John Mulders Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 I called Terrell , works well if you use the correct number , and asked about the gasket set for a 1948 Plymouth. He wanted to know what engine I have a 218 or a 230. Ok , so he got me silenced So how can I tell what engine I have? He said the length of the head would be around 23 5/8 inch for a 218. Is there another way to tell? Thanks John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 Thats odd because I believe the gaskets are all the same. The only thing that changed is the stroke. Granted you could have the 25" 218 which would be different but he didnt really ask that. You should just have to verify you have the 23" block and then whether you have the bump in the front of the head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nile Limbaugh Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Check the engine number on the left front of the block just below the head. The prefix (P, D, S or C) will tell you what car it is for and the number behind the letter will tell you the year. F'rinstance, mine has a D5 which equates to a 37 Dodge with a 217 engine. Let us know the number and somebody here can tell you which engine it is (in most cases!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mulders Posted January 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Not sure whether I have it right. Perhaps someone can let me know the format of the number if what I have doesn't make sense.... P1579552T or P15*9552T Then after the T there is something but I can't tell. Does this help to determine the type to be a 218 or 230 ? Thanks John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 A P15 coded engine would be the correct one for your car and therefore a 218. As long as no one has been in there playing. Unlikely but the only way to know for sure is to check the stroke with the plug over #6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertKB Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 John, did you import the car from the US or buy it there? If it was imported new it probably came from Canada and would have the longer 25 1/2 inch block. Just measure the block and it will either be 23 1/2 or 25 1/2 inches long. If it's a P15, as it seems to be, then you would want the headgasket without the bulge at the front although either style head gasket should work on the older style blocks with the external bypass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mulders Posted January 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 The car has been on the island a long time and I think it must have been a Canadian model (the speedometer is in km/h etc) Block is 59/60 cm so converted that is 23, something. I will assume that the block is a 218. Will ask for the set with gasket with the bulge in front. Don't think the engine has been worked on. Thanks for the help! John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertKB Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 John, I don't think it is Canadian. All our engines back then were the 25 1/2 inch ones. Also, Canada used MPH back then not Km/h. Must have been built for export but not out of Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg g Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 wonder if it came from central or south american production???? Venezuala had a large Chrysler Corp plant. Somewhere I had a site marked with 40's and 50's Chryco stuff made in the southern hemisphere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 So maybe a Dodge connection ...did not think that one mule could get all of Juan's coffee off the mountain and to the market... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mulders Posted January 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 so I guess a bit of a unique car under the best there is Haven't seen any Chavez stuff in the car, a lot of dust but I guess not from Colombia... The body seems to be from Detroit (serial 12064873). john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.Tom Meshingear Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 Both Detroit and Windsor built cars for export. The US built cars had the small block and the Canadian cars used the big block. It would be possible to have a right hand drive Plymouth built in Detroit with the small block. The firewall tag (if original) will tell where it was made. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg g Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 Tom, everything I have read (and it ain't that much) say that US built plymouths were exported as Desotos and Dodges went as Kingsways. Be interested in seeing other resources on this info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mulders Posted January 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 Will check the firewall tag, it on there but I think not much visible. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mulders Posted January 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 Firewall tag reads: Body number 502 A 98234 John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.Tom Meshingear Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 John, The red tag states the country of manufacture. Greg, The Plymouth bodied Dodge Kingsway and DeSoto Diplomats were built in Detroit alongside their Plymouth bretheren. All three nameplates were exported. How else could a Mexican/South American get his beloved Plymouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Faust Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 . Just measure the block and it will either be 23 1/2 or 25 1/2 inches long. Not to be picky, but just to make a correction.... the small block is 23 and 1/4 inches, and the canadian block is 25 inches.... Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertKB Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Allan, you are right as usual. However, who says size doesn't matter. Canadians just have bigger blocks (in Plymouths). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mulders Posted January 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 The reg tag is no longer red or readible.... unfortunately On the bright side I can now make it created anywhere in the world Plymouth Division of Chrysler Corp. Willemstad, Curaçao Made in the Netherlands Antilles John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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