Tony WestOZ

Hi Ryan. Was great to talk to you last night, its good to be able to at least put a voice to what is on the forum. Latter this year I hope to head over that way and see my parents how only live about 100 k`s (60 miles) from you. With Vintage Power Wagon I was a bit harsh with some earlier statments about them. Though they have had a problems with the pistons they have certianly done the right thing by you regarding the other parts they have supplied. With the NAPA link you PM`d me it did not work properly but I have been to their site before. You are right it is a shame the do not post to Australia, alot of the stuff we nead is straight of the shelf for the US blokes. I would be interested to know what pistons they are machining down for you if its not 251 ones I thought they would use. I hope it all works out in the end. Back to our coversation last night, here is a pic of my van. Since this pic was taken the nose is off and the engine and gearbox are out so I can check the engine. Then I will mount the engine and box in a frame so I can test run it while I finish off the body painting. Here is the Deluxe ute I have. What ever I do it will be a few years before anything happens. Got a couple of mopar V8`S sitting around so one of those will end up going in.

Gees it took awhile for the penny to drop. +100 thou on a 3 3/8" bore approx = 40 thou over on a 3 7/16" (251) bore. Without getting the bore sonicly tested I think the pistons you have will be to large. Is it possible to measure the piston pin height on the 218 pistons. I think it should be the same as the 251 pistons they sent you but it would be good to check. If the piston pin height is the same on the pistons you have then a standard 3 7/16", 251 (approx = +60 on a 3 3/8" bore) pistons will work.

OT I know but, Bob, your posting of that page has made me wander if I have sent these other Australian brochures I have. this one shows the 60-61 Dodge line up (Fargo Desoto names droped by then) Then there is a couple of 53-57 Desoto ones. They are basicly the same as the Dodge and Fargo ones you already have posted. Just a different name and slightly different art work.

I think I mentioned this before, but if its not a 230 small block or a 251 long block VPW don`t have a clue. Your engine is definatly 1949-50, 218cu" engine. I think the 39-40 they are on about is a 201 but I need to check. I have some numbers I crunched years ago that that gave me all the variations on the big blocks and their over bore sizes. I`ll try and find it and do some comparisons to te sizes you have.

153624 is the norm for straight 6`s. 142635 is usually found on counter rotating engines. Mainly in marine applications.

I have worked on these pallet movers before. If its not pumping, or its spurting oil, then generaly the O-ring on the pump plunger needs replacing. If your going to repair one its only a couple of dollars in O-rings and a seal (if the main ram has one). They can be fidley, and at times frustrating, but no worse than rebuilding your car. Depending on type I can do one in about 4 to 6 hours if the parts are in stock. (but then I have done several now).

Sorry, yes I know yours is a T173. It was a go at Vitage PW. I would have assumed they knew the difference.

I think the guy at Vintage Power Wagon should read the book he is trying to sell you. 3 3/8" bore engines of this time were either 218.06 or 228.12. Not the 3 7/16" of the 236.6, 250.6 and 265. T179 is the engine code for a 236.7

I have never had a 218.06 apart. I would have thought the rod would be a bit longer to allow for the 4 1/16" crank. The couple of mesurement I would like to know if possible, is the distance between the centre of the piston pin and the top of the piston, and the how far the top of the piston is down the bore. With these I can check the deck height. 218.06 long block pistons might be hard to get. I don`t know that the used these in the US were they had the short block 218 (well 217.something){brain fade} Hav`nt you got a KEW sitting there? Mmm, Now if the crank and rods out of the 250 Kew went into the 218 block........ I`ll have to think about this.

T173 is a 218 Canadian long block. I believe 251 pistons at 40 thou over will not fit. It leaves the cylinder wall to thin. You would need to get the walls ultru-sonicly tested to check first. Standard size 251`s approx = 218 + 60 thou. these should work. The bearings and valves and oil pump are the same on the 218 and 251 Just had a thought, I think the piston pin heights are the same for a 250, 218 but it might pay to check as they run differant cranks and rods.

30% thats interesting. It seems a bit high as most systems I have worked on or fitted usually run about 10-15 % by-pass, but then most of these were running a full flow system as well. By-pass fiters generally (and with these engines) feed the oil straight back to the sump. They are only filtering what is excees to engine requirements. If they block up its not going to starve the engine. The engine pressure relief valve just flows a bit moreto the sump to compensate. I have not come across a by-pass filter fitted with a RELIEF VALVE (generally called a by-pass valve). As you say full flow blockage can be expencive but as mentioned by another most full flow filters have a relief valve which will open and let unfilted oil to the engine. Not good but better than no oil. Sure would. It`s like all these things we bolt on to these engines, its fun.

There are 4 external holes into the main oil gallery. The second hole from the front is where most Australian trucks took the feed for the pressure gauge.

Hope I don`t confuse you with this. #1 = line out to full flow filter #2 = return from full flow filter (Does not matter if a remote filter is being use or a bolt on set up like Don runs on his engine same principle applies) #3 = oil to by-pass filter. (There are 4 different places on the main oil gallery you can take oil from. For me this is the best. #4 = oil return from by-pass filter. (Must return to this hole or the filter will not work) #5 = plug If you do not want to use a full flow filter, the plug (#5) has to be removed. Holes 1 and 2 have to be pluged, and just leave the by-pass set up as is. . The above is just for a quick demo. My plan is to use two original filter housings sitting side by side and modifying them to suit more modern filters.

Something I wish we had in Australia. It would be nice to go to a auto shop and buy Dodge (or Fargo) bits of the shelf. Yep its a FN. Very late in the run too.

Its neither, its a Fargo or a Dodge. (though it is only badge engineering) The Chrysler name is for cars. Basicly there are few differences between the FN 108 and the 108A. However the FN108 is a 1950 Canadian import, assembled in Austarlia. The 108A was built out of left over Canadian parts in 1953 beside the 108B which was the start of the Australian built truck which has several differences. What are your tag numbers on the firewall. (or have you sent me them before and I`v lost them)

I have not fully checked a US parts book but some Australian parts numbers do crossover to the Canadian manuals. Others however do not, and that can make things a bit confusing as I found out awhile ago with king pins. The shakle parts themselves are the same no matter no matter where is was made. Check the US parts manuals on the DPETCA site and quote those numbers to a supplyer in the US.

The gearbox is the same, you just change the top plate.

You can both systems if you want. Both systems run on the same pressure. If you want I can scrible on a pic and show you were the lines have to go.

It`s the length of the head. (23" or 25") Not including the water pump. Unless of course its one of the large (331" or bigger) truck engines, which I think are about 30".

Stromberg`s I say Andy. I thought I had some more SU stuff.

I`ll see if I can find some more

The engine I have has no engine number stamped onto it. Infact the area where the number is suppose to be has never been fully machined. Working off these cast in block numbers I am assuming that the block in the early post will be a 250 cu", long block (25"). If I could find out the engine number of the one in the first post it might point me in the right direction to identify mine.

I am sure I down loaded these engine pic`s from this forum. Dose anyone remember who the engine belongs to or where it comes from. It carries the same cast in block numbers as the mystery engine I have. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

I am sure I down loaded these engine pic`s from this forum. Dose anyone remember who the engine belongs to or where it comes from. It carries the same cast in block numbers as the mystery engine I have. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Someone said Pilothouse camper! Here`s one.