i`m confuzed &*^%$ 217 - 230 ????

[wayfarerstranger]

i went to look at a 1950 dodge tonight after a cruise in i go to in HENDERSONVILLE TN , the guy who runs the cruise in has it . as i am looking for a good running 230 dodge motor ... i check out the car and it is a fluid drive but someone has changed the engine at some point with a 1953 p24 motor ?? which means it is a 217 4 bolt main ?? i didn`t think these engines would work with the fluid drive .. i guess someone could have changed the crank out , but i really don`t think so . so whats up ?? did they just use 4 of the bolts and let it ride ?? i`m a little confused ..... was kinda bummed out as i thought i had me a good 230 in my sights ... i`ve already got to nice 217`s at my house so i don`t need another one ,, any ideas how this engine was made to work ??? thanx CHANCE

[Don Coatney]

It is my understand that a 230 (8 bolt) crankshaft can be installed in a 217 block. It is also my understanding that a fluid drive can be bolted to a 4 bolt crankshaft but it WILL shear the bolts and fail.

So you have two possibilities. A 217 that has been converted to a 230, or a piece of junk.

[james curl]

I believe all fluid drive crankshafts have an additional relief built into the crankshaft and the hole for the pilot bushing which the fluid drive doesn't use is a different size. I have both a 218 fluid drive crankshaft from a 41 Dodge and a standard crankshaft from my 48 Plymouth, they are not the same configuration at the rear flange, besides 8 verses 4 holes the fluid drive crank has an additional relief for the front of the fluid drive unit to fit into. The rear face of the standard crankshaft is flat without the relief, just a hole for the pilot bushing.

[Don Coatney]

I believe all fluid drive crankshafts have an

additional relief built into the crankshaft and the hole for the pilot bushing

which the fluid drive doesn't use is a different size. I have both a 218 fluid

drive crankshaft from a 41 Dodge and a standard crankshaft from my 48

Plymouth, they are not the same configuration at the rear flange, besides 8

verses 4 holes the fluid drive crank has an additional relief for the front of the

fluid drive unit to fit into. The rear face of the standard crankshaft is flat

without the relief, just a hole for the pilot bushing.

James;

Where is this relief hole? Is it the one pictured below? I did not use this hole

as I made a hockey puck pilot bearing mount.

[Young Ed]

That 53 engine could have originally been a Hy-drive unit and possibly would have an 8bolt crank that way.

[Norm's Coupe]

That 53 engine could have originally been a Hy-drive unit and possibly would have an 8bolt crank that way.

Ed, I see you have changed your board name to Grandpa Coatney's nickname for you.

[wayfarerstranger]

i thought that the hydrive came out in mid 54 and they were 230 motors ??

[wayfarerstranger]

i guess the only way to really know what was done . is to tear it apart ,, i won`t being doing that ,,,

[Young Ed]

hydrive was 53 and early 54. Then powerflite came out.

[busycoupe]

My 48 Dodge has fluid drive, but somewhere along the line someone replaced the engine with a P23 block. It had an aluminum plate riveted over the block number when I got it, but I removed the aluminum plate to see the original number. It never occurred to me that the Plymouth engine shouldn't work, the car runs great! I have never had it apart, perhaps the engine was rebuild with a crank from a 230. Would that change the displacement from 218 cu. in. to 230 cu. in.?

[james curl]

Don, yes, I was refering to the large counter bore in the crank end then the pilot bushing hole which is smaller than a Plymouth pilot shaft bushing.

[wayfarerstranger]

Maybe i or we all have been looking at this using a Plymouth engine with a 3 spd. in a dodge the wrong way or i may be wrong ? let me know ...why can`t you just bolt the dodge bell housing to the PLY. engine so it would bolt to the rear mount/cross member and then use a 3 spd tranny with a longer input shaft & a longer style throwout bearing to make up the difference for not having the fluid drive unit in there . You could use the dodge tranny and replace the input shaft and still use the same drive shaft & all the linkage would line up . Is the shaft from another mopar product like 55 ply and later long enough ? "I asked on another thread for measurements" So is this possible and if so what issues would there be using the Dodge bell housing & longer input shaft on the tranny .