I got her started up today.
Had to install the shifter boot and fill the coolant, I only spilled about a cup which is a record for me.
I only had to crank it for five seconds or so before it fired, but wouldn't stay running until I gave the distributor a little counterclockwise twist. Put the timing light on it, and it was at 10° BTC, and I adjusted it to 14° which gives 36° total advance with the advance in the distributor. It sounds good, no strange noises, and settles down to a steady idle at ~900 RPM pretty quickly. One thing that is different ir that the water temp on the EFI handset doesn't go up to 230°-240° before the thermostat opens, so the coolant must be circulating batter than before, it reads about the same as the coolant temp gauge under the dash. It also seems to hold a little more oil pressure, which may have something to do with the priority main oil system in the Dart block, because it's the same oil pump.
And the best part is...... NO LEAKS! I Let it run for about 15 minutes and slid under it, no sign of anything leaking. Time to get her off the jackstands and back on her feet again.
It might be my imagination, but I think it sounds better than before, not exactly sure just what it is, but it just sounds smoother and more even, even though it's all the same internal parts as before.
I'll give Brian a call and have him stop on the way home from work and give me a hand putting the hood back on this Wednesday, again. He goes within a mile of my place on his way to and from work, so he's happy to stop and give me a hand.
So then it looks like it it might be a few days until we'll have dry roads to take it for a test drive, but it's been three months, so a few more days wait isn't a big deal.
In the video below, it sounds like the is a big squeal right at the beginning, not sure where that came from, but it's not in the original video.
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. I shouldn’t joke after all you’ve been through. It sounds really good!
