I learned something important today.

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PCA4208

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Now I'll start off saying that it was not on my 2003, but on the 79' power wagon. But I knew that nobody looks in the 1st gen section so here it goes. While putting long tubes on the trusty 360 I ran into a problem with the manifold stud. So, I pulled it off by heating it and soaking in acetone ATF mix. ( which really does work GREAT) Stud then comes loose so I start unscrewing. Little did I know that on these LA engines, the stud plugs a hole in the cooling jacket. SO out comes the stud AND a couple quarts of coolant all over everything. In short, I learned to never remove manifold studs, and that I hate anything to do with exhaust, except the sound haha.
 

Redtruck-VA

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Not all manifold bolts go into the water jacket, so it'***** or miss unless you specifically know the engine. Believe there is a current thread someplace here about a fellow waiting for the dealer to replace a head they drilled into the jacket trying to remove a broken manifold bolt on a hemi. It happens....
 
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PCA4208

PCA4208

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Yep. Well now I have to have that experience again, because I have to replace the exhaust gaskets. :(
 
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PCA4208

PCA4208

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Ya I guess so. Also on the bright side all my neighbors hate me for revving the open headers truck everyday haha.
 

chuck

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Ya I guess so. Also on the bright side all my neighbors hate me for revving the open headers truck everyday haha.

lol that's always a plus!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
 

Redtruck-VA

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Give'm hell...
 
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PCA4208

PCA4208

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Haha why not! Besides I'm sure they already do from me going to football at 730 each morning. In my 2003, but still loud haha.
 

HemiLonestar

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The LA's are like that, so are the B/RB's (on the exhaust, luckily the intake is a dry manifold) if I remember right (been about 15 years since I put a set of headers on a big block).
 

Redtruck-VA

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Haha why not! Besides I'm sure they already do from me going to football at 730 each morning. In my 2003, but still loud haha.

Haha I just noticed you're 16 years old. I got grand children older than you. Sounds like you have good mechanical skills, well done.
 

HolyRamBatman

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No bueno! On the bright side... at least you learnt an extremely difficult way to drain your coolant! :naughty:

First laugh of the day....Thanks Steven

That has popped up on the Power Block series on Spike. Never ran into it personally but is good to know. I can imagine what was going through your mind when water started coming out. WTF?? AWWWW:dancingpoop:
 
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PCA4208

PCA4208

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Haha yeah I freaked out. Then I used 3 funnels to direct the fluid into a bucket. But yeah, I'd say I have good mechanical skills. I just retrofitted an HEI ignition unit into the truck. I plan to pull the engine and put in a cam and port the heads in late July/ early August. Then get the block milled to raise compression, it should sit around 320 Hp/ 380 torque if I'm lucky haha.
 

Redtruck-VA

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Ahhh yes, we must educate the young when we can.... mill the heads, deck the block. HEI conversion sounds like quite a trick.. good for you.
 
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PCA4208

PCA4208

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Thanks. And yeah the HEI works great. I did away with the crappy original electronic ignition and ballast resistor. So now I have full 12v to the system and a good enough module to support up to at least 6k rpm, but I doubt this old thing will ever get up there. And yes I did buy a new ignition coil that can handle full voltage.
 
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PCA4208

PCA4208

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This is how I did it.
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