Putting a Chrysler Industrial Hemi in a 52 Dodge truck

He is running a TH350, so it would be a neutral balance converter - GMs counter balance the flexplate, and he said it runs smoothly with just the flexplate.

 

As AJ notes, if the adapter or trans case is out of spec then monumental issues can decend on your happy place...
I readily admit I know nothing about the TH350, so I can't speculate on how much parallel misalignment it will tolerate, but I would not expect much more, if any more, than the TF which needs to be limited to 0.0035" (TIR = 0.007").
You will not notice anything, at these tight tolerances, when assembling the parts.
There are five ways to check the install:
1. Install a different trans. (to verify trans case alignment)
2. Install a different adapter. (different brand or different 'batch/lot', to verify adapter alignment)
3. Verify the adapter to crank positioning by measuring/locating the alignment dowels relative to the crank. (the engine would, of course, need to be removed and partially disassembled....)
4. Perhaps easier than #3 would be to verify the four (4) locating dowels on the adapter. (you will need a mill with DRO as a minimum as well as the design details)
5. Dial in the adapter to the existing case. (as AJ notes)
Your existing trans could be checked if there is a suitable machined surface at the shaft entrance or possibly the shaft itself depending on the amount of movement the shaft displays.

It might also be useful to verify that the dowels in the block are in the correct position. This can be done if you have a pre-62 manual bellhousing by checking the runout of the trans registration hole. The assumption is that a random bell is spot-on while we assume the block is suspect. If there is significant run-out then a second bell is checked and if run-out remains then the block is the culprit and offset dowels can be installed to make the corrections.

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good point about the random trans case, it worked for us, but we were lucky I guess, and the machining on torqueflites is pretty accurate I have found.

We made offset dowel pins to correct it when we figured out how much and in what direction.

 

Did you check the runout of the torque converter neck?
I'm thinking either the flexplate is bent, not centered on the crankshaft or the converter is not centered on the flexplate.
Or the crankshaft flange is boogered up.

 

Forgot!

 

Gary....sounds like I need to buy you an airline ticket and have you come here and figure it out.

The thought of removing the front end and pulling the motor again to try to figure out everything you have listed is really enough to make me leave the truck outside hoping someone steals it.

Question...other than the trans being out of alignment, is there anything else I should get (engine related) that could cause what I have going on?

 

**Did you check the runout of the torque converter neck?

Don't know what you mean by this? I filled the converter with 1 qt of fluid and mounted it ( making sure it was fully seated - the 3 click thing)

***I'm thinking either the flexplate is bent, not centered on the crankshaft or the converter is not centered on the flexplate.

Flexplate looked ok and didn't have any warpage when bolting it to the crank...but maybe it doesn't take much. The converter holes lined up perfectly when I reassembled and the flexplate was even on all the holes..didn't look like it was warped then.

***Or the crankshaft flange is boogered up.
The crank was sent out for work before it was installed. The journals needed to be welded back to stock, then ground. All the flange holes looked clean and the engine was in service (and all in one piece) before I tore it apart for the rebuild.


Please keep throwing things at me. My visual inspections probably don't mean shit, but short of pulling everything out and starting over, I don't know what else to look at.

 

...I don't think we are at that point yet...

I think he is refering to the collar that fits into the trans to drive the front pump. It could be helpful to check the converter at this point but not sure how useful the information will really be based on how the converter is bolted to the flexplate and then unsupported where the trans should be.

As I said, I have no knowledge of gm stuff so I'm just making some general assumptions at certain points.
Can you post some detailed photos of the converter and front of the trans so I can see what you're working with?

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Why not try this for a change...
Pull and check the sparkplugs and also check the wires if they've been in contact with the exhaust or something causing a spark to jump somewhere now.
The engine might just be missing a cylinder now because of a mailfunctioning sparkplug or grounded sparkplug wire.

 

That makes a lot of sense! Get back to some basics and check the simple things first. Low cost too. Just takes a little time.

 

So I started up the truck and started pulled plug wires. Usually, I can tell when I pull a plug because the engine starts to stumble.

On the number 7 plug (driver side rear), it doesn't make much of a difference though. I know I'm getting spark ( I can hold the plug end to a metal piece and see it firing regularly).

I thought it could be the plug, so I swapped the plug with another cylinder (where the pulling the wire made the engine run different) and got the same reaction in number 7 (still couldn't tell if the engine ran worse without that plug wire attached).

Also, on that cylinder, I held a temp guage ( laser type ) to the exhaust manifold and it is quite a bit cooler than the other ports on that same side. I would think that they'd all in in the same general area.

What should I check next to see if I really am getting a miss that could cause the engine to feel out of balance?

 

distributor cap is bad on terminal 7 ?

 

or bad wire.

 

I'm getting spark from the end that plugs into the spark plug. Why would I get spark with the spark plug not connected, but fail to get spark with it connected? Is that possible?

It's a new MSD distributor, cap & Taylor Wires...so I'm not dealing with worn out parts (although defective is possible).

 

Well, this is good news considering some of the previous discussions ... Thanks to Herman for pointing in this direction.

Wire is made a bazillion feet at a time so it is possible that although you see spark in the daylight it may breakdown under firing pressure.
Check the ohms in that length of wire then compare to what appears to be a good wire.

Some of the premium NASCAR wire will be around 400-500 O/lin ft. Production wire on new cars could be 4000 ohms.

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I will check the ohms of the wire next.

I confirmed tonight that the balancer hasnt moved...tdc of the piston is at 0 on the timing pointer.

 

Have you run a compression test on the engine?

 

I was going to say just swap a wire from one cylinder to that #7 cylinder and see if the problem moved. If it doesn't, I'd repeat what Oahueli said and check compression. You may have a stuck valve, ot the adjustment is way off. Hoping for a bad wire though!

 

First thing I'd check is the wire, just because you can see a spark doesn't mean its the correct voltage. Swapping the wire out to another cylinder is the easiest way, if the problem moves with the wire you've got it figured.

Next I'd check the cap, see if there's any carbon tracks or anything else out of the ordinary. If all the above checks out, then its on to checking the compression. If the compression is off, first thing I would look at is the valve train. Make sure there aren't any stuck valves, and check to see if your adjustable push rods are still adjusted correctly on #7. Adjustable push rods can be a little tricky, and can loosen up on you if you're not careful.

And the final mantra- just because its new, doesn't mean it isn't broken. With the quality of parts these days, I usually suspect new parts before old ones. Especially if electricity is involved.

 

It's pretty easy to check the compression, if you figure out the wire is ok.

Good luck!

 

I'd take a real good look at the dist cap (both inside and outside the cap) looking for signs of carbon tracking. Recently even had a carbon track down the outside of a spark plug, that one made me scratch my head for a while! Past that, check out the rockers, I've had push rods break through the stamped rockers give a weak cylinder. Gene

 

Man...I wish my Hemi had the adjustable rocker arms. I spent about 90 minutes last night adjusting pushrods. In that time, I got 4 of them done...only 12 more to go.

I might need to get some different wrenches tonight. The intake valves are the ones that take the longest...they're so hard to get good access to.

What's the shape of the wrench you're using to adjust these pushrods?

 

Wish I had more insight for you on that one Dan, but I haven't dealt with adjustable push rods yet on a hemi. I will say that my toolbox already has its share of "special" home made tools though, and it pales in comparison to my old man's collection of bent up, ground down, shortened, lengthened, and otherwise altered tools.

I'd buy wrench that's a good start and then make it fit. A little work with a torch, vise, big hammer and a grinder usually makes a big difference. And since this won't be the last time you do this, it will be useful for a long time.

 

I don't have any pics but this is how I made what I use. Just make sure that the opening on the end wrench is clean and tight.
It will help!!

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You should see the funky shaped wrench I made last night...it looks like it got wrapped up in a blender.

The problem is that the handle is too short, so I don't have much leverage...plus the end is still straight. I think I need something like this that I can bend:

 

Try searching for a tappet wrench in the right size. They're usually a lot longer, and thinner, for better access. You could then bend it up as needed...


This is a Craftsman tappet wrench, costs $10.99 at Sears

 

Is that how they are listed?

 

To answer 1 of the previous questions... yes a misfire with timing being a bit advanced will cause a rock or weird things... adjust the valves and check all the plug wires for sure and if you get a chance after you adjust the valves do a compression test on the questionable cyl just to make sure...

 

Yup, from the website- "Craftsman 1/2 x 9/16 in. Wrench, Tappet"

They've got a few other sizes too.

linky-
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00944472000P?prdNo=12&blockNo=12&blockType=G12

And they sell a complete set here

 

I did run a compression test (just on the driver side at that time). 1 & 7 were both quite a bit lower (about 30lbs or so lower) than 3&5. That's when I decided to do the pushrods.

Those pushrods also didn't feel to be at the right preload when I started adjusting them.

I'll do a compression test on them again before I fire it back up.


The part of my brain that always says "woe is me..life sucks" is hoping things just needed adjusting and I don't have cam lobes worn away in only 12 miles of neighborhood jaunts. I did break the engine in with the good oil as instructed.