What Happened? - 1970 Dodge Charger 440 Magnum Tear Down

[@stephane1052]

Great video Nick and George. There were definitely a lot a critters living in that car. As for the comments about the factory A/C we are keeping the cost low so we can keep the performance high. So we can all keep our cool lol....Nick let's go with the 6 pack.

[@nickpanaritis4122]

Six Pack it will be. Coors or Budweiser ? LOL.

[@stephane1052]

@@nickpanaritis4122 mmm my favourite LOL

[@imarobot3757]

@@stephane1052 keeping the cost low ?? another 1/2 % of the total cost , why stop now , go for the gold !

[@imarobot3757]

@@nickpanaritis4122 make it a six pac of Dom Perrignon

[@Thebowzer221]

@@nickpanaritis4122 Miller High Life for me. Nick, whatever you would like. I'm buying.

[@tipetu]

About that F E marking on the oil cap : FE is Fuller-Emerson the company that manufactured the oil filler caps for Chrysler.

[@NicksGarage]

Interesting! Thank you.

[@bluecollar58]

Nice , 1st comment in the list. Thanks 👍

[@BTandKM111]

I'm glad I didn't post "Full" & "Empty" 🤪😁✌️

[@strydyrhellzrydyr1345]

I'm glad no one put the obvious... Full and empty... Lol It's so obviously just not enough detail

[@NaturesChild]

sounds like one of the trivia questions from the graveyard carz TV show!

[@swallowinn4410]

Hi Nick my guess and 2 cents worth is that the oil pan only had 2 bolts because it was off another engine that had spun a bearing. The original was probably either damaged or possibly rusted and leaking. The core/frost plugs were replaced probably due leaking. The engine was sitting a long time and obviously got water intrusion, causing the valve to rust. Someone tried to check if the engine would turn by hand breaking the valve and of course it could not make full rotation after the valve was broken. Years later and critter house gifted you finally opened up the mouse & bug house gem. I expect you will give the core a new lease on life and the owner will be very pleased. Keep up the great videos and bring more of the 70's back to life.

[@NjJfjr]

Sounds about right. Lol.

[@deandee8082]

yea that might be it right.. makes sense... yup

[@ЮрийМаксимов-ч5ю]

Yep rusted valve stuck in valve guide. 41:47 you can see a little dark line in the left side, that is first time, when valve had broken, another scratch in bottom side you can see, that is second time when valve part had sleep on the piston

[@charlescarter6146]

Yeah there is no way them cricket's could make there way into the oil pan unless that pan came from some where else. Really funny.

[@sknemo]

I been working on cars for 55 years. You, Nick, are a true gentleman, knowledgeable, calm, no attitude. People in any type of work would do well watching these videos. They show a man that knows his job, and knows how to work.

[@franciscosierra1727]

Positive people are the best boss/coworkers

[@johnbusalachi6183]

Ditto!

[@JeffLeblanc-xb7qe]

Oil pump I guess

[@JeffLeblanc-xb7qe]

I take that back not oil pump

[@robertmonroe5239]

I'm a certified master tech with a CA. smog cert and several years of trade school / college in auto repair. Nick is one of the best teachers I've ever had. after decades of trouble shooting & wrenching on cars I find Nicks Garage usefull & educational. Thanks Nick.

[@kevinbrislawn5918]

He's amazing to listen to and he's filled with automotive knowledge. I'd love to have his brain!

[@juancontre5858]

Were are uin CA, mr moroe

[@stevenbean9706]

i think what you have is a set of rods from another motor that had spun bearings but the rods were good . this motor probably had bent rods so they used spun bearing rods from another motor

[@dinkydotzero]

Any chance we could follow that engine through the machine shop? I love seeing old things being brought back to new

[@bJamesm-bj6ur]

I feel like im at the garage just hanging out Nikk is a gentle genius love his matter of fact angle of attack and old school cool Legend !

[@javierdenardo2607]

This video is well put together. No loudness, very subtle music in the background. Nick, you're a master craftsman and have the gift of being able to explain in easy terms what you are doing. Tres bien!

[@stoichiometry147]

I grew up in the 80/90’s watching halfway “ok” automotive shows on cable TV. 15 years of watching KZbin and im still blown away by this kind of quality content. I pay for KZbin premium but it’s 10x better than Cable TV and 1/10th the cost. Thank you Nick and team.

[@frankvitullo3735]

I laughed so hard when Nick said if he was a critter he would find a 70 challenger to live under the dash 😂😂 too funny!!

[@NicksGarage]

You knew it would be a mopar. 😃

[@stevelee5724]

He was funny when freaking out on the dropped valve and said "wow I don't know " . It's a strange donk alright

[@shoretyus]

It's for Canada.........we can roll without it

[@GhostOfRT300]

I love watching Nick teardown an engine! Will I ever get sick of it? “I do not know!”

[@pb68slab18]

I know one thing. I'm glad I'm a Chevy man and never took a MOPAR engine apart!

[@JC-fm9ps]

'@Ghost of R/T keep watching, you might learn something son.

[@michaelmartinez1345]

This is actually a really nice score for the buyer!!! A complete set of OEM 6-pack rods with a matching balancer is worth quite a bit by themselves. But a complete re-buildable matching #'s engine to go with that car, priceless!!!

[@josdaalmans6977]

Hi Nick, I work two days a week on maintaining and fixing old (50-ties and 60-ties) Ex Army Landrovers. I'm 68 years old and my best friend is my little Impact (max 260Nm) wrench. I do every nut and bolt with it, otherwise I can't hold my spoon when having dinner at the end of the day😊. For the havy nuts and bolts, the more heavy impact wrench (400Nm). That keeps me moving😁

[@raybrett7029]

Yes Nick, please do a rebuild video of this 440 Magnum engine. Love to see the process and your tips. I’m an old time mechanic that had a mid-life crisis and went back to school to become a Mechanical Engineer, Designer, and a CADD Operator. I love the mechanics of how things work. Keep up the good work Nick. Your an inspiration to all of us.

[@duanephillips2343]

So glad I got to see you and your Kowalski at Carlisle today! Beautiful car in person and I did not even plan to go there this year - glad I did

[@terencerucker3244]

Critters, valves, and bearings, oh my! What a tear down! Just when you think you have seen it all Nick, Texas sends its best!

[@davsaltego]

I can tell that you’re a good person the way you talk about the little critters that made a home in that engine

[@jeffreyrubish347]

I'm just happy that Stefan saved the Charger; with Nick's help, of course!

[@NicksGarage]

Right on. We have to save as many as we can.

[@Sickofsociety1]

I've watched other engine tear down videos and there is just something about watching Nick tearing one down that makes it better. I think it must be his experience. "The head gasket should be .020 thick. This one is .040 thick." Then explains that lowers compression and a loss of power. I'd LOVE to see a rebuild video with Nick doing the rebuild.

[@bobkonradi1027]

What Nick does, which others don't, is pass on little tid-bits of info as he goes along. For instance, when he's prying off the timing chain cover, or another cover, he says to pry it at the bolt hole point so as not to stretch the metal, etc. Others never say little tips like this, but for Nick its just another hint on how to do things correctly.

[@Sickofsociety1]

@@bobkonradi1027 Yep, and how things should be done. That may be it for me. Putting forth the effort to do the job right. Do it right or not at all. And like you said the tidbits and tricks to help keep it that way.

[@raybrett7029]

Yes Nick, please do a rebuild video of this 440 Magnum engine. Love to see the process and your tips. I’m an old time mechanic that had a mid-life crisis and went back to school to become a Mechanical Engineer, Designer, and a CADD Operator. I love the mechanics of how things work. Keep up the good work Nick. Your an inspiration to all of us.

[@ericheine2414]

Maybe there were two 70 Chargers with two 440s in different states of disassembly. He slapped one back together to sell it. And put it back in the car to pass the savings on to the next guy. There's no way that valve dropped while that motor was running. And that bearing was just left in there by some mechanic that didn't care. Thanks for taking us along on the exploratory. You rock Nick, you rock heavy.

[@davewilkirson2320]

Love the vids. I rebuilt a 66 FE 428 engine that was laying in mud for 40 years in 2021. I found mostly insects and mud in there. A Dallas, Tx location. Engine was in a T-Bird. After 3 months of bench work I got it running. Re-installed and sold the car in December 2022. Car was in a covered barn with a tarp over it. Texas registration said March 1982 on the glass. Rebuilt a 1965 283 from the same outdoor mudhole. It needed machine shop work and was bored 0.030 over to 292 cid. Heads were machined and all new parts including the crank. Had terrible thrust wear. GM code said it was in a C-10 truck. It's on a stand I built and in my workshop for fun. I start it from time to time. My first tear down was a Mopar 383 in 1974. I was 17 and the engine came from my 69 Roadrunner. Needed rings and bearings. I sold that 69 Roadrunner for $900 in 1979. Love your channel. I'm not a mechanic but my shop is fully stocked so I am a weekend warrior. I want to get into the LS world next.

[@Z-Bart]

I will more than likely never tear down an engine but watching a master like Nick, very entertaining and interesting. What a wealth of knowledge and experience.

[@NicksGarage]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@kabbey30]

I know zero about engines and engine work, but I love watching Nick break down engines. Your knowledge of your trade is the most enjoyable part, for me.

[@joen5332]

I've been working on cars and trucks and Building engines for 45 years and I always seem to learn something from your videos

[@charlesfurgeson5152]

Very much enjoy the detective work and parts explanation on this 440

[@carlcarlamos9055]

I’m with Mr. Nick. That valve head was never off when the engine was running. I think it was cracked, and then later when it sat for years as a critter palace, rust jacking popped the valve head off. That looks like a low mileage engine. Not much cylinder ridge, because the piston came out easily. I’m sure Mr. Nick will make it run like a top. Take care.

[@samrodian919]

@ Carl Carl Amos piston came out easily?? FFS he had to belt it out with a 2 lb hammer!

[@marclobato9690]

That valve broke off when trying to spin the motor over by hand. After sitting for a long time. Rust and age reared it's head. Lucky it didn't break off while running.

[@davelowets]

​@marclobato9690 It was probably rusted open from sitting for ages, and then when someone turned it over, the valve was now off the nose of the cam lobe, and the valve spring pressure eventually win the battle with the stuck valve and it snapped back closed, snapping it off..... 🤷

[@jaydemolay7023]

Another great instructional video, Nick! As I told you in a previous video comment, I'm rebuilding a 440 from a 67' imperial based on all your videos which I've watched & saved from the beginning. I've never rebuilt a motor before. It's the same motor as the one you built for the young man Nicholas, who's putting his in a 67' Belevedere. I've got the motor torn down now, and she's never been opened up before, everything is original, and I've seen no damage. Everything came apart pretty easy thanks to all your instruction & tips!!..and using the right tools (all hand tools). I wore the gardening gloves too!! Now, I'm getting ready to send her out to be hot tanked, checked for micro-cracks and bored out over 30. Thanks Nick, I could have never done any of this without you!!! Blessings to you! You made my dream possible!

[@edwardhasiak7961]

Good luck with the build Jay.

[@jaydemolay7023]

@@edwardhasiak7961 Thanks!

[@doncarlson8391]

That valve is made from 2 pieces, the head and the stem and they are friction welded or joined together with a similar process. Crevice corrosion set in at the weld and popped the head off while the engine sat so you are correct, the engine never ran with the head loose in the cylinder. Interesting video, thanks Nick!

[@LogicalMechanical]

Total agreement. That cylinder filled with water (obviously!) during the engine's long nap, corroded the two-piece joint, and the continuous valvespring pressure popped it off.

[@55desotomine]

Car sat for a long time, the valve stems rusted while open, then someone turned the engine with the valves stuck open. The valve broke when the piston came up, but the engine wasn't running, only got turned.

[@dinadaughtry8993]

Bugs look like mole crickets

[@kevinbrislawn5918]

You're like a fine Italian restaurant gourmet chef, creating an interesting way of taking apart and reassembly that anyone would enjoy

[@gerald4133]

I recall my friend had another friend from shop that was a 70' White RR, Then we saw a Brown 🤎 71' RR on a used car lot. It was a slap stick it still had the Chrome exhaust tips! Good 👍 Luck with that 440 Nick. Best wishes. Miss the 70's cars was every where & cheap!

[@danielguidry3338]

Nick! I really think your a blessing to everyone. If people ain't watching your videos; no wonder I see a lot cars just sitting in their storage yards. Trying figure out what wrong with the engine. Accumulating more storage cost; and still trying to figure out what's up with the engine. Mechanics lack of training, and knowledge. Nick! I will everyday to watch your KZbin video at night. My quiet time. Just me and Nick. God blessing Mechanic Master.

[@donscott6431]

I graduated high school in 1972. Many families, back then, gifted their children with a new car when they turned driving age, or shortly thereafter. My best friend got a 1970 Charger RT, just like this one. My father owned a service station/garage, so I opted for a 1969 Nova from our pull-in lot, a brand new crate 1970 LT-1 (from the dealer) and a 12 bolt posi with 514 gear. Also a Mr. Gasket in-line shifter in my modified m-22 rock-crusher tranny. (Filed off every-other brass tooth on the synchronizer rings). Replaced the camshaft, BEFORE even installing the engine with a Sig Erson 990 SB. .550 lift 318 degree duration with 102 degree overlap. Also installed a 1 degree advance camshaft bushing, an 850 cfm Holley double-pumper, making the vacuum operated secondaries mechanical, by installing a metal screw in the secondary linkage. On the street, he ate my lunch, but at the TRACK, I killed him at our local 1/8 mile track..

[@nowlaj]

After watching quite a few of Nick’s videos, it’s obvious that he is a passionate teacher of motor building. I bet he’s forgotten more than many people know about engines and racing engines specifically. I’ve learned a lot watching him spin his motor magic.

[@tinkmarshino]

Back starting in the 60's through the 70 I must have refreshed and pumped up 75 -100 engines and a few since those days.. I have never seen the stuff you found in this baby.. Although the bearing could have been dropped and wedged in at the factory to come loose and beat around after.. But other than that.. Damned if I know.. But this was fantastic.. Thanks so much for sharing this..

[@darwin9141]

Nick even well-seasoned Mechanics like you get head stumpers like this that's life we never stop learning.

[@macfranks2456]

Those bugs look like mole crickets. GREAT music on this video and a great video too. Tearing an old one down like this is like engine archeology.

[@scottmckenna9164]

Mole crickets like dark moist places. The engine oil probably killed them.

[@oldmanmaker9853]

NICK REMINDS ME OF MY AUTO MECHANIC INSTRUCTOR IN HIGH SCHOOL.

[@timothytripp4594]

The only alternative that I can come up with about the valve being in the cylinder without any other damage would be that it had a stuck valve that was cracked and when someone checked to see if the engine was locked up and turn the engine over just a little bit it popped loose into the cylinder that's why it did not have any cylinder head or piston damage

[@peterhess6039]

That’s what I was thinking

[@gtir300hp]

Nick seem to think another valve was bent too. Might been deternating or over revving it might bent both valves. And cracked it. And like you said might have had stuck valve backfire through the carb might have been enough to make It drop a valve. Then lock the motor up. The piston won't have had any speed on still cranking.

[@genesimons8368]

Classic "Nick's Garage" Episode. First class content, entertaining and enlightening, in a professionally produced package.

[@ronaldwprovo5530]

Right on

[@franklindreidsr518]

From West Haven, CT. Hello to everyone. Thank you for this video. Everyone be and stay safe.

[@NicksGarage]

Hello there! Thanks for watching in CT, Franklin.

[@crypkrazee]

Wow what a flashback to my younger years , Dad had a 440 6 pack, Those were the good old days . I bought a 73 challenger and dropped the 440 in it . Dad put a 383 auto in his charger so he could drive to Kings Bay sub base for work . Mostly all I needed was the straight motor mounts and to shorten the driveshaft to match up to his 410 dana 60 rear end posi and I had a bad hot rod for High school. Oh yea we swapped his 410 and installed a 383 rear end in the charger for the higher gear and highway speeds. But I did have to build it first, it just would not be right if I did not put some hop ups on it before installing it .Great video Nick

[@yarrdayarrdayarrda]

True story, when I was grinding the seats on a set of 360 Chrysler heads, I had an exhaust valve fail at the same place on the stem. I would slide the valve in the guide and slap it against the finished seat a few times, which would leave a witness mark on the valve face and seat showing the contact patch. The third time that exhaust valve bounced off the seat the stem dropped on the table and the valve was now 2 pieces. (This was after the valve had ran in the engine for untold years, was glass beaded and the face ground) Needless to say all those exhaust valves were replaced with new.

[@leelavoie6753]

Thank you Nick!!! I find myself turning every bolt with you step by step. I’ve never tore down a 440. This was a fun experience. Love your show. Great filming George!

[@areuaware6842]

Half a bearing may have been dropped into the engine during production and rather than fish it out the worker just grabbed another one from the bin on a Friday afternoon. LOL

[@williamward7707]

My thought as well...production issue

[@erichinkle8522]

How did it get bent

[@tomupchurch4911]

If they were about to go on strike that bearing half was probably left out of another engine on purpose and thrown into that one for laughs. Back in '76 at Chevy we had new cars coming in with one upper main half missing just before a strike. You could set your watch by it.

[@areuaware6842]

@@erichinkle8522 , So if the engine was upside down when installing the rod caps and the half bearing fell into the cylinder/piston when the engine was flipped back over and started for the first time it would have been above the windage tray and came in contact with the crank and or ends of the connecting rods beaten up a bit then eventually fell into the bottom of the pan where it lived ever since. It's a theory...

[@varus113]

My dad always said to buy a vehicle made on a Wednesday 🤣

[@alannoon3948]

Just bought 84 corvette, love your show Nick and his Friends are National treasures

[@troyrosenbaugh9935]

So mopars are opposite side firing order. I couldn't remember for sure, had 73 Charger with a bb 440. Miss that monster! Great vid Brorher...

[@JayHutchG]

Nick - I LOVE your no nonsense approach to engine building and rebuilding. Back in the day I did many rebuilds of late 60's and 70's small blocks and big blocks. Was a landscape guy during the day and summers, working in the shop nights with a master mechanic in winter rebuilding all their engines in trucks and tractors. Minimum 12 hour days (only 1/2 day right?) but learned A LOT. Retired from the insurance biz. LOL, but can still see most every part inside those old engines. Small and big block chevy's and MOPAR. I came to greatly appreciate the the small block 327 and most of all the longevity we could get from the MOPAR 360 Magnums. That is if we used the best rebuild parts available. I see you do the same. Really appreciate your knowledge and wisdom.

[@jimmccabe801]

Its so great to see these muscle car brought back to life.

[@2509498788]

Thank you for the tour breakdown of this engine. I enjoyed the show

[@pb68slab18]

Getting older, I keep telescopic magnetic pick-up tools attached to everything! Only thing worse than dropping nuts, bolts, tools, etc, it bending over to pick them up. And sockets roll into the darndest places!

[@ecleveland1]

When a dropped socket hits the floor it is always going to land right in the middle under the car where it is hard to reach without crawling under to get it. Never fails!

[@BrianSmith-yn2zg]

@@ecleveland1 so true man.

[@eribertoacedo9505]

Hello Nick & George I watched you with a 327ci Small block Chevy, would love to see you rebuild that engine to a HP one. I have one my self In a 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe. Love the 327ci please consider rebuilding it on camera. From San Diego California.

[@mayhem035]

I give it a shot on why the valve head have fallen.. if you look at the piston, it's really oxydate compared to the others... and the cylinder head is really rusted compare to the other... what I think .. it was the creatures pipi room! Pipi creates alot of amoniac that is corrosive... it attacked the valve stem that was maybe sticking out more then the others... a weakness issue on the stem .. when you tried to turn the engine by hand, the piston hit it and it snapped... or the rust with time snapped it!?... that's my take on it.! Loved that video! 👍

[@brustar5152]

I'm with you on that Dj! My thought was the critter had already dropped his nut shells in there for some time then someone came along and put a pair of jumper cable on it - cranked it and the piston came up to "crushed nut" height and broke the valve off which stopped the crank-over cold turkey before it made one complete revolution.

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

The ends where the valve snapped are totally rusted. If Nick had snapped the valve off when rotated the crank, the ends would have some amount of non-rusty metal showing. More likely scenario is that somebody tried rotating it by hand in the past and the valve, weakened by either water or mouse urine, snapped.

[@cjm5002]

Creative thinking but not the cause of failure at all. That engines last run cycle left the crank at compression stoke of #7 piston (you can tell by the amount of rust on the bad cylinder wall only half way up as well as the amount of rust on the other walls). That means that it was on exhaust stroke of #5 and also why that valve was broke. When the valve is left wide open it is exposing air to the whole cylinder and dries stuff out resulting in rusted valve stem. When someone tried to turn the engine over it was trying to pull the valve back up into the guide and got stuck from not enough clearancing. I am willing to put money on the guides being knurled. Yes your theory is likely a contributing factor but not the cause. I have seen this happen several times, mostly in coastal areas with high salt content in the air.

[@johnbusalachi6183]

The bearing mystery! I suppose it's possible that the oil pan was ready to be installed, could have been on the floor, next to a workbench where the offending, previously installed bearing was at, precariously at the edge. An interruption ensues, the mechanic leaves the area and voila, the unwanted bearing slides off the edge of the workbench and into the oil pan. The mechanic comes back from break, does not look into the pan and assembly continues. Ya know " stuff" happens!

[@throttlebottle5906]

very likely, it often doesn't take much to break them off if stuck and not running and hand cranked with large bar or via flywheel/flexplate teeth.

[@jesuiskiwi4033]

Once upon a tine when I was stripping some 360 heads, I gave the retainers a light tap to free the collets and on every exhaust valve the valve head fell off.

[@Michael_Bradburn]

All mysteries aside one fact that is not in question, after the refresh it will be one bad ass Mopar big block power plant that will shake the ground on nick's dynamometer when resurrected.

[@skeetersaurus6249]

I don't mean to keep commenting, but this is such a great video...and some obvious points, for the 'younger students' out there. In my youth, I was a PROLIFIC 'junk yard scrounger'...421's, 428's, 440's, 340's, etc., and often, you'd find engines in this condition. I have seen the 'dropped valve with no damage' before...it comes from the engine already being 'dry' when it got to the junkyard, and over time, someone comes by, runs the numbers, wants the block or heads, only to 'try to turn it over...and it's locked up'...until, it spins a bit, then locks up again. They just broke the valve head off of a brittle stem (or the valve was seized in the guide)...no piston or cylinder damage, but the valve stem broke right near the bottom of the valve guide. Whoever turned this motor over first, recently, broke the valve...but better to break it while hand-turning it, than pouring oil into it and trying to fire-it-up! Also, the best way to 'pre-clean' carbonized, oxidized piston tops still in the block? Put a 1-1/2" wire cup brush (ideally, brass) on a drill, and knock that debris off the piston tops...quick, easy, and if you hit that top cylinder rim and put a few drops of oil on it, makes knocking the pistons out a LOT easier. I'm VERY curious about that 'almost-destroked' TDC piston issue. Looks almost like a 440 you'd see come out of an early 70's D600 truck (8.5-to-1 compression)...the six-pack rods are a curiosity then, unless the trucks and high performance cars ran the same rods. GM called their truck engines (i.e.: 427's) 'Tall Blocks', because of this.

[@blinkie1523]

Hello Nick & George, wow that was an amazing tear down, 90 thou at top of piston to bottom of head, then part of a bearing and live stock in the sump, my oh my what did Stephane bring you to rebuild/restore Nick! I'm sure it will be better than new when you work your magic though. Cheers for sharing and stay well all and safe all.

[@kevinbrislawn5918]

Nick, you're the American quintessential man that put his life into something he loves and created a huge business. The little talking about everything here makes me feel like you're a patient Dad

[@minnesotatomcat]

You nailed it Nick, most of the old vehicles can be taken apart with just a handful of wrenches. It just makes things so much easier 👍

[@myleghurts3546]

I've been told you can tear down and rebuild a Dodge with a butter knife and a tennis ball. Haven't tried it...I don't have any tennis ball handy🤔

[@franker1111]

So true. This new stuff is a pain in the ass, the older motors come out tear them down in under 3 hours

[@sergiohenriquez2379]

@@franker1111 you

[@myleghurts3546]

@@franker1111 Hahaha...yeah but you need 5 years to find parts so I'll take new LOL

[@UNCLELEMUR]

"Just like Mike Kowalski." Love it!!! Saw that 4 times in a row when it came out at the Theatre. "Vanishing Point" 1971

[@kurtzimmerman1637]

I had the same thing happen to my 1969 Bonneville in about 1980 Nick! when I pulled the head off it pushed the piston sideways in the block an cracked it. that was a 428 engine and I was heartbroken! I bought another 428 and moved on. thanks for another great video Nick!

[@NicksGarage]

Ouch.

[@mattwoods7846]

I think the E and F stand for the grades of oil that should be used in the engine.

[@romansavino8394]

I love these engine teardown sessions they're so interesting and cool and I love how you explain everything neck I wish I could work with you one day thank you again for everything you do

[@Jacked97Ram]

Just discovered nick today in a photo from Carlisle Mopar nationals. Looked up his KZbin. If I could just have a shred of knowledge this man has I’d be a happy man. Well done sir and thank you for the great content!

[@NicksGarage]

Thanks for joining us!

[@f100storys8]

Hello from Holland, the video quality is absolutely stunning! This will be a delight to watch

[@NicksGarage]

Thank you very much! We try our best to make the videos easy to watch.

[@timmotel5804]

Very enjoyable and educational. I've owned three 440 magnum cars. I didn't know that the magnum engines came with windage trays from the factory. Thanks as always.

[@kevinjohnson5214]

Thanks nick loved the video, it was great. Can just barely remember those big dogs ,if you ever got to ride in one you'll remember it. Thanks again from Minnesota...

[@turdferguson4124]

That’s a great piece of advice about where to pry off an oil pan. I never thought about it, but it makes perfect sense. Nick has so much to teach.

[@DennisSulz]

A real mystery engine with discoloured front bearing caps and the valve falling off in #5 with no damage to the cylinder or piston and then the oil pan parts and insects. It will be interesting to see the complete rebuild on this engine.

[@upfactoryracing4148]

100% love the Mopar and classic car content but this soundtrack is making my sideburns grow!👍😎👍

[@tomwomack3167]

Good to know they used Grade 8 on that manifold. I bet the bearing was dropped during assembly and caught by the crank. The worker picked another bearing and let the engine move forward.

[@nknatewood8226]

Nick's Garage: FWIW, I owned a '69 Charger RT w/ the 440 engine. It had a _'6-pack'_ carburetor system on it. The system consisted of six one barrel carbs that operated in pairs w/ progressive linkage that engaged the front two carbs first, then the middle two, and finally the back two. Once you had all six carbs in operation, you could watch the gas gauge go down towards "E" almost as fast as the speedometer went up. As I recall, premium gas sold for around 19-20¢/gallon. That was good because the car's gas mileage typically ran at +/- 9 miles/gallon when the driver had a lead foot. At best, it got 12-13 miles/gallon when it was treated _very gently_ so that it ran mostly on the front 2 carbs. 😵 My wife dearly loved that Charger. She drove it as _hard and fast_ as she possibly could, much to my dismay at the *_staggering_* gas bills! It was finally traded in '72 as part of the purchase of a Chevrolet Vega GT. That car came w/ the aluminum four cylinder engine and a single two barrel carburetor. The Vega _would not_ light up the rear tires, or anything else for that matter. As it turned out, my wife didn't particularly like that car, but the gas bills improved - *_significantly!_* 😁😁😁

[@markjennings-principals.p.5870]

Make sure you note that the valve/rocker cover and "oil pan" didn't have bolts in it so you don't spend a ton of time trying to find them when it goes back together. ;)

[@NicksGarage]

🔧

[@Choober65]

The 70's....You had to be there and those of us that were are glad we were.

[@dannygibbons4631]

Oil pan came off of a different engine that more than likely spun bearings

[@peterisaloftpc4093]

or it spun a bearing and replaced the crank. Did not hear if crank was original...

[@BTandKM111]

They replaced the bearing and left the old one in the oil pan when they slapped it back together?!. Can't wait to see Nick build it up right and check the HP and TQ.

[@danielbutler578]

That bearing doesn't look like it was spun. It would have been too shredded to get the numbers off it if it had spun enough to come out. I had a Ford Escort that spun the bearing on number 4 cylinder. It chewed it into slivers of metal. Amazingly the machine shop resized the rod and it held up for about 150,000 miles with no problem.

[@robertutech1685]

I agree. Pan came from a different engine. Maybe the bugs did too.

[@Retsamel_Evets]

Agree. He mentioned it only had 2 bolts.

[@johngouker3887]

I disassembled a 400 block which was from a 74 Newport and Found number three piston installed backwards. In Another words ,the notch was towards the rear. That was the way it came from the factory ! It had standard everything !

[@johnnychally]

I love when you take the time to break down and show is how its done. Great videos Nick . Hats off to you and your crew

[@starvingartist6754]

I'm was a teenager in the muscle car era, there's no way to describe how wealthy I would be rt now if I had kept all the cars owned back then, it would be in the 8 figures easily,specially with the mopars I owned, it's enough to make a man cry,,,,but I was a crazy teenager having fun,,,,,I paid $500 to a woman for a '69 RT Dodge Dart 340 magnum with the X heads that she only uses grocery shopping,,,,she laughed that I paid her that much for a car that roared so loudly,,,,,,,that's just one of many true stories, I won't even mention what I paid an off the wall car salesman for the '70 Roadrunner in 1972,,,, you wouldn't believe that one anyways ! Love your videos Nick, I know every bolt on those yesterday pieces of ART !

[@jessefarrar5400]

Owner was a shade tree mechanic and when his engine had a rod bearing clime he replaced the bearing and overlooked the damaged bearing half when he didn't clean up the oil pan. It takes all kinds...jf... Bugs got in the distributor hole when it was left out... Maybe the engine was never run when configured like that.

[@wesleypulkka7447]

Nick, Nice teardown! You're the right man to debug that 440! Thanks for another great video!

[@9090Glenn]

I have read this about Oldsmobile motors and likely Dodge did the same - they want to ensure the Oil Filler Cap is the correct type - size - vented - for engine cubic inch displacement - automatic transmission OR 4-speed - 2-barrel or 4-barrel or 6-barrel carburetor - low or high compression ratio - not all oil filler caps are designed the same but they sure look alike - so F E indicates the Oil Filler Cap to be used on a 440 Magnum Engine - FE is a Dodge PRODUCTION CODE found in the Motor Assembly Manual or Motor Build Sheet MBS - each engine configuration had its own Part Number - and the M.B.S has a summary of the two-letter codes used to designate that specific engine and that F E cap is to be used on it - without that stamping the OIL FILLER caps all look the same - so they did a two-letter stamping to ensure the correct one went with the specific engine on assembly line - for quick and easy identification F E - here is what Ford states in their literature - The stamp is the engine unit number. It is unrelated to the two letter code on the paper tag. The first digit of the engine unit number is the model year. The rest is just a sequential engine build number. ... best I answer I could find in my research

[@Chevyv8man1]

Hey Nick, Another great video. Maybe {years ago} someone tried to turn over the motor with a stuck valve and with all that rust in it, broke the valve off. That's why the broken end of the valve is all rusty. Also someone changed the oil pan and put one on that already had the spun bearing in the bottom of it and didn't notice or care about it. Who knows, just a guess. But the busted valve make sense. - Later

[@ShaneHerald]

MR. Nick could you please do a video some time explaining the difference between a 440 they used in a car and a 440 used in a RV.....i have a 440 RV block and heads from 71 ...is it worth building and doing something with?

[@nadronnocojr]

As always. Love these videos. , and like an old friend nic is always welcome in our home for family car night

[@johnhintermaier7651]

Hi Nick and George what a great working relationship you share together. When you found the rodent hotel in the teardown I was reminded of my 1975 360 CID 2 barrel Dodge Monaco 4DR Sedan favored by rodents who used it as a lunch counter while visiting my garage after looting the garage bags. Preference for chicken breast bones, but were not adverse to legs and thighs. My cat also used to hang out on the right front tire and so the rodents lifespan was usually brief.

[@timothymosher2689]

Great video as usual!! As for bearing in the oil pan, I found a connecting rod bearing in the oil pan of a 360 I rebuilt. All the bearings were in place, no damage. Same mystery Nick

[@rangerbull]

Just found this guy and I’m blown away with the knowledge this guy has.

[@NicksGarage]

Welcome to the channel!

[@bigblockjalopy]

The bearing is no mystery at all. Since it is an OE 69 bearing, it dropped there during assembly and left there. Then it got into the rotating assembly. Found lots of such Things in old Mopars. The valve on the other Hand...... Impossible without piston damage.

[@nickpanaritis4122]

Strange to me too

[@monkeybarmonkeyman]

My guess would be the valve was cracked when the engine was parked, for whatever reason. It was ready to drop and do some major damage, but the engine was not started again. A long time passed, hot/cold weather changes, the valve fractured totally. I'd say it was almost miraculous nobody ever attempted to turn that thing over with the dropped valve. It had to happened out of car in a not running situation.

[@brustar5152]

I ordered a new A100 van in 1969 and was P/0'd at the rattle in the doors until I took off those long panels at the bottom of the doors and found about ten empty dixie cups in each door with Chrysler pentastar logos on them. Guys on the line must have used the inside of my van for their coffee break to hide from the foreman or something. That little 318 did me proud for the better part of 15 years of good service. With all the critters found in that engine Nick should paint it a leopard skin pattern - LOL.

[@jlletaw1954]

I think the valve was closed tight & maybe those critters filled the port with urine to the top of the exhaust manifold curve 😄 l don't know what they were drinking for that kind of urine corrosion but they must've been waiting in line 😄 still that's a long way to go to take a leak 🤔 but a good place to hide from a snake?

[@georgehebb9806]

Great job as usual Nick, I had a 440 PI gave to me from one of my cousins. I'm preparing to rebuild it. I've only rebuilt a 318 so no guts no glory right. Thanks for all the great videos.

[@gorflunk]

To quote an old friend who owned a used car lot: "Them seats have seen a lot of teen bum." whenever he'd see a car that had been used and abused with little to no proper care and maintenance i.e. a teenager's car.

[@glenncarr2121]

Hey Nick , The bugs in this video look to me like common Cricket and Cicadas or also known as June Bugs ! I have built engines for 40 +/= years and the other reason for connecting rods to be discolored is the clearance between two sister rods being inaccurate , creating excessive heat ! I hope this helps you ! I love your show and great content ! Best wishes from Oregon !

[@jonathontaylor8861]

I must say I'm a little surprised that you didn't hoover the debris out of the cylinders and put some oil in each bore before turning it over and driving pistons out, seems a bit heavy handed.

[@jeff2235]

Why bother? That would be prudent if starting the engine, but turning it over by hand isn't going to cause any damage. He's doing a teardown.

[@kenfromsilverdale5675]

Great video Nick! Here's a good way that valve broke, the cylinder was full or nearly full of water sometime and when cranked it hydrolocked and fractured the valve stem, this would also explain the very heavy rust in the cylinder and head. Zero damage to the head or piston top proves that engine was not running when that happened.

[@dallanpotter7082]

I was going to say the same thing, but I also think someone had the oil pan off to see if why the engine wouldn't turn over later (maybe at a junk yard?) and a oil pan from the next car over got put back on with extra smashed bearings in the bottom of it from the other car.

[@jowens1126]

I believe the insects are mole crickets. Very odd for them to be in the pan. AZ for the extra bearing, my guess is it was dropped in the motor at the factory. First start mangled it and dropped it in the pan, where it stayed till you found it.

[@godslayer1415]

American Manufacturing at it's finest.

[@terrenceolivido741]

God, i love these videos. I am not much into hot-rodding, but the heritage and the knowledge of the traditional technology ... What i like is rebuilding and doing the minimum of restoring an engine to factory specs and ... hopefully a little better. A great master will do the minimum, but understand profoundly what to do. God bless these guys and youtube. In the future this knowledge may be gold.

[@robertsnyder5149]

Nick, my 6-pak engine spun two harmonic balancers, you know it spun the outer ring on the rubber ring below it, so I installed an after market one that didn't spin. Makes it real hard to time a running engine when the timing mark has moved, It had a habit of breaking brand new motor mounts so I chained the engine to the frame with a little slack.

[@rodferguson5160]

I worked in a Plymouth dealer back in the 70s. We would periodically find a handful of ball bearings in enclosed panels in the car. You would hear them rolling around when you would takeoff and stop sometimes it took several hours to figure out where they were my boss told me it was builders plane practical jokes. Never knew if that was a fact. Possibility is that the bearing fell in the pan during manufacturing and no one caught it.

[@vincemajestyk9497]

About the 'F' and 'E' on the oil cap, I was told a long time ago that it was the makers mark of the company that made them for Chrysler which stood for 'Fuller and Emerson'. They also used 'Stant' to make the caps that are riveted in the middle. I've seen both used on 1970 and 1971 engines. I think later they started using the ones with the 4 spot welds like that FE one more often, but the indented part in the middle was inverted, pushed out.

[@ParthPatel-zy4pg]

I've got a 73 340 all original with these markings on my cap. Always wondered what that was about

[@ACV975]

I would say that bearing was dropped in the pan on the assembly line when the engine was originally assembled. One time I found a beer bottle cap in an oil pan. The oil pump was probably replaced because the original owner complained of an engine noise due to that bearing being knocked around in the oil pan. As for the valve, if it was closed and water got in on top of it and filled that port and was frozen, we’ll that would explain the valve breaking when the ice expands. Something got to give. We’ll call it a freeze plug valve. Haha.

[@barryobler9491]

He said that bearing was marked "Clevite", so not even a factory rod bearing?

[@soldierski1669]

Thinking it was at the dealership and 2 pans got mixed up. Prob the pan was taken off to inspect those rods or "someone needed a pan" and this one went on.

[@hartburg356]

Nick, your critters are what's called "Levitating Texas Grasshopper's", and they are very rare.😀 I think you were right on your first call about the spun bearing; they removed the motor mount bolts raised the engine a little dropped the pan changed it out then buttoned it back up, that's probably why they didn't see it in the pan.😏

[@chucksmalfus9623]

If it spun a bearing there would be damage on the crank and rod. Nick said they both looked good.

[@cobracharmer6178]

Some smart ass put the bearing in the oil pan during assembly in 1968-69. And why are the heads painted green?

[@clarencelincoln1114]

The tear down videos and rebuilds are my favorite

[@sniper6823]

I feel like I actually learn things when I watch your videos Nick. Great video.