found a 1961 rambler wagon w/ straight 6 auto - motor needs rebuilt, worn out & trans is questionable - any parts sources for this car?
A few links http://www.fixrambler.com/ http://wps.com/AMC/index.html http://www.n0kfb.org/homepage/amc/ Partsor NOS : http://www.ramblerjim.com/index.html Ontario !!! http://www.ramblerparts.com/ http://kennedyamerican.com/index.asp http://www.americanpartsdepot.com/ http://www.justsuspension.com/chassis-parts?p=1&category=&make=66&model=1933&year=13382 http://amcrambler.com/ http://www.skidmore.edu/~pdwyer/amc/ http://cars.grantskingdom.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1770 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2201247 http://wps.com/AMC/Navarro-turbo-motor/ http://www.marlincarsite.com/index.html http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/9544426 http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/amc_i6.htm http://www.amccf.com/ http://www.amcrc.com/ http://www.planethoustonamx.com/main/amc_production_figures_decodes.htm Improve oiling : http://www.mattsoldcars.com/RestoreAmerican/boltmod.shtml Jeep : http://www.bc4x4.com/tech/bryce/stroker/stroker.cfm http://www.jeep4.0performance.4mg.com/stroker.html http://www.jeepwiki.com/engine/amc258.html Forum : http://theamcforum.com/
A great forum is theamcforum . There s another one , but I don t know much , so I can t say . Many ppl there with great knowledge and really helpful . I know few , but much , and all I was learned on this forum . Just don t come to ask how to swap a SBC in your Hornet , or be prepared to be flamed
The other AMC Forum doesn't have many Rambler guys, mostly later model AMCs (67-70s). www.theamcforum.com is the busiest and has more people. One thing to remember -- the 1965 and later AMC six is a totally different animal than the previous six. None of the mods work with the old one. Easy to tell which you have -- the old 196 (actually 195.6) has the intake made onto the head with an aluminum plate cover. The later one (introduced in late 64) has a bolt-on intake. If the carb is right up against the valve cover you have the old one. The 196 was used in the American through 1965, big cars through 1964. There was a flat head version too. A lot of people confuse the 196 with the later 199. There's a lot more difference than just three (actually 3.4) cubic inches! The 199/232/258 are pretty modern straight sixes. The Jeep 4.0L uses basically the same block -- just a slightly bigger bore (0.10") and no provision for a mechanical fuel pump. In fact, the 4.0L head (which is a newer design than the old one) will bolt onto the old 199/232/258 blocks with very minor mods. DO NOT drive a 196 powered car without retorquing the head bolts! The head has to be retorqued every 2-3 years or every 12-15K miles. If not the bolts will work loose and you'll blow the head gasket and likely warp and maybe crack the head. It's a big hunk of iron and expands contracts by about 0.020" every time it gets up to operating temp then cools back down. That eventually loosens the bolts. The engine is basically a converted flat head, that's why the head is relatively massive. AMC engineers did change the block slightly, but only on the right side above the side covers. So you can't just bolt that head onto the old flat head block. It's got solid lifters, so retorquing the head isn't a big deal -- the lifters will need adjusting about the same time. If the head bolts all seem tight just loosen the torque down to 60 ft/lbs (spec is 58-62). There was an aluminum block version made from 61-63. If you have it torque the head (which is iron) to 50 ft/lbs (spec is 50-53). The AL engine head is different enough from the iron block head that the two won't interchange. They are old and probably have been run hot a few times -- this makes them crack prone. So retorque before driving!! Get it running, okay, but DO NOT drive before retorquiing!! Good heads are hard to find.
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