What Engine Do I have?

[John1952B3C]

It's time to put the engine for my '52 B-3-C back together, I blew the head gasket a couple of years ago, but I'm not sure what year engine I have. When I bought the truck the previous owner had changed the engine, he told me it was a 1937 flathead, but someone else thought it was closer to a late 50's or early 60's. The number on the block is C51-46209. What do I have?

[greg g]

Not familiar enough with chrysler model designations but a C first letter woudl indicate Chrysler as the source of that block. I think it might be a 49 model year but don;t quote me. Measure the head, If its 25 inches it would be a long block engine either Chrysler DeSoto american, of a Canadian engine.

[Merle Coggins]

Well John, that's definatley not a truck engine. The correct engine for your truck would have a T306 (or is it T308) designation. It would have been a 218CID engine. Is your current engine the short block engine (23" long) or the longer engine (25" long)? That might help narrow it down some.

I'm sure these car guys will have an answer for you. I thing the "C" represents a Chrysler engine, but I thought they only used the long engines.

Merle

[Plymouthy Adams]

According to my Motors manual you are the proud owner of a 1951/52 Chrylser Windsor 6..but as we all know some years we have various model numbers and the engine number keeps the same desigination..so no garantee it is a Windsor engine, just that it is a 1951 model.

First engine in the sequence C51-1001

[steveplym]

Question on the same topic. My engine I bought from a guy with a '35 plymouth that decided he wanted a V8. I was not sure what the engine was or if it was the original engine, I assumed it was.

Looked at it tonight and it states on the front that the motor should be replaced with parts for a 218. I would assume this is a 218 then. # on the left front of it is PJ 14514. Anyone know what year this may have come from. Was a 218 available in '35?

I have the original engine for my '47 and it should be a 218 as well right?

Thanks for any help.

[greg g]

I think that your PJ engine is a 201 as Plymouth used that displacement through 41 I believe. Does the engine with the PJ number (Pj is the engineering code for the 35) have a full water jacket on the drivers side or can you see the rounded outside casting of the cylinders. bore and stroke should be 3 1/8 x 4 3/8 unless sombody bored it to 218 specs 3 1/4 x 4 3/8.

[steveplym]

  greg g said:

I think that your PJ engine is a 201 as Plymouth used that displacement through 41 I believe. Does the engine with the PJ number (Pj is the engineering code for the 35) have a full water jacket on the drivers side or can you see the rounded outside casting of the cylinders. bore and stroke should be 3 1/8 x 4 3/8 unless sombody bored it to 218 specs 3 1/4 x 4 3/8.

It has the water jacket on the drivers side. It has a metal tag right by the engine number that says to purchase replacement parts for a 218. I'll have to get a pic of it and post. Everything on the engine is just like the original in the '47.

[steveplym]

Took a look at Tod Fitch's site. PJ in the engine # indicates it is a '35 model. Wondering why there is a tag for a 218 on the engine though? Looks like a factory tag.

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmm...

[bob westphal]

I restored a '35 PJ a while ago. We couldnt determine the vintage of the engine. The machine shop finally figured that it is a military surplus engine. They have strange serial numbers and cubic inches. The one I had also used 218 parts.

[Young Ed]

That tag might indicate a factory replacement engine that was stamped with the original engine #. Does the engine number have a * in it?

[steveplym]

  dodgepu1946 said:

That tag might indicate a factory replacement engine that was stamped with the original engine #. Does the engine number have a * in it?

I didn't see a star. Will have to look closer. I'm leaving town for the weekend will check next week and see. Thanks for the addl info.