Technical 55 royal build, or how to build on a budget and not get put on the couch by your wife.

I need to pull the cable out of the hub on the transmission for the e brake.
Anybody done this?

 

Got the motor out.
That was the BIGGEST pain in the *** motor I've ever pulled !

I need to research electrical , all the wiring is crispy and beat up.
It should be easy to go 12 volt if I'm not worried about anything but lights and starting, correct?
I was looking at a way to put an alternator in it too. Possible?

 

There are lots more things to worry about than lights and starting. Radio, windshield wipers, heater blower fan, lights, ignition, starter, generator in fact everything electrical on the car.
Easier and cheaper to keep it 6 volt. If you want to go 12v it is possible but it sure won't save you any time or money.

 

I've been reading up and it looks like I can change to 12 volt bulbs for the lights?
I'm going off this. Does it seem legit?
http://www.how-to-build-hotrods.com/6v-to-12v.html

 

Are you just patching up the bad wire or a new harness of some sort? The 12 Volt starter you need is a 1956 only unit, any LA electronic dist will drop in and, if you dig around some and you might find some photos of a mounted alt on a 241-270. The fuel gauge is sensitive to voltage and it won't like 12...

.

 

Imaging the harness baking in west tx heat and dry air for 30 years.
It's hard as a rock and a lot of the wire is exposed with no insulation.
That's why im thinking it would be a good idea to run new wiring.
In not worried about gauges so much. Just the basics.

From what I read I can use this starter and change the solenoid?
I'm just going to have to research more and get an idea what would be easiest.

 

"Not worried about the gauges so much" that's what my neighbor thought left out the oil pump drive on his Ford 6 with solid lifters and went for a test drive.

 

He left the sending unit off?

 

He was fixing up an old Mustang with an inoperable dash and figured what the heck. 6 miles with no oil pressure.

 

If you're planning to make an actual CAR out of it, plan on rewiring the whole thing instead of half-*** wiring a circuit or two. "Lights" are very important and they include a high-beam switch, turn signals, brakes, license plate, reverse, and oh yeah - gauges too.

 

My buddy has a friend...haha
No really, he has a fiend that had a 55 royal and was going to rebuild the 270 a couple years ago.
He never did and has the master rebuild kit that he will let go of for 3 bills! It's a 1500 kit.
Score!
I got the motor out and I'll tear into when I get some time.
I'm gonna order the dodge shop manual and found a book on swapping to a 12 volt system.
I'll post progress as I make some .

 

Fords went to 12 volts in '56.

 

I'm going to 12 volt for several reasons.
Alternator
Stereo
Brighter lights
Bags?
Phone charging etc...
seems like everybody switched to 12 volt for a reason in 55-56.

 

If your 6 volt starter is in working order leave it in. You'll have a high speed starter now. I drove a 56 Dodge with a 55 engine for several years like that with no problems.
In case your bearings are just a bit loose and you don't want to grind the crank I have several sets of .001 and .002 oversize bearings. It was common practice to use those in a rebuild.

 

...as long as the journal is still round.......

001/002?......hell I've got some 0.060 u/s Now days folks get squirrelly at 030, go figure.

.

 

I have not pulled a crank that didn't have a flat spot or two in a long time. I would much ruther have a scored or pitted crank as one that is out of round if I don't have the cash for a proper rebuild.

73RR,
I turned a cast B/RB crank .060 in about '98. Someone told me it would break but the guy was bucks down and I figured if it broke we would deal with it then. He's had it in his Cowboy Cadillac since then ('62 Dodge) but today he has money and he's building a tall deck 383 to turn the truck into a true '60s hot rod truck and he's moving the B/RB to an OT A body. Just thrills me to death, for two reasons the crank didn't break and I am going to get to wrench a tall deck 383.

 

Yea I'm trying to get a hold of this rebuild kit to see if it's standard or over.

 

Anybody know how to get the flywheel and torque converter off this thing?

 

there's nutted studs sticking through the crank flange.

 

I think that the ancient dirt has got ya. On the bottom of the aluminum plate, engine side you'll find a sheet metal dust shield. Remove the shield and you can now access the nuts with a wrench.

 

Alrighty
I'm gonna try and get the short block on a stand backwards so I can get to the bottom end and start trying to get pistons out.
That way I can get converter bolts out.

The rebuild kit should be here today. Hopefully I can get away with no or minimal machine work.

 

If the crank does not turn then you will not like the results...
You will need a long box-end wrench to remove the nuts. I have never found the nuts to be rusty but they will be torqued to about 45lbs. You will have a small window of access to get to them and only one-at-a-time.
Can't see much in the photo so I'll hope, for you, that the thing will turn. If you don't yet have one, a flywheel turning wrench may be useful. Cheap on ebay.

 

Nothing worse than trying to remove converter nuts on an old Mopar engine that won't turn.

Here's my 1957 392 that gave me fits. Note the cobwebs.

 

That looks pretty clean compared to some I've seen.

.

 

Is there a reason I couldn't turn it over and pull the rod caps and mains and pull the crank and converter out in one piece?

 

I haven't got it to budge at all. I have the heads off and the cylinders appear to be in good shape. I'm starting to think a bearing may have spun. I don't have the pan off yet so I have t looked at the bottom end.
I may try soaking it again with the heads off to see if she will loosen up for me.

 

Good chance you can remove the main caps & all/most of the rod caps, worked for me on a stuck 331

 

Nope it is not going to happen. There are clearance problems and you cannot remove all the caps to lift the crank- been there done that. Some can fit out, some can't.

 

This 270 better be worth all this work! Haha

 

So now I'm curious about your avatar. Is it an oil drilling rig showing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?