Projects My first hemi car

Take your time on doing all of the necessary clean up and inspection, of all of the tiny areas that haven't been dealt with in many years.
"PERFECTION, CANNOT BE RUSHED"
"YOUR RESULTS MAY VARY GREATLY" !

 

When you pull the pan again, check the main bearings and all the rod bearings. This will give you a real good idea as the shape of the lower-end. Check the oil-holes on the crank to make sure they are clear. If it was mine, I'd probably squirt oil into the crank and apply air pressure to make sure all the oil holes are clear. I'd put some good assembly lube on all the bearings - same with the rockers . . . as it has been sitting a long time, better to be safe than to spin a bearing or fry a rocker shaft due to lack of lubrication on startup.

 

Apply grease under the rocker arms on the shaft & where the push rod & valve touch the arms. Pull the dizzy & intermediate shaft. Use a notched rod to run the O/P. Takes 2 guys, one to run the drill motor & one to SLOWLY turn the crankshaft. At one point you'll hear the drill motor relax, you're oiling one bank of rocker shafts, later you'll get to the point of oiling the other. While you have the pan off you should spray some lithium grease on the camshaft where you probably can't put cam lube on it.

 

This will make sure you don't start it dry. Oiling can be done at anytime. One trick is to drill a .050 hole in the galley plug behind the dizzy to add oiling to the cam/int shaft gears. You could do that when off the stand & before you put the tranny on. You have a plug in the back of the block by the dizzy, the one you drill is straight across forward of the dizzy. Do it while you have the dizzy out.

 

Nice project. That 2 door is, to my eye, a much more desirable, and unusual body style. You might check "Hot Heads" early Hemi, I sourced lots of stuff for my DeSoto 276 from them, your Chrysler has much more parts availability. I would highly recommend a Pertronix electronic module to replace your dual points plate in the distributor. My car has been trouble free with it for 3 seasons now. If your budget allows, a 700R4 transmission will really wake that 331 up, you'll enjoy the car a lot more with a decent transmission behind it. Does that have Fluid Drive with the (indestructible but terrible) 4 speed semi-automatic? I thought the Chryslers had a different trans for '51, but I may be mistaken...

 

Believe they came with F-D only, or maybe a stick. Most adaptors are for sticks. QEC (73RR on this board) is supposed to be creating one that'll use a C-4.

 

Not so. Hot Heads has adaptors for every popular automatic. I have a TH350 behind mine, didn't want an OD trans as the 8" Ford rear end has 2.85:1 gears, too long legged for an OD.

 

Must be "recent" development. Had an off topic car with AOD & 3.08s

 

You are correct that's why they were overlooked. Because of the fluid drive

 

Hot heads has one for an A518/727 trans that I would like to have for mine. But it needs to run first, plus I need the cash

 

A look at a couple of the bores. Will have more this weekend. Valve cover and oil pan gaskets are fel pro cork with the blue stripe, don't seem to be very old

 

I am definitely going to take my time. I have all winter. I want her to run and run good

 

Thank you. That is one of the main reasons I bought it is because it was a 2 door. Well besides the 331 hemi anyway. I have looked all over hot heads and would really like their 518/727 adapter but it's gonna take time. Like I said we're living on my income alone which isn't much supporting my lady who can't get her disability so it is what it is. I prefer points though. Very simple to maintain

 

For the long tail, right?

 

Last I heard, the long bell Hemi still didnt have any auto transmission adapters being produced. The reason Gary at QEC was going to do a C4 is the bell housing isn't part of the transmission case. The adapter would could basicly be a flat plate To make a A518, 727 or any GM transmission would have to use an adapter that bolts to the front pump of the trans, and require the bell housing to be cut or milled off the transmission. The removing the bell from the trans is the same operation done by racers using a sfi approved JW ultrabell.

Welcome to the Hemi club. Be carefull, these things can become addicting if you let them.

 

Your engine stand appears adequate, however please remind yourself that is not a small block Chevy. Those Chryslers are beasts regarding weight. An extended bell is even heavier and can easily over load a marginal
stand. An abundance of caution is in order here. I really like that body style.

 

Yep I know she's heavy, I'm a heavy truck and equipment mechanic. My stand is homemade but very solid, it held a 453 Detroit diesel that weighed in at 1200lbs. Thanks though I like the body style too

 

The younger crowd would understand it as the difference between a Tuner Import and a Ricer.
There's more to it than that, especially when people started cranking them out to sell as the new age barn find with either bubble gum welds or alot of gothic crosses and spiderwebs welded on them.

-rick

 

Yes, I'm aware of all that. The guy stated he had a TH350 in his & I was asking if it was a long tail like the O/P or if he was confused & talking about a short tail block. The PFs used on '54 long tails had flat bells.

 

The long bell block makes it a bit more difficult (expensive), something I overlooked in your original post. It can be done though. My DeSoto does not have the extended bell, they're more conventional.

 

Hot heads makes one for a 518/727. Thank you! I'm glad to be a part of the hemi club

 

I'm fine with the fluid drive for a season or two. Hot heads makes an adapter for a 518/727 that I will have to save for. Or I may go for one of the cheaper adapters for a stick shift hell I could make one

 

I have 3 NOS front fernders for that Chrysler.
Several years ago (5?) I sent a MoPar buddy from NJ a local C'List ad of huge late 40's early 50's NOS MoPar parts hoard that had been stored in a closed school house for several decades. (when the dealer closed) The roof leaked on most of the bumpers door skins and some of the fenders as the building deteroiated.
Local guy contracted to tear the building down, piled all the parts in one room, took a couple of pictures, and posted it on Craigslist for several hundred dollars.
I saw one part that would sell for more than what the contractor wanted for the whole hord, reason I sent the ad to my buddy.
Buddy sent m e$$ what the guy wanted, told me waht parts he wanted, and I could have the rest, for going and getting everthing.
I did NOT want to fool around getting parts, storing them, trying to sell them, and whatever else headachs that goes with sorting out a huge parts hoard. But I agrred to get everything for him.
Contractor told me that two other guys "from out in Ohio" came to buy everything. But after seeing in person how much of a parts hoard there was, (all of it wouldn't fit in the back of their step van) they left, drove bakc to Ohio.
I arrived with a Ford Van and a 8', sided trailer. There was NO WAY all of it could fit in what I had. The contractor told me if I didn't take the hoard, he was going to run over all of it with his excavtor and have the recycle place come and get it.
So I made two trips. I was in way over my head, and did not want to even fool around with parts anymore! Geeze!
I sent my buddy the one NOS part he bought the whole hoard for. Then piled what fender, bumpers, and door skins he wanted along side of the garage. (they're still there!)
My daughter, son-in-law, and I, spent every week end and several hours each day for more than a month trying to ID all this stuff. The unidentified mechanical parts were all piled in a couple of big boxes and 50# doog food bags.
There was three NOS 41-46 Chevy big truck fenders, and two hoods I sold to a guy for what the original purchase price was.
We was able to ID all the bumpers except for 3. Hardest to ID was the '42's. Able to ID most of the factory door skins. There was like 70 of them. Over 1/2 of the NOS fenders had been rained on (foof leaked) for several decades, and were only good for patch panels. The rest of the fenders were "decent" (Those Imperial fenders was the best of the bunch)
I took pictures and listed on Facebook Marketplace.
Guy came from out around Elkhart, to buy everything. Got here and thought he could put everything in the back of a PU! No way! So he rented a U-Haul trailer. Filled 'em both with the door skins, all the bumpers, a half dozen fenders, and one box of mechanical parts, Motor and two trans, and said he would be back to get the rest. (Never did come back)
What fenders that he didn't take, all laid out there in front of the garage for over 9 months waitin bg on him! Hassle trying to mow around them!
I called a big older MoPar parts guy up in Pa, sent him a picture, and asked if he wanted the remaining 8 or 9 NOS fenders for free! Nope! Been laying outside for too loong.
So I hauled 'em all out of my way up next to the woods, stacked 'em all together on pallets, covered them up with several sheets of plastic, and a couple of those el-cheap-o blue tarps. That was 3 years or so ago.
Shame. But I have no room to store that many fenders, with out having to move them every now and then.
Think you'd be interisted in these fenders? Bring me a large combination Pizza (no anchovies) and take everything.

 

I would take em for free if I could make the trip there but I don't have the time or funds to make a trip out there I'm sorry

 

You could try the “pay it forward” forum, seems you just want the stuff gone.
Other option call a scrapper and away they will go.
But I know your dilemma, you have stuff that can be useful for someone, you’d like to get it to them with the least amount of effort. But then you hang on to the stuff “for that guy” that might need something.
There's a time to fish, there’s a time to cut bait.
Some 20 years ago, I looked out back at my “someday projects”.
I started realizing how long I’d have to live just to get them done, -mainly because of how I work . So for Pennie’s on the dollar or free, out they all went.
The last load was a car trailer with most of an F1 pu on it.
Over the years the times I needed to rent a trailer, or a dolly, cost less than maintaining the trailer would have.
The relief of not being impulsive on “that deal” with the trailer on hand, was a relief.
Yes, I cut bait.

 

Haven't heard that quote in a long time.
I just can't bring myself to litterly destroy any oddball, unpopular, "new" parts! Those fenders are NOT being made anymore! Once they are gone,,,,, "that's it". But as you stated, "Cut the bait".
I'm trying to find the pictures I took of all that stuff, in my Facebook Marketplace ad. I'd take that picture of all those fenders that were lined up against the fence, waiting for the guy that bought them to come back, and post it in the "play it forward" section. But I can't find any of those pictures.

Anyway, food for thought. That '51 NY'er and Imperial were the very first US production cars to get power steering! It was standard equipment on the Imperial and NY'ers. Option on the Saratogas and Windsors.
It was so good that one could turn the steering wheel lock to lock with a pencil sitting still!

 

I wasn't aware Hotheads was making that adapter, but be aware you will have to cut the bell housing off the transmission case to use that adapter. It is a pretty cool opion to have considering how limited the long bell 331 transmission options were.

 

Boy am I glad I took your guys advice and cleaned the rocker arms and shafts! They’re filthy and soaking still yet in a mixture of gas, kerosene, and diesel fuel

 

One thing to think about is whether Hot Heads will be making these adapters for the early long-bell Hemi's into the future. If it was me, I'd talk to them and see if you really should be thinking about getting this setup sooner than later. That way you have it on hand for when you get to the "new transmission" stage of the project. My guess is that they don't sell a lot of these and you don't want to wait around . . . only to find they are no longer available. I would also ask them what the deal in on the torque converter . . . what do you use and from who?

 

they have been making them for a while now and so has a company called Wilcap. I would love to buy one but it’s probably not in the budget this year. They’re 900 to 1000 dollars. I don’t think they will be quitting making them anytime soon.