Inline 6 Differences

[meadowbrook]

My friend is buying a 54 Chrysler Windsor. This has a 265 Inline 6. Is this engine very similar to the 230 (ie, will he have a hard time finding parts for it?) I know the 230 is still very easy to get parts for.

[Gwellman]

The 251 engine series is a couple inches longer than the 218/230 engines. I am not aware that any parts are interchangeable. However, it is a common engine, used in cars and trucks for many years so it should not be difficult to find parts.

The 251 engine series came in many different displacements, I think even a 218...but this is not the same as the short block 218.

[40P10touring sedan]

I have a '52 chrysler 265ci that I plan on installing in place of my '40's origonal 201ci...no replacement for displacement, right?!

The short series blocks- 201/218/230 run with a 23" block while the 251/265 series{there's one more but I forget it} are 25" long.

You can get parts for either but there's little interchange between each if anything...maybe lifters/valves...

The 23" run the bypass oiler where it cleans only alittle of the oil at a time...the 25" run a full oiler- that was a selling point for me as well, but you can change your oil more often either way.

..Just remembered- I was told that the dizzys weren't interchangable, but a chat with Mr langdon informed me they were...

[Jerry Roberts]

[quote name=40P10touring sedan ...<snip>...

The short series blocks- 201/218/230 run with a 23" block while the 251/265 series{there's one more but I forget it} are 25" long. < snip>...

I was told that the dizzys weren't interchangable' date=' but a chat with Mr langdon informed me they were... <snip>... [/quote]

I think Mr. Langdon has made an error . Everything I have read says that the distributors have a longer shaft in the longer block . One source says 1/4 inch longer .

[TodFitch]

I think Mr. Langdon has made an error . Everything I have read says that the distributors have a longer shaft in the longer block . One source says 1/4 inch longer .

If I recall the photos that Don Coatney posted correctly, the distributor shaft for the 25" block has a thinner shaft for clearance with something in the engine (crank I am guessing).

[55 Fargo]

The 251 engine series is a couple inches longer than the 218/230 engines. I am not aware that any parts are interchangeable. However, it is a common engine, used in cars and trucks for many years so it should not be difficult to find parts.

The 251 engine series came in many different displacements, I think even a 218...but this is not the same as the short block 218.

Chrysler Canada built only 25 inch engines at the Windsor Ontario plant. They came in many displacements, for example, 218,228,237,251,265.Shouldn't be all that difficult to get parts for the 265, but of course the 218 and 230 short engines would havce more, especially the perforamnce add-ons.

I have a 218 in my 47 Chrysler coupe, it originally had a 251, but someone years back dropped in a 218, as it is so easy with same block....

[RobertKB]

Chrysler Canada built only 25 inch engines at the Windsor Ontario plant. They came in many displacements, for example, 218,228,237,251,265.

In the early years they also came in 201 and 242 CID configurations. Same block, different rods and bores. Makes it very easy to pick up an engine that will work in Canada.

[Rusty O'Toole]

Chrysler corp us made 2 completely different flathead sixes, a small one for Plymouth and Dodge, a big one for DeSoto and Chrysler.

The 265 is the big one. Almost nothing will interchange with the small one.

To tell which you have measure the engine at the head, the small one is 23" long, the big one 25".

The big Chrysler/DeSoto engine was also used in Dodge trucks and as an industrial engine, Crown Marine boat engine, in Massey combine harvesters etc. They were made up to 1954 (cars) 1962 (Dodge heavy trucks) 1968 (military Power Wagons) 1972 (industrial and marine).

Parts are not hard to get either from your local parts store or specialists like Vintage Power Wagons or Andy Bernbaum.

[Don Coatney]

...the 25" run a full oiler- that was a selling point for me as well, but you can change your oil more often either way.

..Just remembered- I was told that the dizzys weren't interchangable, but a chat with Mr langdon informed me they were...

Not all 25" blocks have full flow capabilities.

The Engineer Mr Langdon told me in person that nobody on the internet knows anything and only he has the correct answers. However in this case he is not correct about the factory distributors. The shiverlay HEI distributors he converts for mopar use may be interchangable between long and short blocks but the factory distributors are not.

perforamnce add-ons.

....

I believe there are a lot of performance add-ons available for the long block engines.

Chrysler corp us made 2 completely different flathead sixes' date=' a small one for Plymouth and Dodge, a big one for DeSoto and Chrysler.

The 265 is the big one. Almost nothing will interchange with the small one.

[/quote']

Many bolt on accessories will interchange. Starter motors, generators, water pumps, fuel pumps, etc.

[TodFitch]

Chrysler corp us made 2 completely different flathead sixes' date=' a small one for Plymouth and Dodge, a big one for DeSoto and Chrysler.....[/quote']

Wasn't there also some huge engine, totally different again, built for the biggest Dodge trucks? Seems like I've heard of one.

[Young Ed]

Wasn't there also some huge engine, totally different again, built for the biggest Dodge trucks? Seems like I've heard of one.

Yes they had an even larger size flathead that came in a few displacements. One of them is 331.

[Dodgeb4ya]

The 3-4 ton Dodge trucks used a 30" long engine with 7 main bearings. All the later ones 1951 up had twin carbs and dual exhaust except for busses. 281,306,331,377 and 413 CI. Built em up through 1956. Engine weight about 1100lbs. The engine blocks are cast with Nickel -Chrome Molybdenum Iron.

Bob

[meadowbrook]

So THAT's the famous 413...

Are the 230 23 " motors related to the 7 main bearing engine used on Lemans racers in the 20's?

[BeBop138]

The 3-4 ton Dodge trucks used a 30" long engine with 7 main bearings. All the later ones 1951 up had twin carbs and dual exhaust except for busses. 281,306,331,377 and 413 CI. Built em up through 1956. Engine weight about 1100lbs. The engine blocks are cast with Nickel -Chrome Molybdenum Iron.

Bob

There is a guy on the Inliners forum that is building one--a 413

[40P10touring sedan]

Don, actually our discussion{Mr L and I} was indeed on the HEI unit...not oem dizzies, so this should clearify that .... your right....but that still leaves me wondering about how oems can't swap but the HEI unit can...how?

I need to pull my 201's dizzy and compare it to the 265's dizzy one of these days...just haven't gotten to it yet.

As far as someone mentioning "aftermarket hop up items for the long block"...there are some out there but not as plentiful as for the short block. It's easier to find places with finned aluminum heads for the short block than the long...same thing for multi carb options...easier to find for the short block than the long. Cast exhaust{aftermarket} won't work on the long block, but there are tubular headers for the long block from different sources.

I'll happily stick with the long one though...with cars and women- size matters!.......{LOL}

Edited September 8, 2012 by 40P10touring sedan

[Don Coatney]

but that still leaves me wondering about how oems can't swap but the HEI unit can...how.

Both distributors (OEM and HEI) are tang driven. I believe the HEI uses a clamp that slides up and down the shaft to set the depth of the tang. Therfore shaft length in not an issue with the HEI. Shaft length on the OEM is "set" and not adjustable.

long block

short block

[BeBop138]

Don is correct on the outside shaft length with the Hei---the one I had made you still had to turn down the dizzy shaft like the stock piece to clear the crank throws......I used a dizzy from an inline Chev six.....Lee

[BeBop138]

Here is a pic using the old original clamp on the shaft.