Hot Rods Compression Test on 331 Hemi

I was thinking of getting a hydraulic/roller cam & lifters if they are available.

 

Hot Heads Hemi has everything you need, and they're not expensive. Well, compared to Chevy stuff they're more, but certainly not outrageous. You're lucky in that regard, stuff for my DeSoto is made of unobtainium...

 

Do you know how many miles the engine has on its current build? How many miles do you suppose you'll put on it in the next couple of years?

 

This car was my dad's build. The Engine has less than 5000 miles. About two years ago he was starting it and the throttle linkage got stuck open almost wide open and the engine screamed for about 10 seconds before he had the presence of mind to shut the car down. Panicked, I suppose. Well, after that, he drove it around the block . Seemed to run alright so he parked it in the garage without looking at it for a couple months.
Then, he decided the oil may have been gassed down because of the over revving he experienced. He went to change the oil and the first thing that came out was over a quart of water/antifreeze. He determined he blew a head gasket so, he installed new gaskets and got everything back together. But, before he ever got to start it again, he died. So, a lot of famliy stuff later, I got the car, I knew it was almost ready to go so, I checked the oil and antifreeze and checked it all over and got it to start. It wasn't running quite right, and I have started a few threads here trying to figure it all out. In the meantime, I was taking short drives with it and I knew it wasn't 100%. I thought it was a matter of tuning until just yesterday I decided to dig in. That's when the wiped cam was discovered. I believe the damage probably started when water was in the oil and even after the gaskets were changed, the damage was done and getting worse as the car was driven. All the while I drove it I kept checking the antifreeze and oil. And they are in great shape. So, I'm confident the block & heads are healthy. So, now it will be going to the engine shop to be checked, cleaned and all the usual stuff for a rebuild. Hopefully, everything checks out and I could be on the road next spring or summer. It's a fair weather car for roughly four months out of twelve so, I'm not going to be racking up miles and miles. Basically, a weekend cruiser.

 

Good that you pulled it down before any more run time.
Roller cam and lifters will run right at $1k. But there is more that will be needed with a roller pkg.
I still use and sell hyd flat tappets and so far no problems. The right parts properly assembled running the proper oil and it will survive.
Be sure to remove the driver side lifter galley plug before the hot tank, and I strongly suggest a hot tank not a spray booth. Also, remove the plugs in the ends of the rocker shafts and note what 'oil diverter' is under the rear main cap. Remove it before the hot tank also.
Give a call if ya need some hand holdin.....

 

THIS!!!
This deserves and requires a top level clean, not a quickie. Get the moroso brush kit, clean using chemicals AND scrubbing of every inch of every part. Talk to someone who knows these engines and get comfortable with every original and upgraded part, making sure they all work together. Do your family proud and get it running the best ever.

 

Thanks!
I got the engine out and, on the stand today after work. I won't be able to really get after it untill the weekend. For now, I'm just cleaning and polishing all the aluminum parts and cleaning up the frame. Will start tearing down on the weekend and go from there.

 

Don't buy any parts until you find out why it isn't moving. Since you say it is "springy", it could be just a bad lifter. Further disassembly is required. If you find it to be one bad lifter, you can replace just that one. When I worked at new car dealerships we did single lifters all the time under warranty.

 

Inspect every part, but especially the internal aluminum stuff. This is where the debris will get embedded. That includes the inside of the valve covers and the bottom of the belly pan. Both just get spray instead of the harsh world of the sides of the pistons, but they still should be looked at closely.

 

Thanks for your help. I appreciate all you guys. Btw, what is the proper oil to run in this engine?

 

Oil is going to be a very controversial topic. Let's get the engine apart, cleaned and inspected. Order parts and ask the cam and lifter people what they suggest, then the bearing people!

 

Yeah, lots of opinions on oil....almost as bad as Mopar vs GM vs Ford...

 

Yeah there are a number of gifted, knowledgeable people here. However, the opinion to trust is the one who sells the parts you want to live. They have the most vested in a positive outcome!
As far as the marques, after a hundred years everyone made great stuff and stinkers. Each person is going to have different exposure to the good and the bad and a tolerance level for the mechanical quirks and the reputation/aura of each. That said, if you dig Panhards you are a nutjob!

 

Ok, just as I expected to see upon disassembly. A wiped-out cam and lifters. Lots of metal bits. So, complete tear down and off the machine shop. I am trying to ID this block. The number I get off the top is AB 161929 - 2 D26 W.
Can anyone give me any info with that information? thank you!

 

Both of these don't show that combo of numbers
https://hothemiheads.com/hemi_info/hemi_engine_id.html
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/easy-hemi-identification.5348/

Didn't read all 4 pages, but this might help
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/hemi-tech-identification.121000/

 

Thank you. Yes that link did help. After seeing the block casting numbers posted, I realized the number I posted was one number short. So I looked at the block again yup. My number is 1619629 . Confirming that it is a 331. Thank you.

 

Ok, I decided I don't want to deal with this hemi anymore. All I want to do is get a SBC and cruise my car. I know this is not the popular choice but, I'm a sbc guy. Never been a hemi guy and I questioned my father at the time why he was going with a hemi but, that was his dream.
Now, the hemi has a wiped out cam and lifters. You all know what lies ahead for this engine. And the time and expense.
My question is how much is it worth to sell in it's current disassembled state? It has just about everything from pan to carbs. Once I get idea of a fair price, I will list it in the sale forum.
Thank you all that offered me help with this engine. I appreciate your time and expertise.

 

You know that more SBCs than any other engine have been blown up racing?
You know that one of the concerns with a cam/lifter failure is the diameter of the lifter and that SBCs are smaller than a hemi? Early hemis don't require as much lift and duration as a SBC either. 300X500 is a BIG hemi street cam.
If the rest of the parts are fully cleaned and inspected, and a new cam, lifters, damaged parts (rings? oil pump?) and a gasket set are acquired, you will be ahead of the game. Fresh SBC long blocks are no longer under 2K unless you scrape the bargain sites. The lowest price available from Summit is 2121 for the VRE-DCM5. Every one less than that is not available now. That does not include intake, carb, WP, Alt, belt drive, exhaust and tins. Yes, you can source many different parts used, but the hemi is just reassemble.
I joked earlier that if you didn't have the experience and liked SBCs, just do that. You have all these HAMBers helping you and guiding you with this project. Can you really put together a fresh SBC for less, air cleaner to oil pan, fan to converter? Not some good used but fully ready to go deal? Price both options out, down to the radiator hoses, fuel lines and chemicals.

 

Seems like a mistake to me, but it's your car.

 

Is that really what you want? I don't know about you, but most of the appeal of old cars for me is not having the same thing as the next asshole. You can't get more samey than a 32 with a 350/350. That 331 really elevates the car...

Not to mention the amount of work ahead of you in switching the chassis and controls over. Is this really cheaper or easier than finishing the already-running hemi that your dad started? Is the end result something you will really be happy with?

 

I am very happy with my decision to sbc this car. First off, I don't go to car shows. I enjoy driving my old cars, not parking them for others to analyze. The hemi is going to run me about 3k+ between parts, labor and incidentals. And the machine shop holding it hostage for who knows how long? I guarantee, I'll be driving it this spring.
Also, this is a speedway fiberglass car and frame. It was never going to be a high value car and besides, I'm not selling it. My next of kin could deal with it or send it to the junk yard. I won't care, I'll be dead.
My car will look like everyone else's? Maybe where you guys live. But, here? When I'm driving, I'm the only hot rod on the road that I see. When people and kids give me the thumbs up, they aren't doing that because it has a hemi. All they see is a neat little car. I doubt the even know what kind of car it is.
My thinking is all I need to do is make some new frame mounts for the engine. I already have a mock block in place. The frame mounts are so close now I just have to add a tab to them. I don't think it will be hard at all. Hopefully, someone out there wants a hemi project to take on.