Starting to work on the Charger... FINALLY! Pics.

[CoronetDarter]

Great find! BTW I was born and raised in Queens - great place to grow up but you're right, lousy place to tear down a car. Our house had a one car garage that was just big enough to fit our Chevy. Only had room to open the driver's door, had to back it out in order to open the passenger door. Good luck on your build.

 

[jenkins71]

Ha! Yeah, thanks man. I actually do love living in New York, I just bitch about it sometimes because I think I am the kind of the guy who needs more space. I grew up in the country.
The Charger is located in a garage in Ridgewood, Queens, off Fresh Pond Road. Ridgewood is a great neighborhood with a small-town feel.
Sam

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Waht do people recommend for gaskets? I will be needing a new pair of head gaskets, as well as new intake gaskets and a new tin valley pan. Cometics are out of my budget at over $100 each!!!

 

[kowalski]

Standard Fel-Pros should work fine just to get it together. Glad you found the problem.

 

[jenkins71]

Thanks, me too. Can anyone recommend a part number? I'm not planning on rebuilding the motor now. I'd like to get a quality head gasket without breaking the bank. I don't want another blown head gasket.
As for the intake, do I need paper gaskets with a new valley pan?
What do people recommend?
Thank you guys so much!

 

[SublimeSixpack]

The valley pan is the intake gasket.

 

[Bb70charger500]

Well head gasket was going to be my guess but I wanted to say don't get discouraged that's a great looking charger my cop friend bought a 72 440 4 speed charger off eBay cost her 17,900 two weeks after she got it the trans gave out then the brakes didn't even work when she unloaded it and to top it off the motor was barely holding together so now she has a 27,900 72 charger that is nothing fancy( a mutt) I've gotten some real winners and a few losers may I ask what you payed ? The motor looks good , well good luck with it I have a 72 and 74 sunroof car , and I've built quite a few of these so ask any ?'s or if you need parts I may have something

 

[jenkins71]

All I need is the valley pan? I thought I saw traces of paper gaskets on the head side of the intake manifold....

 

[SublimeSixpack]

All I need is the valley pan? I thought I saw traces of paper gaskets on the head side of the intake manifold....

From the factory these engines only came with the metal gasket that most people refer to as the valley pan. It's all I've ever used on my big blocks. I do put a dab of black RTV in each corner where the head meets the engine block, then set the gasket in place, then the intake and bolt it down. As I'm sure you know you'll want to torque the intake bolts in the proper order and to the correct torque.

 

[mopar 3 B]

Does it show any clue as to why the gasket failed?

 

[jenkins71]

you know, I had to skedaddle as soon as I got the head off, and then I was so busy with work and stuff today, that I haven't had a chance to really inspect things.
Updates will come..

 

[jenkins71]

Ok guys, I was back in the garage today!!! YESSSSS.
Decided to pull the other head since I bought a pair of gaskets anyway. Low and behold THAT one had a blown gasket, in the same place as the other side!
The crack between #3 and #5 is smaller than the blow-out between #4 and #6, but still, DEFINITELY a hole!

again, here is the gasket from the passenger side:

Also, here are the heads themselves, first the passenger side:

and, the driver's side:

Do the heads look pretty decent? Anything i should do to them? Any ideas why the gaskets blew like that?

 

[Hemi Rebel]

From the pictures the heads look rough. It can do damage to the head and/or block when it blows between cylinders like that. The need to be cleaned up and make sure the surfaces are ok.

 

[jenkins71]

so, make sure the surfaces are absolutely flat, right, with a metal straight edge and feel gauge?
Other than that, how do you think the combustion chamber areas look?

 

[Hemi Rebel]

so, make sure the surfaces are absolutely flat, right, with a metal straight edge and feel gauge?
Other than that, how do you think the combustion chamber areas look?

carboned up. What I do is screw the spark plugs in, with the chambers facing up, fill them with water and then with an air nozzle blow compressed air in the intake and exhaust ports. Use a rag or your hand to help seal the open area around the air nozzle. If there is a leaky valve it will be quite evident by the bubbles coming around the valve.

 

[SublimeSixpack]

In your original post you said the engine was rebuilt in year 2000, do your receipts indicate that the heads were surfaced at that time? And just curious, do you know how many miles have been put on the engine since the rebuild? I have to say the piston tops don't have all that much carbon on them for 14 years of use, I've seen much worse.
Like Hemi Rebel mentioned, a blown head gasket can damage the head surface. If you detect any damage I'd suggest you have the heads surfaced.

 

[jenkins71]

I looked for the receipts last night. I think I left them up at my dad's in Mass!
I **believe** the heads were resurfaced. I remember some receipt of head work being done. I don't mind paying for some work to be done though, if that's the best thing.
I don't think many miles were put on this motor, but I wouldn't be surprised if this thing was ran pretty hard. I know it was at the strip a bit.
Should I clean off the carbon on the pistons?
Here are some pics:
Driver's side:

Passenger side:

 

[SublimeSixpack]

Even though your pistons don't show a lot of carbon build up if it were my engine I'd clean them, but I tend to be a clean freak when it comes to things like this. As I'm sure you know, when you clean the piston tops and the block surfaces you'll want to keep as much debris out of the cylinders, water jackets, etc. as possible. Since your engine is still in the car and not on an engine stand it makes this tougher to do.
If you're interested in what my approach would be to clean things up I'd be happy to give my 2 cents worth.

 

[Hemi Rebel]

Even though your pistons don't show a lot of carbon build up if it were my engine I'd clean them, but I tend to be a clean freak when it comes to things like this. As I'm sure you know, when you clean the piston tops and the block surfaces you'll want to keep as much debris out of the cylinders, water jackets, etc. as possible. Since your engine is still in the car and not on an engine stand it makes this tougher to do.
If you're interested in what my approach would be to clean things up I'd be happy to give my 2 cents worth.

If you're thinkin' what im thinkin', he doesnt have that much farther to go to pull the engine

 

[mopar12372]

wouldnt make a differance

 

[jenkins71]

Hey sublimesixpack, yes I would love to hear your approach about how to clean things up.
In fact, I would LOVE to hear anyone 2 cents on ANYTHING! I love reading stuff like that, and I'm sure others do. It good just to hear others' ideas and methods, helps you learn and create your own methods.

What do I need to pull the motor for, Hemi Rebel? :icon_jokercolor:

I know, it could be a good idea... I don't want to tear apart the bottom end, but it would be nice to paint the motor, and paint/de-rust the engine compartment... and go through all the wiring... Hmmm...

Can you pick a 440 up with the heads off???