Mopar Action June 2021

A kid walks into his local Chrysler-Plymouth dealership in 1969 and buys a new 383 Road Runner. The car’s not quite the hottest thing available, but it suits his purpose nicely. He drives it to work during the week and hits the strip on Sunday. First time at the track, the beeper turns 14.39. Our buddy is surprised the car is so quick as the competition is mired in the mid to low 15s. Our guy comes away feeling like a million bucks. Three weeks later, the car shows its grille at the local strip again. This time it has a fresh pinstripe running down its sides, a chrome open-element air cleaner, Cal Custom finned valve covers and a 3-gauge cluster hanging under the dash. Three weeks’ worth of bragging to…

WE LOVE OUR CARS , right? We love (at least) most of the ones we owned in the past, likely whatever is presently in our garage, and what it is we hope to be behind the wheel of “someday.” For Mopar people, we have a special hobby that many of us have been initiated into not by a secret ceremony but by the experiences we have shared. We all have had our frustrations, glory days, bench-racing tales, and honest reflections. Mechanically. perhaps a road less traveled for some with today’s technology, but one that has created the Mo-car culture we all appreciate. With yet another name change, now to Stellantis (stello meaning “to brighten with stars” according to Wiki Latin), will we change? I seriously doubt it. After all, we Mopar…

EVERY MOPAR GUY has their calling…and it’s not the priesthood. You know what I’m talking about. The moment of clarity when you decide that “TODAY IS THE DAY I RECLAIM MY LIFE!! I am going shopping for a project Mopar!” You know the drill… you don’t have the cash for a done or mostly-done car, so you decide that you will pick up someone else’s failed attempt for a song and do it yourself. GOOD FOR YOU BUDDY! GODSPEED! SHOW ’EM HOW IT’S DONE! You start hitting Face-book, your buddies, and anything that will lead you to your soon-to-be-that-love-of-your-life Mopar! The magic day comes and you’re so pumped that you’re pissing Mobil 1! New project in hand with all these visions of automotive nirvana, you post it on social media and tell…

OVER THE 35 YEARS I’ve been cranking out tech fodder, I have penned probably a dozen rear axle articles. Invariably, I have shown the correct way to set pinion depth, bearing preload, backlash, and doing a final check by inspecting the ring gear pattern, guaranteeing long life. Just when I thought I knew it all, some guys came up with a much quicker, less expensive way to get your axle set up – with no special tools required, you can throw away your dial indicator, Dana spreader, etc. You can even easily use a mismatched ring and pinion pair! The video of this killer procedure is at:tinyurl.com/ quickrearfix –R.E.…

STEERED WRONG Richard–I have a ’70 Dart Swinger 340. Can I convert my manual steering to rack and pinion? Richard Dujack Lehigh Acres, FL Richard–Nothing is impossible and finding a manual (or power) rack with the correct dimensions has been done. The trouble is: Getting the geometry correct is nearly impossible. The rack is much larger diameter than the existing center link, so either the oil pan would require a huge notch, and/or the rack needs to move down a few inches. So you take your pick: Terrible steering (bump steer galore), or a terrible oiling system. I suppose a dry sump would negate the second problem, but only by adding a ton of complexity and expense, and reduced oiling reliability (Think: KISS principle). From where I sit, there are plenty of much simpler…

Address all queries to this address: RICHARD EHRENBERG PO BOX 302 MARLBORO NY 12542 Best bet: Online submission form at moparaction.com GROUND RULES : • If you want to submit your question via e-mail, please use the on-line submission form at www.moparaction. com. If we ask for more info, send back all existing text, or else! • Snail-mail must include a SASE and/or a cash bribe. • All letters, electronic or otherwise, must include a full name and a least your city and state. You can request that it be withheld, however, and, if we had any the night before, we might even honor your request. • “20 questions” letters instantly get shredded and the scraps forwarded to Mopar Muscle. So – ask one clear question please, we’re a sleazy magazine, not an encyclopedia publisher. We won’t tell…