are you using? I need to get one.
It’s a Snap On, which basically just means it was stupidly expensive, but my old business paid for it… I’m sure there are cheaper beep style wrenches out there, but the Snap On is really great. It has a built in angle mode too. I have them in 3/8” and 1/2”.
Come on man... throw that two barrel to the side, get you an ontake and put a four barrel on that thing. It feels wrong seeing that little carb on a 69 charger. I love your channel btw!
But it’s correct original type stuff... It’s also really, really easy to work on - as I talked about in this video. This is a highway cruiser with air conditioning. It’s a lot more important to us that those parts fit correctly than squeezing a few more ponies out of it or looking impressive. Having said that… this BBD is pretty much junk now. A four barrel would fix it. And I have an intake.
Once you go 4 bbl it’s different kick down, different throttle cable, return springs, choke, etc etc. not just a simple swap.
I can appreciate original but ... being that close to swapping for factory performance parts would be tough for me not to do.
That seems to be the general consensus. Haha.
@DeadDodgeGarage lol. O well, good daily driver .
I live in Connecticut and believe it or not its bin years since i have seen a Charger, then today driving down the road a BEAUTIFUL black 69 charger R/T passed me! It was super clean and it sounded like a proper charger should.
Man, they’re just coming out of the woodwork. I saw a ‘68 while I was driving my ‘68 on Friday, and a friend saw a ‘68 R/T driving today in Iowa. Now this. Crazy.
I runs like an old Dodge. My 77 Dodge van ran the same. I despise Carter carbs, the BBD is a POS. I even had the pick up go in the distributor. I still own a 2000 Dakota with a 5.9 swap from a 3.9. Yes, it had the cracked Magnum heads. I swapped the Ram EQ heads from Hughes. I also own a 2017 Dodge Challenger GT AWD in Go Green. I tow my 16 foot Lund fishing boat with it. Do a 360 done up with hidden extras. For Classic cars, Oldsmobile's for me. I am currently doing a Terminator X Max on a SEFI converted RPM intake on a rebuilt Olds 350 with forged Mahle pistons, Molnar rods and a 330 internally balanced forged crank and will get a TKX 5 spd in my 70 Cutlass S.
NEEDS A REAL MOTOR TRANS AND REAREND! Then it will have. As much go as it has show!
318s are real. I know that because I’ve almost broken my foot on a couple of them.
My 69 coronet had a real 318 and REAL 8 3/4 rear end and would smoke the skinny 14s at will.
Perfect video with perfect timing. I just got done dropping a 440 in a 69 charger for a customer and you upload 2nd gen charger. Its charger day YAY lol. I agree with the hoarding part, I literally have 3 340s in my shop right now and couple 440s plus anything small block mopar parts you can think of. So if you need anything or a stroker kit let me know. 😂😂😂
Oh hell yeah! I’m a bit time small block guy… so those 340s are sounding pretty good 😁
I like my '69 Charger R/T SE.... I like even more the fact it's unrestored, unmolested, and factory X9 Black in still 'minty' condition... with the unrebuilt #'s 440 Magnum that is music to the ears when romped on ? Things start happening really quick at that point even by todays standards..... very surprising !
I lift the hood once a year for fresh set of Points/Condenser/Oil Change and do about 3,000 miles a year.....
Just say'in.... Na-Na-Na-Boo-Boo fellas !
Giday From Australia.. A nice bit of car there, thanks for the great content again,
And pls keep th great vids coming.. Thankyou.
Many Cheers...
Ive got a 74 charger 318 3 speed automatic. Got it for $400 when i was 14. It was ready for the scrap yard. I put about 150lb of new metal into floors and fenders but it still has the original drive train lol.
Those cars are beautiful, thanks for the vid, I fell in love with the 318 when my brother bought a 69 Satellite with one. It ran pretty darn good even with it's little Stromberg and single exhaust.
Someone drivin ya wheels or someone driving to girlfriend ? Hmmm , fuckit , plenty chicks around. Just me though.
Your car is not just pretty it also sounds great!
It really does. I love the 383 so much.
It's not good when some clown doesn't torque the cam shaft bolt.. Luckily an Act of God resulted in failure parked in the garage and not on the road. It just wouldn't start instead of possibly having a valve stick open and shattering a piston.
If the body is in good shape and not bastardized do a 400hp LA 408 stroker or slightly warmed over big block
If you pull any AC systems off of a 69 Charger big block, let me know. I'll buy it from you.
BTW old AFB jets can be used in old AVS carbs too, you hafta swap the metering rods and flat access covers for the primaries because AFBs are two step rods as opposed to three step AVS rods. The AVS primary jets are taller for the third step.
Ahhh, that’s interesting. I’ve seen those taller covers and three step rods, but hadn’t made the mental leap to realize they are just for the old AVS. Cool stuff.
Cragar SS - there can be only one....
Yessssssss
we rode 318 w ac for years ,,,decent car ,,,but t hey need big blocks 11 yr owner 68 gtx lots of hp
What no 4 barrel intake replacement and no 360 heads? But it looks much better than before! 👍
360 heads = measurable compression and port velocity losses on a stock 318. Absolutely a mistake. The four barrel possibility was discussed, and after what transpired in this video and after filming was done… we probably should have given that some serious consideration.
@@DeadDodgeGarage I have a 318 (bought a 426 Hemi replacement) with a 4 barrel. Works great! But the whole thing is getting replaced.
I love watching your videos. You make them interesting.
Cool video
The temptation is real, but your Charger is awesome. Red cars are faster hahaha.
LUV UOR SENSE OF HUMOR, BRUUH... VIDZ NOT OVER AN HOUR..😁😂
Love charger content
the charger ( 74 down) is the best body style for looks imo
As always, excellent job!
I named my cars. It helps prevent confusion.
I love the 69. But like I said previously, the 68’s are more better (imo opinion of course). I think you’re dual wielding the right amount of awesome with the blue Demon and red 68(black top and polished slots would be the ultimate),but If we all liked the same thing that would be boring. I love the High Impact(HIP) colors Chrysler put out from 69-73 and in a perfect world I would own the the Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry Charger(in 68 trim of course), pistol grip 4sp or Slap-Stik 727 equipped.
Interesting that Charlie just commented the same thing about wanting the Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry car! That’s one I don’t hear very often. I’m very happy with my pair. Also I really like the dual wielding reference. Haha. The one thing is, I think I need to complete the set and have red, white and blue. My wife’s wagon could count I guess, but it’s also hers. There is also my ‘79 300… anyway, I’m painting my classic drag racer project Barracuda white and I think that takes care of it. Haha.
69, 69, 69, 69.
If you ever get down to Billings, let me know. I would Love to see the Purple 69. I also love 318's. Ever consider a 4 barrel and a cam change? Just asking.
That car was sold months ago. We are in Washington. Some flipper guy bought it, and it’s for sale somewhere in Oregon now. And yes, we briefly considered improving the power situation, but decided it was better off for our purposes perfectly stock - as Mike had built it.
Did it eventually stop blowing smoke? And how long did it take? Ive just been through the same thing and the left bank exhaust and muffler has been saturated in oil. Still smoking 50 miles later so Im not 100% that something else isnt going on 😞 Any tips 🙂
It did stop. It took several drives to do it. But I can’t say specifically how many miles. As for yours, all I can say is that it’s essential to actually confirm the failure. If you found the cause and fixed it, your smoke should go away. If you made a guess, or possibly found a second issue, maybe not. But it usually doesn’t take more than a few drive cycles.
I love 318 too. We had a 70 Sport Satellite with the 318 2 barrel and I 68 Charger which and my brother dropped a 440 in it. Unfortunately it was stolen. All that was 40 years ago and I still dream that I own that Charger. Now all these years later I bought 300J with the Cross Rams and A/C!! Slowly restoring it.
That’s a bummer, but the J sounds awesome!
Every time i see a charger turn a corner, the theme from Bullitt plays in my head. But i drive a 1967 Mustang GT, so.....
Oooohhh! That’s awesome. I think I need a black ‘68 some day too. Haha.
No Dodge is dead, they just need extreme TLC.
Jamie, do you know what color that 69' is?? I'd love top see it on my 65' Coronet 500..... Still loving your channel.. Keep up the fun!!
He said it was Prowler Purple, as found on the Plymouth Prowler. It looks a bit darker than that to my eye. But either way, I really like it.
Did you fix the missing/broken advance springs in the distributor? That could be why your timing light wasn't indicating the correct timing.
No, I *completely* forgot about it until Evan reminded me after filming this one. We’re going to put a distributor in it that actually works, and give tuning it another shot!
I don't share your love of the BBD.
In fact there's an LD 340 intake and 1407 sitting on the shelf waiting for the next one that shows up. If it's any condolation I hate the Holley two barrels that came on 360's even more.
Yeah those aren’t my bag either. I just like the BBD. I’ve had some good times with them. But the four barrel Carter / Edelbrock is almost just as serviceable, and much more gooder for horsepower and such. And after the catastrophe with this BBD… we already made the joke about swapping it for a four barrel.
Holley 2210 is a better carburetor, is easy to tune, and will give better fuel mileage and a better running car. Ofc it would have more power and better fuel mileage with a 383 in it.
That’s a solid unit, and I’ve had good luck with them. But they also have a larger mounting flange and don’t fit on small blocks.
I laughed every time you groaned at the weight of that puny intake. Have you ever dealt with the intake on a Ford FE? The weight about 85 lbs.
I actually have. I’m more annoyed by the pushrod configuration than by the weight of the giant intake I think. Haha.
Sell that monkey due and get a real mopar classic like a 1969 dodge polara two door post 🧐 i used to like chargers until i realized everyone else does 2 they immediately lost there shimmer and honestly 68-70 chargers are lame 👎generation after especially the super bee edition are formidable dream cars 😎
Ok, I will let literally everyone alive know that Chargers are no longer cool. I guess I'll sell both of mine too. Might as well. I mean if they're lame! I would hate to own two extremely sexy, legendary muscle era Mopars that people constantly freak out over and try to buy if they are lame!
You should of put a new timing chain on since you had the timing cover off and by the way my 318 is Hemi Orange it was black from the factory being it came out of a 1985 plymouth cop car and Orange is better then black for a engine and better then blue .
First, that engine is low mileage. There was a bit of slop in the chain, but not an excessive amount worth worrying about. Second, we didn’t have one handy. Lots of engines that shouldn’t be orange have been painted orange. Chrysler reserved orange for HP engines and Hemis - and we do the same.
i always enjoy these videos , i recently saw that my aftermarket chrome oil breather is spraying oil on the valve covers , anything to look for ? (always learning from guys and videos like you ) i have a pcv valve but the oil breather is not connected to the air filter . 400 big block originally a 2bbl now 4bbl street demon carb mostly stock except msd ready to run distributor and coil
Not at all uncommon to get a bit of dribbling. If it’s excessive… it could be a sign of blow by / ring wear, or another means of compression escaping into crankcase, like a blown head gasket as we found on the ‘69. Do make sure your PCV valve is still good (rattles when shaken.)
I was about to say I've ***NEVER*** seen a Chrysler small block blow a head gasket. I had honestly thought because of the pinging and timing issues it was having, I was thinking you'd scorched through a piston. Especially seeing the blowby, smoke out the tail pipe and the oil usage. But then seeing all the loose bolts on the top end during disassembly; If this were my car/my engine; me being the paranoid sum-bitch that I am.... I'd question things like rod bolt torque, main cap torque; even flexplate bolts and everything else. Clearly, whomever "built" that engine didn't own a torque wrench.
My current thinking is that the timing issue led to pushing the gasket out in that location, and maybe that somehow loosened the bolts? It’s a thought. I don’t know how I completely forgot about the distributor situation during this video.
Cast iron beats plastic. How hard is it to pull the exhaust manifolds? I'm dealing with a 440.
It was really easy on this one because there is actually room around the small block, and the previous owner hit the hardware with never seize. The easiest exhaust manifold removal I have ever been involved with… good luck on the 440. There is no space. Do they even come out with the studs in place? I don’t know…
They are both great lookin Chargers 😊
The purple charger is begging for a 440!😂 keep the A/C because it's very cool and neat!
Oh it would *absolutely* keep the AC, no matter what.
I dont understand why someone would put a 318 in a 69 Charger. didnt they come with 383's?
They were an option, yes. The brochure says the 318 was the base engine, but it doesn’t list the slant six - which was possible to order as well. Now that’s a slug… the 318 is a fine engine, when it’s running right. I was recently reminded that this one doesn’t have a functional timing curve… so that could be related to it not running the best.
I understand you didn't want to get involved with shooting the engine paint but I've had the experience that if the paint sucks, it will probably look like crap in a year or two. Maybe that's not a big deal but it is on my car and painting it in the car sucks.
It’s more that it was impossible for us to get everything clinically clean in the amount of time we had available, and our talented painter wasn’t with us for a few days so it wasn’t really an option anyway. No time to tank these parts, the engine block couldn’t come out this go around. It’s highly likely it will look like crap in a year or two either way. The paint will be burned off the exhaust crossover in the intake - fast. It’s also likely that the next guy won’t even keep the 318… so in the grand scheme of things, the calculation is short term glory > long term longevity on this one. I’ve had rattle can jobs hold up pretty well with adequate prep work similar to what we did here.
Finally got to watch the video in full. As for the car name; I vote 'Cranky'.
That’s way too fitting 😅
My 1971 318 Barracuda Convertible came with a Rochester 2GV - IMO it ran even better than a Carter BBD.
That’s interesting. I have nothing against Rochester in general, and have had some Quadrapukes that worked pretty well. But have no experience with the two barrels. The real party piece of the BBD is that you can pull the needle and seat in a minute, or swap the accelerator pump or clean out the bowl in five - all without ever pulling the carb. I just like that simplicity.
When I was 18 I bought a plum crazy 70 charger, 318 2 barrel, glass packs, sounding good.
Party barge for me and my friends.
I miss that ol car.
From your last video: I'd sell the 68 and keep this one as a driver, esp with the 360 or stroker, every day of the week
Well that ship has sailed, and this one has been sold. I decided to keep my numbers matching 89k miles 383 car… and I don’t really regret it, but I liked this one a lot too.
Love That You Kept The 318!!! 😊😎👍
did you perform a leak down? maybe the rings or valves are sucky?
It was the head gasket in pieces. It was very obvious.
I would keep the 68 even with a small block , love your blue Demon too , i hope you gonna do something with the 73 mustang . I had some of them they are lot a fun too lol well done
That Mustang was never mine, and my friend sold it a year and a half ago.
I do love anything Pre Stellantis (however its spelled pffst!) Mopar. Im weird like that. Also block drains only come out 10% of the time and that's with a blow torch and a can of PBlaster. Easier to just knock out a low and easy to get to freeze plug thats gonna need to get replaced anyway. Also, Technomancer Pro Tip: When the carbide scrapers are at home, vice grips and razor blades.
Around here it's more like... 50%? I don't know, but they sure put up a fight.
@@DeadDodgeGarage Consider yourself lucky. Haven’t had one come out without a fight and only won 10% of those fights in 20 years of pro wrenching in the Mojave. Nice Video btw.
Did you ever try jacking up the back of the car to get all the coolant to drain quicker and thoroughly?
Nah. I have done similar in the past, but I’m patient enough and have other things to do as it drains.
Why would you not send the heads to a machine shop and magnaflux the heads and have them checked out 100% ?
1) that would be a pointless expenditure that takes time we don’t have
2) the problem was very, very obvious
3) it never used coolant, overheated, or had any other symptoms other than the loss of compression to crankcase on one cylinder. There is zero concern here of cracks. These heads, like, never do that. If we had a coolant consumption problem that was not explained by a gasket problem, that would be cause to have them checked. We didn’t.
I should think that, given the fact it was clearly fixed and no longer had insane blow by after I was done, it is obvious that I made the correct decisions. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like wasting time and money.
Come on man. That was the time to replace that 2 barrel crap with a 4 barrel manifold and carb. WTF?
What can I say? I like BBDs. Also… we didn’t have one handy.
I have a 65 Barracuda that I need direction for a shifter cable for a 727 transmission
I don’t think they are reproduced. You’re probably going to have to get a used one… and I’m pretty sure it’s ‘65 only. My first instinct is to call Wildcat Auto Wrecking - or Vanessa with Five Point Parts that used to work there. She’s really good at tracking things down.
This guy might look like a ragged gearhead.. but 3 Chargers? He might as well be wearing a million dollar suit with a lot of bling and slicked back hair.
I only own one of them, and I had to sell five much crappier cars and trucks (ok, one was a Cobra replica, but that’s this whole other story) and a car trailer to get it - and I still owe a friend the $2000 I borrowed to seal the deal over a year later. I am not that guy. I made a lot of sacrifices to make my dream reality.
318 one word faithful
You do great work! Thanks
just found this channel, (liked and subscribed), My first car was a 68 Coronet 318, also had a 77 Van, (also a 318) and a 70 Polara, (440). That Polara is one that I sure wish I had kept. the Chargers featured on this video are beautiful. Liked and subscribed and looking forward to watching more videos with lots more Mopars.
I hate the steel intake gaskets for the 318 I always use the felpro gaskets that are so much better and never leak like the steel ones sometimes do
Me too - unfortunately, that’s what comes in the year correct head set, and it’s what we had. It also looks right.
You have a cool job you get to work on old mopars I grow up driven them and wish I had some of my old cars now but back then they were just cheap fun had no idea what they would be worth 40 years later you really are lucky to have a job that you get to play with old stuff I miss the good old days
Those heavy throttle springs will wear out the throttle shaft. Great job!
It took all of those to get it to close all the way. It doesn’t feel heavy at all. None are particularly strong springs. And… the throttle shaft is well beyond worn out already. Haha. Thanks!
Unrelated question; Six Pack or Double Quads?
It’s the eight barrels for me 😃
Another nice car .... Thanks...
You probably have an 11.73 car there. I mean 0 to 60 of course.
Something like that 🤣
Something tells me that left bank has one or more piston rings that are either broke or stuck in the ring land 😔
It was a head gasket broken and blown into crank case, possibly due to long term pre-ignition over the course of the trip that was the result of a totally messed up distributor. After the head gasket replacement, it ran awesome and there was zero smoke. Did you not finish the video? Lol. I did another video on the distributor later.