Driving the '78...

[patrick66]

Last time the '78 NYBS was out of my shop and driven was about two weeks ago, when my wife (it IS her car!) took it out for a spin. It had been parked for about five months, mostly just because. So, of course it was pretty dusty and had six month-old fuel in it. Ran OK, but that was it. So, yesterday I took it out for my first drive in it since last October, to wash it and put a bit of fresh gas in the car. I think new spark plugs are in order for the 440.

My wife had complained about oil smell under the hood once the car was warmed up. Turned out there was a small leak at both valve covers. I put two new gaskets on it 18 months ago, but never checked the bolts afterwards - easy fix. I still have a leaky exhaust manifold, but have a pair off a '78 400 manifolds coming to me from the same guy in Iowa that I found the lower door panels for the NYB.

If I hang onto the car (likely), I think I'll replace the original vinyl top. It has started to peel at the very back left corner, and has one tiny bad spot on the very center, about a quarter-inch long.

 

[Fratzog]

Yup nothing like the first drive after a long spell to remind you of all the stuff you want/need to do.

 

[Mr C]

Last time the '78 NYBS was out of my shop and driven was about two weeks ago, when my wife (it IS her car!) took it out for a spin. It had been parked for about five months, mostly just because. So, of course it was pretty dusty and had six month-old fuel in it. Ran OK, but that was it. So, yesterday I took it out for my first drive in it since last October, to wash it and put a bit of fresh gas in the car. I think new spark plugs are in order for the 440.

My wife had complained about oil smell under the hood once the car was warmed up. Turned out there was a small leak at both valve covers. I put two new gaskets on it 18 months ago, but never checked the bolts afterwards - easy fix. I still have a leaky exhaust manifold, but have a pair off a '78 400 manifolds coming to me from the same guy in Iowa that I found the lower door panels for the NYB.

If I hang onto the car (likely), I think I'll replace the original vinyl top. It has started to peel at the very back left corner, and has one tiny bad spot on the very center, about a quarter-inch long.

Take it to Action upholstery... by the Liberator gate (the one that exits on to Douglas) he has 30 years experience with vinyl tops. Very hard to come by that kind of experience...worth every penny on my Imperial.

 

[patrick66]

He did the interior on my '37 Terraplane in 2007, and did a great job. I figure him or Sonny's. I'd like to get it done sometime this Summer.

 

[1978 NYB]

Take it to Action upholstery... by the Liberator gate (the one that exits on to Douglas) he has 30 years experience with vinyl tops. Very hard to come by that kind of experience...worth every penny on my Imperial.

He did the interior on my '37 Terraplane in 2007, and did a great job. I figure him or Sonny's. I'd like to get it done sometime this Summer.

Where are both of these places located?

 

[Mr C]

Where are both of these places located?

Oklahoma City for Action upholstery, I'm not familiar with Sonny's.

 

[patrick66]

OKlahoma City.

 

[patrick66]

We took the NYBS out and got some ice cream this afternoon. Temps in the mid-'80s, so since it was mild, we rolled the windows down and hit the streets. That car drives sooo nice, but I still have a bit of a miss once the car warms up. Guess I'll need to pull the plugs and see what they look like. There is still a hint of an oil leak off one of the valve cover gaskets that I need to attend to.

 

[78Brougham]

I found out through a dealer's parts guy, who's been around since the 70's, that it was a design flaw with the exhaust manifolds on the 440's and 400's. Nothing they could do, but the manifolds are too close to the valve covers and the heat cooks them after a while. Chrysler tried all kinds of different materials to make the gaskets from but nothing seems to hold up longer than a couple of years. Just and bear it I guess. What can we do?

 

[78Brougham]

Ps. Great cars!!! Btw

 

[tallhair]

I found out through a dealer's parts guy, who's been around since the 70's, that it was a design flaw with the exhaust manifolds on the 440's and 400's. Nothing they could do, but the manifolds are too close to the valve covers and the heat cooks them after a while. Chrysler tried all kinds of different materials to make the gaskets from but nothing seems to hold up longer than a couple of years. Just and bear it I guess. What can we do?

Sure seem to .. was this supposed to be applicable to all years and styles?

The Magnums are a ways from the VC but I've still seen the cooked

No big deal to add them to yearly maintenance though

 

[commando1]

Stand over the engine in a Formal with a running 440 and you last about 10 seconds at most.

 

[kmccabe56]

I found out through a dealer's parts guy, who's been around since the 70's, that it was a design flaw with the exhaust manifolds on the 440's and 400's. Nothing they could do, but the manifolds are too close to the valve covers and the heat cooks them after a while. Chrysler tried all kinds of different materials to make the gaskets from but nothing seems to hold up longer than a couple of years. Just and bear it I guess. What can we do?

Chrysler released a grey rubber valve cover gasket for the small block engines that had both a metal core and torque retention inserts on both sides of all of the bolt holes. I put a set on a Maxi and they NEVER leaked. Did Chrysler ever doing anything similar for the 400/440 cars?

 

[patrick66]

I installed new valve cover gaskets four years ago, but the car has only been driven a thousand miles in that time. I've got a pair of aluminum M/T and a pair of Mopar Performance aluminum valve covers I may go to, eventually. It's been with the steel valve covers that I've had gasket leakage problems with, on nearly every big block Mopar I've ever owned, regardless of year.

 

[1978 NYB]

I use FelPro VS50145R valve cover gaskets from a 1970 Charger R/T with a HP 440. They are rubber coated fiber gaskets that are bullet proof. They are the High Performance / Heavy Duty gaskets. I also have a set of Mopar Performance aluminum valve covers on my NYB.

 

[commando1]

The fill cap and breather needs to be reversed

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[78Brougham]

Stand over the engine in a Formal with a running 440 and you last about 10 seconds at most.

I took a 3 hour trip once, and made a four course meal on the space between the manifolds and the valve covers. Would have been a great advert for Reynolds wrap! LOL

 

[commando1]

And that smokey flavor wasn't mesquite...

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[tallhair]

I took a 3 hour trip once, and made a four course meal on the space between the manifolds and the valve covers. Would have been a great advert for Reynolds wrap! LOL

what were the 4 courses?

 

[Big_John]

I have a cook book for cooking on the engine. It's called "Manifold Destiny".

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