Tom Boehm Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 (edited) Hello, I am looking for a person in the Louisville KY metro area who is knowledgeable about the 318 V8 who can help me get my 1973 Dart Swinger running. My family has owned this car for 35 years and it is in good original condition. Even when it was driven everyday it would not always start reliably. It has been sitting in a heated garage most of the last 20 years. I need help diagnosing and sorting so it will start reliably and we can drive it. I have car restoration experience but this one has beat me. (See pictures of 1940 Lasalle woodie in the National Woodie Club section). Can anybody recommend a website/forum with more '60's and '70's Chrysler/Dodge interest? There seems to be a lot of '30's, '40's, and '50's interest here. Edited September 18, 2022 by Tom Boehm (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28 Chrysler Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 What seems to be the major problem, no spark, popping through the carb, not turning over ? Maybe we can walk you through some of the testing. I suspect either fuel or ignition on a car that sat for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 If its the early electronic ignition you might check what would be similar to a points gap. The book says to use non magnetic feeler gauge. I had a tricky one recently, it got a new distributor AND a new module before it got dependable. Although you can change out the electronic thingy inside of the distributor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 Go here...."A" bodies only site....https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/forums/cars-and-mopar-parts-wanted.15/page-6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 This car has always been temperamental. It will turn over but not start. Yes it has the early electronic ignition. I need a diagnostic step by step procedure and testing tools. Over the years it seems I changed the whole ignition system one piece at a time and the carburetor rebuilt. I had the gas tank restored at Gas Tank Renu. My suspicion is no spark and I suspect the ignition switch on the steering column. You twist the key forward to turn the engine over. After it won't start, you let the key go and it sputters a little as if it wants to start. If it does start, it runs fine. I have gotten stranded with this car many times because it won't start again. I also suspect poor quality modern parts for the electronic ignition. Chrysler does not sell the ignition module anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
35cz8 Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 Wife and I had a 1973 swinger with the 318 and loved that car. I started having problems with it not wanting to start - off and on -. It turned out to be an electronic module and after replacing it, it started and run every time. It has been too long ago for me to remember just where that module was but there should be some kind of book out there to show it and it's location. Something to check out. Good luck and enjoy that ole Dodge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted May 7, 2021 Author Share Posted May 7, 2021 Thank you 35, I replaced the electronic ignition control module a while back. The original one "melted". It did not solved the problem completely. I have heard that the ones available in parts stores now are of questionable quality and may not work. I went on the website Keiser suggested above and they know which ones are good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 Jumping across the ballast resister is an old Mopar trick for hard starting sometimes. I have one that runs perfect 99% of the time. But once in a great while when its hot all it does is crank. I jump that resister and starts right up. (remove the jumper of coarse, if it dies then you have a bad resistor) I believe this could be chineseium related. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbine Tech Posted May 10, 2021 Share Posted May 10, 2021 On 5/7/2021 at 7:04 AM, Tom Boehm said: Thank you 35, I replaced the electronic ignition control module a while back. The original one "melted". It did not solved the problem completely. I have heard that the ones available in parts stores now are of questionable quality and may not work. I went on the website Keiser suggested above and they know which ones are good. Put a star washer between the electronic ignition box mounting hole and the fire wall. If the box has a bad ground the engine may run bad or fail to start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted May 10, 2021 Share Posted May 10, 2021 Funny thing, I had to run up to Seattle over the weekend and as I was getting ready to head out I got a call from a friend up there. Car wouldn't start, so I grabbed a few things and stopped by his place while I was up there. One of the things I carried was an old rusty module that I know is good. Ran a few tests and then swapped out the module and it started right up. I don't think there is any tests for that box except to try a known good one. The one that we bought at O'rilies was made in Taiwan. Was working when I left. Update, It looks like I used my test unit when I wired the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted May 10, 2021 Author Share Posted May 10, 2021 Hello Turbine Tech, Thanks for your response. I tried that too. I sanded the paint off the inner fender around the bolt holes. I suspect I need to clean off all the grounds in the engine compartment. This car is nearly 50 years old and in original condition, which means it has never been disassembled. Where the battery cables attach to the engine/starter and the jumper between the engine and firewall may be rusty. Matt Harwood, Edinmass and others on this forum often talk about "sorting" restored cars that have set for a while. I think that is what this car needs. There may be more than one thing wrong. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted May 10, 2021 Share Posted May 10, 2021 I believe there may have been an earlier thread on this same car. Has it been verified that the coil has power on it's positive post while cranking the engine? This car should start with a tap of the key after touching the throttle once to set the choke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted May 13, 2021 Author Share Posted May 13, 2021 You have a good memory Bloo. I posted once before about this car many years ago. No, I have not tried your suggestion. This car is not a priority. The 1940 Lasalle I am restoring gets priority. I got tired of throwing parts at it without success a long time ago. My 22 year old son wants me to get the Dart running. Maybe I should make it a priority so as to encourage his interest in old cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted January 15, 2022 Author Share Posted January 15, 2022 (edited) Good news. My son got the Dart running! Briefly, it was bad spark plug wires. It seems to start quickly and reliably now. The set I had on car for a long time had very few miles on them but must have been low quality. On the test drive it became obvious one of the front brake calipers was seized. We rebuilt the brake system. We finished today and on the second test drive the brakes worked well and it ran good. It starts quickly and reliably so far. I hope we can drive the flat spot out of the radial tires. It has been sitting a long time. On the test drive I made a short list of minor things that need to be fixed. Wipers, signal lights, speedometer, etc. One thing that concerns me is a small vibration that I think is coming from the engine compartment. (I think it is different from the flat spotted tires.) I suspect bearings in the water pump, power steering pump, or alternator. It varies with engine rpm. Edited January 15, 2022 by Tom Boehm (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 2 hours ago, Tom Boehm said: Good news. My son got the Dart running! Briefly, it was bad spark plug wires. It seems to start quickly and reliably now. The set I had on car for a long time had very few miles on them but must have been low quality. On the test drive it became obvious one of the front brake calipers was seized. We rebuilt the brake system. We finished today and on the second test drive the brakes worked well and it ran good. It starts quickly and reliably so far. I hope we can drive the flat spot out of the radial tires. It has been sitting a long time. On the test drive I made a short list of minor things that need to be fixed. Wipers, signal lights, speedometer, etc. One thing that concerns me is a small vibration that I think is coming from the engine compartment. (I think it is different from the flat spotted tires.) I suspect bearings in the water pump, power steering pump, or alternator. It varies with engine rpm. Check for dried out engine mounts for that vibration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted January 15, 2022 Author Share Posted January 15, 2022 Good suggestion Keiser. I already changed the rear one a while back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted January 15, 2022 Author Share Posted January 15, 2022 Here is a short video of the Dart. https://photos.app.goo.gl/VCft1sw2KKNDjDZS7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsmoke Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 Nice to see her up and running after a long sleep! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 A while back Keiser31 suggested I check out the www.forabodiesonly site for specific questions about my car. Good site. Got some answers. HOWEVER.... Is there another forum out there for 60's 70's MOPAR where they are less focused on heavily modifying their cars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 6 hours ago, Tom Boehm said: A while back Keiser31 suggested I check out the www.forabodiesonly site for specific questions about my car. Good site. Got some answers. HOWEVER.... Is there another forum out there for 60's 70's MOPAR where they are less focused on heavily modifying their cars? Try the WPC Club....here is their Facebook link....https://www.facebook.com/WPC-Club-Inc-Worlds-Largest-MoPar-Club-114992388632234/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted September 18, 2022 Author Share Posted September 18, 2022 Update on the 73 Dart. We have been sorting this car all summer and we have made major improvements. With help from this forum, the forabodiesonly forum, Youtube, and the shop manual here is the condensed list of accomplishments: +got it running with new spark plug wires. +new plastic bushings to fix the windshield wipers. +new headlight bulbs and fixed the aiming mechanism. +rebuilt the brake system. +rebuilt the front suspension. +had the power steering gear box and pump rebuilt. +remedied leaks in the automatic transmission with three new seals. +new rubber in the engine mounts. +had the gauge cluster restored to fix the speedometer. +had the carburetor rebuilt. +solved a rough idle with mixture screw adjustment. This car has been in my family since new and it has not performed this well since the 80's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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