In a message dated 1/14/2006 12:13:57 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
hurst300@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
The Ram Dual 4 units were in the trunk for Dealer installation.
The
Ram units could not be installed on the line as the engine came
up
from the bottom and they would not clear the inner fenders.
As y'all may recall, I was a test driver for Chrysler in the Carburetor lab
and assisted in development of the ram system. I was assigned to the
Chrysler line of cars. Another driver (Dan Mancini, as I recall) was
assigned to the Dodge line.
Unfortunately, the 46 years or so between then and now are coming into
play, so things are a little fuzzy, but I do recall some problems with
engine/manifold damage from the process. At the time, you just plain
DIDN'T stop the line unless the foreman had his arm caught in it, (And not
always then!) so any problems were ignored and final inspection was expected to
send cars in for rework.
Originally, the engines came completely assembled and were installed into
the cars using (Are you ready for this?) a "shoehorn" to spread the fenders for
clearance! I think they came in from the top. (Have I ever told the
story about me and the new Dodge at the pilot plant?)
By the time the problem became apparent, we at engineering were busy with
the next year's problems, so it might have been decided to have dealers install
the system.
It does seem to me, though, that it would have been a daunting task to
convert at the dealer level, because of changes in linkage, exhaust system, and
body sheet metal. You didn't just plunk a different manifold on the
engine.
Joe
Savard
Lake Orion, Michigan
Back to the Home of the Forward Look Network