1933 Plymouth PD. My 47 year search may be over

[Don Coatney]

What's next? Pegged britches and a flat top with fenders?

 

 

 

[Reg Evans]

Yes, and a glob of Brill Cream, a girdle, and some henna hair color for men. I did find a STP sticker. I'll need some white paint for my much darker cat.

[Reg Evans]

After driving the old girl to town many times up and down hills and a brief stint on the freeway to get to my favorite restaurant ........ Oh, and after giving her a compression test I am wondering if she needs a rebuild or a 230 transplant.  The original engine is a 189c.i. rated at 70 hp when new. With the compression showing about 80psi per cylinder I'm wondering if a rebuild would result in much more umph than now.  I got a quote for a complete rebuild kit from Oldpartssource on eBay and they want $1475 + shipping for the 189 c.I. engine !!!!!  After paying for the machine work the rebuild might approach or exceed $3K.

 

I have a good running 230 from around 1955 sitting on my garage floor that could go in the car but I'm not sure exactly what is involved in converting to the later flat 6.

Anybody know what's involved ?

[Plymouthy Adams]

Reg..back in those days the CR was such that the compression readings you are getting are very much normal...if the ole girl is running smoothly and still responding quite reasonabily....no smoking and such....I would maintain her with proper diet of oil and change intervals, keep her tuned and drive it till there is a true need to give the engine a closer look...don't mess with prosperity

 

stock compression is just 5.5 and multiply that at atmospheric pressure...adjust for altitude of your location...

Edited February 24, 2015 by Plymouthy Adams

[RobertKB]

Keep the original engine. Not many cars have what they came with from the factory. I don't think 3K is that out of range price wise. I am expecting to pay that for a rebuild on the original engine in my '51 project. I reallly don't think 80 pounds compression, if even across all cylinders, is that terrible. The '33 is just a slow speed cruiser so just enjoy.

[Reg Evans]

According to my Brother who has followed me she does smoke a little going up hill but not on deceleration.  I kinda hate to pull it apart for just a ring job and a head milling. 

[Don Coatney]

If the spare engine you have is a bolt for bolt exchange install it and drive it while you refresh the original engine. Forum member Lou Earl installed this George Asche rebuild in his 30's era Plymouth.

 

 

 

[Reg Evans]

They are a little different Don. I think the car you showed is a '35 and has the same block as all of them up until the end of production. My 33 and a 34 are slightly different and not a bolt for bolt swap.

[Don Coatney]

Does your engine have the coolant distribution tube?

[Reg Evans]

Nope and the head is a 3/8" narrower and a tad shorter.

[Don Coatney]

How about the engine mounts?

[TodFitch]

The issue as I understand it is the starter mount on the bell housing: The '35 and up have the starter rotated down and out a little to accommodate the slightly wider block with the full length water jacket. The two solutions I've heard of are: 1) Grind off the side of the starter. 2) Mill the bell housing to move the starter mounting point.

 

For a tad more power but using the same block, you could put the 201 crank and rods in. Basically that turns a '33 190 cu. in. engine into a '34 201 cu. in. engine. All the bearings, pistons, etc. are the same between the 190 and the 201.

[Reg Evans]

The front is the same.  I'll have to get under there to check the back.  Seems to me Tod Fitch said it was not a simple swap.  Maybe He'll chime in.

Oh, oops, he already did.  That sounds pretty simple if that's all the mods needed.  So Tod, the 33 bell housing and flywheel will bolt up to a later 230 then ?

Edited February 24, 2015 by Reg Evans

[TodFitch]

The front is the same.  I'll have to get under there to check the back.  Seems to me Tod Fitch said it was not a simple swap.  Maybe He'll chime in.

Oh, oops, he already did.  That sounds pretty simple if that's all the mods needed.  So Tod, the 33 bell housing and flywheel will bolt up to a later 230 then ?

That is my understanding.

[Reg Evans]

Thanks Tod. 

[Reg Evans]

Ole Gussie is getting a transplanted 3.9 rear end from a 50 Plym to replace the original 4.37 ratio. A 10% reduction in rpm at any given speed !

I was surprised to see that the new rear end has a 5.5" wider track than the original so maybe I can keep up with my brothers Boxster on windy down hill roads ;~)

 

Question.....I finally got the old rear end leveled up on the garage floor so I could measure the pinion angle and it shows 90 degrees to the spring perches.  Is this possible ?  Seems like the last time I swapped rear ends on my Pilot House the angle was around 3 degrees.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Reg Evans

[Dave72dt]

Yes, pinion angle is relative to the angle at the transmission.  Transmission on the Pilothouse may have been pointed down about 3 degrees so the pinion angle would have been up about 3 degrees.  Check your angle at the trans.  Pinion angle for the new diff needs to match the trans.