Anything I need to know about them? Will they motor down the highway at 65? I know vague questions, but I've never had one of these before. It's in a 53 cranbrook w/ 3spd. Any hop-up parts out there? Just give me experiences or whatever you have. It runs really well, other than exhaust leaks. Thanks
Yeah. They are strong motors. They sold them up through the 60s for industrial purposes. Hardened valve seats from factory so running unleaded is not a problem. Water distribution tube the full length of the block, so they rarely overheat (unless that fan belt breaks). You can still get parts for them at Napa, like water pumps, gaskets, brake cylinders. Offy makes a dual intake for them, and there were some Fenton split manifolds floating around but they are pretty pricy. I've seen people split the stock exhaust manifold on those. Finding a Finned head for one of those is pretty dang hard. You are also going to pay a lot for something like that as well. Does that Cranbrook have an overdrive ******? My 48 would go 60 with ease, but the motor sounded like it wanted a 4th gear. If you like Cranbrooks, they will get you around town just fine. Of course, if you are looking to hot rod one of those flathead inlines, it's going to be more of a challenge than doing, say, a Flathead Ford V8.
my buddy's got the flat 6 in his 52 plym cranbrook runs real well always starts cold or not 12 volt conversion, alternator Elrod is right offy does make a dual manifold for em but as far as dress up good luck just go with chrome acorn nuts and be on your way cruising at 65 is great we usually make trips at 65-70 and he keeps right up no biggee
I'm not running one but I rebuilt one for a friend 2 or 3 yrs ago, 51 Desoto. He never installed it, never been started. He spent a ton of money at the machine shop and parts store, recently moved, GAVE it to me. Anyone wanna buy it, cheep? Ran it in cl***ifieds no bites.
My friend has a 56 Plymouth with the flat six and three speed. At 60 mph it sounds like it could use the overdrive that was optional on them. They are the smoothest running engines I've ever seen. If the hood is up you have to look at the fan to tell if the engine running!
PlyDo used to carry the offy dual intake, an aluminum head and Fenton cast iron headers, but like they say: you wanna play you gotta pay. Clifford Performance also has some hopup parts. Don't know if anyone makes a cam. My recently rebuilt 49 Dodge 230 is rock stock except for a Holly 94 carb and Mallory high voltage coil, and it'll do 65 all day long. Of course you have to change the oil more often because it has no filter, but you can add a filter. I plan to do that someday, if I ever get this car painted.
P15-d24.com, This site is filled with tech info,part #s,cross overs and a mysterious man named george asche,a retired dude that builds stuff for these things off hand.If you see Don Coatney on there ask him for info,he seems to be the guru of the board. Thanks Bart 1948 ply bus coupe
Thanks alot for the replies. I'm not so concerned with dress-up. I'd like to go split exhaust and maybe a better carb. So a hotter coil is good too?! huh...can do that too. This car has a nasty chop and pancaked hood, so it won't be sitting around with the hood up for show. I just want it to run smooth, and keep up with my buddies on the highway. Anyone see a need for an electric fan? I spend alot of time in traffic. How do I know if mine has O/D? I mean, I don't see anything that I notice.(I brought it home on a trailer, cuz no gl*** yet) Thanks all
I had a flathead 6 in my 50 Plymouth a few years ago. It was a great runner, always started in any weather. BUT, it was painfully slow in modern day traffic. People don't have patience sometimes. I remember that the points were a real ***** to change because the distributor sits so low on the motor. I'd look into a Pertronix. If they are available for it, I'd buy one. Also, The guy at Ply-Do told me once that there is a rearend out of some Jeep that will swap right into these Mopars. It has a much better gear ratio that gives the car a little more poop. You might call him and ask him about it. If you can find an overdrive, that's the way to go. Like everyone else has said, the motors run great but they are rapped up at around 60 or 65 with a 3 speed. An extra gear would really liven it up and it would be blast to drive. Also, LeRoi Tex Smith's book on building Hot Rod and Kustom Mopars has some useful information in it. He just touches on the flathead 6, but there's lots of other stuff that might help you out. Good luck! E
Like Moontripper said, the P-15 D-24 board is full of good info and friendly too. You can split your stock intake and exhaust manifolds (or have it done) there's a couple of guys grinding cams, Langdon's Stovebolt site has the Offy intakes, tube headers, and a couple other things for them, though they might be hard to find on his site. P-15 D-24 Site
i run mine at 50 to 70 all day long every day dual carbs headers with 2.73 gears it will run 90+ but suspention is to soft and it gets floaty o ya its got flame thrower to ther is guy on here with twin 2 barrel hollys i wish he would do some tech on his setup
I'm running a '54 flat 6 in my '40 Plymouth coupe. It's hopped up a bit with fenton head, offy intake, and fenton headers. I'm running a non-overdrive 3 spd trans. I put a late 60's Plymouth Fury 8 3/4" rearend in it w/ 3.55:1 gears. It goes down the highway really well at 70-80 mph, it just takes a little while to get there. If you put better gearing in your '53 and hopped it up with a split exhaust and dual intake it should perform well.
Here's mine, and a list of the suppliers I've used. Been e-mailing this list all over the globe for a few years, just posted it for someone on the P15-D24 site too. Click the link in my signature for a slew of photos of the process. Also, here's a clip of the maiden voyage around the block with my kids, open headers. You may have seen this a few days ago here on the hamb. Right after my wifes comment about the brakes, you can hear a nice lope from the cam... http://www.andersonarc.com/jeep/firstride1.mov Pete Original 1950 218 block, bored .030" over. Converted 218 to a 230 cu in engine with NOS 230 crank, rods, and flywheel (for a total of 235 cu in with overbore) from Vintage Power Wagons, http://www.vintagepowerwagons.com The 218 and 230 engines are the same aside from the crank, rods, and flywheel (the stroke is a tad longer on the 230). All of the stock rebuild parts (fuel pump, oil pump, pistons, rings, seal kits, bearings, stainless exhaust valves, intake valves, valve springs, etc.) came from Vintage Power Wagons too. Ask for Steve, he owns the place, and is VERY helpful and willing to advise. I've called him many a time when I got stuck building my engine. He has mechanics on staff that build hundreds of these engines for the powerwagon crowd, and they've seen it all. Or at least they've seen it all done stock, they were amazed when they saw my engine . Finned aluminum head (9 to 1 compression on 230 with stock pistons) from Earl Edgerton of http://www.visionquestwebdesign.com/edgycams/ Very pricey at $675. $300 deposit and 12-16 weeks for delivery. The vintage heads are often not worth using and wind up costing as much once you pay through the nose on epay and have it repaired. Head studs, nuts and Washers are from ARP, http://www.arp-bolts.com. These are the industry's best, and with the aluminum head, I didn't want to take any chances. These are a component part, usually offered in a kit sold through retailers like Summit. But the regular kits don't have enough for the flatty in one kit, and two kits are more $ than buying direct from ARP. Call 800.826.3045 and ask for Kami. The component part number for the stud is: AP3.750-1LB, these are 7/16-14x3.75" long. At the time I bought them, they were $4.90 for one stud, nut, and washer. Multiply by 21 and you've spent $102.90. Or, you can get a set of NOS original head bolts from Andy Bernbaum for about $40 less.... Some say Chevy 350 head bolts are the same, for about a third the price, but I couldn't figure out WHICH chevy 350 head bolts match, as there are several different ones, depending on the year. And, the schmo behind the counter only knows part numbers.... Vintage Edmunds dual water heated intake found on Ebay, $180. Langdon sells the still in production Offenhauser version (several types, not water heated). Also look for vintage Fenton, Tattersfield, and Sharp. May be others as well that I don't know of. 3/4 cam (I think... not really sure what I ended up with on the grind, had it done locally and regret it. It does run great though, and has a nice lope to it at idle. Send yours to Earl Edgerton at http://www.visionquestwebdesign.com/edgycams/ He has several grinds from mild to wild. Holley 5200 progressive carbs, linkage, aircleaner base plates, and Mini HEI distributor from Langdon's Stovebolt 6, http://www.stoveboltengineco.com/index2.htm. Tom Langdon is a very knowledgable engine guy, and is very happy to offer advice. Most of the mopar flathead stuff he sells isn't listed on his website, so give him a call. He is also now selling cast fenton style headers for the 218/230 block, in the $300 range. He just recieved the prototype, so they may not be quite ready to ship. Tube headers from Langdon's Stovebolt 6 (with mounting nuts and pipe flanges), coated by HPC Performance Coatings, http://www.hpcoatings.com Finned aluminum air cleaner cover and finned coil cover from O'brien Truckers, http://www.obrientruckers.com (I bought this stuff through http://www.rodncustom.com, but I think it's better to buy direct from Dennis O'Brien. Dennis is also making a killer Hildebrandt oil filter re-pop that uses a spin on filter inside). Remote Oil Filter by Flatattack Racing Products, http://www.flatattackracing.com Mopar 12v Alternator, clear red plug wires, and Runtz voltage reducer for gas guage from Speedway Motors, http://www.speedwaymotors.com Rajah plug wire tips from http://www.brillman.com (not sure yet if these are going to work with the HEI....) Motor mounts and all brake parts came from http://www.kantor.com. They sell stock engine rebuild kits too, but the price is about the same as VPW's, and you can't mix and match parts like VPW. Idaho Transmission Warehouse was able to pull a rabbit out of the hat and round up parts for my transmission from a handfull of different states, and had parts numbers on hand for stuff I've never even heard of. 800.225.6568 Ask for Rebecca, #8. Another link for speed parts is http://www.phillipsperformance.com, they are back in production with heads, cast exhaust, tappet covers, etc. I tried to get ahold of these guys for over a year, to no avail. Apparently they shut down about that time. They make some cool stuff... George Asche, an old timer in PA, is fab'g dual intake and exhaust manifolds from the stock parts. I haven't talked to George, but I understand he is a wealth of info on these flathead engines. He builds engines, rebuilds and sells overdrive ******s too. He doesn't use e-mail or the internet, so you'd have to call. Here's his contact info: Asche Mechanic Distributors George Asche 1693 Fertigs Road Venus, Pennsylvania 16364 (814) 354-2621 These engines have hardened valve seats from the factory, so you can burn unleaded fuel without worry. I installed stainless exhaust valves during my rebuild, as an added measure of safety for higher rpms, but you shouldn't have any problems with a stock engine on regular unleaded pump gas.
Also, forgot to mention that I'm running a '55 Dodge overdrive that I rebuilt. These overdrives give you a 33% gear reduction, and are a direct swap for the stock three speed, no other mods but wiring. Before I started my resto, I drove my car around in stock form (tired 218 and three speed) for several months as a daily driver. It would do 60 on the highway no problem, but was wound out pretty good. I didn't have a tach on it then, so don't know how much more it had. With the overdrive, it should cruise comfortably at 75. Pete
Great info! I can't wait to get my 49 running. I was worried it wouldn't have much power, but it sounds like with the right mods, it will do fine. I think I saw an ad in one of the hot rod mags for an electronic ignition add on that replaces the points, for like $90 maybe. I'll let you know if I find it.
My '55 230 would run 65 w/o overdrive all day. at least it would up until I spun a bearing. To be fair though, the bottom end has 90,000 on it when it went. Hope you don't need a tinming set. Those are getting expensive. Tractor pullers are a good source for speed parts. They used industrial motors for the M***ey-Harris and some Oliver tractors, so in the mod-stock cl***es they still pull with the flatheads. They respond well to more compression, and really really well to turbocharging. -Jeff
Hey, great looking car! I love the old Plymouths. All of those sites are going to be very usefull for me, Thanks!
I thought I'd revive this thread and see who else was running these things. I've got those speed parts and I either need to use em or sell em. Can't afford to let em sit. Anybody got a hopped one on the road right now?
what do you have. i'm running a l head in my 40 plymouth with plans to add hop up parts. dual carb, split exhaust yada yada. pm me if you have any thing that you're trying to get rid of.
Scoob- My car has come along way since this thread died.... I did a maiden road trip a coupleof weeks ago, 584 miles round trip. The car make the trip without a hitch. 65-70 mph on the freeway, and 19 mpg to boot. If you're going to sell speed stuff for the six, post it on the P15-D24 site. Lots of guys there who may be interested. Pete
i ran to paso form bako with with busted rings on all the pistons and ran about 70 until i hit the grade on the way back and got cut off then i cruised at 25. LOL its all rebuilt and almost ready to go. the finned head kicks as but i went with acorns.
the vice prez of my club has a 52 (?) Crankbrook all stock, 6 volt,stock ****** and rearend,but his overdrive doesnt work for whatever reason so when he's on the highway 55 is gettin it...he does plan on swappin out to a slant six fairly soon so i wonder how that'll work out... creepy
They are CD Strombergs off a BMC 1300. We figgered that three would be about right. The intake runners are too long but it looks cool.
I was telling a friend of mine about what was said here about the flathead sixes...more specifically, that these little engines tend to like forced induction. Well, now I have a monster on my hands...they guy is wanting to get one of those megasquirt kits (the ones you buy, put together, and tune with a laptop), build an intake, run some kinda multiport injection setup....turbocharged and intercooled, with a coil pack instead of a distributor. Now, he's not talkin about taking a stock engine and adding all this stuff to it, no...he is planning on having it fully balanced..the works... I'm almost ready to believe that it would be a good idea just to see what it would do. It seems wrong somehow, but wouldn't it be a hoot to blow a ricer completely off the road using his OWN technology with an old flathead?
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