chevy II 153 four cylinder

I just bought, what I think is a 153 with a Powerglide behind it. It came out of a 1970 Postal Jeep. I'm thinking about doing something for the intake and exhaust, if nothing else for looks only. Are all of the marine intakes water cooled like the exhaust are??? Thanks, Gene.

 

I think so but the umc offers a dual carb set up! I think you could just plug the water ports if you wanted to but the boat motors I have see. have a different thermostat housing/ water neck that has a port to run a short house to the intake and wouldn’t be to visually distracting should you decide to water heat it

 

I believe the marine manifolds intake and exhaust were all one piece. Be careful there are also 140hp marine manifolds that fit a different head for the 181 cubic inch version. What are you going to put it into? Look for "Clifford" and see if they are still in business for manifolds.

Charlie Stephens

 

Charlie, I plan to put it in a Model A kinda thing I have been working on. My father had one in a boat with twin carbs, but I couldn't remember exactly what the manifold looked like. And thanks, but I did check Clifford, however, they didn't show anything. Gene.

 

A 250 Chevy intake can be cut to fit as the port spacing is the same just minus 2 cylinders.

 

Being somewhat of a hoarder, I have Charlie's Weber set up in the shop, as well as a single 4 barrel Clifford. I also have an Ansen head with a Hilborn injector as well. Someday I will either part with some or get them all built.

 

That's a nice solution, I wonder who came up with that idea?
CNC DUDE on this site & maybe this thread makes a dual Weber side draft manifold. The guy I got my 153 from had a marine two carb manifold that he had cut all the water jacket stuff off of. I wasn't pretty but it worked. He was thinking of wrapping it with exhaust wrap.

 

Mmmm Ansen head. That’s the stuff that unproductive afternoons on Google are made from lol

 

Be sure to call them. Frequently slow selling stuff might not make it to the catalog. Also they may have some old stuff under the bench.

Charlei Stephens

 

The Mercruiser 153 2 carb manifold was water cooled and quite cumbersome looking for a street rod. I have a complete engine if anyone need parts.

 

I did get it mocked up in the Model A thing yesterday. Looks like I can put the steering box back where it belongs and some other pluses...I like it. Gene.

 

Nice!

 

Gene, Did you make the front mount? I'd like to see more pictures of that. Good progress! That is going to be a fun ride.

dreracecar, I saw your pictures on one of the other Chevy 4 threads. I really like the plate idea. I have been thinking of that to mount my v8 Fenton black Widow header. The plate would be be useful for doing the necessary port matching and making the whole thing easier. Good work!

 

I dimensioned the head and drew it on Mastercam software, sent it to a company who lazered it out for cheap

 

For your info here is how I set up my motor mounts.

Charlie Stephens

 

Any of you guys seen this port configuration on a 181" head?
I picked up this cracked block OMC with a center sump pan complete engine yesterday at a swap meet thinking I was maybe getting a better head for my 153" project.
Pulled the intake/ exhaust off and noted the odd D and other misshapen ports.

Good / bad / OK ???
I always get the odd ball weird one year only stuff.

 

I think it is one of the 8 port 181 heads. OMC may have used them in 153s I don't know. I don't know if it's the best one but it is probably better than the 153 head which is really not a bad head.

 

Well now I feel like a idiot .
It stopped raining and I went out and pulled the tarp off and took a closer look .
The GASKET has odd port shapes as did the intake BUT after pulling the gasket it's pretty a pretty normal 181 layout after all. Sorry for wasting people time.

Block is made in Mexico and it's got a points distributor so I'm assuming for now it's a 2 piece crank seal .
Shame the block is cracked .
Engine was said to run great . Gut bought the boat for the out drive .
Lots of these engines in WI .
Lot are freeze cracked .

Plan is to put the 181 head on the 153 mercruiser I already have if it checks out .
I think I have a line on some new 181 intakes that go on the forklifts that the bottom half sweeps upwards and looks like a 2 carb intake .
So if I'm making exhaust and intake parts I want a head that's normal .

Before that I was going to use the 3x2's cut 6 cylinder manifold I think was your idea on the 153 head.

Plan is a T5 transmission in a 30 A PU or in the 27 Track T project.

 

Here is the lower intake I'm trying to get my hands on. It fits a Clark forklift I have seen in person.
I may be able to get the two intake haves and the exhaust also .
If so it bolts right to a 181 8 port .

I'd want a header but the bottom of that intake would make for a easy 2 carb set up .
Bottom us cast iron , top hand os aluminum .

The top half that goes over the valve cover would work great for a turbo with a intercooler or a blower like the Eaton mounted on the RH side maybe. Non traditional but food for thought.

Any way the parts are out there on some forklifts.

 

If that question was for me...I did not. It's a Hurst mount for a BBC. The heavy Alt mount you can see right behind the left headlight is the one from when the motor was in the Postal Jeep. I'm bolting the Hurst mount to that, on that side and to a pair of threaded holes in the block on the right side. I had to trim the mount in one spot, need to drill a couple ofholes and make a couple of spacers. I won't be as nice as what some other guy's have shown, but it will work fine for me. Gene.

 

Check out the rear exit lakes style exhaust .
I'm trying to get details on what equipment these were used in .
I think there currently out of stock but was told there not disconnected.

It likely would hit the firewall but if it didn't and you could get a 90 on it it would look slick on something .
Heavy but it's got look I like .

Want to stick a 4cyl in this POS now that I finally got the 12 spoke spindel mounts off it after a year of soaking and heating the spindles.

 

Yes, That part was for you. These things were at home where 283s sat so it would make sense that some Chevy v8 mounts would work. So possibly some of the adapters to swap Chevy v8s would work too.

 

1biggun, It is a steep learning curve with these things. So many variations for so many uses and so much misinformation & confusion about other related and not related 4 cylinder GM & boat motors.

Those pictures are very interesting and if you find a source it will really help others.

 

I have read most of your posts here and on the Inliners site .
And have gotten a lot of good info .


Yes a lot of miss information and then every thread gets guys going off about Iron dukes and 151's that are not really relevant unless the parts can be made to work.

I have a complete Mercruiser 153
That is supposedly good to go.

I may cut away everthing on the mercrusier marine intake/ exhaust ( I have a mill) to gain a intake . so I can at least try and fire it with a home made header .

Plan is if it's runnable I'll swap on the 181 head with some mild porting and such and hopefully I'll get the intake I pictured .

The Factory OMC intake / exhaust is way differant than the Mercruiser and looks like it's a lot harder to cut / mill away the exhaust portion and it dosent have the removable carb plate like the Mercruiser.

I can make a intake and exhaust but the more time it takes the less likely ill ever get it done .

I have a contact that works for a company that sources and also makes the LP parts for a bunch of forklift , sweeper and other industrial equipment they install the parts on the engines then sell them to the equipment makers .
So they supply engines ready to run to Hyster, Yale, Toyota, and others.

The problem is the 3.0 L has not been used in about 15 years or more so some of it is not on the shelf or supplied any more.
He showed the intakes and rear ward exhaust on order but is uncertain if or when there going to get them. ( covid and supply chain issues ) I think these are cast over seas for them .

I work in the forklift industry.
I know for a fact the two part intake is used on a Clark. I service it every 90 days . I'm going to get the model and serial off it this week.
From a Clark dealer ( im not one ) the parts are extremely expensive but if my guy can actually get them then I can get them at about cost of what the supplier that puts there name on them pays . Either way I should be able to get a Clark part number.
I have seen the same set up on a hyster I'm pretty sure .

There is also a pretty standard looking down exit exhaust they use and I think he had those .
Would be good for a factory kind of look say in a stock model A repower . I'll ask on those also.
The big deal being it fits a 8 port 181 head with no mods.


I contacted him yesterday again now that I have a 181 head ( hope is good ) so he's rechecking this week for anything 181 related .

 

Those numbers will be interesting to research. There are lots of old forklifts sitting around and some forklift wrecking yards too. I''m in the process of going through some of these Chevy 4 threads and correcting my misinformation and restoring missing pictures. Also fixing spell check & fat finger mistakes. That can not be done on Inliners that os why my build thread is here.

 

Staying tuned in!

 

It would be good to get all the FACTS in one place.

What piston works with what bore , stroke and rod length would be a great start .
Does a 307 piston work in the 153" for sure ? I see you were working on that.
what the maximum over bore , how much deck can be safely removed how much can a head be machined?

Who still regrinds cams for these?

What distributor works and or can be adapted and part numbers and such.



There is also another Intake for LP that has the carburator sitting in the middle of big runners or chambers on each side I think could be modified to MAYBE be useful. Its aluminum

 

That exhaust manifold is killer except it would go right into the firewall. That could be dealt with. The bottom of the intake looks like carb plates could be bolted to it.
Most of that information is scattered through 3 or 4 Chevy II, 153, MerCruser ......threads here. All O know is what I have read and the little I have done to my yet to run 153. I have researched 153, 181 & 151 engines. I was a parts counterman for several years and I still have some old parts books. I have some knowledge in that area about interchange. Things like all Chevy & GMC sixes and these fours can use the same timing gears. 216-292, 228-302, 151-181. There are several parts numbers but most are just about what the gears are made out of. That is probably one of the most extensive interchangeable parts sets ever.
But like you say it would be good to have the parts numbers and interchange in one spot.

 

I just read your 26 chevy thread .
good stuff .

Ill have to go reread the distributer info on the Mallory you converted .

I just happened to be on the Rock Auto site, and they had Felpro head gaskets for the 153 for $8 on some wholesalers close out so I bought the last two they had as well as a couple pan gaskets.
I have a line on a second supposed to run 153" I may go grab just in case before winter hits.