Recent posts

#21

Engine, Transmission, Rearend, & Exhaust / Re: Intake Manifolds...Sealant...

Last post by John_Kunkel - July 20, 2025, 02:23:16 PM

The intake bolts are 3/8". Rod nuts get torqued to 45 ft lbs so the intake torque is not a problem. How do you strip cast iron with only 40 ft lbs?

Rod nuts/bolts are alloy steel, usually equivalent to Grade 8. Intake bolts are usually Grade 5 and cast iron is, well it's cast iron and the area where the threads are isn't very thick. In addition, intake bolts are more likely to have been installed, removed and reinstalled numerous times (shucks, some of mine maybe a dozen or more times) and each cycle increases the chance of stripping the threads...especially on non-dry threads.

Most universal torque charts will show the torque on a 3/8"-16 fastener at 30-35 ft. lbs. on dry threads

#22

Charger Discussion / Car show yesterday and mine wa...

Last post by lloyd3 - July 20, 2025, 01:45:01 PM

My son's old high school now has a fairly large and successful (well-attended) car show these days. As my son was instrumental in its creation (he set it up in his Senior year there by filing all of the necessary paperwork), he really wanted us to go yesterday. It was going to be very warm (& it was) and accordingly I'd put the car away until cooler Fall days arrived (cleaned and covered) a week ago or so but...a good cause (right?) so I dug it out and we went. My collectors insurance stipulates that "all drivers" must be 25-years old these days so I had to drive since he's only 21 (he'd of loved-to otherwise).  His much younger buddy from school (a cancer-survivor) is now the "ramrod" for this event and it was fun to see him again, now fully recovered and almost "grown-up".  Lots of nice cars there too, but no other 2nd Gen Chargers for some reason. Tons of newer stuff (Vettes, Ricers, etc.), even a very-nice pink Challenger R/T clone, a nice 6-pack Roadrunner, and a few Cudas, but mine was it somehow.

Mine's just a "driver" (w/plenty of imperfections) but it still got lots of attention, even more than I would have figured. A very "diverse" show and some of the cars there were pretty unique ("54 Packard convertible, '56 New Yorker w/the big "Firepower" Hemi, very nice '53 Mercury Custom) and some were even very "over-the-top" in that they were clearly very-expensive to get to their level of "finish" (a modern Hemi in a '67 Cuda Convertible).

After a couple of hours of standing around on hot pavement it was just too-hot to be fun (for me), so we left (it was noonish by then). Makes me really appreciate air conditioning now to drive this one in 90-degree weather.

But...these cars still have some "panache" it seems...

#23

Car Guys Discussion / Re: Old Mopars in the wild

Last post by Chris 69 - July 20, 2025, 09:36:15 AM

1965 Coronet. Redding, CA. 7=17-25

#24

Engine, Transmission, Rearend, & Exhaust / Re: Intake Manifolds...Sealant...

Last post by Kern Dog - July 19, 2025, 08:23:50 PM

The intake bolts are 3/8". Rod nuts get torqued to 45 ft lbs so the intake torque is not a problem. How do you strip cast iron with only 40 ft lbs?
I have not used a torque wrench on an intake in years. Main cap bolts, rod caps, head bolts, flywheel, lug nuts and that is all.

#25

Engine, Transmission, Rearend, & Exhaust / Re: Intake Manifolds...Sealant...

Last post by 375instroke - July 19, 2025, 04:16:59 PM

I never use the recommended 40 ft. lbs. torque on the intake bolts

I know, right.  Working on aircraft so long, a 5/16 bolt gets torqued to 10ft-lbs.  I can't believe these tiny little bolts can take that much torque.  Scares the hell out of me.  I expect them to snap every time.

#26

Engine, Transmission, Rearend, & Exhaust / Re: Intake Manifolds...Sealant...

Last post by John_Kunkel - July 19, 2025, 02:19:03 PM

I have never trusted the embossed steel intake gasket.

I take a brand new valley pan/manifold gasket and trim away all of the embossed area around the intake ports with aviation snips, then install the gasket with a thin film of RTV at the block ends where the 3-bolt plates go, then use composite gaskets over the steel valley cover to do the actual intake port sealing and no other sealants.

I never use the recommended 40 ft. lbs. torque on the intake bolts, seen too many of them strip out the threads in the heads...I smear a little RTV on the bolt threads and just tighten them 30 ft. lbs. or mostly  "by guess and by golly". 

#27

Engine, Transmission, Rearend, & Exhaust / Re: TRW power steering pump in...

Last post by John_Kunkel - July 19, 2025, 02:05:34 PM

When you say "ball bearing" do you mean a single steel ball?

#28

Charger Discussion / Re: Factory Wheel Options

Last post by John_Kunkel - July 19, 2025, 01:41:52 PM

To my knowledge, the 14" styled wheel with the trim ring came only in the 5.50" and 6.00" width.

This caliper is handy for measuring mounted wheel width:

https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Balancer-Width-Measurement-Caliper/dp/B01ASA3PBC

#29

Charger Discussion / Re: Factory Wheel Options

Last post by JMF - July 19, 2025, 11:16:51 AM

Anyone know if my ones in my post above are 14 x 7 or 14 x 6 ?

There's nothing stamped on the back and I don't really want to take the tire off just to measure

Thanks

#30

Car Guys Discussion / 6BBL 70 Coronet 27K

Last post by b5blue - July 19, 2025, 07:11:26 AM

Not mine near me.  https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2752415998482142/?ref=browse_tab&referral_code=marketplace_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks