Rob, your manual steer box won't bolt in. You need manual steer column or the Firm Feel adapter or the factory adapter and manual pot coupler. Also check to see if pitman arm is the same size. I've heard there is a small (early) and large (late). All I have ever seen or had is the small. I don't know for sure there is a large one. The power steer box does have small splines on the column end, manual has large, so there's two types of pot couplers. The manual column is about 3" longer than the power column to make up for the shorter box.
Homegrown solutions are hammer the shaft into the column, it's a collapseable column of weld a manual pot coupler to the manual one or weld in a 3" extention to the shaft. I personally wouldn't use any of them, it is the steering, which is something you don't want failing.

Cecil

Hey Cecil,
Precisely why I haven't done the swap yet. When I swapped my Dart over years ago I used the pricey 3" extension and had to take it to a machine shop to have a couple teeth removed so it would fit over the splines on the manual box. I think I also remember taking apart another steering column to get the right size splines on the pot.
I didn't want to take this thing apart and find out I couldn't get the right Pitman arm or right pot, etc, etc. It was too much drama the last time I did this. I'll take some measurements and get all the right parts before I take anything apart. For now I've just removed the belt and may take out the pump and just loop the two hoses together.
I was going to take the parts off of my Dart, but it is already looking more like a parts car than project #1 at this point. I stole the rear end the other night. Ya see, I shoulda just left the Dart a slant 6 in the first place. That's what I get I guess.
Are you going to Bristol? I had one of the guys in the North Georgia Mopar Club mention the "really clean Valiant running a slant 6 at Reynolds". He asked me what kind of times it ran and I told him low 15s on the motor. Just kidding. You were in the 18s completely stock, right?
Rob

Yeah, it ran 18.80s. Made it to the semi-final. Can't make Bristol but this week I was able to swap two vacations so I can make the Clay City and Wilksboro races. I'll use my sick days to make the Dalton GA race in Sept.
I used the factory 'van' PS to manual adapter before but the Firm Feel adapter is easier to use, no pot coupler change needed, although it's a little pricey at $125.

Cecil

Well, we made it.
My son Chase (6) and I made it to Bristol and actually passed tech. It took all Friday evening and the better part of Saturday in the rain to finish things up to be ready, but we raced it on Sunday.
It ran a 20.77, 20.85 and then picked up to something less than 20.60. It picked up so much time by that third run that I broke out after lifting about 50 feet before the traps.
The master cylinder is going out and the transmission and gas tank are leaking, but it's a race car now.
You all should have heard the difference in the motor after we adjusted the valves, rebuilt the carb and gave it a tune up. The valve adjustment really made a huge difference! And it was much easier to do than I thought! (Thanks Dale).
Let's see... the master cylinder shouldn't be too bad and to fix the transmission leak I'll need to drop the valve body (good time to put in that manual valve body). The $10 gas tank I bought was a band aid deal to get to Bristol anyway, so now's a good time for that fuel cell...
Oh man, somebody stop me!
I got to meet several of the people I had been reading about in SSRN for years. A great bunch of people for sure! I got some good ideas to improve the Duster for the next event (after I take a little break from the car stuff to get back in the good graces of "the Boss")
Now the "trying to get involved" has changed to "heavily involved". Thanks to all who have followed this saga over the last couple months and posted with words of encouragement and guidance. I'm going to work out some bugs and get some of the kids in the youth group out to a local track for some drag racing. The far away events are a bit much for them right now, but watch out at Paradise Dragway September 27-28.
38 days 'til Clay City!
Rob
Rob

Just an FYI since you're running a 73 Duster, on moparts in the A-body parts for sale section someone in GA has a hood and trunk lid from a Feather Duster for sale, those would save some more weight and be OEM style parts (good for the price). If you could land that set and a front bumper reinforcement from the same car you probably will drop 75lbs off the car....


Keep an eye out...

-D.Idiot

Thanks, I'll see if I can find 'em. Do you remember the asking price?
Rob

Okay, So my racing season didn't go exactly as planned...
I only made it to Bristol and Calhoun, GA. The slight rod knock at Bristol bacame an overwhelming "Yowl" at Calhoun.
We had put a four barrell, open headers and shorter tires on it for Calhoun.
It wouldn't pump oil up to the valvetrain...
Upon partial teardown it looks like #2 connecting rod is the main culprit. There was 1/2" of sludge in the oil pan. It needs to be bored over. Once I get it all town down I'll post an update if there is anything more to report.

Plans for the winter call for buying a running engine that I can go through quickly and mill the head (and maybe block)and put in a good camshaft. Maybe rings and bearings if needed (but hopefully not).

Added to that will hopefully be an 8.25 open rear out of a Dakota with 3.91 gears and do some more lightening by gutting the heavy doors, removing the bumpers and putting in plexi-glass windows.

So, any predictions on what this thing might run next year?

Standard bore 225 with standard valve sizes. Offy intake with Holley 4 barrell and open Hooker headers.

Head milled .050 (block maybe milled 0.100)

Engle 276 camshaft

3.91 open rear with 205-60 14 tires.

Oops! Forgot to mention a fresh transmission with a shift kit, manual valve body and 2800 stall converter.

The winter project has cost a bunch more time and money than I planned, but we should end up with something that will last.

We completely rebuilt the engine with all new parts, bored .040, milled block .100 and head .080. New Engle cam, bigger valves with port job by Wright Performance. Ron Parker really helped out by having the 904 gone through and letting us use his 2800 stall converter (Thanks Ron!)

Right now I'm waiting on the timing set from Cox Brothers to arrive so we can get the cam degreed correctly. The Melling timing set just wouldn't get us close. We were either 10 degrees retarded or 10 degrees advanced. Once we get the cam degreed we'll button this thing up and get it all installed.

I've only got 48 days until I leave for Germany, so the stress factor of getting this thing done is rising exponentially daily!

I'll update again once we get this thing rolling (I hope)

Rob

We got the engine and tranny put in the Duster the other night. It's just "in"; not hooked up, but at least the two are together again.

25 days until I have to leave...

Anyone want to adopt two very enthusiastic teenagers and a really ugly Duster with a brand new engine and tranny for drag racing, fellowship, and fun? (Package deal, won't separate, 3 year lease )

Rob

Keep pluggin' on it, Rob. We know you can get the car up and racing before you leave. After 8 mo of work, our '66 Valiant is running as of yesterday and we're taking it to Farmington tomorrow, so there is hope!

Cheers,

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

We fired up the Duster last night! I should have put a muffler on this bad boy! It sounds good. We've got some tuning to do to get it ready to drive and race, but we should make it out to some races the next two weekends! More later.

Rob

First run on the new motor was not quite what I had hoped for. 18.40

I bumped the timing up and went a 17.98. After a few more passes I started shifting manually at 4800-4900 RPM and got it down to a 17.46. The last run of the night it sputtered at about half track and I let off. It still seems to run okay, but a little rough.

Still slower than I had hoped for, but I don't have time to mess with it now. I'll still pull it to Reynolds for the Mopar Race this weekend and see what we can do with it.

The 318 Dart I built ran consistent 15.0s with a 14.99 to say we did it.

With the teenagers having a street legal car that runs 14s-15s and this beat up, noisy, have to tow it there, "Race Car" running mid 17s I have a strong feeling that the "GodsRods Duster" is going to quickly get forgotten once I leave next week....

Rob

I thought I had updated this when I left the states back in June...

The cars weight on the scales at Silver Dollar Raceway was 2,785. Plus about 180 for the driver.

Rear end gears were 3.91 open in a Dakota 8 1/4. Can't remember tire size.

Carb was a Holley 4 barrell on an Offy manifold

Exhaust was a set of old, beat up 6 into 1 open headers

First run on the brand new motor and tranny was 18.400 at 75.59 MPH

I advanced the timing and it went 17.973 at 76.56 MPH

It ran a string of 5 runs in the 17.8 to 18.0 range doing the same thing.

Then I played with the launch and shift RPM, gradually increasing it to 4800-4900 RPM for the shift.

That brought it down to the best run of the evening with a 17.465 at 78.55 MPH.

On the next run (last run of the evening) with the same technique the car sputtered just before the half track mark and I let off. It still ran okay, but a little rough.

The problem was three bent and one broken pushrod.

I left for Germany two days later. The youth group kids went over and replaced the pushrods and have started it up a couple of times, but it hasn't really been fiddled with at all.

I'm sure there's some more potential in there. It needs some tuning and adjusting. With a little bit of fiddling and shedding of a few pounds it may even get into the 16 second range. That would be good for a "Driver's Ed." vehicle as I try to teach the kids about drag racing.

Rob

Good on ya Rob. It takes alot of guts to teach youngun's (specially ones that aren't yours) anything. I hope I can be a good leader to my 2 sons and their friends, but I got a couple years of practice (ones 3 the others 9 months).

Glad to see you're ok too. Thanks for serving.

Jay

_________________
1974 Duster/1989 Dakota
Mopar Convert since 1989.