69 RR stalls shifting into D or R

[Wietse]

Update: I've got the car running and driving but having an issue dialing in on the proper timing to alleviate it running rich and pinging in the pipes.

440.
Edelbrock RPM Performer Heads
CompCams Xtreme Energy 224/230 Hydraulic Flat Cam
Holley Sniper Dual Quad Sniper
Holley Hyperspark Kit (distributor, ignition box, ignition coil)
Powermaster Onewire Alternator 165 amp 8-58529

I'm soooooooo close but just can't quite find the sweet spot on the distributor.

I have initial timing at 15degrees as most people have requested but its still running lean.

What settings do you have for the AFR? (Idle, Cruise and WOT)
Initial timing you set for 15 deg, what about the WOT timing?
I assume you followed the correct procedure for clocking the distributor with the plastic cap right?

Not sure if you already used the laptop to configure a timing table yourself? Or are you just using the handheld of the Sniper kit?

 

[prvtmotors]

What settings do you have for the AFR? (Idle, Cruise and WOT)
Initial timing you set for 15 deg, what about the WOT timing?
I assume you followed the correct procedure for clocking the distributor with the plastic cap right?

Not sure if you already used the laptop to configure a timing table yourself? Or are you just using the handheld of the Sniper kit?

Only using the handheld. 15 initial / 42 cruise and 36 WOT

 

[Wietse]

Try and reduce the cruise timing to 38-40 and see if that reduces the pinging.
The ecu will automatically apply a map between the settings you choose, by reducing the cruise timing the timing map will have less "ramp" and reduce the overall timing as well.
What about the AFR? Don't go to lean for cruise as this will have similar cause/effect as the timing map.
Try first with a richer mixture, if it behaves and has no ping you can advance and lean out a little bit by trial and see where it is happy.

 

[prvtmotors]

Update. The pinging is gone. But when I get up to 30-35 mph the rear wheels start to screech and break loose in a fishtail style. Can only assume I need to replace all the rear bushings and check the gear oil. Hopefully that gets me right so I can finally test this thing out!

 

[dadsbee]

But when I get up to 30-35 mph the rear wheels start to screech and break loose in a fishtail style. Can only assume I need to replace all the rear bushings and check the gear oil. Hopefully that gets me right so I can finally test this thing out!

Sounds like you need to back off on the loud pedal...

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Update. The pinging is gone. But when I get up to 30-35 mph the rear wheels start to screech and break loose in a fishtail style. Can only assume I need to replace all the rear bushings and check the gear oil. Hopefully that gets me right so I can finally test this thing out!

Sounds like it's coming around... I think the tires are making noise because they need lubrication.... Oil them & see if they squeal less.....

 

[Wietse]

Update. The pinging is gone. But when I get up to 30-35 mph the rear wheels start to screech and break loose in a fishtail style. Can only assume I need to replace all the rear bushings and check the gear oil. Hopefully that gets me right so I can finally test this thing out!

Not surprising with 2 Snipers on there, i believe you are using the "normal" Snipers and not the Stealth version, correct?
In that case you could try the progressive linkage, this slows down the opening of the secondary's and gives better control of the "kick" when the secondary's open up.
There are many people on the web that say it made a very good improvement on driveability.
Worth a try, note there is a fixed model and an adjustable one.

Sniper Progressive Linkage Kit (Fixed or Adjustable)

In case you find the leaf spring bushings are shot:
Suspension - Coil Springs/Leaf Springs/Torsion Bars - Leaf Springs - Individual Leaf Spring Components

 

[prvtmotors]

Update: Car still drives like its on ice.

In the front end I replaced
inner & outer tie rods
tie rod sleeves
pitman arm
idler arm

Hoped that would solve it...Nope...

Took it to a GOOD alignment shop. He ran it on the machine TWICE and tried to align by eye and the car still basically drives like its on ice. No one had any idea what to do next.

Did some googling and found that lower ball joints have been a big reason why the car gets loose so I bought all new upper and lower ball joints and took it back to the shop. They didn't want to install them because they were convinced that it was a waste of money.

Now I'm back at square one.

HERE IS A MAJOR KEY - After the alignment he showed me where he was able to align the passenger side tire and it leaves about .5 to 1 inch of thread on BOTH sides of the tie rod sleeve.

On the DRIVER side, both tie rods are in allll the way with no thread left on EITHER side of the tie rod and toe of the tire is still out.

Do I now need to take it to a frame shop? When I purchased the car it was primered down and came with receipts of 11k in body work and not a single thing "visually" looks off and the frame doesn't have any mushed edges or anything that would signify an accident.

I'm at a loss and hoping you guys can work your magic!

Only thing left that I could potentially replace are the control arms and the ball joints that I was told are a waste of money...

 

[Black_Sheep]

Upper and lower control arm bushings are the first place I’d look, especially if they are untouched originals. Trying to align the front end is a waste of time without a solid foundation. If you tear apart the front suspension you might as well replace the strut rod bushings too.

 

[Some Car Guy]

I think the FSM has dimensions you can use to check for squareness. I know someplace years ago I saw how to measure in an X and the chart had what it should be.

be sure to look at the tubes in the k and see see if the weld is busted loose. That will let things move around as you drive. I’m assuming but will ask anyway if the shop has the steering wheel straight when checking things. Having that off center will move the tie rods around. Can even cause the center link to hit the oil pan.

 

[Wietse]

if the shop has the steering wheel straight when checking things.

This is the first thing to check, to make sure the steering box is in centered position.
Work from there to make sure the pitman arm is in the correct position and also the steering column/steering wheel.
Normally the steeringboxes have a little "slop" in the "straight forward position, if this is not in center position when driving straight and you make a turn, this slop could do weird things.

Lower control arm bushings are a must to check, these wear out and make the steering feel like driving on ice.
When i replaced them on my Coronet there was almost no rubber remaining on 1 side and the LCA was moving around all over the place. (see picture)
At that time i did a complete front end rebuild and made a significant difference on the steering behaviour.

 

[Kern Dog]

Update: Car still drives like its on ice.

In the front end I replaced
inner & outer tie rods
tie rod sleeves
pitman arm
idler arm

Hoped that would solve it...Nope...

Took it to a GOOD alignment shop. He ran it on the machine TWICE and tried to align by eye and the car still basically drives like its on ice. No one had any idea what to do next.

Did some googling and found that lower ball joints have been a big reason why the car gets loose so I bought all new upper and lower ball joints and took it back to the shop. They didn't want to install them because they were convinced that it was a waste of money.

Now I'm back at square one.

HERE IS A MAJOR KEY - After the alignment he showed me where he was able to align the passenger side tire and it leaves about .5 to 1 inch of thread on BOTH sides of the tie rod sleeve.

On the DRIVER side, both tie rods are in allll the way with no thread left on EITHER side of the tie rod and toe of the tire is still out.

Do I now need to take it to a frame shop? When I purchased the car it was primered down and came with receipts of 11k in body work and not a single thing "visually" looks off and the frame doesn't have any mushed edges or anything that would signify an accident.

I'm at a loss and hoping you guys can work your magic!

Only thing left that I could potentially replace are the control arms and the ball joints that I was told are a waste of money...

Often times, we will all have our own way of describing a problem but I'm having a hard time making sense of this.
"Drives like it's on ice" might mean something different to you than it does to me.
To me, that would mean the steering turns really easy but the tires do not grip and the car understeers terribly. Is this what you're trying to relay?
I did read about your tie rod adjustments and the threads showing, etc. You can conditions like have that if the parts used are a series of mis-matched parts from different year models and different cars. The 73-76 A bodies used a similar Pitman arm but it looks sort of like the B unit. Maybe your car was built with some parts that are not correct for the car?

 

[prvtmotors]

Hello all! Happy Sunday! Wanted to update everyone.

Lower control arm bushing were blown out. Replaced those and discovered lower control arm (passenger side) was cracked in half. Scoured the internet for LCA with sway bar brackets. They didn't exist. I ordered the brackets separately and had them welded on. NOW the car runs and drives the way it is supposed to! I brought the car home Friday night, spent all day Saturday putting new carpet and buttoning up some last minute details and get ready to drive the car and realize I have no brake lights. I spent hours under the car trying to track down the wire that connects to the brake light switch under the dash. I need to know WHAT color wire I'm looking for as I have already went through the wiring diagrams and can't find a definitive answer. Picture attached and once I figured out this brake light situation I should be GOOD to enjoy my first Sunday cruise! Thanks in advance.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/upload2/8110461-IMG_1132.JPG

The colors are hard to see in this photo... But they are Pink and White.... Which you photo shows pretty clearly....

 

[prvtmotors]

http://[URL]https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/upload2/8110461-IMG_1132.JPG

[/URL]

The colors are hard to see in this photo... But they are Pink and White.... Which you photo shows pretty clearly....

Both of those wires are plugged into a port going through my firewall. My buddy says those have something to do with the neutral safety switch which leaves NO loose wires or anything in my harness that would be long enough to connect to the brake light switch. I'm soooo confused because my brakes were already working a few weeks back when I started this thread lol.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Both of those wires are plugged into a port going through my firewall. My buddy says those have something to do with the neutral safety switch which leaves NO loose wires or anything in my harness that would be long enough to connect to the brake light switch. I'm soooo confused because my brakes were already working a few weeks back when I started this thread lol.

View attachment 1555894

Your buddy is wrong, unplug them and connect them to the brake light switch...

The plug that goes to the firewall plug would be a single molded shell with two connections not two separate plugs...

 

[prvtmotors]

Thanks! Gonna go try that! In the meantime, what should be plugged into the firewall plug where these are currently connected?

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Thanks! Gonna go try that! In the meantime, what should be plugged into the firewall plug where these are currently connected?

That's a good question... I don't have a 69 Roadrunner, I have a 68 Coronet, it doesn't have that plug, What are the wire colors?

 

[prvtmotors]

one purple, one black/white. Sort of a V-shaped connection.

Side note: My brake lights work now! Just need to figure out what this connection is lol

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Was this a 68 car ? I was thinking 69... The color codes point to back up light circuit... And a 68 has the switch on the shifter, the moved to the trans in 69..