The Next Big Thing

[48ply1stcar]

In July I went to my first and last show of the year. My 48 P15 4door used 3 quarts of oil in a twenty mile round trip. I found a engine from a 56 Savoy and drove to SW Iowa to pick it up.

So now I have my 230 and a winter to do all those things that I learned over the past few years on this site. Dakota rear end and a new drive shaft. I going to farm out the interior.

Oh what fun.

[Jerry Roberts]

That is a nice photo of your car , it looks nice with the green lawn .

[Phil Martin]

From amount of holes in crankshaft I think that it is a fluid drive engine I think that will be problem to put flywheel on.

[1941Rick]

230 crank is an 8 hole flange.....not sure if fluid drive is any different....

nice looking car...love the color but then I am biased....

[littlemo]

48ply1stcar; Your car looks great !! I'm with 1941Rick re. the color. A "few" years back I "rodded" a 49 ( dare I say it on this forum ) Ford, and the paint I chose for it was very similar. More pics please! Cass, alias littlemo...

[Niel Hoback]

Thats a really good looking car! You should check for a pilot bearing in that crank, if it doesn't have one, it may have had a powerflite on it. Am I remembering things that weren't, or were Sears rebuilt engines painted gold?

[40P10touring sedan]

...A "few" years back I "rodded" a 49 ( dare I say it on this forum ) Ford...

...careful or the OT police will get ya.......kinda like how I'd never say I'd like to louver my hood for looks and function....ooops!

[40P10touring sedan]

In July I went to my first and last show of the year. My 48 P15 4door used 3 quarts of oil in a twenty mile round trip. I found a engine from a 56 Savoy and drove to SW Iowa to pick it up.

So now I have my 230 and a winter to do all those things that I learned over the past few years on this site. Dakota rear end and a new drive shaft. I going to farm out the interior.

Oh what fun.

Nice ride, just try and remember to "not" use that background anti-freeze in the "car"...

...Oh, you gonna leave the motor stock or mod her in any way...?

[Phil Martin]

I don't see a hole for pilot bearing still think its a fluid drive engine

[james curl]

If it is a fluid drive engine then you need to have the machine shop mic the hole and the pilot shaft and find you a bearing to fit or have them drill or ream the hole to the correct size for the stock Plymouth pilot bearing. I have a Dodge engine in my 48 P-15 that was originally a fluid drive car and the hole is as cast. I ended up turning the pilot bearing down for a press fit into the hole in the crankshaft. If you do that remember to write down the exact dimensions of the finished bearing so that in the future you can buy a new bearing and have it turned to fit if needed.

[John Reddie]

I believe that a '56 flathead would have had a Powerflite fully automatic push-button transmission rather that a fluid drive type unless the car was a standard shift.

John R

[48ply1stcar]

The car did have an automatic transmission and has a 12 volt generator. My plan is to leave the car 6 volt. I never thought about the crankshaft being different. So thanks for the insight.

The Automatic choke housing is broken. I'm thinking about using about using my current carb with a manual choke. Any thoughts about the carb. Maybe someday I'll have a dual-carb set-up. I think I just read that I should have the cam shaft machine?

Thanks for any input or ideas especially funny or goofy ideas.

[Young Ed]

Harold there wouldn't be anything wrong with using your current carb setup. Keep the carb and 12v generator for someone or future use.

[Phil Martin]

About my statement about fluid drive crankshaft. I went back through the threads and see the fluid drive shaft had 8 holes and reg 3sd shaft had 4. But I saw that they can be lined up so the 4 holes will bolt to the 8 hole shaft. I stand corrected.

[48ply1stcar]

Okay so it took eight months to buy a new engine stand and remove the Head and oil pan.  I bought the 1500 pound stand at Northern Tool.  I really liked the way it went together it has a center wheel and folds for storage.

 

I think I'll just transfer the parts over from the other engine and get the car on the road for the sumer.  Any thoughts?

 

Edited May 7, 2013 by 48ply1stcar

[wayfarerstranger]

i mounted a standard 3 speed to a 1954 Plymouth 230  used the 230 fly wheel , didn`t change anything , pilot bushing etc . been driving about 10 years now .....  so there must be some difference  between a Dodge 230 and a later Plymouth 230  at the mounting part of the crank .

[48ply1stcar]

I didn't get a flywheel with this motor so I'll be transfering everything to this block.  Also I'll swap the water pump, thermostat housing, carburator, and all things electrical. 

[Alshere59]

Have you considered pulling any rod or main caps to check bearing condition? Also you may want to start it up before you put it in the car. A bit more work but a lot easier to fix any issues. Just throwing it out there. I know Don has a wood stand (?) he made to do just that.

[48ply1stcar]

AFRAID TO CHECK THE BEARINGS

 

I'm afraid that checking the bearings could lead to other things in BIBLICAL PROPORATIONS.  I mean checking the bearings could begat checking the rings, and checking the rings could begat a valve job, and a valve job could begat something-something with the crankshaft which could ultimately lead to a complete overhaul.

 

The original intent of this engine was to get me back on the road and if I wanted to overhaul an engine it would be the other.

 

So with that said what to do with this engine after it sat for at least two years. 

 

It turned over easy with the nut on the crank and it looks a lot better than my engine did after sitting 25 years and then running from 1995 to 2012 after only running hose water from the thermostat housing to the frost plugs.  In the 45 years I own the other engine I never removed the valve covers.

 

So has anyone used a solution to eat the rust in the water jackets before flushing them out?

 

Should a use a chemical or cleaner on the valve assembly or crankshaft or just tempted to run the engine with some GUNK ENGINE FLUSH after I put it back together?

 

[Young Ed]

I would knock the 2 lower freeze plugs and put a power washer through the water jacket. After all the crap comes out button it back up and try and start it. I have one for my next project and thats what I did. I didnt even pull the head or anything.

[Plymouthy Adams]

unless you can assure that you can neutralize all the acid including that that may seep into the residue that will not flush out easily...I would not use a chemical..never in all my years of engine service have I ever used a chemical flush agent..

[Desotodav]

I had my truck engine block hot dipped when the motor was being rebuilt. The problems that I had with rust flakes after that stemmed from letting the motor sit for 2½ years while the body of the truck was being completely restored. I was advised that the flakes will break away from the inside of the motor with the warming of the motor and the flow of water. I now have the engine/radiator flushed annually and have found the level of flakiness to have decreased to almost nothing at all now. The guys at the radiator shop use coolant which is made for aluminium motors in my motor - I have no idea why, but they seem to think that there are different chemicals in that type of coolant that stop (or minimize) the build up of rust flakes. Perhaps someone here with more expertise in that area can offer further advise?

[Don Coatney]

I believe it was forum member Lou Earle who used a dishwasher detergent capsule in his cooling system. Dropped the capsule into the radiator and drove several miles to insure the engine was up to full operating temperature and well circulated. Drained and flushed the system with good results. I have never done this but it sounds like an interesting idea,

[Plymouthy Adams]

you are right Don..he swears by Cascade I think..it is a good cleanser and has abrasives that will scrub and is literally non-sudsing.

[Scruffy49]

If you really want to run the late model hot air choke, I'll swap my carb with that for your mechanical (cable) choke one... My hot air choke exhaust manifold is junk, and my 218 has a cable operated choke carb on it, plan is for a dual carb intake and headers (home built), so...