Dan's Hemi swap project

[Dave72dt]

It probably won't make much difference. There's a little room for "fudging". Really depends on how accurate it placement was to start with and how square the frame is. My frame wasn't even in the ballpark of being square.

[Dan Babb]

Tried to fire it up today. Started it, but couldnt get it to run right.

Found out my plug wires are bad. The distriutor ends dont make a good connection and one of the plug ends is bad. Going to order a new set and try again.

When it fired up, max rpm was 1500, then i got a backfire, so i stopped for the day.

Heres a video my daughter edited for me. My friends reaction is priceless.

http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c105/DanBabb/53Dodge/LocalHemi/?action=view&current=HemiFireUp.mp4

[sorry guys....link fixed]

Edited May 2, 2011 by Dan Babb

[Dave72dt]

Vid didn't come up for me.

I pulled the i26. out of the url and it came up for me. Really cool!!!!

Edited May 2, 2011 by Dave72dt

[moparmonkey]

Vid didn't come up for me.

I pulled the i26. out of the url and it came up for me. Really cool!!!!

Same here. Delete the i26. out of the url.

Nice vid! Can't wait to see your truck back together and on the road. Since I've got a few old hemi's laying around now, this might come in handy...

[Dan Babb]

MoparMonkey...if you have a few to choose from, a baby Hemi would have made this a much easier project.

Sure, the larger one looks really cool the way it's stuffed in the engine bay. It looks like a 10lb sausage in a 5 lb bag.

But it would have been nice to have more room to work with.

[48Dodger]

lol.....welll...ya got fuel Dan.

Look like good fun!

48D

[buds truck]

Love it!!! make another when she fires up good!

[Dan Babb]

IT LIVES!!!!!

Installed the new plug wires and after a couple of tries (with minor turns of the distributor to fine tune the timing) and it fired up and stayed running. Got it up to 2300 or so and let it run for the required time.

At idle, it sounds great too...but the camera ran out of memory before I got to that point. Once I get the timing set right, I'll get another short video posted.

No exhaust on the motor, so it sounds like an airplane engine.

Here's the required video...click the picture (couldn't figure out how to embed the video off photobucket).

[moparmonkey]

Awesome video!

Congratulations Dan! That hemi sounds great!

To get it to fit with those modified Hurst mounts I know you had to move the radiator forward, how was everything else? Would the stock pedal assembly clear?

Brain is really spinning now. The large majority of my Hemi's are Chryslers. I do have a 315 Dodge and a 291 DeSoto. But I think I'm going to need one of those for my '37, I don't think I'm going to get a Chrysler to fit in that one the way I want.

How much clearance is there on the firewall and near the transmission? Do you think an early 331 with an extended block would need the firewall or tunnel modified?

[ggdad1951]

nice! I hope to have that kind of luck on Saturday!

[Dan Babb]

Here are some answers for you:

Would the stock pedal assembly clear?

***Nope...the stock pedal assembly is attached to the transmission cross-member (which wasn't reinstalled as part of my project. So I had to modify a chevy frame mounted setup to work. For the gas pedal, I decided to use a lokar throttle cable setup so I wouldn't have to deal with making a stock linkage replacement.

I probably could have cut the original cross member up and bolted it back to the frame so I could have kept the stock brake setup...but I didn't want to do that. Wanted it all intact in case I use the engine/trans for something else or a future owner wanted to go back to stock for some reason.

How much clearance is there on the firewall and near the transmission?

Do you think an early 331 with an extended block would need the firewall or tunnel modified?

***Very little clearance. If I had more skills, I should have cut the firewall so I could have pushed then engine back about 4"...then I could have lowered it too. I doubt you could get the extended bell block to work without cutting the firewall. I think you'd really need the engine to drop down a few inches.

If the damper on the crank were a smaller diameter, then you could pick up a couple inches, but I couldn't find anyone that sells one. It would have been nice to have the engine site a couple inches lower than I have it.

I can get some pictures to show you if it will help.

[moparmonkey]

Thanks Dan!

I kinda figured the pedal assembly wouldn't clear, I remember you talking about the GM brake set up.

Wasn't sure about the extended bell, I guess it would depend on engine placement. But I imagine at the least it might require some kind of clearance or transmission tunnel.

I was just curious. I'm looking for a running 218/230 because I think mine may need a rebuild and I found a supposedly running extended bell 331. But I think the swap would be more involved than I what I want to get into right now. I do have a couple of extended bell blocks that need a rebuild though, so I still might tackle it down the road.

[wayfarer]

Aaahhhh, the sweet sounds of success. Congrats Dan!!

[Dan Babb]

Thanks Gary...couldnt have done it with all of our phone calls.

[wayfarer]

Hey Dan, its been a couple of weeks now. Any updates??

.

[Dan Babb]

Nothing major done yet. Been busy travelling for work.

I made a better transmission cover and have gotten that installed.

This weekend, I started my front disc swap project yesterday using the RustyHope kit. The biggest pain has been drilling out the holes.

The local stores don't have **** for drill bit selection if you need anything over a 1/2 bit. I must have been to 6 places.

Found the bits & tap I needed at Napa...the bits are junk. The 37/64 bit broke in half on the second hole. The 11/16th bit won't cut through the steering arm (I've even tried sharpening it on a Drill Dr. I bought).

Went out last night to Sears and their selection stinks. What happened to Sears being the place where you go for all your tool needs...their selection has gone way downhill. Today, I hit Northern Tool, Lowes & Home Depot..nada. Tractor Supply had the 11/16th...going to try that one today.

Going to have to order a better 37/64 bit online. I should have read the instructions back when I got the kit...I could have ordered good stuff online from the start.

[Dan Babb]

Amazing what better quality drill bits will do. Got my order from McMaster for the sizes I needed in a cobalt steel bit. Over $100 for 3 bits...but they cut right through the steering arms holes.

Going to have to lock those puppies up in a safe.

[Dan Babb]

Made some panels to block off the gaps around the radiator. This should help push as much air as possible through the radiator.

I was at a cruise in this weekend and saw a shroud on an old chevelle..but it only went around the top half of the fan...like from the 9 - 3 o'clock position). I was thinking that it would be a lot easier to use something like that on the engine side. Would it help at all or be worthless (in terms of helping pull more air through the radiator)?

[buds truck]

I have a shroud like that on my 49 plymouth, it doesn't really seem to help air circulation, but it does help keep hands away from the fan blade

[Dan Babb]

I was thinking that would be the main benefit.

I'm really trying to think of how I'm going to make a shroud that I can remove/replace with the front end on and am not coming up with any ideas. So I might try to use this type and see if I have any cooling issues.

[buds truck]

did you see the thinline fan I got for mine since I got the same rad as you, I would think it would possibly work for you too, just not real traditional....

[Dan Babb]

I'm running a generator, so not sure I can run an electric fan.

I was thinking about it because I could easily put it in front of the radiator and keep the engine bay looking traditional ( could even keep the pulley mounted fan and not have to worry about a shroud ).

Just don't think the generator has the amps to power it when the engine is at idle or at low RPMs.

[moparmonkey]

I would think you'd be able to run the fan as long as it was the only thing running. But if you need the fan on, you probably won't have your lights, heater, or windshield wipers on too, so it shouldn't be an issue.

I'd just switch it so you could turn it on and off as needed. Have you had cooling issues already? Or is this just preventative?

[Dan Babb]

Its not on the road yet, so no cooling issues. If i wanted to install a fan, id have to pull the front off, so just trying to do as much as i can now.

Got my steering arm drilled out, so i can finish the disc brakes this weekend. Then i just need to get the trans cooler lines run and do the rear end and driveshaft swap. Then im road worthy.

Getting close!

[buds truck]

Getting close is sweet!!!! On the first drive, We want videos, we want videos, we want videos.....