Mopar Muscle – October 2019

With the changing from a 2-bbl to a 4-bbl

carburetor, we needed to have the correct

throttle-cable bracket and kickdown link-

age to match the LD4B. We had removed

an entire bracket and kickdown linkage

from our 1969 Dart in the early 1990s,

and just like the manifold, we gave all the

parts a good cleaning followed by a fresh

coat of paint on all the non-adjustable

parts. To complete the linkage construc-

tion, we reassembled all the parts and

lubed all the pivot points. Our plan was to

reuse the thermostat and housing from the

2-bbl manifold.

To get a solid baseline of torque and

horsepower, we drove the 1967 Dart to

Pennsylvania College of Technology to use

its Mustang chassis dyno. We had recently

changed from the stock 13-inch steel

wheels to stock-appearing 14-inch steel

wheels, which required us to reestablish

the baseline. After a series of three runs

from 2,800–5,000 rpm, the 273 laid

down 166 lb-ft of torque at 3,400 rpm;

the horsepower was 127 hp at 4,500

rpm. With the baseline established, it was

time to pull the carburetor and manifold.

The Dart was sold in California in May

1967, and it was built with the California

Cleaner Air Package (CAP). While some of

the CAP parts were missing, the air-cleaner

housing with the nipple on the snorkel and

hose to the valve-cover breather cap was

still in place. We removed the air cleaner

and disconnected the breather cap from

the hose; the breather would be reused.

We detached the kickdown linkage and the

throttle cable from the carburetor. The dis-

tributor’s vacuum advance hose and PCV

hose were detached from the base of the

2-bbl, and the fuel line was disconnected

from the fuel filter. The coolant temp sen-

sor wire was disconnected and moved out

of the way. We drained the radiator, which

allowed us to remove the upper radia-

tor hose, the heater hoses, and the bypass

hose from the intake manifold. The dis-

tributor hold-down was loosened, and the

Brawler die-cast carburetors are machined and assembled

by craftsmen in the USA. Development of the Brawler focused

on the performance demanded by enthusiasts. The Brawler

family of carburetors are all made from lightweight, die-cast

aluminum components and are available in both vacuum

and mechanical secondary models. They offer all the tuning

options found with the more expensive carburetors on the

market. The carburetors are legal for sale and use on non-

emissions-controlled vehicles and racing-use-only vehicles.

To accompany the Brawler 570-cfm carburetor, we used

an old (but in good condition) Edelbrock LD4B intake

manifold. The dual-plane LD4B was designed to work with

the small-port 273 cylinder heads. The unsilenced air-cleaner

housing and painted intake manifold provided a factory look

for our engine.

The California-built Dart’s engine came with the Chrysler

Cleaner Air Package (CAP). The air-cleaner snorkel was

plumbed to the crankcase breather. Under the air cleaner

was a Carter 2-bbl and a factory single-plane, cast-iron

intake manifold.

The intake manifold was stripped of all the components that

were attached to it. The hoses, throttle and kickdown link-

ages, the fuel line, the distributor, and the temp sensor wire

were removed. With everything disconnected, the intake—

with the Carter—was pulled from the 273.

MOPAR MUSCLE OCTOBER 2019 25