Rusty_OToole

Start by measuring your cylinder head. Most Australian MoPars came by way of Canada to take advantage of preferrential Commonwealth customs duties. Due to the low production numbers, Canada only made one type engine where the US made 2. US made Plymouths and Dodges got a smaller flathead 6 that measured 23" long while the DeSoto and Chrysler 6 got a 25" long engine. In Canada, they made only the larger engine and juggled the bore and stroke to make smaller versions for Plymouth and Dodge. The smaller versions got a 3 3/8 bore while the DeSoto and Chrysler got a 3 7/16 bore same as they did in Detroit. If you have the larger engine it was also used in trucks and was made in different versions up to 265 cu in 116HP 3 7/16X4 3/4. The big boy was used in Chrysler Windsor 1952-54 and Dodge trucks up to 1960 military vehicles to 1968 and marine industrial and farm engines up to the early 70s.

I assume you have heard of dieting and found it unacceptable. How about moving the seat back? I know the old cars had fixed seats but I find it hard to believe there is no way to move it back, possibly by drilling new bolt holes in the floor?

Funny you should say that. I did a web search and found out Australian Dodge trucks used a T307 model engine in 1951 to 53. It was a Canadian made 218 cu in flathead six. This corresponds to what I have. Perhaps the C on the end refers to Canada, do the Australian ones have an A? If so I now have a Canadian Plymouth engine in my DeSoto. A 218 where it should have a 236, and where the US made models had a 251.

You can go nuts trying to figure out the welter of engines and transmissions used in Chrysler products in the 50s. The 318 was indeed its own engine. Chrysler's first V8 was the Chrysler FirePower hemi of 1951. It was followed by the DeSoto Firedome of 1952. These were completely different engines, but the DeSoto was a carbon copy of the Chrysler in a reduced size. Then came the Dodge Red Ram hemi in 1953. This was a modified DeSoto. The bore, stroke, etc are different but crankshafts heads and other parts interchange. In the 50s it was possible to mix and match parts from both engines to get a certain displacement for a certain racing class, or to hop up your Dodge using DeSoto parts. You would think that Plymouth would have followed suit in 1954 but it didn't. The Plymouth V8 debuted in 1955 and this was a totally new engine, practically nothing interchanges with previous engines. If you compare head gaskets you can see the big Chrysler has the widest bore spacing, the DeSoto/Dodge is the smallest, and the Plymouth is in the middle. The Plymouth was made as a 277, 303, 313, and 318 Poly head only, unlike the other Chrysler products there was no hemi head. They even made a short lived 260 in 1955 at least they announced such a model, whether they ever sold any I don't know. Meanwhile Chrysler Dodge and DeSoto all had polysphere engines of their own, made by putting Poly heads on the hemi block. This is good to know for the interchange possibilities but does make things complicated on the engine ID and parts ordering front. This is just skimming the surface. There were many permutations of displacement and horsepower, plus raised block versions of the various hemis in 1957/58. Not to mention the transmission options. After 1958 things got calmed down a little with the well known B and RB engines replacing the Dodge DeSoto and Chrysler engines and the 318 used as a base V8 in Dodge and Plymouth. Then they redesigned the 318 as a 273 with wedge heads for the Valiant and Dart, then took it out to a full 318 for the big cars, and this became the new base V8. The crankshaft, rods, and most bottom end parts stayed the same. The heads intake and exhaust were different. The block was redesigned, mostly to lighten it. I'm not sure if the heads will interchange on the 2 blocks but I know the crankshaft will interchange. The 318 begat the 340 and the 360. The 340 was a high performance 318. I believe it used the old thicker cylinder cores from the original 318 because its bore was the 318 bore plus .135 and the max overbore on the old block was supposed to be .125 while the new thinwall block was only allowed .060. It also had better heads with bigger valves. The 360 was a 340 with slightly smaller bore, long stroke crankshaft, and the same heads with slightly smaller intake valves and open combustion chambers. This engine was meant to replace the big block 361 and 383 in the heavier cars. Next redesign was the Magnum truck engine around what, 1990? 1992? Somewhere in there. This mainly involved a new cam design with roller lifters and new heads.

I'm hoping someone can identify an unknown Chrysler built engine. Probably Canadian made. I have a 1951 DeSoto club coupe. Flathead 6 cylinder. The engine appears to be the original type but the serial number says it isn't the engine that came in this car originally. Engine number T307 14814C . This does not correspond to any Chyrsler, DeSoto, Dodge or Plymouth engine number I can find. I suspect it may be an industrial or marine block, or possibly out of a truck. Can anyone ID this engine for me? What is the bore, stroke, displacement, horsepower?

I have a 1951 DeSoto club coupe. Flathead 6 cylinder. The engine appears to be the original type but the serial number says it isn'tthe engine that came in this car originally. Engine number T307 14814C . This does not correspond to any Chyrsler, DeSoto, Dodge or Plymouth engine number I can find. I suspect it may be an industrial or marine block, or possibly out of a truck. Can anyone ID this engine for me? What is the bore, stroke, displacement, horsepower?

Could be a bad master cylinder not letting fluid return. Could also be a bad flex hose doing the same thing but in that case it would only be one wheel.

Reluctor pickup in the distributor. If not that maybe the ignition module. Last thing would be the coil. None of these are expensive especially if there is a pik a part junkyard in your area. The coil and module are the same on every car and pickup, 6 or v8, up to 1985 or whenever they stopped making them. If you look under the hood and the parts look the same as yours, they are the same. If you have a very early module it might have 5 wires instead of 4 but the newer one will plug in and work all the same. I'd buy a new pickup though. Last one I bought was $12 at any parts store.

You could buy the best one in the world for less than it would cost to restore. This goes for almost any car. Especially an Imperial convertible. This is a very complex car with lots of power accessories and expensive trim.

If you take a close look at the choke mechanism there should be a screw on top. This is where the wire goes. The wire connects to the starter solenoid. It pulls the choke tight shut when the starter is engaged.

If you want a free breathing exhaust how about having a new system made like the old one but 1/2" larger diameter? This is what Chrysler did on the Super Six (slant 6). Of course it wouldn't sound as purty as dual exhausts but would be easier, cheaper and probably as effective.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In 1925 Studebaker built a car known on the street as "The Sheriff" because in Arizona many county Sheriffs preferred it for its speed and durability chasing outlaws on and off the road. It was a short wheel base chassis with their largest Big 6 engine, 354 cubic inch displacement that could climb most any grade in high gear without effort. Of course it didn't take the Outlaws long to figure out that it was a great getaway or smuggling car to use. The Big 6 engine actually began around 1916 so any of the Big 6 models from 1916 to 1927 were capable of being "Whiskey Runners". Years ago I saw an illustrated ad for the Sherriff model. I believe it was in one of Floyd Clymer's books. It was definitely a Studebaker company ad so the Sherriff must have been an official model name. See attached photo of a "Sheriff Big 6" at the Studebaker Museum in South Bend. Stude8 </div></div>

If we are still talking about the 392 hemi they have hydraulic lifters. I still say, 10W30 or synthetic. I think the synthetic would be better but would go by the oil manufacturer's recommendation on this.

Really!? I have driven many thousands of miles in cars with flat tappet cams (VW, Mercedes, Dodge to name a few) with ordinary 10W30 in the crankcase. Wonder what did protect them? Seems odd to me that the oil companies would overlook this point. Maybe they didn't know flat tappet cams needed extra protection.

The 51-53 tappet was a 2 piece design with a removable insert. This will not interchange with the newer one piece because the older one is taller. You could use them if you bought new pushrods but why bother? If money is that tight just buy one lifter to replace the broken one, under $10 bucks. If you can afford it, it might be a good idea to replace all the lifters, simply because lifters tend to get tappy after a while especially when the engine is cold. So if you were going to replace them, now would be he time (while you have the engine apart anyway). And be sure to use the special assembly lube or breakin lube on the new lifters. You don't want to take a chance on damaging your cam. It's not likely you would but why take chances?

You can buy the Sisson choke gasket on ebay for $7.50 but I made my own using material from a leftover Ford flathead intake manifold gasket.

Any good mechanic or auto electric shop should be able to fix the wiring. If it is real bad you might consider buying a new wiring harness. But usually the under hood wires are the worst, years of heat dries out the insulation and it crumbles away. The rest of the car may be OK depending what kind of climate the car experienced.

Thought it was something like that. Your symptoms did not match any known form of normal wear. You mean cleaning off the sludge that holds the lifter from coming out? Good luck. Try spraying with carb cleaner or penetrating oil and working them up and down until they come out. Clean the lifter bores with carb cleaner or brake cleaner spray on a rag. Do not use any sandpaper or hone. A scotchbrite pad is ok. I believe Chrysler used the same lifters up into the early 90s. You could check this by cleaning up one of your lifters and taking it to a parts store. If they are the same diameter and height and the pushrod sits at the same depth you are in business. Lifters for a 318, 360, 440 etc engine are all the same. If the parts guy is too dumb to figure this out you might ask at an auto machine shop. Show them your old lifter and ask if it is the same as a late model Chrysler engine. You might want to just replace the whole set if the engine is in good shape.

It would probably be easier to fix the Sisson choke. All you need to do is take out (or if necessary drill out) 2 studs and replace them. The choke mechanism has a V shaped bimetallic spring and an electric solenoid. You can test the solenoid by connecting to a 6 volt battery. The arm should go to the full choke position. It is very simple to install and adjust. If it is really worn out I don't know what to say. I recently replaced mine (51 DeSoto) and was lucky enough to find one on Ebay for $15 bucks in like new condition. Once it is on the manifold here is how to adjust it. There is a place where you can put a wire or finishing nail down thru the shaft to lock it in position. Loosen the nut that clamps the arm to the shaft. Close the choke fully and tighten the nut to lock the arm in position. Remove the wire or nail .That's it.

Can anyone identify this model? Apparently in the prohibition era there was a model of Studebaker that was so popular with bootleggers and rumrunners it was nicknamed the Whiskey Six. I have seen this in 2 or 3 different books, not fiction but rememiscences of old time rumrunners and histories of the time. I already tried this question on the prewar studebaker board with no results.

You have pretty well exhausted the possibilities. At this point the only thing left to do is remove the manifold and valley cover and take a look.

With the valley cover off you can easily see the lifters. There is a row of oval holes, you can look down at the cam plus you can pull the lifter out to check the cam lobe.

RShepherd is correct. You are supposed to so your driving in high range, low range is for slow going such as towing a trailer up Pike's Peak or driving thru heavy snow, sand or mud. You can start off in low range and shift manually to hi range but this is not necessary except in unusual cases. There is a special technique for driving a fluid drive. It's not hard but it is different from an automatic or a standard and has features of each. I have covered this recently in at least 3 different threads, if you look around the Dodge and Chrysler boards for threads on Fluid Drive I'm sure you will find some interesting reading.

Did you take the lifters out? Could you have switched pushrods? They used 2 different length pushrods.

The transmissionis supposed to shift when you lift off the gas at over 14 MPH in hi range. The shift takes about 1 second or 1 1/2 second. One thing that can cause the trans not to shift is low oil or wrong oil in the transmission. The transmission is supposed to be filled with #10 motor oil.Its supply is separate from the fluid drive, you check it by a pipe plug on the right side like any manual trans.