Dodge 325ci motor??

Does anyone have info on the early 57 dodge 325 ci motors, and push button trans??? Did the make a non-Hemi and Hemi 325? are they any good, where can parts be found? What about horsepower?
thanks

 

The Dodge 325 was offered in a "poly" and a "hemi". Heads and pistons can be changed between the two. Check out www.hothemiheads.com You can get specs there. They also sell just about anything you need for that engine. Yes they are a great engine!!

 

how would you tell the difference between the poly and hemi?? are the valve covers the same?

 

No. The Hemi has two rocker shafts per head. The Poly only one. The Hemi has the sparkplugs through the center of the valve covers. (You must have seen pictures of a hemi. If not use the search feature) The poly has sparkplugs more conventionaly located outside of the valve covers.

 

Go to www.hothemiheads.com.....325 Dodge Hemi 1957 3.6875x3.80 285@4800rpm and 310@5000rpm the 325 Dodge Poly 1957 3.6875x3.80 245@4400rpm and 260@4400rpm and in 1958 3.6875x3.80 252@4400rpm and 265@4400rpm. Polys are scallped at the bottom. Chrysler had three holes (for the bolts) and Dodge and Plymouth had two holes.

 

the valve covers look like a chevy 348/409 motor, the spark plugs go into the scallop part on the bottom. So would this be a Poly and not a Hemi?? the engine also has a single two barrel carb.

 

Not a Hemi, but still a very good hot rod engine. As noted, in stock form they make decent power and respond well to basic hot rod parts. There are 4-bbl intakes floating around and interchange between Hemi and non-Hemi styles but only for the 315 and 325 displacements.
Send a PM if you need hand holding.

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so are the red ram motors a different motor than i have?

 

Dodge V8's were called Red-Ram, the 270 Poly in my '55 Dodge is a Red Ram. The Hemi head engines were also known as Red Ram, the blocks are the same but the heads and pistons are different.

I've heard the Hemi engines called Super Red Ram, but in my experience the Super Red Ram denoted a 4 barrel carb, not the different heads.

So a Dodge 325 Red Ram V8 could be a poly head or a hemi head. Some people assume that the Red Ram name was only on the hemi head engines but that is not true.

 

So to do a Hemi upgrade to a poly 315 or 325 do you have to have origianl 315/325 Hemi heads, pistons and stuff?? Or will the smaller 241/270 stuff work on the 315/325's??

I have been doing lots of reading here and elsewere and I have not been able to find the answer to this particular question.

 

Stick with the 315-325 heads. Using a very small port/valve head will only produce a wheezer. The 325 'poly' head will make more hp than a 241 Hemi head on a 325.

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You can't put 241-270 heads on a 325 or vice versa. You can interchange between the 241 and the 270, and you can interchange between 315 and 325, but the "low deck" (241-270) heads and whatnot will not fit on the "tall deck" (315-325) engine.

If you have a 325 Poly and want to convert to a hemi head, you'll need different pistons (availible new), you'll need the complete head assemblies with valvetrain and valve covers from a 315 or 325 hemi, and you'll need the exhaust manifolds (although you could substitute headers if you wanted) The block, crank, and intakes will interchange from poly to hemi.

 

Actually the heads do interchange between high & low decks, it's the intakes that don't. Doc Fromader used 241 heads on his 315 build (see www.webrodder.com) , but do to smaller ports & valves 315/325 heads are recommended for all Dodge hemis. Use for 241/270 heads on a tall deck leaves little margin for sealing against oil leaks @ the top of the heads.

 

I still do not believe the low heads will fit a high block. I tried it. The push rod holes are the problem. The port size is the same for all the heads. The valve guide boss is the only difference in the ports.

 

Although most of Squablow's info is correct, it's not true on the hemi head interchange - you can interchange between the early and late heads.

www.webrodder.comhttp://www.webrodder.com/article.php?AID=169&SID=60

 

Push rod clearance problems have been reported when converting Poly blocks to hemi. Did you look @ Doc's article?

 

I have read the artical. I tried to put 270 heads on a 315 hemi block. No go for me. I know it was a hemi block as I tore it down. Serial number said hemi original hemi.

 

Here's my 29 Tudor Sedan with a 325 Hemi. Hot Heads Research in North Carolina has everything you need to build a 325 Hemi.

 

That is a beautiful motor, looks great in the sedan. You have the wrong valve covers on the 325. The embossed Red Ram VC were for the 241, Super Red Ram for the 270(decal or embossed) and the 315 and 325 had no lettering..
Duane.

 

Thanks for the info Squablow....I thought that this was the case with the short and tall deck dodge Hemi but wanted to be sure.