i'm 19 and i just got a running 225 from Yucaipa, CA... i don't know anything about the internals of an engine and i want to rebuild this one.. just so i can learn... are there any good books/videos that i should check out?

i've read the Frank Adkins article and found it informative..

any suggestions or tips for a young kid with an itching for some grease??

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70 Plymouth Valiant 4dr

hey man, you can rebuild anything you want as long as you have some patience. I would pick up one of those books "how to rebuild mopar engines" or something of the sort. they are great, with pictures and all...

you should have some good tools, like Craftsman, special tools needed are:
-torque wrench (craftsman needle type is fine, or a 'clicker' if you have the $)
-piston ring compressor
-harmonic balancer puller/installer (you could rent one from Autodrone)

it also depends on your level of mechanic skill as of now; this will determine how much time you will need to do it. also, being able to look at the internals of the motor and determine what needs to be machined and what needs to be thrown out is of importance. this is where a book will help.

find a set of dial calipers and/or micrometers at a flea market, learn how to use them, they will be invaluable as tools for checking the bore, crank journals, etc.

I built my first motor when i was 15, i kept the block and parts under my bed and assembled the short block in my bedroom. it took a few of us to carry it out of the house! one mistake i made was not using rubber caps on the rod bolts (i was using masking tape), and I noticed a few nicks on the crank journals, so I had to get the crank polished again. good thing i noticed them, or the bearings would have been chewed up!

anyway, go the bookstore and start reading, check out amazon.com and see what they have, etc. try this: Haynes Chrysler rebuild book at amazon.com

also, hanging out with someone who is building a motor is great, you get to see everything happening in person... talk to people at a race track and find a friend to hang with if you don't know anyone...

good luck!

for some /6 particulars look at the buzzing half dozen article located on this web site

Right on!

I rebuilt my first motor, a Mopar 318, when I was 17. I put the wrong size main bearings in (Whoops!) and had to spend the next 2 months undoing it all.

The Mopar community is growing larger all the time, but is still a VERY friendly place. We all remember when it was US sitting on the fenderwell of our first Duster, staring at a Slant 6 and thinking "I sure hope this works" so no matter what step your at, or how skilled you've become, there is always someone willing to offer advice at sites like here and Moparts.

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"When applied at precisely the right time, Ignorance is a powerful tool, usually even surpassing knowledge" E.J. "Michigan Madman" Potter.

A slant six is a great motor to learn on. Sure beats busting your knuckles under the hood of some tiny ricer.

Parts are cheap and pretty easy to get. Often, the local library will have several years worth of auto repair manuals. Even a basic book about cars may give you a great boost.

Find a local 1 or 2 bay garage and offer to work for minimum wage if they will show you the ropes. You'll learn a lot more about people and cars than you will about rebuilding motors, but you should make some friends along the way that you can ask questions.

Good Luck

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1980 Aspen 225 super six

Around the time I was your age, I had read my share of hot rod magazines (not just Hot Rod) and a few Chiltons / Haynes manuals. I'd also helped one of my father's friends build a couple. You'd be surprised what you can learn that way.

My first engine was a 350 Olds. That is if you don't count lawn mowers With the appropriate Haynes manual on the workbench, just tear in. Follow all the steps & when you re-assemble, keep it clean. Very clean. Autozone has a program where they lend tools (you have to put down a deposit). Use them for the stuff you don't have.

Worst that could happen is you screw up and have to find another engine in a junkyard. That first engine I mentioned, only lasted 35k miles. Yes, I screwed up. Had fun anyway.

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My truck is a Frankenstein creation
Built from the dead carcasses of others
And brought BACK TO LIFE!