Help Creating Car Show Flathead Sign

[steve57dodgetruck]

I've been away from the forum for some time, distracted by my latest project ('72 /6 Plymouth Scamp).

 

I have a restored, slightly modified, '57 Dodge D100 (pics in link in my signature). I show this truck regularly and always get more comments about the "old flathead" than any other component of the truck. Mopar shows are dominated by muscle cars and Hemi motors, so my flathead powered truck stands out in the crowd! I am also going to have my slant six Plymouth Scamp to a few shows next summer. I am imagning parking these two inline 6 motors among the sea of V8's and thought it might be fun to have a sign made (to put between the two vehicles) about the Mopar 6 cylinder engines that I love.

 

So I am asking for help from this forum to come up with some Chrysler Flathead facts/details/specifics that would be fun to put onto such a sign. I want to highlight these engines durability, torque, etc. I'd also like to highlight how they helped advance the combustion engine. For example...

 

- Beginning in 1938, the 201 cu in inline 6 was used in Massey Harris's Model 101. The last automotive use of the Chrysler flathead inline six was in 1959. The flathead remained in production until the early 1970s for industrial and agricultural use.

 

-What made the flathead so versatile was its dependability and torque. The largest flathead six Chrysler used in its automobiles was 265.5 cubic inches that produced 218 ft/lbs of torque at 1600 RPM. So, at just off idle, this engine produced maximum torque.

 

-The Chrysler Flathead engines were responsible for many things production engines have today. They were the first automotive engines to have Cam Bearings. They were also responsible for the Replaceable Oil Filter and Rubber Motor Mounts too.

 

Please post any ideas you have that might be cool to include on such a sign. Thanks!

 

 

[TodFitch]

In 1933, the first year for the L-6 for Plymouth, features included:

1. Cam ground aluminum pistons

2. Modern thin shell insert type bearings for main and rods

3. Full pressure feed lubrication 

4. Oil filter

5. Crankshaft impulse neutralizer

[captden29]

hardened valve seats since at least 1935.

[TodFitch]

hardened valve seats since at least 1935.

Missed that, they had them in '33 along with silicrome exhaust valves.

 

Pulling out some of the sale literature, here is what they thought the selling points were in '33:

Alloy valve seat inserts

T-slot alloy pistons

removable connecting rod bearings

full pressure lubrication

precision type main bearings

fuel pump with air dome

floating power engine mountings

four bearing counterweighted crankshaft

four rings per piston

crankcase ventilator

drilled oil passages

silcrome exhaust valves

downdraft carburetot

automatic manifold heat control

accelerator pump on carburetor

air cleaner and intake silencer

ventilator air cleaner

oil filter

silent timing gear chain

[Don Coatney]

silcrome

 

click here---->  http://books.google.com/books?id=O6VUEkbqZ2QC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=silcrome&source=bl&ots=YTOGbvl7ot&sig=8_wuYqgsD61hLjkSrnBhYKFiNNw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=CfqwUq_uAsnLsAT5pILIBg&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=silcrome&f=false

[Young Ed]

The flathead continued in reg trucks until 1960 and flat fendered power wagons I think until 68.

[TodFitch]

The flathead continued in reg trucks until 1960 and flat fendered power wagons I think until 68.

When I had a '63 D200 I picked up a '66 Dodge truck factory service manual. The had the rebuild information for the L-6 engine in there, listed as only used in, if I recall correctly, the WM600 model trucks. Should have kept that manual but I sent it off with the truck when I sold it.

[greg g]

Don't forget Floating Power, don't know if the trucks had it but rubber isolated engine mounts were new to the market when introduced. I believe if you look through the reference pictures on this site you will find some pictures I found and reposted of a cut away of the Flathead 6.  also look up the water proof military installations, which included positive crankcase ventilation in the 1940's, and the five engines tied together for a Sherman Tank engine application.  Also look on the all par site for lots of tidbits regarding the flat 6 and all there various versions, the 413 cu inch dual carb dual exhaust heavy duty truck engine and the Plymouth flat 6 powered civilian light aircraft.  You might also find some information on the engine test whee they pulled engines off the assembly line and placed them on a dyno, where they were tested against a load at 3600 RPM (the HP rating RPM) for 50 hours.  

[jcmiller]

This book has a wealth of info:

 

Chrysler Engines: 1922-1998 by Willem L. Weertman, SAE International (October 26, 2007).

 

[P15-D24]

Here is what is going to be on the back of the p15-d24 tee shirts: 

 

Wide-Range Performance - Economical Engine Speed - Streamlined Engine Installation - Six Cylinder, L-Head Design - Floating Power Engine Mountings - Light Weight Aluminum Alloy Pistons - Balanced Rod and Piston Assembly - Four Rings per Piston - Precision-Type Bearing - Oilite Bearings - Burn-Resistant Exhaust Valve Seat Inserts - Silent Chain Camshaft Drive - Economical, Efficient Fuel System - Power Plus, High-Compression Ratio - Positive Action Fuel Pump - Heavy-Duty Oil-Bath Air Cleaner - New Oilite Fuel Filter - Automatic Manifold Heat Control - Improved Intake Manifold - By-Pass Thermostat for Quick Warm-Up - Directional Cooling with Water Distributing Tube - Full-Length Water Jackets - New Rotor-Type Oil Pump - Full-Pressure Lubrication - Sludge-Free Floating-Type Oil Intake - New "Micronic Filtration" Oil Filter - Efficient Crankcase Ventilation - Air-Cooled Generator - Moisture-Proof Ignition Coil - Generator Voltage Regulator - Knock-Free Calibrated Ignition

[steve57dodgetruck]

Wow, thanks for all the ideas! I will be playing with some design ideas for the sign and will post it later. Feel free to add new ideas.