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Here is one that I got started on late last year that ended up taking a couple of steps backward, but is back on track. I bought a 72 D100 because I just really like that era Dodge truck. I've had a '77 stepside since the mid '90's, but I mothballed it because I just cannot stand having to take it in for California smog inspection. I was actually just looking for a wreck of an earlier truck to "re-identify" my '77 when I found the '72. It is a fleetside, but it was in really nice condition, relatively speaking, other than a rusted through bed floor. It's a factory A/C truck, which was a must have while I was looking, and a 360/auto.
I drove the '72 for the summer last year, making a few repairs to get it functional, but one day I was just hauling serious 'A' on the freeway, and with the 3.55 gears winding it up, came in with a rod knock. The oil pressure was pretty questionable to begin with, and probably starved it due to a clogged pick-up tube. One of the things I needed to do was the timing chain, and when I opened it up to replace it, the factory nylon-clad gear was fully fragged. No doubt where all that plastic ended up. I decided to park it rather than risk poking a rod through the premium '72 360engine block.
I wanted to put a good fuel-economy engine in the D100, and had a 318 dyno engine. This piece put out 426 horsepower with max-ported Enginequest iron heads, and 400 horsepower with box-stock EQ's. This was with an Air-Gap intake and a Comp XE275HL, which is 231/237, and .560-inch lift with 1.6:1 ratio Magnum rockers.
Before putting it in the truck, I put on the stock EQ heads, a ported standard Performer intake (spread-bore flange allows for a big Thermoquad), and then de-cammed it with an old Erson TQ20 cam. I've recycled that same old TQ20 cam in street-bound small block Mopars since the late 1980's. That brought the cam down to 214/214 and about .480 lift with a set of Comp Magnum SB Chevy 1.6 rockers. I figure the 318 should still be good for about 370 hp- maybe more.
A key upgrade I wanted in this truck was an overdrive trans. I had a 518 from TCI new in the box that I got for my '77 truck. It had been collecting dust for years since I parked and non-opt the truck in protest of having to smog it. This engine/trans combo seemed like the perfect set-up for the '72. I got it all together last fall.
I dropped the combo into the Dodge and just had to fab a new crossmember. I got the tubing and I think it was a Mustang insulator. The floorpan needed a couple of dimples to clear a boss on the right and a fitting on the left. I got really busy at this time with major improvements to my workshop, and just pushed the Dodge outside. I covered the engine with black plastic and tossed an old blanket on top of that, and parked it under a tree with no hood on it.
I let it sit out there all winter. This morning I brushed the leaves off the blanket, and found mice had taken over the space between the engine and its coverings. Damn, what a mess. The debris packed on top of the intake was unbelievable. Worse, I had left the distributor out, and the mice made their way inside the engine.
Today, I pulled the truck into the shop and marked the floorpan for clearancing. Then I yanked the engine and trans, and split them. Pulled the engine completely apart tonight to a bare shortblock, and fortunately no debris past just under the distributor hole, and no rust or damage inside. I'm going to put the engine back together tomorrow, and then dyno it later in the week. Then clearance the floorpan as marked, stab then engine/trans back in, and build the cross member. I hope to have it running by Monday.
-dulcich
I drove the '72 for the summer last year, making a few repairs to get it functional, but one day I was just hauling serious 'A' on the freeway, and with the 3.55 gears winding it up, came in with a rod knock. The oil pressure was pretty questionable to begin with, and probably starved it due to a clogged pick-up tube. One of the things I needed to do was the timing chain, and when I opened it up to replace it, the factory nylon-clad gear was fully fragged. No doubt where all that plastic ended up. I decided to park it rather than risk poking a rod through the premium '72 360engine block.
I wanted to put a good fuel-economy engine in the D100, and had a 318 dyno engine. This piece put out 426 horsepower with max-ported Enginequest iron heads, and 400 horsepower with box-stock EQ's. This was with an Air-Gap intake and a Comp XE275HL, which is 231/237, and .560-inch lift with 1.6:1 ratio Magnum rockers.
Before putting it in the truck, I put on the stock EQ heads, a ported standard Performer intake (spread-bore flange allows for a big Thermoquad), and then de-cammed it with an old Erson TQ20 cam. I've recycled that same old TQ20 cam in street-bound small block Mopars since the late 1980's. That brought the cam down to 214/214 and about .480 lift with a set of Comp Magnum SB Chevy 1.6 rockers. I figure the 318 should still be good for about 370 hp- maybe more.
A key upgrade I wanted in this truck was an overdrive trans. I had a 518 from TCI new in the box that I got for my '77 truck. It had been collecting dust for years since I parked and non-opt the truck in protest of having to smog it. This engine/trans combo seemed like the perfect set-up for the '72. I got it all together last fall.
I dropped the combo into the Dodge and just had to fab a new crossmember. I got the tubing and I think it was a Mustang insulator. The floorpan needed a couple of dimples to clear a boss on the right and a fitting on the left. I got really busy at this time with major improvements to my workshop, and just pushed the Dodge outside. I covered the engine with black plastic and tossed an old blanket on top of that, and parked it under a tree with no hood on it.
I let it sit out there all winter. This morning I brushed the leaves off the blanket, and found mice had taken over the space between the engine and its coverings. Damn, what a mess. The debris packed on top of the intake was unbelievable. Worse, I had left the distributor out, and the mice made their way inside the engine.
Today, I pulled the truck into the shop and marked the floorpan for clearancing. Then I yanked the engine and trans, and split them. Pulled the engine completely apart tonight to a bare shortblock, and fortunately no debris past just under the distributor hole, and no rust or damage inside. I'm going to put the engine back together tomorrow, and then dyno it later in the week. Then clearance the floorpan as marked, stab then engine/trans back in, and build the cross member. I hope to have it running by Monday.
-dulcich
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