1970 Fury III Convertible 126115 miles: Intro & Planned 440/727 Swap

[1970FuryConv]

HEADS INSTALL
· Used to clean Scott towels to wipe down the deck surfaces of the right side head and the right side block. I turned the block so that the right side bank of cylinders was vertical and the deck horizontal.

· Install Fel-Pro gasket on dowels with printed side facing up

· Head Bolts: I had organized 17 head bolts in a piece of cardboard. Clean them on a wire wheel, but keep them in order.

· Head: install on dowels. Inside corners of head match corners of block at intake
· Head Bolts RS, install: I followed the diagram to install the 17 head bolts FSM 9-49. Worked from the center outward. Torque 40 – 70 – 70 – 70 foot-pounds, 11/16 short socket, 6 inch extension, 3/8 to ½ adapter, ½ torque wrench. (11/16” ½” impact socket too fat to install around outer 8 bolts.)
· Head: LS, same procedure except I used grinding wheel on drill to chamfer top of dowel beside cylinder # 7. Must have hit it too hard when I hammered it in at Ben Tillman’s shop.

Torque Wrench

· Freeze Plugs, heads: 1 ¼" sides, 1” front and back. CRC Brake clean ports. Permatex #2 gasket sealant ports and edge of freeze plugs. 1 5/8 plug driver, pipe , and hammer to drive flush to side of block

· Broken spark plugs: plug SP holes for painting.
· Paint POR-15, 2 coats: heads, block directly below heads, top front and rear of block. Need to ditch Moto G7 Play Phone.

 

[1970FuryConv]

VALVE TRAIN
Rocker Arms
Rockers: 2 coat hangers: RS & LS. Blue tape each end: LS & RS. Coat hanger cut to keep in order. Castrol degreaser, ½ gallon AF, ½ gal H2O

Shafts: knock out 4 metal plugs, 5/8 diameter. Cleaned shafts with engine brushes and degreaser. New plugs

Reinstalled on rocker shafts

Rockers at valves: intake and exhaust tips above valves offset away from each other

· Lifters: Arrange all 16 bottom-up on a piece of cardboard. Driven cam lube on bottom of each lifter. Pick up one at a time, lube sides with engine oil, and install in lifter bores until seated against cam lobes.

· Push Rods: remove from vat of cleaning solution and wipe off oil/grease residue. They came out very clean and are straight. Dab of Driven cam lube on each end of each push rod. Slide through openings in heads and place one end of each push rod in top of each lifter. Leave rocker arm push rod ends loose

· Rockers and Rocker shafts: Driven lube on top of each valve stem. Install rockers on shafts. Shafts oiling ports face down and orient outside of shaft mounting holes . Rest in position on top of valves and shaft mounts. Align back of rocker arms with pushrods. Install bolts and spacers, short bolt short spacer, long bolt long spacer, short bolt short spacer, long bolt long spacer, short bolt short spacer. Tighten bolts alternately, center outward, 9/16 short socket, 6 inch extension, 3/8 stub ratchet. Once rocker shaft fully seated on mounts, torque each bolt at 25-25 foot-pounds, 9/16 short socket, 6 inch extension, 3/8 torque wrench

 

[1970FuryConv]

INTAKE, VALLEY PAN
• Fel-Pro 1215 valley pan with intake gaskets:

· End Seal Bars for Valley Pan. Clean on wire wheel. Use old Harmonic balancer and coathanger to create small hanging rack for both of these clamp bars. Paint 2 coats of Hemi Orange POR 15 paint. Also paint 6 bolt heads and washers.

Ultra-Gray RTV along mounts for both end seal bars at the top of the block. Made sure to lay down a little thicker in the corners. No gaskets for these end seals in Fel-Pro 1215 or in Fel-Pro 2110 engine gasket set.
• Permatex #2 Non-Hardening Form-A-Gasket Sealant: dab this on portions of intake gaskets. There are 4 intake gaskets. 2 on the head side of the valley pan and 2 on the intake side. Used this gasket sealant to glue the 2 head side gaskets to the valley pan before installing the pan.
• End Seal Bolts, 6: coat threads with Permatex red thread locker

Valley Pan, install: lay valley pan top of heads. At end seals, install center bolts through center hole in metal end seal bar and matching center hole of Valley Pan. Push down on valley pan lightly and turned the bolt slowly into the threads of the block. Leave loose at both ends.
Install remaining 4 bolts loose. Tighten end seal bar bolts alternately, 7/16 short socket, 6 inch extension, 3/8 stub ratchet, until both ends of the valley pan are firmly seated against the gray RTV on top of the block. Torque 9 foot-pounds or 108 inch pounds, 7/16 inch short socket, 6 inch extension, 3/8 torque wrench.

Permatex #2 Non-Hardening Form-A-Gasket Sealant: dab this on solid portions of intake gaskets. Used this gasket sealant to glue the 2 intake side gaskets to the valley pan. Back to better phone cam

Some other pics I took. Samsung pics very close to actual color of POR-15 Hemi Orange

 

[1970FuryConv]

INTAKE, Edelbrock Performer RPM 7193
Intake manifold bolts: I had 2 bolts that were incorrect. I matched the remaining 6 bolts to 2 more bolts from my 3/8 thread bolt can. Cleaned 8 3/8 bolts and 8 3/8 washers on wire wheel. Paint bolt heads and washers POR 15 hemi orange. Leave washers on my Harmonic balancer coathanger contraption to dry. Bolts on top of a piece of cardboard.
• Intake: 2 assistants stood on the engine stand and pressed down on the intake manifold, while I lined up the inner 4 bolts and installed them, 9/16 short socket, 3/8 stub ratchet. On the right side also need to use a 1 inch extension. Tighten these 4 bolts down to snug. Assistants could go back inside after that. Install remaining four bolts at outer corners. Tighten to snug. Per Edelbrock directions, torque@25-25 foot-pounds, 9/16 short socket, swivel, 6 inch extension, 3/8 torque wrench. Follow tightening sequence in FSM.

MOTOR MOUNTS
· Motor Mounts: examine condition, still excellent
· Sorted thru 7/16 bolt can and washer box to find thick flat washers for the motor mount bracket bolts
· Motor mounts, brackets, bolts and nuts: clean on wire wheel
· Rustoleum Flat Black: paint 2 coats: Motor mounts, brackets, bolt heads, crank pulley bolt heads
· Motor Mounts install on brackets: Put the motor mount in vise with rag around bracket. Stud from the mount goes through the lower hole in the bracket. Torque nut on stud: ¾ long socket, 3/8 torque wrench, 50 – 75 foot-pounds. Left side pic

· Right Side, Install on Engine: All bolts go through from the outside and nuts are on the inside when mounting on the engine. The upper front bolt is longer because the block tab is wider. The lower front and rear bolts are the same size. 5/8 wrench on nuts; 5/8 short socket and 3/8 stub ratchet on the bolt heads, snug. Torque@55 foot-pounds, 5/8 wrench on nuts, 5/8 short socket, 3/8 torque wrench on bolt heads. Sometimes I had to use a swivel on bolt heads.

· Left side Motor Mount: the procedure is pretty much the same as for the right side except the lower bolt goes all the way through sleeve in the mount to the other side of the mount, bolt head to the rear, nut to the front directly behind the top of the oil pump. Again use 5/8 wrench on nuts. Bolt heads: 5/8 short socket and 3/8 torque wrench at 55 foot-pounds.

 

[1970FuryConv]

CRANK PULLEY
Non AC, purchased from Bouchillon many years ago. Time to go back into service.
· Crank Pulley: coat the threads of 6 mounting bolts with Permatex Red Thread-lock. Install: ½ inch short socket, 6 inch extension, 3/8 stub ratchet. Torque at 9 foot-pounds/108 inch pounds, ½ inch short socket, 6 inch extension, 3/8 torque wrench.

 

[Wollfen]

Intake gaskets? I have never used them.

 

[Kram Edyorloh]

You missed blending the radius on the piston valve reliefs, nasty sharp edges are not good.
Manifold fits good though I thought that may have been a problem. Nice.

 

[1970FuryConv]

Intake gaskets? I have never used them.

So Gary, Do you just throw the gaskets away?
I thought they were part of the kit to prevent vacuum leaks. thanks, Ben

 

[Wollfen]

So Gary, Do you just throw the gaskets away?
I thought they were part of the kit to prevent vacuum leaks. thanks, Ben

They weren't used from the factory, so I haven't ever used them, the intake pan is all that was used when the engines were manufactured.

 

[1970FuryConv]

WATER PUMP HOUSING
Dirty

Clean: wire wheel on drill, scuff disc on die grinder, CRC brake cleaner, rags

· Rear: paint, 2 coats, POR-15 Hemi Orange.

· Water Pump, Milodon 16260 wedge, hemi 59-79: 4 mtg bolts

· Water Pump Housing: Place on towel on workbench braced against front leg. Water Pump: Used Felpro WP gasket, thicker and better quality than what came with pump. Install 4 mtg bolts, 20-30’lbs.
· POR 15: paint 2 coats hemi orange

· WPH bolts: 3 inch grade 8 new bolts for upper left, center left, and center right. Used a factory 2 ¾ inch bolt for upper right, because the thread depth is so short that the 3 inch bolt wouldn’t have helped. 4 inch long bolts at both lower bolt holes as guides to keep the gasket in position during tightening. Install, 9/16 short socket, 6 inch extension, 3/8 stub ratchet. Torque 30 – 30 foot-pounds, 3/8 torque wrench.

 

[1970FuryConv]

VALVE COVERS
Mounting surface: die grinder, scuff discs, rags, brake cleaner

· Valve Cover: clean with disc, die grinder, Marine clean, rags. Apply Permatex Gasket sealant number 2 to valve cover where gasket mounts. Fel-Pro gasket has tabs that fit through the valve cover and extend to the outside. There are 7 of these tabs. Press the tabs through the openings in the valve cover and press gasket down against the Gasket sealant. Press the gasket down against the Gasket sealant all the way around the valve cover.
· Bolts: 3/4 “ washers. Permatex red thread locker. Tighten: snug, 7/16 short socket, 6 inch extension, ¼ ratchet. Torque 40 – 40 inch pounds, 7/16 short socket, 6 inch extension, ¼ – 3/8 adapter, 3/8 torque wrench.
Left

Right

Power Steering: paint Rustoleum Flat Black

 

[Wollfen]

Nice work Ben Hows the thermostat in it? I noted you didn't take it out.

 

[1970FuryConv]

There is no thermostat. I'm going to add one later after I make sure everything runs OK.

 

[3175375]

VALVE COVERS
Mounting surface: die grinder, scuff discs, rags, brake cleaner
View attachment 364163
· Valve Cover: clean with disc, die grinder, Marine clean, rags. Apply Permatex Gasket sealant number 2 to valve cover where gasket mounts. Fel-Pro gasket has tabs that fit through the valve cover and extend to the outside. There are 7 of these tabs. Press the tabs through the openings in the valve cover and press gasket down against the Gasket sealant. Press the gasket down against the Gasket sealant all the way around the valve cover.
· Bolts: 3/4 “ washers. Permatex red thread locker. Tighten: snug, 7/16 short socket, 6 inch extension, ¼ ratchet. Torque 40 – 40 inch pounds, 7/16 short socket, 6 inch extension, ¼ – 3/8 adapter, 3/8 torque wrench.
Left
View attachment 364164
Right
View attachment 364165
View attachment 364166
View attachment 364167
Power Steering: paint Rustoleum Flat Black
View attachment 364168
View attachment 364169
View attachment 364170
View attachment 364171

Very sharp!

Did you think about using anti-seize compound on the water pump bolts that go into the block? I don’t know if those cavities go into the coolant cavity or not (I am ignorant to the big block).

 

[1970FuryConv]

Very sharp!
Did you think about using anti-seize compound on the water pump bolts that go into the block? I don’t know if those cavities go into the coolant cavity or not (I am ignorant to the big block).

The top 4 bolt holes do not go into a coolant cavity. Lower right and lower left, I need to check before install. Can't install yet because of the bolts being used for the alternator and power steering pump brackets. Don't want to install those until after engine is in car.
Might need advice there. @Wollfen, Gary, do you use anti-seize or thread sealant on the lower bolts of BB water pump housing?

 

[Wollfen]

Hey Ben, it cant hurt to do so, that way you are covered and have the peace of mind knowing it wont come back to bite you later.

 

[1970FuryConv]

HP EXHAUST MANIFOLDS
· HP Fastener Set 8065C, c-body: received from Tom Hergert $70, 6901 128th Ave SW, Olympia, WA 98512. 7 nuts, 3 long and 2 medium adapter nuts, 12 studs. ($70 was best price after a lot of shopping)

· LH HP Manifold casting# 3418351 C-BODY 1970-71 $180

· RS HP Exhaust Manifold: I purchased 1967-1969 B,C,E Body casting number 2806900. Same shape as correct 1970 casting. $250 total. LS HP Manifold was $180 total so about $430 grand total with ship and tax. That beats most of the pairs priced that I have seen and those are $580-$600. The problem with these $600 sets was that they had B-Body not C-body LS manifold. RS fits, B, C, E body, but LS is C-body only because outlet angle is different The worst I saw was AMS offering a RS NOS for $895 for the one manifold.

· Manifolds were too large to clean on my wire wheel that is on the bench grinder.
· Clamp manifolds in vise. Clean all surfaces with roloc disc, medium, and die grinder. Also different wire wheels and drill. 60 and 100 grit sandpaper. Rags. I also had to scrape some of the rust away with screwdrivers.
· Left side manifold 3418351 10-18-69: I was able to clean off most of the cheap chrome paint. And get down to bare metal.

· Right side manifold 2806900 12-12-7(1967) same shape as later date correct casting number: was more difficult to clean because of a white substance that was adhering to different parts of the manifold. It looked like bondo, but was extremely hard to get off.

· POR 15 44216 8oz, factory manifold gray, up to 1400°F. $23.60 free ship, ordered on eBay. Cbarge: lasted well for 3 years, 10K miles driving.
· POR15: 3 coats rear, 4 coats front. 24 hrs for each coat to cure. Seems like a long time, but I tried after 4 hours and the previous coat broke down a bit. On heat shields, it exposed bare metal.

 

[1970FuryConv]

EXHAUST MANIFOLDS
POR15 Factory Manifold Gray

Heat Shields 5&7, 6&8
· Received from Parts Mix. $25.12 including tax and ship from Parts Mix. Thanks for the advice to buy, Anthony @furyusvip
· 3 coat POR15 factory manifold gray.
· Heat Shields: remove head bolts between 6&8 and 5&7. Install, 70-70’lbs

· Studs: used Permatex number 2 gasket sealant on the coarse bolt threads for the 12 studs. Use 3/8 coarse tap to clean out 12 cylinder head bolt holes. Install studs finger tight and then use a nut on the fine threads of stud to fully seat stud. Hold the smooth area of the stud with needle nose pliers and remove the nut. Rag to wipe away excess Gasket sealant.

· Fel-Pro Gaskets: place over studs, printed side out.

· Exhaust manifold, left side, install: Install 6 nuts finger tight. 3 regular nuts, 2 medium length special adapter nuts, 1 long length adapter nut. Oddly enough the long adapter nut is completely hollow. It’s not closed at the hex end. HP manifolds have internal flanges for the adapter nuts to seat against. Do not use washers. Torque: 30 – 30 – 30 foot-pounds, 9/16 short socket, 6 inch extension, 3/8 torque wrench.

· Exhaust Manifold, right side, install: repeat procedure above. Has 4 regular nuts and 2 long length HP manifold adapter nuts.

 

[1970FuryConv]

TORQUE CONVERTER, Hughes Performance 10" flex plate 2400-2500 rpm stall
I rebuilt this 727 a few years ago and went with a cheap rebuilt 11" flex plate torque converter that I got off ebay. Got what I paid for: sloppy engaging junk.
Hughes Performance Torque Converter, 24-25HD
· Vinyl Hub cover: remove by puncturing it at the center with small flat blade screwdriver. Pry up to remove from hub. Do not cut with razor blade or do anything to scratch outer surface of hub which contacts oil seal at front pump.

· Verify torque converter front pilot diameter matches crankshaft rear pilot diameter. Both are slightly over 1.8 inches.
· Verify that torque converter bolt pattern matches flex plate bolt pattern. Laid my flex plate down against the torque converter. I lined up the 4 bolt holes, but they were slightly too small for the 7/16 inch thread bolts that are required. Normally, these are 5/16, but Hughes Performance reconfigures for larger bolt holes which allows more torque - Big plus if you’ve ever had a flex plate come loose on the torque converter and heard that rattle at idle. Went to Tractor Supply and bought 7/16 inch Dewalt drill bit. I put the flex plate into my vise and drilled out all 4 holes. I test fit it 2 or 3 times, after each test I used the 7/16 drill bit as a reamer on flex plate to get all the holes lined up. It took very light reaming.

· I had four extra flex plate to crankshaft bolts, which fit perfectly with this torque converter. I cleaned them on the wire wheel and attached the torque converter snug at all 4 bolt holes to make sure that the flywheel attached properly to the front of the torque converter. TC thread depth with flex plate is ½ inch. Thread depth of these bolts is 3/8 inch. No chance of damaging the front cover of the torque converter.

· Orientation: Old TC, I centered the top of one of the mounts for flexplate on 12 o’clock as I faced the front of the transmission bell housing. This mount had a white mark of paint already. I pulled the old torque converter straight out and examined the position of the 2 slots in the flange of the hub versus the position of my mark at 12 o’clock. Their positions were almost exactly 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock.

· New TC: I used some spare gold touchup paint to mark the position of the flexplate versus the new torque converter. Used 2 straight edges positioned perpendicular across the back of new torque converter. Then I used the same gold to mark the position on the ring gear that I thought would be 12 o’clock given that I positioned centers of both slots at the rear of the hub at 3 and 9 o’clock respectively.

· Prime the torque converter: I purchased 1 quart of Valvoline Dexron/Mercon transmission oil at Advance Auto parts. Priming is a very slow process. I poured a little bit through the hub. There were air bubbles as the level slowly went down. When it got down low enough to add more, I added more and waited for air bubbles, etc. Once I had poured the entire contents of the quart bottle of Valvoline into the torque converter, ready to install.

· Installation: I used my finger to rub a light coat of transmission oil around the outer surface of the hub so that it would have lubricant where it met the oil seal. I was careful to position my gold painted mark at 12 o’clock. Wife stood behind the transmission to keep it from sliding back while I installed the torque converter. The slot in torque converter hub engages the front pump gear set, the stator support, and the input shaft. The first 2 engagements are fairly easy. The 3rd and last one is most difficult. When I hit, such that I couldn’t push the torque converter all the way in, I backed it out slightly and turned it a very small amount one way or the other and pressed back inwards. After about 5 or 6 tries, finally had success and torque converter went all the way in. My gold mark was not far off. It just takes a lot of work for it to line up perfectly and slide all the way in. Note: the torque converter slides in past the front of the bell housing. In fact it goes fairly far in such that it will have an air gap of 1/8 inch to 3/16 inch between it and the flex plate.

· Torque Converter Access Cover. I have a small block of wood that I installed between the front of the torque converter and the back of the access cover. Do not want torque converter to slide forward. Recipe for much yelling and cussing, because have to do the alignment step all over again. I put wood block in position and then attached the access cover using its 4 bolts, 7/16 short socket, 6 inch extension, ¼ ratchet.

Transmission Cooling Lines: anyone know if 904 and 727 for 26" radiator are the same?

 

[1970FuryConv]

TRANSMISSION
Got paranoid about filter deterioration while trans was sitting. New filter is $10 from Advance.

For #s people like me. Don't care if they're matching but have to know what they mean.
727 Transmission Identification

· Stamped Numbers: LS above pan, PK2801543K 2412 8841

· Charger, Road Runner, Super Bee Restoration Guide by Paul A. Herd, p80: very few 1968 trans were stamped with VIN. Mine has no VIN on RS

· Charger, Road Runner, Super Bee, p67: plant code. PK is Kokomo assembly plant

· Charger, Road Runner, Super Bee, p81: 2801543 is part number for 1968 383 2 bbl. (Don't know what K is for. Chilton's: K engine for 1968 is 440)

· Charger, Road Runner, Super Bee, p20: 2412 equates to built 3-15-1968 by 10,000-day Calendar

· Charger, Road Runner, Super Bee, p80: 8841: trans was 8841st trans built that year