Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

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mopar_mark
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by mopar_mark »

I’m sure it seemed a long time, it looks from the photos it was well worth that wait :thumbright: :thumbright: :thumbright:
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."
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morgan
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by morgan »

... and... tell us about the zoomzoom ! I mean I know I've already talked to you about it but I think thats a lovely motor. Does it feel like its pulling those big numbers ? Have you opened it up yet ?
"Cum homine de cane debeo congredi." Woof.

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RobTwin
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by RobTwin »

morgan wrote: Wed Jun 24, 20 11:08 am ... and... tell us about the zoomzoom ! I mean I know I've already talked to you about it but I think thats a lovely motor. Does it feel like its pulling those big numbers ? Have you opened it up yet ?
If this was a book you'd be skipping ahead to the last page wouldn't you?! Patience young Morgs... ;)
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morgan
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by morgan »

:banghead: ARRGHH! ! !!

OK. Breathing. Calm.... calm... I'm just happy for ya.
I'm calm now. Waiting the next bit. :hippy2:
"Cum homine de cane debeo congredi." Woof.

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Captain Chaos
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by Captain Chaos »

I’d like to know how it goes too pleeese👮🏻‍♂️👮🏻‍♂️👮🏻‍♂️
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RobTwin
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by RobTwin »

Captain Chaos wrote: Wed Jun 24, 20 1:43 pm I’d like to know how it goes too pleeese👮🏻‍♂️👮🏻‍♂️👮🏻‍♂️
So would I !! :lol: :oops:
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Captain Chaos
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by Captain Chaos »

I wonder if mines quicker......
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Adam
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by Adam »

Loving this story chaps. Thanks for sharing :thumbright:
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RobTwin
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by RobTwin »

Captain Chaos wrote: Wed Jun 24, 20 4:50 pm I wonder if mines quicker......
:argue: :lol:
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Captain Chaos
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by Captain Chaos »

RobTwin wrote: Fri Jun 26, 20 1:49 pm
Captain Chaos wrote: Wed Jun 24, 20 4:50 pm I wonder if mines quicker......
:argue: :lol:
\:D/
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RobTwin
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by RobTwin »

Found a couple of pics to fill in some gaps in my last batch....
The 22" radiator we had, had been in the car since we got it so we assumed it was correct till we started looking at trying to fit a clutch/viscous fan.
The part number decoded as a C-body rad so we looked into getting the correct 22", part #2949053 according to this:
http://www.mymopar.com/radiatorspecs.htm
Well, correct for a 69 B-bod with 440 and no a/c. Unfortunately these 22" rads are about 1/2" deeper than 26" rads so it's pretty much impossible to fit a viscous fan.

Managed to get one of these rads from Tony's parts although it would need a complete recore and refurb...
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So we got it recored by Kempston Radiators, near Bedford, who we've used a few times before. I cant remember the exact spec but they crammed as many rows/cores/fins in as possible!

Also, just wanted to add the new fuel tank we got a couple of years previous from John Steed (no, not that one!) had a new pad fitted before installation...
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RobTwin
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by RobTwin »

So back to when we first got to drive it… first impressions were that it felt much more ‘free-revving’ / responsive. The cam felt a bit lumpy despite being told they were only fitting a ‘484’ (albeit with 1.6 rockers).
When we got home we could hear a bird-like, chirping noise coming from the engine, which sounded worse than it was as we soon found it to be just a faulty pcv valve.
Next concern was an occasional problem on starting. Initially thought to be a problem with starter fitment, which checked out ok, but we found a crack on the nose of the mini-starter so suspected ‘kick-back’. Timing felt otherwise ok. Stu got a stock replacement for the mini-starter from US Automotive.
Around this time we got Geof Hauser to change our 3.91s for the 3.55s we bought many many years ago, plus change the prop, yoke and UJ’s for the larger size (1350?). At the same time we got them to check the timing and the starter to see what the cause of the starter problem we had. Turns out it was the timing being out causing kick-back and damaging the starter. We’ve left the stock style starter in there and it still whizzes over a fast as a mini-starter! So what felt like a lumpy cam when we collected the car must have been down to timing being a bit out. We also had a bit of pinking under load so Hauser’s tinkering cured that too.
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RobTwin
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by RobTwin »

Something else that needed attention once we started driving it was oil dripping from the breather onto the driver side exh manifold. Although we hadn’t noticed this on the previous engine (these are the same valve covers we had before), we looked into the cause and found the baffle plates that should be welded to the inside under the filler/breather cap holes, were missing.
We think Paul must have removed them to clear the ally 1.6 rockers we used to have.

rewind to 2011
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should have realised this would be a problem back then :roll: #-o

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back to 2018

While the car was in at Hausers, we asked them to weld in new baffles so they would clear the new steel 1.6 rockers. I took them back to JC to get repainted in time for the 2018 Nats.
All done in good time except I then noticed a couple of pin holes from the welding, so back to JC’s for rewelding and repainting! Managed to get them back and fitted the Thurs eve before Nats.

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RobTwin
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by RobTwin »

Sorry for the lack of photos in this next bit but there's still some catching up to do before we get the next batch... ;)

After the 2018 Nats, having sorted the valve covers, starter, timing etc there was still one remaining doubt – was the trans working ok? What made us wonder was that we’d lost the firm shifts that we previously had. Even under light throttle, we used to get a little chirp on occasions, on the 1-2 change, but now the change from 1-2 and 2-3 were almost imperceptible. We asked Dave Bishop if there could be something up with the Shift Kit after the rebuild but as he said, the shift kit is in the valve body and he didn’t touch that.
After talking to various friends and MMA members we started to get the idea that the converter that Koffel sourced for us, from TCI, was probably a bit too ‘loose’. Up to this point we hadn’t really looked into converter choice – stall, size etc – we just trusted Koffel & TCI to choose the right one given the engine spec and our intended use. At Brooklands last May, we mentioned the symptoms to RPM’s Martin Saville and he agreed to take a look to see if there was anything other than the converter causing the sloppy shifts and what felt like the trans slipping.
The majority of people reading this will probably know this all sounds like a loose converter but as we hadn’t had a loose converter before now, and weren’t aware of the symptom, so we were keen to see if anything else was up.
We continued to use the car tho and while we were waiting for Martin to have room for us, the next problem reared its ugly head…
Whist road-testing the fitting of a new brake line that Stu had made and fitted for the rear brakes, he noticed a loud ticking noise coming from the engine; the kind you hope is just a leaking exhaust gasket. Unfortunately it wasn’t a gasket. So off with the driver-side valve cover to investigate.
We then noticed that the No.3 exhaust push rod had come away from under the rocker arm. Could have been a lot worse, but it was a lot worse than we expected after 1500 miles on a new engine.

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Having reported this back to Koffel, they suggested it was most likely caused by over-revving. Unlikely in this case, especially as this was on a test drive around town, so probably occurred at no more than 2500rpm. Alternatively, they said, it could have been the lifter top not returning to let the push-rod drop.
They did offer a resetting procedure, so, assuming it was just the lifter sticking, we reassembled and readjusted all the rockers on both sides. With the valve covers back on we started ‘er up and the noise, thankfully had gone. Being the cautious types we are tho, we mentioned this to Martin at RPM and concocted a plan to get him to check the trans, this lifter issue and a few other things we felt someone of his calibre would be better off looking at for us; not least of which was a rear main seal leak!

Eventually we got to take the car down to RPM in March this year. One good thing about the pandemic/lockdown situation was that Martin wasn’t as rushed as he would normally have been, with a queue of customers waiting to get their cars done in time for various events, so he was able to take his time a bit more than he otherwise would.
Priority tho was to check the trans line pressure, shift kit operation etc and establish what stall speed our converter is. But as soon as Martin drove the car he could tell the stall was too high for our intended use and was most likely the cause of the soft shifts and also the high underhood temps we’d experienced in traffic.
Martin’s estimate was that the stall was 3000rpm.
Around this time I remembered I did get a photo of the converter in its box when it was shipped with the engine, so once I found that and looked up the number, we knew it was actually 3800-4000!
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I checked with TCI and they were still happy that was the correct converter for us! Curiously, I also asked Hughes, as they seemed to be a favourite amongst a few MMA people I asked and they also recommended something around 3000.
Recommendations from everyone else tho were more in the 2000-2500 region so we opted for a Hughes 24-25HD (2500) converter which I ordered from Summit last week and it arrived at the start of this week.
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morgan
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Re: Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

Post by morgan »

LOVING this thread - i had missed this update.
Had no idea you had so much hassle - i saw the engine in if course but sort of assumed ‘wow - thats awesome’ but hadnt twigged the pain.
Converter i knew about but options were arill open.
I went for a 2400 i think - but i actually think i should have gone higher. But then i still have 3.23 - i really want 3.55 or maybe 3.91 - but its wayyy down the list. Milder cam first.

I cant believe the numbers your engine pulls - i think thats wonderful for a ‘street’ build. When you finish on the niggles thats going to Be an awesome drive.
"Cum homine de cane debeo congredi." Woof.

Current Charger status - "Working !"
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