270 poly-head swap

[John32369]

I have a 270 poly-head out of a 56 Dodge with a fluid drive transmission.  How hard would that be to drop into a 48 Dodge business coupe?

[Andydodge]

As far as I know by 1956 Dodge used the Powerflite 2 speed cast iron automatic, not the Fluid Drive........as for installing the 277 poly in your 48 dodge, anything is possible, I installed a 1962 318 Poly in my 1940 Dodge 45 yrs ago and its still going strong......I'd suggest you get a tape measure, also decide on what rear end you'll use, remove the front sheetmetal and have at it....you will have to offset the engine to the passenger side, also get a set of Mopar into early Ford engine mounts with the brackets as they will probably be the easiest way to setup the engine,  you'll also have to decide what trans to use, the Powerflite is a 2 speed trans, the 3 speed Torqueflite was introduced in 1957, both are o/k gearboxes but HEAVY with parts getting hard to fin, both are cast iron boxes.........not sure whether the same adaptors that are used to fit various autos to the 57 up Plymouth Poly will fit the 56 engine tho'.........andyd    

[wayfarer]

The 270 is a fairly compact assembly so this should be a relatively easy swap. As Andy mentions, the PF is a bit heavy but, when in good condition, a very adequate performer.

The usual interference will be the exhaust manifold and steering column so move the engine/trans to the pass side...2" is not extreme.  Oh yeah, move BOTH the engine/trans, not just the engine.

The '56 is 12v but you can use a '55 starter and generator and keep everything 6v.

The 'other' big questions are how well equipped is your shop? How much working space do you have? How are your fab skills?

[Plymouthy Adams]

I found on my 48 Plymouth that a 2 inch shift to the passenger side and me providing a margin of comfort with the driveshaft install, the widening of the tunnel was a safe mod.  (look at the tunnel bracing to follow this, look at the larger diameter drive shafts with modern drivetrains when retrofitting) keep in mind also that the automatic tranny will require a bit more width on the average....measure measure measure, it is never a waste of your time.

[dndrodshop]

The 270 poly motor should use the same adapter as the early hemis to allow you to use any number of transmissions including Chrysler's aluminum 727 or 904 from the A motors (273, 318, 340, 360).  There are probably several companies making adapters.