another god damn car for me, this time it's a truck.

[City Hunter]

I snagged a 1980 plymouth arrow the other day. I've been looking for a 1st gen mitsu truck wiht the twin headlights and not the quads, as I use to own a 84 spx which was mitsu's sport version back in the day. The thing handled so nice, and was just a excellent truck to drive in.

 

Anyhow, I snagged this baby for cheap, running crappy. It's a automatic, sport edition. Bcuket seats, the sport lower console with oil and volts, AC, and tach. Plus someone had isntalled a aftermarket cruise control unit. Even better the interior is black, ym fav color. The body is pretty damns traight, paint is old and white with some half blasted off 80s orange graphics, utb I love it.

 

Timing was off a tooth, and the carb was no good. After I changed out the carb and fixzed the timing I had it running good for about 10 minutes then I hit 5k and a thud,then no power.

 

So, I hoped it was just my timing chain jumping a tooth or 2, and no valve to piston contact. I pull the timing cover off, and look, nothing looks bad, new timing guides etc.. I decide I might as well bsek it as I hav a kit laying around. I go to pull the timing chain off and notice a mark where there shouldnt be one. I pull the lower gear off and the freaken thing is on backwards and the gear has a crack going all the way across fromt to back...

 

That explains why it shit out at 5k rpms. THe gear is offset and is only designed to go on one way. The chain bound up mid teeth.. Anyhow, I bsek and toss another gear I had laying around on, and put everything back togethger. As I am tightening the cam gear I notice there is no comrpession.

 

I knew I bent the valves then, pulled the head, all 8 valves made contact with the piston, bent all 4 intake, but I couldnt seem if the exhaust were bent. At this point I decided to go with a unknown jyard head I didnt think was too good. Well, got it on, the truck ran great, then I notice the head was leaking oil, milky oil..... The head was bad, reallllly bad even though it ran great. It must have a crack from the water port into the oil.. I hope at least.

 

I pul;led that head off and put a known good old head on off my challenger. I just finished that up at 3:30am, did a short warm up, and am waiting for the cool down as we speak so ic an go back and retorque the head bolts.

 

I really hope my timing cover gasket isnt leaking, and it wasnt the head, but who knows. I'll find out in the morning.

 

 

Anyhow, I will post pics soon.