MY CARS ARE FINALLY HERE....BUT..ahh HELP !!

[Talkwrench]

Guys Im so happy my 'Cuda  and Fairlane are finally here !!! Gave them a wash and a once over ...Mmmm there is some work to be done before license  ...  ..update the fairlane died the Yblock sh*t itself. NOT GOOD..

My first impression of the Cuda... Ahhh to be honest.. All noise and not much else, Im going to need help with getting her running right 'cos the 360 gotta have more power than what its got.. Cant understand why the previous owner did things like let the sparkplug leads touch the headers, Front anti swaybar is missing  etc ..? I am going to have so many questions.. some of them maybe dumb but Ive gotta ask .
I may just ask one or two now..

Is the adjustment for the torsion bars up the front and whats the best way to do it as I'm going to have to cheat and raise the front because the headers are only about 80mm off the ground [wont pass lic] ?

Tuning specs of a 360 [LA] ?

Is there any way of taking some power out of the power steering..? 

ALso the dipstick tube has come away from the block how do you fix that!

Thanks heaps guys! 

[Bullitt-]

    Torsion bar adjustment bolt is located in the middle of the lower control arm pointing down, adjust with weight off the wheels. tighten to raise.
    Any factory specs you find for a 360 is for smog tune & will cost you power...try this.
Mark your harmonic balancer 2.25" below the TDC line (from the drivers side), disconnect & cap vacuum advance, with a timing light on it rev engine to 3,000RPM & adjust new mark to -0- line on the timing chain cover by turning the distributor.  This will be 36-degree total advance, your engine should start & run good here, you may need to back down a couple of degrees if you hear spark knock (pinging) during acceleration.   What kind of carburetor do you have?
  Many posts here on the power steering thing, about the only thing to do without changing parts is to adjust for maximum caster.   Part of reliving life Back-In-The-Day buddy.

[the_engineers]

Probably best to jack up the car, adjust the torsion bar setting and lower the car.  Several people have snapped adjusters by wrenching them with the car's weight on them.

Power steering...Mopar Action just did an article about shimming the regulator valve (Oct 2010?).  See if you can find the issue.  Let us know if not.

[PowerD]

about the power steering, mopar action had a great article this month about adding a shim washer to the regulator valve in your pump. Dropped their pressure from 1400 psi to 800. 

[CHL2T]

As for the dipstick tube, yank it all the way out, take a razor knife and knurl (score in a cross pattern) the spot that slips into the block. Knurling will increase the outside diameter of the tube allowing it to set in there tighter. Did this on my 318 and it worked like a champ

[the_engineers]

about the power steering, mopar action had a great article this month about adding a shim washer to the regulator valve in your pump. Dropped their pressure from 1400 psi to 800.

Great minds think alike, although we should both be embarassed to admit reading the childish drivel that Ehrenberg infuses in his articles.

[Talkwrench]

Thanks guys this is a great start, I'll need to put my attention into the Cuda first as the 56 Fairlane died on the first journey home, took the rocker covers off and aghh it was like tar and no oil getting to the valves..Set all that aside..

I guess if I tune the motor like that at 36 degrees that should be OK here as the fuel is 91. THe carb is a 1406 Edlebrock 600 [leaner one]..mm? I have a 600 Holley I could swap [came with the Fairlane] if you guys think that would be better I even have an Edlebrock manifold [idle to 5500rpm] to go on...I doesn't need to be a rocket but I feel its should be going much better than it does.. I think one of the main things might be the exhasut , too big its 2 1/2" each side... sounds great 

Great idea with the dipstick, I'll try that tonight..

Torsion bar, no probs done that sort of thing before, so if it goes up how much extra camber will be on it .. and will it change caster??

If someone has that article on the shimming of the steering pump, love to see it!

any help is much apreciated.. 

Still feeling very down about the Fairlane..

[CHL2T]

Still feeling very down about the Fairlane..
[/quote]

Well after all it is a F.ound O.n R.oad D.ead   

Just kidding, that sucks bad that it died. Hopefully it's all repairable in there

[Talkwrench]

I have been told that the top end of the Y block is very similar to the early Dodge.. Sooo ?? Will it be repairable.. We are going to try force the oil passages, but still aghh its so dirty and thick of ... bits..

I really wanted to put up some pics but no matter how small I made them it wouldn't work 

[the_engineers]

I'll see if I can scan the useful portion and email.

[Aussie Challenger]

Glad to hear that you got them to their new home.   
The Y block had a problem back in the day of rear cam bearing turning and that is the one that supplies the oil for the overhead rockers. I have seen where they drilled down through the hole into the cam bearing to allow oil to come up, if that doesn't work then a total strip down is needed. You will probably need new or good 2nd hand rocker assemblies, if you can find them   
When fitting the dipstick tube back in smear some silastic around the tube before fitting.   

[Talkwrench]

Oh dear the dip stick is broken off level with the block, now what aghh!

I cant seen to find any marks or pointer on my engine..

Which one is number 1 cylinder?

Are NGK sparkplugs any good in the 360? if so whats the number as I think I can get them easier here than say Champion.

Anyone have a link on how to tune an Edelbrock 600?

[the_engineers]

Driver's side, front cylinder is #1 on the Mopar.  I think Pass front is #1 on the Ford.

[Aussie Challenger]

Oh dear the dip stick is broken off level with the block, now what aghh!

I cant seen to find any marks or pointer on my engine..

Which one is number 1 cylinder?

Are NGK sparkplugs any good in the 360? if so whats the number as I think I can get them easier here than say Champion.

Anyone have a link on how to tune an Edelbrock 600?

Yes that is No 1 on gutter side (AUSTRALIA), drivers side US. NGK if they are the standard type BP5EY or BP6EY for more highway work, if you cannot get the "Y" get the last letter "S" check the gap .035" points dist or .040" electronic.
Use a thread tap and you should be able to pull out after starting a thread in the tube, place grease onto tap cutters to hold the fillings from falling into motor.   

[GreenFish]

Oh dear the dip stick is broken off level with the block, now what aghh!

I cant seen to find any marks or pointer on my engine..

Which one is number 1 cylinder?

Are NGK sparkplugs any good in the 360? if so whats the number as I think I can get them easier here than say Champion.

Anyone have a link on how to tune an Edelbrock 600?

If you cant get the dip stick out you may have to drop the oil pan to push it out. I would buy a rebuild kit for the carburetor and go from there. That way you know you are starting out with a good functioning carb.

NGKs are fine but if you dont know how old they are you may want to replace them. Not sure of numbers, I've always had big blocks.