Mopar flathead 6 motors- whats to be expected

Love it, most likely a 230 with 132 hp, more compression for the last few years of use. These are great engines, and very capable, not neck snappers, but can handle modern traffic for the most part...

 

That is one cool car! I'm glad to hear that it is running. The rebel in me loves the smoke show, just because it gets the enviro-ninnys wringing their hands with worry.

 

Hi first time posting here, been following the site for a while. Mike, I'd be keen to get your old HiDrive if you motor is a 251. I have the same engine with a Powerflite 2 speed auto,in an Australian 56 Desoto. A rebadged Canadian 1954 Plymouth. Can't stand the 2 speed auto. I always thought the Hi Drive was a cool setup.
Cheers Mick

 

I have a 49 Dodge panel truck which is stock. The floor shift tranny is toast. What could I replace it with ? Any ideas !

 

pleased to see someone from my area. im in minooka. I just bought a1950 dodge truck. I had one 30 years ago, im so happy to have found one very similiar, im happy with this site, I could always use the advice. maybe hope to compare notes someday

 

...a little on this.....but, this has been kicked around over at www.p15-d24.com in the recent months. Maybe you started the conversation...if not, do some looking over there.

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I just bought another car with a flathead. This time its a '59 Plymouth 4dr Sedan with a 230 and a 3 onda tree. It needs more work than I'm will to spend $$$ on. So I've turned it into a parts car.

 

Remember if you change out the trans, you are going to need to address the parking brake, as the factory set up is on the trans out put. So you will need to also change the rear end to something with e brakes included or fab up something. Just another monkey wrench in the works.

 

Oldwood..........if you are parting out the car there would be guys on the P15-D24 Forum who would be very interested in a 230 with factory air, if the manual trans has an overdrive attached then you could probably retire on the sale...........lol...........those forward look cars love rust don't they?............or is that the Nascar air intake option on the front fender...........lol.............regards, Andyd

 

If it had an OD trans it would be going in my '59 Dodge. I've already installed the 2 grove front pulley and 6 blade fan on my '59 Dodge and going to install the underdash A/C.

 

I've been a member here for four years and have just discovered this thread! My project is a '54 Dodge C1 B6 (1/2 ton pickup) with a 230 c.i. inline 6.

I bought some parts from Tom Langdon and got a lot of advise from him. Among the good advice he offered one point stands out: When rebuilding one of these engines, one must only remove enough material from the head and block surface to assure that both are true flat. There is no real point in high compression unless racing is in the future.
Dual carbs, split manifold, a little more cam, and a lightened flywheel will give plenty of added performance and will not affect reliability.

Keep in mind "added performance" is not going from 98 hp to 175 hp. It's all relative.

 

OD trans is really a needed item to keep these old motors from just banging away.

 

I agree, great thread. I just found it last night and started reading through it.
Something that caught my eye.

While searching around on the internet for rear end gearing, one thing I thought was interesting and since it was on the internet, I assume it to be absolute gospel

A guy had the opportunity to drive two different trucks, good running flathead sixes with T-5 trans swaps. One had 3:55 gears and one had 3:73.

With the 3:55 on the freeway, it kept him busy shifting between 5th and 4th, ran great on flat ground, get a hill and always downshifting, just kept him busy.

With the 3:73, when he hit a hill, he still had plenty of torque to pull the hill and not downshift.
Just more enjoyable to drive.

I am just thinking, if there is any truth to what this guys experience was, the 3:23 gearing is really going to be a issue with these little motors.
I have a 218/3 speed floor shift with 3:73 gears, but not on the road yet.

 

The last use of the 230 in the late 50's Plymouth had 8:1 compression and 130 horses, Edgys finned head gives 9:1 which would be a reasonable increase......with twin carbs, split exhaust, HEI, cam, balance and a tailwind you'd have to expect around 150-160 neddies........lol......andyd

 

For those of us who mainly speak American and English is a second language - what is a neddie? (Sorry, I have only been to Aus once and cars were not part of the conversation)

 

A lightened flywheel is not going to gain you anything. The crank weighs three times what the flywheel weighs.

More stroke and more compression.
More fuel in the cylinders.
Think of mods in terms of the way the pump up a diesel six.

 

Neddies.......slang Oz term for horses.....horsepower......hp........Jim, when were you in Oz?........I thought I'd noticed a guy about your height here..............lol............regards, Andy Douglas.

 

LOL - 17 years ago - Melbourne - Sydney - Canberra - Sydney - Three Sisters - Genoa Caves - Sydney - 13 hour flight from hell to LA. Beautiful country, great friendly people - would love to go back.

 

Well..... I'll put the coffee on if you get back this way tho' I'm about 2/3rds up the coast from Sydney towards Brisbane.........andyd

 

Mickkc77.........did you know that the AP3 1960-62 Chrysler Royals had the 3 speed Torqueflite in both the 250 six and 313 poly..........I haven't taken any real notice of a 6 cylinder install as I have a 1962 V8 Poly version in my 1940 Dodge but looking in the 1962 Chrysler Royal workshop manual it doesn't list any specific differences apart from the obvious bellhousing difference between the 6 & 8 Torqueflite..........might be worth chasing..........where are you in Oz?.........andyd...

 

Well yes, a 218 and a set of 3.55 rear gears and a T5, well which T5, some have a lousy gear spread and the the 5th OD is only an .86 reduction.
a few things a 218 what 95 hp at the flywheel when new, not a lot of go for certain gearing that's for sure, ad an over drive, and you get a real dog in overdrive.
But a 250 or a 265 built, might yield double the HP of that old stock little 218, that would make a big difference.
Just a tidbit on T5s, ( I am not a proponent of them, but that's neither here nor there)
The S10 NWC T5 with a desirable shifter position, and gearing of the early type has a 4.03 1st gear, almost granny low, and only .86 overdrive reduction, not a stellar gear ratio in a lot of ways.
I also know someone who has a 52 Dodge pickup, with a 250 Chrysler engine and 3.0 geared thunderbird rearend, he says it works well, and he has no problems with it, he lives in the mountains and does some freeway type driving. Again, no replacement for displacement, more torque and HP with a 250 versus a little 218.
I have a 228 long block 1955 Fargo truck, dual carbs and exhaust, but a 3.23 geared Mopar 8 1/4 diff, for y needs it works well, it can be a dog in 4th gear under 40 mph, but once she spools up, no issues. This engine is old and tired, I have a 265 engine on my floor which is being built to replace the 228, and as well I will be using a Chrysler A833 overdrive trans, and tough durable Mopar trans...

 

I'm working on a mopar parts pile that includes a flathead 6 and an A833 too. Seemed like the better choice over the t5.

 

They run like a sewing machine...what's that?...ha ha ha ha

 

You got that right, I have been to battle on this issue on another web forum many a time...............

 

Quiet, smooth and with precision, mine is not stock so it definitely sounds different...

 

Any particular version that you have settled on as being superior to others? As in, which wreck should I be looking for? I'm hoping to get the heated shop sorted out this fall ( I know, same story...) so my speedster project can make it's start for winter...

 

http://p15-d24.com/blogs/entry/91-solving-the-modern-overdrive-with-a-floor-shift-using-mopar-parts/

Some good reading on the a833 swap

 

Yup that's Tims blog, I also have a blog on that website dedicated to the A833 conversion, and any high performance improvements.
Here is my trans, the adapter plate.
Every thread, that was created on the topic of the A833 overdrive and/or High Perf topics, such as multi carb intakes, dual exhaust, hotter cams, were dogged at every opportunity, by 3 main perpetrators, the 3 clowns are complete assholes, and stir up any and all discussions related to the A833 conversion, they lurk here and know who they are...

 

My donor engine a Chrysler Industrial 265 bored .040, gonna bore to .060 possibly to clean it up new pistons rings etc. This will have a hot cam fairly high lift and duration, shaved head, or an Edmunds aluminum head, dual carbs and headers.
I am thinking it will pack a bit of smack...