Planate Cranium Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 I bought what I was told was a running Chrysler 218 out of a '47 Plymouth Special Deluxe a year and a half ago. I got her down to the block, cleaned everything up, painted all pieces and parts, recently lapped the valves back in, and now I'm ready to begin reassembly. That's when I found out that my '47 Chrysler 218 is really a '57 Dodge 230 and it has been rebuilt before. For all intense and purposes the motors are the same so my gasket set will work, but the .030 oversize rings I purchased for the cast iron pistons of the 218 will not. What I really need to know is what size of oversized pistons I have. The pistons for the 230 are stock cam ground aluminum pistons (CDPD logo on them). 871354 O/S is cast on the inside of the pistons and 954809-x is stamped into the top of them. The piston diameter as measured with my dial calipers is 3.259in. Any and all information will help - thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andydodge Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 My understanding is that standard 230 pistons are 3.250" or 3 & 1/4"........so you have .009/9 thou oversize which sounds a bit odd.......maybe yours are actually .010........I'd take them to the man and get a 2nd opinion.........note........I am not to be confused with any sort of expert........lol.....andyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planate Cranium Posted February 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Thanks for the prompt reply Andy. My cylinder bore average from all 6 is 3.284" which tells me that the original 3.250" bores have been machined .030" and have roughly .002" of wear on each side of the wall. If the cylinders have been bored .030 over then I am assuming that the pistons have to be .030 over as well, but I would think then that the new +.030 rings I bought would work... I can just barely, barely, catch my fingernail on the top of the cylinder occasionally and they are not overly tapered so I do not want to have work done to the block. Thanks again for the reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Elder Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Planate.....having been flattened......cranium....head......flat head:eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Interesting I've never seen flathead cast iron pistons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planate Cranium Posted February 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Chrysler 218's have "Lightweight Cast Iron Pistons" according to my Industrial Engines manual. That's what I was expecting to see when I pulled the head off... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Elder Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Cast iron pistons....if your block doesn't have IND stamped on the pad it will have aluminum pistons, it was a big selling point for chrysler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andydodge Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 The 230 ex airport tug engine I have had a set of alloy pistons........never knew Mopar 6's ever had cast Iron pistons, thought that was a GM thing..........andyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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