HEMIWagon Project Log: Heart Transplant Edition

"JGrabowMSt" (jgrabowmst) 11/19/2014 at 15:20 • Filed to: HEMIWAGON

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The results are in for this weeks edition of " What Broke in the HEMI!? " and everyone I've talked to has been so close to being right, but the actual answer is a lot worse.

The Intake valve dropped it's valve seat in an embarrassing fumble, worthy of NFL Play-by-Play Hall of Fame.

Famous last words? " She's dead, Jim. "

The labor cost (excluding any parts) would be in the 30hr range, coming to a wallet crippling $3000, minimum.

So we sat down and laughed over the damage in the valve seat, determined that the shop can keep the head as a trophy, I'll get the piston as my own personal paperweight, and the motor is going to be yanked.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

A bunch of you may be thinking: What in the living hell, are you a glutton for punishment?

Here's the thing, I found a motor for $2500. It needs the sensors and accessories from the original motor, but it will be dropped in, fired up, and ready to go. It makes more sense to use the new parts that I've got in there already (water pump, tensioners and pullies), so that extra little bit of transferring parts will cost me, but it's better in the long run, because I'm not buying things twice.

What will happen to the old motor? I've gotten a couple suggestions about it. I could make a table! I could send it back to the place I'm getting the new motor for a CORE if I want. What I'm going to do is put it on Craigslist and see if someone wants the block alone for a little more than what I'd get from the CORE, and see how that works. It will help me get the car back on the road for the smallest amount of money possible. Potentially even back down to my initial budget.

Am I going to roll back the Odometer? Nope, the odometer will remain unchanged for the title. Why else is this all the best option? I keep the original computer, and don't have to modify anything. While the car is in, it will go on the lift for some exhaust quotes, and possibly high flow cats right away, as they're about due for a replacement to begin with. That's all a "we'll see" situation though.

So thanks everyone for playing " What broke in the HEMI!? " and I'll get a picture of it and the Delta HF together. She'll come back to life soon.

New motor will be black. Should I have it re-painted before going in? I think I'll dig the fresh black paint...

Twism > JGrabowMSt 11/19/2014 at 15:28

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Oh. Bummer.

Well there is a ''happy ending'' to this whole story (not very happy, but at least there will be closure).

and for the color? there is only one logical choice:

Takuro Spirit > JGrabowMSt 11/19/2014 at 15:29

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Well, there's your problem, the TOP is on the bottom.

JGrabowMSt > Takuro Spirit 11/19/2014 at 15:30

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If you look closely, one of the piston rings is making a surprise appearance!

JGrabowMSt > Twism 11/19/2014 at 15:39

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Well, I thought about that, but I am looking for something different. I'm thinking of having the heads painted black as well. The whole motor will be blacked out....Only nuts/bolts/hose clamps/fittings will be a different color.

The next motor can be HEMI Orange (the eventual bigger HEMI).

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > JGrabowMSt 11/19/2014 at 15:43

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This. I plan (eventually) for the Montego to be black engine everything with red detail. You sir, have good taste!

JGrabowMSt > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 11/19/2014 at 15:56

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Thanks! I'm still tossing ideas around, but I want the car to look different. If it has to be apart, it means I can do some mods. I can really clean the intake the way I wanted to (but didn't want to take it apart) as well. I'll be going over there a few times in the next week or so to hammer details out, but things have to move somewhat quickly. The car can't stay where it is for too long because it is sitting where a lift is going to be installed soon.

I'm tempted to maybe add a touch of white to it, but I'm not sure. The car is black, a black engine will be nice. Until I put an even bigger motor in, this car is more show than go (that's not calling it slow, but it will not be racing in it's current form). I just need to know what the new motor will arrive with. I'll be sorting that out once funds finish transferring, because I may just buy it over the phone. I'm also expecting a new card soon, so it'll go on the new card too. Most of my accessories are black anyway.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > JGrabowMSt 11/19/2014 at 15:58

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I'm gonna be honest, I've seen quite a few of these posts but don't remember what it goes in. What Hemi Wagon we talking about? Refresh my memory

JGrabowMSt > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 11/19/2014 at 16:13

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2005 Dodge Magnum RT - Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl Coat

crowmolly > JGrabowMSt 11/19/2014 at 16:16

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Do headers now!

Sorry to hear about the carnage.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > JGrabowMSt 11/19/2014 at 16:16

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Had a feeling you were talking magnum. I do love those wagons.

Black on Black, with a blacked out engine would be sincerely badass in my opinion

JGrabowMSt > crowmolly 11/19/2014 at 16:25

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Out of the budget right now, but they can be done easily in the future. The exhaust on these cars is really easy to pull put. In fact, the removed head still has the header attached.

JGrabowMSt > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 11/19/2014 at 16:27

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The car will eventually be totally blacked out except for one spot, but I'm not revealing that until it's on the car.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > JGrabowMSt 11/19/2014 at 16:47

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lol, we'll all be on the edge of our seats

JGrabowMSt > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 11/19/2014 at 16:51

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You can use this to keep up with the progress on the car as whole.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > JGrabowMSt 11/19/2014 at 16:52

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COOOOOL

Twism > JGrabowMSt 11/19/2014 at 16:58

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That would look amazing, indeed, if you are going for a murdered-out look...
Hemi orange for the accents, maybe?

JGrabowMSt > Twism 11/19/2014 at 17:05

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Possibly. I might put a HEMI orange stripe on the valve covers.

crowmolly > JGrabowMSt 11/19/2014 at 17:44

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Oh, when I say headers I mean tube headers with individual runners. Stock is a cast manifold to me.

I don't know any chassis where installing long tubes is "easy"

JGrabowMSt > crowmolly 11/19/2014 at 17:53

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I wont do long tubes unless I go for a bigger motor, which will be a 6.1 or 6.4L set up for low end torque over screaming horsepower.

Tohru > JGrabowMSt 11/21/2014 at 23:48

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So your Mopar caught the same thing my Ford had?

#4 intake valve seat had enough of this "being installed" bullshit, and walked off the job. Clearly the motor was a union shop, as the rest of it quit in a show of solidarity.