which engine would be best

[homer41]

I just came upon 2 engines for sale. I will be putting one of them in my 41 plymouth. One is p24 from a 53 plymouth 218. Said to have run but not positive. The other is a T215 dodge truck engine 41-42 that the owner has recently ran. Which would be the prefered engine? I may rebuild either that I get just to be safe. Any recommendations would be appreciated. And as a bonus I have a 1940  P10 201 in the car right now that does not want to run ( low compression).

Edited January 16, 2018 by homer41

[Plymouthy Adams]

find out the reason for low compression of  your 201, could be simple fix and no immediate need for either of the other two engine....hard to advise on either engine as both seem to be "was running when pulled" and will be as the 201, in need of investigation/service prior to trying to enter into service.

[John Reddie]

How long has it been since the 201 engine in the car has run? If it has been a while I would remove the spark plugs and put seven or eight squirts of thin engine oil into each cylinder. Let it sit for a short while and then with the plugs still out, turn the engine over several time so the cylinder walls get coated then replace the plugs and see if it will start up. I have had success with engines that have not been run for a while. If it does start up after doing this, it will smoke like hell but burn off in short order. You may notice that after the engine has been running for a bit, the compression might improve somewhat. I hope so,

John R

[greg g]

What are your compression test results???   Absent of hearing or testing a running when pulled engine, I would assume any engine will need a rebuild.  If you are not worried about points at Plymouth shows,buy the newest one and plan on rebuilding it.  But I would first try to understand if the engine in the car is or is not reparable.

 

[Los_Control]

low compression is a common issue on a engine that has been sitting, stuck valves, lapping the valves, oil in the cylinders to reseat the rings, common issues and fixes for these engines.

Before you buy another that was pulled and then sat, may have same issue you have now ... investigate and find out why you have low compression and what is needed to correct the problem.

Then replace or rebuild as you please, with the knowledge of why you are replacing/rebuilding.

You may just need a 30 min fix to get yours running now.

[homer41]

I have tried all of the suggestions mentioned, had 2 sruck valves, now unstuck. Have spark and all. When it comes down to the Nitty Gritty I plan on rebuilding one of these engines and want to know which one would be best. Which would be the easiest to get parts for at the best price. If it rotates I am leaning toward the 218 but not sold on anything yet. The seller is building a streetrod and has no interest in the engines. Talking to him last night he refers to one as big and one as small. Should these engines be physically the same size?  I thought they would be the same physical size. I can not just drive over and look real easy as they are a 5 hour drive away.  Dave

[55 Fargo]

T 215 is a 1941 230, so that would be my choice., or scrap both ideas and go with a 426 hemi.....

[Dozerman51]

The T-215 is a 23” 230 CI motor 3 & 1/4” x 4 & 5/8” originally installed in all late series 1/2 ton Military Dodge WC 4x4 trucks. If he is talking about a big and small motor, perhaps the 218 is a Canadian built 25” motor .. 3 & 3/8” x 4 & 1/4” not the US built 217.8 23” motor 3 & 1/4” x 4 & 3/8”. 

[55 Fargo]

38 minutes ago, Dozerman51 said:

The T-215 is a 23” 230 CI motor 3 & 1/4” x 4 & 5/8” originally installed in all late series 1/2 ton Military Dodge WC 4x4 trucks. If he is talking about a big and small motor, perhaps the 218 is a Canadian built 25” motor .. 3 & 3/8” x 4 & 1/4” not the US built 217.8 23” motor 3 & 1/4” x 4 & 3/8”. 

Its possible, being from Alaska and Canadas BC right next to it, a 25 inch Canadian 218 it could be. Just need the engine number to verify.

[Dozerman51]

55 Fargo Spitfire,

That’s exactly what I was thinking also. 

[homer41]

Did not mention both are 23 inch engines.   Dave

[Dozerman51]

Ok, thanks for the Info. The 230 has a longer stroke thus more torque and hp. All depends what you want out of the motors. 

[greg g]

Do the 230.  Even stock you will go from 87 HP to 125.  You will be glad you did.  You will need to switch bell housings and maybe fly wheels or ring gears depending on ring gear tooth count.

 

[dpollo]

I would do a 230 or a short 218  rather than the 201.   The parts are easier to get and the 201 is a little light in the bearing area.

 

The truck engine may be the best bet but it depends on its overall condition and how many times it has been rebuilt already. The passenger car engine is a lot newer

and may have had an easier life.   Both engines can be bored as much as .o80  and the crankshafts can be ground to .030 but  my personal preference would be .040 on the bore and .010

on the crank.  Costs would be the same for both.     The 201 was last built in 1941 and pistons and bearings will be harder to source.

[Dartgame]

Like others above said I’d do the truck motor. However it may be a decision based on overall condition of each. If the truck motor is worn out badly then the 218 might be a better choice. Only way to tell is pull the heads and the pan on each and inspect. If I understand it correctly all you need is the 230 flywheel to install the motor in your car. To verify you need a tooth count on the 201flywheel, if its 146 you are probably good to go with a standard 230 flywheel.

Edited January 19, 2018 by Dartgame

[dpollo]

a  23 inch 218 uses a 4 bolt flywheel.    so does the 201.   These will fit the 8 bolt flywheel but you may have a situation where you get only partial engagement of the starter drive..

there are several  relatively easy  remedies which have been covered on this forum.