Moparts
Done racing for the year...
Posted By: JERICOGTX
Done racing for the year... - 08/29/12 11:21 PM
Last time out, my starter in the GTX was taking a dive... Just barely got the thing to turn over on the last pass. Got the car in the garage now, and looking it over it also blew out a header gasket, and my right ladder bar is bent.
Has about 3/4" bow front to rear. Chassis Engineering has since changed their ladder bar design, but I can get a older style to replace mine.
The starter is a MP lightweight, and the second one I have had to replace. Thinking about going to a Meziere starter. Anyone used one of these yet? Worth buying?
Jeff
Posted By: Anonymous
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 12:18 AM
It would be interesting to see a picture of the ladderbar.
Posted By: JERICOGTX
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 12:57 AM
Posted By: poisondart2
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 01:14 AM
Wow that is bent. I was in Chassis Engineering monday to pick up a sheet of 040 and have no idea where they hide all the parts they sell but would guess they would just make a new one for you.Hope you get it fixed
Posted By: old yeller
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 01:23 AM
Jeff,Nothing a vice and a hammer couldn't fix(j/k)...sorry to see that happen to you.
Posted By: cudadoug
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 01:32 AM
Damn 4-speed cars!
Posted By: rowin4
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 01:38 AM
Someone didn't happen to slip a jack under there bending it? Haven't seen a ladder bar bent like that .
Posted By: 68shifter
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 01:45 AM
Wow Jeff that sucks to see. Interesting in how that bent, not how I was thinking it would have.
You might try the cheap $50 mini starters on eBay. I'm using one on my 12.5:1 BB. Thing doesn't seem to miss a bit. I've got a spare you can borrow, just pm your address if you need.
Good luck man.
Posted By: JERICOGTX
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 01:49 AM
I'm the only one that has jacked the car up in the last 21 years. Never had a jack under the ladder bar. It's bent front to rear, not up and down.
Already emailed Chassis Engineering, and I can get a new bar in this style. Comes in bare metal, but I can have it powder coated at work for free.
It's strange, car drove fine down track, and had a best 60' of 1.39. Has not been in the 30's in years. Normally it has run 1.40-41 in the 60'. This is on 6 year old slicks BTW.
And I'm not complaining, I know it's part of the game. Have not really done a thing on the car in 9 years since the combo in it now was put together.
Posted By: gregsdart
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 02:20 AM
Quote:
Jeff,Nothing a vice and a hammer couldn't fix(j/k)...sorry to see that happen to you.
Back home we would grab some angle iron out of the used pile, beat it straight and add said angle iron. Wulla, back in business!
Sorry to here about all the breakage 
Posted By: quickd100
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 02:24 AM
Hate to hear you're done for the year. I know the feeling though, I've had my share of carnage. Hope you get it back together soon Jeff. Dave
Posted By: MR_P_BODY
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 02:31 AM
Quote:
I'm the only one that has jacked the car up in the last 21 years. Never had a jack under the ladder bar. It's bent front to rear, not up and down.
Already emailed Chassis Engineering, and I can get a new bar in this style. Comes in bare metal, but I can have it powder coated at work for free.
It's strange, car drove fine down track, and had a best 60' of 1.39. Has not been in the 30's in years. Normally it has run 1.40-41 in the 60'. This is on 6 year old slicks BTW.
And I'm not complaining, I know it's part of the game. Have not really done a thing on the car in 9 years since the combo in it now was put together.
Are those mild steel bars... all the ones I make are
moly tubing.... I never had one bend even in a crash
(slid into a curb... did break a wheel)
Posted By: Dragula
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 02:39 AM
Aaahww c'mon...I could fix all that in a week! I bent all the brackets on the shocks where they attach to the 4-link last week, and we killed the crank pulley! I will have the car out this Friday for a new best because not only did we fix it, its getting scaled and set up right this time!
Posted By: JERICOGTX
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 03:27 AM
Doing the work isn't the problem. Money is tight right now, and I don't race on credit.
Posted By: Anonymous
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 03:39 AM
Never saw a bar bend like that. I collapsed the mounting bracket on the rear end once and had to gusset it.
I would not imagine that it would bend sideways. Guess you need to dial back the horsepower.
Is this the bar design?
Wonder if it will match these spec.?
Made from 1" diameter/.156" wall DOM tubing
Posted By: J_BODY
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 03:41 AM
Power and ground good at that starter Jeff? I used a resurected warranty return 94 truck starter on my RB and it's still in the car to this day. Worked great once I repaired the solenoid contacts from the pickup it came off of.
We destroyed our 416 back in April and the car still isn't running. Hoping to still make some shakedown passes this year and hit the track in 13!
Posted By: sixpakx
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 03:48 AM
go to your local advance or autozone, ask for a starter for 96 318 truck,you,ll get a mini starter for around 70 bucks/ lifetime warrenty. had mine for 8 yrs now with no problems
Posted By: Cab_Burge
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 03:54 AM
Posted By: a493demon
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 04:27 AM
on the starter it's prob. the contacts and plunger.you can prob. get them at the local rebuilder for less then 30 bucks.
Posted By: tboomer
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 01:02 PM
Jeff..For not going out too much,you were sure hittin the tree!!
Sure hope your luck rubs off on me!!
Sorry to see that bar bent like that...Any clue as to what caused it? I am using a mini starter from a 95 v-8 dakota,spins the 512 over pretty good! 25.00 from the junkyard...If the rains hold off,I may go to Tri-State saturday..Good luck,buddy!
Posted By: dragram440
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 01:52 PM
To bad to here you wont be racing at muscle car shootout. I agree on the starter as I am running one on my 499 12.5-1 out of my 94 ram that had 230,000 miles on the v6. Still cranking it up everytime.
Posted By: rickseeman
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 02:26 PM
You will love the Mezeire starter. I put one on my 572 and it spun it so fast you would have thought the plugs were out of it. On 12 volts.
Posted By: old yeller
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 02:37 PM
Jeff,you get that bar fixed and i'll come over and hand push start ya(u don't need no stinking starter)lol
Posted By: Blusmbl
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 02:59 PM
You might be hitting those bars too hard with your 4 speed and weight, and either the diagonal link or ladder bar has to bend at some point. I think your diagonal link won the feats of strength fight back there.
It's awesome you're using the car again after a multi-year hiatus.
Posted By: MR_P_BODY
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 03:07 PM
Quote:
You might be hitting those bars too hard with your 4 speed and weight, and either the diagonal link or ladder bar has to bend at some point. I think your diagonal link won the feats of strength fight back there.
It's awesome you're using the car again after a multi-year hiatus.
If the rear end is square in the car the diagonal link
shouldnt be taking much if any load(if the preload
is correct)... I think its just too wimpy of a bar
set up for the force being applied... the bars I put
in the Rampage are 1 1/8 X .095 wall moly being that
its a street/drag car
Posted By: JERICOGTX
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 09:46 PM
Everything on the rear is square. The mounts are square, and I really doubt the housing is bent as its a thick wall truck housing. Can't see anything anyways.
I got the starter pulled, and found something... My starter has to deal with something 99% of cars on this board doesn't. Clutch dust. My clutch disc is sintered iron, and the pressure plate, and flywheel have a steel liner. Metal on metal. The starter bendix is full of it.
What should I clean it out with? Brake cleaner? Hopefully cleaning it will make it work again.
Thanks for all the words of encouragement, and help.
Jeff
Posted By: pittsburghracer
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 09:53 PM
Quote:
Everything on the rear is square. The mounts are square, and I really doubt the housing is bent as its a thick wall truck housing. Can't see anything anyways.
I got the starter pulled, and found something... My starter has to deal with something 99% of cars on this board doesn't. Clutch dust. My clutch disc is sintered iron, and the pressure plate, and flywheel have a steel liner. Metal on metal. The starter bendix is full of it.
What should I clean it out with? Brake cleaner? Hopefully cleaning it will make it work again.
Thanks for all the words of encouragement, and help.
Jeff
Jeff I am glad things are looking better after a close look. On the starter dust I would round up a sand blasting hood, long sleeve shirt, long pants, goggles and gently blow it out with low pressure air. It may be a great time then to have it rebuilt with new brushes so the armature doesn't get all scratched and grooved. 
Probably should wear at least a paper respirator too.
Posted By: MR_P_BODY
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 09:59 PM
Air and brake cleaner on the starter... blow out the
bell housing with air.... your gonna get DIRTY... LOL
oil the bushings on the starter
Posted By: JERICOGTX
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/30/12 10:39 PM
Took the starter apart, and have the housing soaking in mineral spirits. Cleaning off nice. I'll pick up some brake cleaner then and use it on the bendix. Doesn't look like anything is broke like my last one at least.
Posted By: gregsdart
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/31/12 11:53 AM
I am curious if there is a solid lubricant that would help with the bendix problem? It would have to be non conducting,,,,,,,,,
Posted By: MR_P_BODY
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/31/12 01:26 PM
Quote:
I am curious if there is a solid lubricant that would help with the bendix problem? It would have to be non conducting,,,,,,,,,
Spray graphite... that stuff is super slippery
Posted By: JERICOGTX
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/31/12 01:59 PM
I got the starter cleaned, lubed, assembled, and back in the car. Nothing... Same results. Starter spins now, but doesn't engage the bendix. I took it back out, and installed a new plunger for the bendix. Will see if that works. If not, it's a paper weight.
Posted By: justinp61
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/31/12 02:31 PM
Quote:
go to your local advance or autozone, ask for a starter for 96 318 truck,you,ll get a mini starter for around 70 bucks/ lifetime warrenty. had mine for 8 yrs now with no problems
I did the same at Advance Auto parts.
Posted By: JERICOGTX
Re: Done racing for the year... - 08/31/12 06:53 PM
Well, I have pulled, taken apart, assembled, and reinstalled the starter in the car 4 times today. FINALLY got it to work again. The shaft for the bendix is worn. I had a spare Denso starter from small Kubota engine from work. Took the bendix out of that, swapped the gear, and installed it in my MP starter. Works like new again.
On a side note, while doing some "thinking" about the starter, I got some other things rewired on the car, and got all my headlights and taillights working again.
Posted By: tboomer
Re: Done racing for the year... - 09/01/12 01:51 PM
Nice!! Will we see the GTX out yet this year? Would love to see ya row thru the gears down here!!
Posted By: MR_P_BODY
Re: Done racing for the year... - 09/01/12 02:58 PM
Glad you got the starter fixed.... now just take a
BFH and beat that bar straight and weld a piece of
angle iron to it(its trash now)and you could be out
there tomorrow
Posted By: 6bblFLASH
Re: Done racing for the year... - 09/03/12 03:33 PM
I had some bending issues too.
Buckeled the ladder-bar mounts at both ends and bowed the frame ties.
For me it was TOO much clutch.
Posted By: HardcoreB
Re: Done racing for the year... - 09/03/12 04:03 PM
It is great to see the car is out again, and you're going rounds too! From my phone it 'looks like' (it still sounds funny to me when I say that) the ROD END is bent???
Posted By: JERICOGTX
Re: Done racing for the year... - 09/03/12 07:02 PM
Quote:
It is great to see the car is out again, and you're going rounds too! From my phone it 'looks like' (it still sounds funny to me when I say that) the ROD END is bent???
I have the bar out of the car now. The rod ends are straight. Just a bent bar. The mounts on the car and rear are straight as well.
