I think I have become a fan of the small size Mopar hemi Red Ram motors. What was the best year of these motors? Parts should be easy to find right? Is there a adapter to install a th350 behind them?
Hello..Actually, Red Ram is 241ci, the Super Red Ram is 270ci. Yes, there is lot of adaptors, speed, whatever for these engines..WWW Hemi Hot Heads.Com.. Excellent source of information. This forum has lots of info also.. Red Ram in my 1935 tudor Ford.. Duane.
I may have a supposedly running when pulled from a truck '54 Red Ram with bell housing and clutch for sale soon if I lose storage.
Dodge made four displacements in the early Hemi series, 241cu in, 270 cu in [a bored 241], 315 cu ('56 D500 engine, a mid-year hi-po engine available in two states of tune], and 325 cu in. A few 56 Dodges were produced with left over Chrysler 300 2x4bbl engines [354 cu in] and were designated D501; these were race cars. The 270, 315 and 325 were also produced with a single rocker shaft "poly" head; interestingly the intake manifolds are interchangable beween the Hemi [two rocker shafts] and the poly head engines. The 56 D500 Dodge engines were standard production engines on some Facel Vegas; Frank Sinatra and his "rat pack" buddies put the Facel Vegas on the map for a while. Sorry, I should have said that the 315/325 series was a raised deck version of the 241/270.
I was under the impression that the Facel used the De Soto and then Chrysler hemis up until 1956, but not the Dodge hemis.
Great info, one question what is a facel vega? is that the fancy Chrysler I saw in the hot rod books produced by the euro car builder?
Close. These were 1957 cars, not '56. There were many other 501-specific parts. I'm not aware of Dodge engines going into Facel Vegas. My understanding is that they used Chrysler Hemis until 1959 when they were replaced with 383 RBs wedges. I believe you may be speaking of the Dual Ghias, which were also specialty cars built on Mopar chassis and drivetrains. The earlier versions of these cars used Dodge Hemis. This is true.
the 315&325 engines are a better choice as they use larger crank and rods. the 241-270 cranks are known for cracking.
The 241/270 may have a reputation for cracking yet all the ones i have built have had a proper harmonic dampner fitted and there are no problems. These engines came with a pulely for the belts etc and nothing else - straighten out the harmonics and they are as good as the next engine. Mighty finer piece of engineering!!!
Go to this page and continue the series looking on the lower right for "all tech articles" look for RED RAM V.1.0 part II etc a complete series of like 19 articles on rebuilding this engine and no it's not my site just this guy writes great tech stuff http://www.webrodder.com/article.php?AID=446&SID=4
FWIW, it's also possible to have a 259 CI hemi. Apparently the '55 Plymouth V8 was a Dodge block with poly heads that came in a 241 and a 259 CI variety. We have a runner with a Dodge hemi in it, except the number on the front of the block comes up as '55 Plymouth car. I assume the only way to determine what size it is, is going to be to take a head off and measure. Valve covers are plain, so there's not much ID help to go on from those. Obviously not a factory thing, but it's another possibility.
The 325 DeSoto Poly is built on a Dodge block instead of a DeSoto block, & is converted with Dodge parts.
I've heard about the 241's crank shattering, but we had a couple of them in the '60's and revved the shit out of them for years with no problem. I think it's an over-rated problem, based on "so-and-so sez..." rather than actual fact. Any steel crank will crack if the bearings get loose and rattle a bit on startup. I've had 391's do it several times, and IHC diesels, too. Both had dampers, as did a 318 truck engine that broke the crank in two places.
I am confused, as usual. I thought that the Red Ram was the Poly, and the Super Red Ram was the Hemi. Perhaps my sources are wrong.
Being slightly smaller in physical size than the Chryslers, will the R.R. fit in the '35-36's w/o cutting the firewall or inner fenders for valve cover clearance? (If I recall correctly, they will fit in a '32 w/o the need for hood "blisters".)
Hello, here are pictures of my Red Ram going into my 1935 Sedan, I didn't have to cut anything. There was no run for a inside fan so I used two pushers in from of the rad. Went in great.. Duane..
36 ROKIT, While Duane seems to have a knack for squeezing the baby Hemi in his car I am running into interference. Here's my stock '36 3/W firewall, etc. Remember this is just a trail preliminary fit but as you can see I need to go back several inches to make the stock 270 water pump clear radiator that is simulated by the aluminum yard stick. Duane I believe is running the HH Chevy water pump and motor mounts? Plus Duane's car used to have a Chevy in it and I don't know if PO had changed the firewall trans area. Maybe Duane has better pics of that area. Anyway I think the key is the HH water pump BUT I am going for the older stock look and may have to pay a high price for it (cutting my firewall)............
I had forgotten about the shorter Chevy w/pump; it does make quite a difference. Tis a tight fit, but the smaller Dodge certainly fits better than the Chrysler. Thanks for the good pics and info. guys. Hmmm.......
Super Red Ram designates four barrel carburetor , in the day they called it power pack. The same as my '56 chevy was a Power Pack since it was a four barrel carb and dual exhausts
Not really. I have an original Dodge 270 2bbl with Super Red Ram on the covers. To Dodge, the bigger engine was enough to qualify for super. One trick to get room is to use a flex fan that has all the blade behind the mounting pad and nothing going forward. I have a 241 in a 32 roadster with this set up. I might have trimmed a lip for fit but that is all.
Anyone with an Official definition of Hemi "Power Pack"? Leo's book says that after '55, only 300, Dodge truck & Power Pack engines had hardened valve seats
A 259 55 Plymouth block (same as Dodge low deck casting 1953 54) with 241 or 270 Hemi heads was a very popular set up on the Bonneville salt flats in the 50's as it kept vehicles in a class under 260 cubic inches.......
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