Looking for any information 72/Ply/Sat!!!

[72PLYMAN]

Hi all again, well I still have my Satellite I'm on a mission now... I'm tired of knowing very little about my car and I don't know what is the right place to look or the right people to talk too. I'm a college student, with VERY low income and I want to know as much as i can about my car! Currently i'm trying to repair my front suspension(mostly by myself) thats giving me the most problems at the moment cause i don't know if my car has been in accident before and if the frame is bent or what, no one in my town really works on my car, and if there is anyone that does they want to buy it from me:\ I need all of the help i can get! so if anyone can leave me website and any kind of info for anything about my car please?

1972 Plymouth Satellite
400 4bbl(Holley) 727a


My goal for my car is completely and utterly redone, as in better gas mileage, performance, suspension, everything! wiring and all of that good stuff. Trying to start a car club in my town, but no one wants to sponser us or help us. Please help me with what ever you can! thank you

72PLYMAN

[71383bee]

Try this site out www.roadrunnernest.com

They are devoted entirely to 71-74 roadrunners, satellites and GTX's. Don't worry about your ride there are lots of 71-74 Bbody lovers out there and the demand for them is growing daily. The 71-74 satellites have not gained as much popularity as the roadrunners so they are still very cheap. The parts for 71-72 B body's are still very available and are interchangeable across body lines. For example the suspension off of any 71-72 b body (dodge or Plymouth) will work. Also e body suspensions are very similar so they heve some interchangeabilty too.

The best advice I can give is to get an old shop manual. I am not talking about the crappy chiltons or other manual that covers mid sized mopars from 71 to 78 or some rag like that. I mean the 71 or 72 model year specific shop manual. You can get them on CD rom from www.moparmanuals.com or the original hard covers or reprints from places like Bishko Automobile Books at www.autobooksbishko.com It is the the best investment for your car garunteed. I built me Super Bee with a Craftsman standard tool set and a 71 shop manual.

I recommend the originalls or CD's versus the reprints.

A susbscription to the Mopar collectors Guide is also a usefull tool to have try www.moparcollectorsguide.com

[amxauto-x]

You also need to tell us if your car is a Satellite, or a Satellite Sebring. There is a differance. Mainly in the body lines and so the sheet metal.Supply a picture if you don't know.
If it has the same body as the Road Runners of '71-'72, then it is a Sebring.

[72PLYMAN]

It is a Sebring heres a picture of my car, its alittle old(2 years old, not in the late 70's lol) but still a picture.

[amxauto-x]

Oh ya, I remember that picture. Hope the fender's not dented.
Tell your friend NOT to do that.
Take a course in the auto shop if you can. And I don't mean those new cars either.

[1972roadrunner]

thats a nice lookin car. my brother has a '71 satellite sebring plus 440/727/8.75 rear with 3.56 suregrip.

[72PLYMAN]

Thanks for all of the information, but i would like more if i can get it. I just got through reading most of the websites that were posted and now i want to learn more... also where can i get a Air Grabber? heh

[71383bee]

Well then what specifically do you want to know?

Air grabbers are cool, but not cheap. And you need to be somewhat creative if you have a motor with modifications. Meaning if your carb sits higher than stock, then the airgrabbers equipment might not fit.

[72PLYMAN]

Anything from like how many were made to performance mods, to websites selling parts or body parts for my car, or any good info on how to repair any problems. I'm also looking for any information on how to start a car club.

[1972roadrunner]

some websites:
http://www.summitracing.com
http://www.jegs.com
http://www.manciniracing.com
http://www.yearone.com/serverfiles/f...ain2.asp?cat=1

also, i'd suggest getting a PAW (performance automotive warehouse) book at http://www.pawengineparts.com

as far as starting a car club? dunno...prolly several other ppl with older muscle cars getting together and calling yourselves a club???

[amxauto-x]

Go to the local car shows and ask the other RR and Sebring owners if they are interested in a club. Maybe there is a Mopars Unlimited club in your area. Look on Yahoo and type in Mopars Unlimited.

There may be a small paper that has events listed that may have car shows and sometimes club meetings listed. Ours is called 'The Little Nickle"

[amxauto-x]

A start;
http://www.geocities.com/mopar_440_dave/

[71383bee]

Well this chat is probably one of the best sites around for gaining info.

For info on your car tell us what the VIN code is. Give us the codes for your fender tag or broadcast sheet. With all of that info we can describe what options your car has as well as build date and other info etc.

As for perfromance...you need to be more specific! How fast do you want to go? Do you street race? Do you drag race? Do you road race? Is the car to be a daily driver? How much are you willing to spend? What is your current combo now?

[72PLYMAN]

I'm trying to get the information for you, i've been busy removing my engine... (fun! ) i will have it posted soon, more info the better I always say

[72PLYMAN]

Hey i pulled the engine today and took it apart, and on the side of the block is this number on both sides of it, what is this? is this the engine number?? i didn't see alittle plate as it said in the book, so... 3614230-3 if anyone can tell me what this is, it will help me a great deal. i need to find out what kind of engine this is asap, and i fixed my suspension (the coolest) on my first try too i will get more info later, busy getting ready for college and all :P

[71383bee]

Wow you are pretty ambitious.

Now wait a minute. You claim to not know a thing about your car or these cars in general and now you just decided to pull your whole motor apart? What was wrong in the first place?

The number you have cast into the side of the block is the core casting number. I don't have my reference guide in front of me so i can not reference that block. What you need to find is the engine id pad. It is a flat raised pad either next to the distributor or it is by the left front where the intake attaches to the heads. I guess a more appropriate question is is where is the distributor. Is it on an angle on the right front of the motor? Or is it vertical in the rear of the motor?

What was wrong with the suspension?

[72PLYMAN]

I will try and find the id pad on the engine, the distrubitor is on the front of the engine (if standing in front of the car) it point left like this \ , the information i know about the engines in that came in my car were 318. 360, 400, 440 and that the 318 and 360 distrubitors were in the back of the engine(ive seen to many of them to forget :P mine is either a 400 or 440, i've been using parts for a 400 engine and everything fits perfectly.


What am i doing to the engine? I'm basically putting on new gaskets on the engine and i have to take my heads into a shop to get redone, also do alittle bit of cleaning the engine compartment and fixing some od the wiring problems. The mechanic at the base(military base) are helping me, they were the ones who told me how to fix my suspension, also with the help from my book for my car

The number one problem on my suspension was my lower control arm bushings....they weren't even there....well they were just what was left of them. but now there are brand new ones on there same for the upper and new bushings all around(thanks my dad)

Now all that is left to do is finish my engine, maybe put in a cam kit and new piston rings, then paint everything and put it all back together. its a pretty big engine, but it also looks small so i can't tell, i've seens big engines and alot of people have also but we don't know which one it is 400 or 440 well i have to get ready to get back to work on the engine. if anyone can tell me what the engine is that would be great, and i will try and locate that id pad...theres alot of grime i have to remove from the engine

[71383bee]

On a B block 361, 383, or 400 the engine id pad is adjacent to the distributor. It is a flat surface that is on the same angle as the distributor with numbers stamped on it. It is about 2" by 2" square.

It sounds like You definately have a big block. Now we need to determine if it is a raised block. What 400 parts are you using? The intakes for Rb's and B's are not interchangeable so again it sounds like you have a B block. That would mean either a 361 (doubtful), 383 or 400 (highly probable). The Raised block's are the 413, 426, and 440. 440 being the more common. the id pad for these is on the front left side of the block by the intake valley pan. If you look to the right of where the water pump intake is it is a flat pad that's just forward from the motor.

What is the VIN # by the windshield on the dash?

Note: left and right are referenced to when you are sitting in the car Passenger=right, Driver=left

[72PLYMAN]

Ok... i just got back from some major cleaning work... my engine is a 400 its numbers read H400 right near the distrubitor. I don't have my vin number on me, i forgot to get it... I'm currently trying to find a place in Corpus Christi, Texas that can acid dip my block, rebore my pistons and all of that cool stuff, at a reasonable price. My only problem is getting the engine there and back

[dirty dan]

Originally posted by 72PLYMAN
Ok... i just got back from some major cleaning work... my engine is a 400 its numbers read H400 right near the distrubitor. I don't have my vin number on me, i forgot to get it... I'm currently trying to find a place in Corpus Christi, Texas that can acid dip my block, rebore my pistons

I hope you mean bore the cylinder in the block to accept larger pistons.
Rather then acualy boreing the pistons.

[72PLYMAN]

yes thats what i meant

[72PLYMAN]

Well to my dismay, my budget for my engine overhaul has became 0 *just my luck huh? well in a month i will continue, until then it will stay nice a cozy at the military base (safer than in front of my house:P) its going to cost 445 for me to take the engine to a machine shops, to have the heads rebuilt, the block cleaned, rebored, with all do honestly i don't know what they need to do to the engine, if anyone can help me with what they need to do to my engine please list them out for me so i will have something to work off of. oh and please give me alittle info on what each thing that is needed to be done. If anyone can help me with that or knows a place in corpus christi, texas that would do it cheaper (engine is a 400) PLEASE!! give me a name of the business and a number, thanks everyone


*UPDATE* the front suspension problem has been completely and utterly fixed, all is needed now is a alignment job!

[71383bee]

$445 to rebuild the entire motor? That is an incredible deal. Is that just labor? On average a rebuild should cost in the $2000 to $4000 range.

This is going on and on and its getting no where If you are being serious then you have to answer some serious questions.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH THE CAR? MEANING QUARTER MILE TIMES, HORESPOWER RATINGS, DAILY DRIVER, FUEL ECONOMY, ANYTHING!!!

If you already read everything there is to know about these cars, then how come you do not know the basics of a standard rebuild?

[72PLYMAN]

I haven't read that much on my car, only what i have in front of me, i need to goto corpus and talk to some people this weekend, if your saying it should cost 2000 or more then i need to make sure that price is the actual price. I teach myself about cars or anything i do, unless there is someone will to show me, which in this town there aren't that many people. I'm going to wait on the engine work until i know what my main budget is. If it is that price, then i will just get my heads redone, and try to figure out what too do next. I want my car to have power but also fuel economy. If anyone can help me with that idea, please do.

[dirty dan]

Hey 72 plyman
You realy need to decide what amont of power you are looking for.
And in doing so you should keep in mind that the more power
you achive the less econamy you will have.
We all would like to have a car that runs 11's in the quarter.
While getting 36 mpg.
But this is not the way it works out.
A man once told me years ago that I could have the bigest monster ever under the hood.
But if I didn't feed it it wouldn't roar.
It took me a while to figure it out.
What he was trying to tell me was that I was out of gas