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Plymouth engines 35-54


one-shot

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Are the blocks for Plymouth the same length for 1935 to 1954. Have a chance to acquire a 1949 block that is running at present. (cheap/42,000 miles) i have a 37 in the rebuild process. Present block is an after the war short block and has needed oversize everything.This would let me get it on the road quicker if this will work.

Thanks in advance

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Length of block is the same for the Plymouth L-6 engine from '33 through '59. Not sure about the later engines that may have been fitted to automatic transmissions, but you should be able to bolt-for-bolt swap a '35 through '59 Plymouth engine. ('33 and '34 will fit in a later car but is narrower and fitting a '35 and up engine in a '33 or '34 requires some modifications in the area of the starter and/or bellhousing to account for the wider engine.)

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Thanks

I had already put a lot of time and money in the block, before research indicated it was a replacement block, that had not cured. It has a "WA" in-front of the correct engine number and it is hand stamped. (I purchased it in Washington State in 87).

Harold

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  • 2 weeks later...

There will be some minor variations in the block from year to year based on the new or added accessories and the required attachment points.

There are two different blocks, identified as 23" and 25", and you are dealing with the 23". Keep in mind that the Plymouth 201, 208 and 218 engines are slightly different with regards to the crankshaft and flywheel and intermixing 230 parts can lead to some confusion.

The flange on the smaller Plymouth engines do not extend as far as the 230 and larger engines and therefore require a different flywheel. The bellhousings are essentially the same for each engine when equipped with the same transmission.

You might want to check out the www.p15-d24.com forum for alot of excellent information.

Edited by 73rr (see edit history)
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In my youth I did a lot of engine swapping and adapting. All Chevrolet. Trying to cut down "On the get it on the road time". I went ahead and purchased the motor and am awaiting the call to pick up. Going to be my spring project. I appreciate the input and will follow the advice.

Thanks

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  • 1 month later...

One-shot,

I have a 1937 ply complete engine and trans which was running when removed, good power, quiet and no smoke. May I be of assistance with any or all of it?

RogertheDodger

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Guest DodgeKCL

I'm sure this must be on the net somewhere but I'll reiterate for you Americans. The U.S. basically used 23" blocks in their Plymouths and 25" blocks in their Dodges. Not so the Dominon of Canada. Because of the smaller market, Chrysler Canada decided to use the 25" block on all it's Dodges AND Plymouths. I do not know when this started but I know some Americans have been shocked when the came up here and bought one of our Plymouths and when they got it back home 'nothing would fit'. Of course it is only a matter of using Dodge gaskets etc. on the blocks. All our Plymouth and Dodge cars,all those Power Wagons,all those thousands of CMP (Canadian Military Pattern) WWII trucks we made,many going to the USSR, used 25" Dodge blocks cast at the casting plant in Windsor. I expect any Plymouth cars or chassis that went to the British Commonwealth countries from Canada had 25" blocks. They tell me you can tell right away because the firewall is punched out or the radiator is farther forward.

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Dodge KCL a slight correction. US Plymouth and Dodge used the 23" long engine. DeSoto, Chrysler, and some Dodge trucks used the 25" long engine.

Canada did not get their own engine foundry until 1938. At that time, they standardized on the 25" block for everything. They juggled the bore X stroke to get engines the same displacement and HP as their US counterparts. Basically there was a choice of 3 3/8 bore for PD and 3 7/16 for DeS and C and some trucks. There were some variations but that is the gist of it. Then, they had different stroke crankshafts from 4 1/16 to 4 3/4 for different displacements. All engines of the same bore used the same pistons. You can swap crankshafts if you use the connecting rods that came with it. They are different lengths. All blocks can be bored to take the 3 7/16 pistons.

So, any Canadian Plymouth or Dodge can be repaired with parts meant for a DeSoto or Chrysler if not with Plymouth and Dodge parts (some are the same).

Australia sourced their Chrysler products from Canada, they have lots of the Canadian style engines.

As the questioner is from Virginia I doubt he has a Canadian made car although they do turn up in New England from time to time.

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1972 ?

They made those engines up to about that time frame for industrial (pumps, airport tugs, etc.) applications. A 40 year run on a basic engine design is pretty good and one reason why the mechanical parts for older Chrysler built vehicles are reasonably easy to come by.

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