What was my original engine?

[Ajgkirkwood]

Hello again everyone. My brother and I have been working on pulling out the motor/trans because we believe the ring gear on the flywheel went. I currently have a 265ci long block in the car. I want to rebuild it because oil pressure is like 5 psi idling and 25 on the hwy. I found on kijiji a 23 with trans for 500 that was rebuilt in 1995. It showed 40-50 psi in a video while it was idling (warm I’m assuming by the temp gauge next to it) is this too high for idling?

 

anyways getting to the point. I would like to get that 230 as a replacement till I can afford to rebuild the 265 however looking at the motor mounts i don’t see anything modified to fit the 265. I was under the impression it had a 23 block before and they have to squeeze that long block in. 

 

Did is my car come with a 23 or 25 block? 

 

Attached is is the motor and mounts

[Reg Evans]

Your Chrysler came with a 25" block.

[belvedere666]

Chrysler and DeSoto Both came with a 25 inch block. Dodge and Plymouth cars came with a 23 inch block.

What car do you have?

[Ajgkirkwood]

1940 Chrysler Windsor. So a 230 wouldn’t work in my car?

[Don Coatney]

2 hours ago, Ajgkirkwood said:

1940 Chrysler Windsor. So a 230 wouldn’t work in my car?

 

 

With enough money you can make anything work.

[belvedere666]

2 hours ago, Ajgkirkwood said:

1940 Chrysler Windsor. So a 230 wouldn’t work in my car?

It wouldn’t just drop in, bolt up, and do the job.

Don, up there ^ put a 25” block in a 23” car.

i suppose you can put the smaller one in the bigger car with a little work, but you may have to reverse it to get the 25” back in later.

[Ajgkirkwood]

I wonder if a plate would all that would be needed to move the front motor mount back. 

 

I guess i wont know unless its right in front of me.

[Jerry Roberts]

12 hours ago, Ajgkirkwood said:

1940 Chrysler Windsor. So a 230 wouldn’t work in my car?

Is that  230 in Canada ?  It might be a 25 " engine . 

[dpollo]

Canada had a 228.  long block.   a 230  (23 inch) will fit into your car with a minor mod to the front mounts.   just a plate  bolted to the original frame holes on each side which hooks up with the front mount support.   Performance, if it is a later 230 , will be adequate.    certainly better than a worn out engine.

[desoto1939]

If the engine on the 23 inch block is not moved back far enought then you would also have an issue with the driveshaft becasue the  smaller engine if not positioned correctly would not sit back far enought to connect the driveshaft at the tailend of the trans and emergency brake band.

 

What is the cost of the small engine and then think of the modifications cost. Get a price to rebuild the 25inch block and see how much difference in cost.  it would be better to put the correct engine in the car.  Spend the money wisely do it once and then you will have a great engine in a great car.

 

Rich HArtung

1939 Desoto owner with a 25 inch block

desoto1939@aol.com

[Don Coatney]

Assuming the 23 inch 230 crankshaft is drilled for 8 bolts and the flange thickness is the same as the 265, the Chrysler fluid drive unit and bell housing is used along with the Chrysler transmission everything in the back should be a bolt on including the driveshaft emergency brake connections and the transmission gear selection hardware. The 2 inch shorter engine block will require modifications to the front engine support/crossmember and most likely will require drilling 4 new holes in the cross member.A fan shroud may be required as the fan will sit 2 inches rearward  from the radiator and may not cool the engine correctly. Doing it this way should be least evasive and make it easy to return the original engine.

[1949 Wraith]

Your 1940 Windsor would have originally been the 241. If you are located in Canada the Canadian Dodge and Plymouth made 218/228 will fit also. There were a lot of industrial Chryslers 251/265 engines that are all long block as well along with the trucks.

 

What does your engine serial number indicate your present engine was out of? Maybe if your car was Canadian you don't have the fluid drive option?

[Ajgkirkwood]

My motor was from a car 1954 Windsor that was a 265 fluid drive. What they did was I believe used the 1940 flywheel, belhousing and transmission. It was hacked together to make it work as I’m finding out. I bought a nos flywheel from vintage power wagons and seems to be going decent putting back together. My brother and I are learning as we go but we are find how much of a hack job it was before. 

 

The plus to the 230 is that it’s 2 inches shorter. I would like to install an electric shrouded fan onto the car to allow it to cool when the car is off and to free up so horse power from the block. 

 

The 230 with trans would cost 500 plus getting it so I’m assuming 750 all said and done. 

 

My 265 runs good but I’m scared of how low that oil pressure is so I think I will have to rebuild it. I’ll be Atlest 1000 into it. 

 

If the rear mounts are the same (the 2 on the bell housing) Then making a plate for the front won’t be an issue

 

i know there’s no replacement like displacement. Its 35ci I’m losing but are the hp figures and torque between the 2 big?

[austinsailor]

As to putting the 23" block in, I did this in a Fargo.  I welded an extension on the front motor mount, bolted it in. Add a fan shroud and find hoses to fit, you're done. Rear is the same, nothing moves.

 

As to your present block,invest in a pan gasket. Pull the pan, get some plastigauge, find out what your clearances are. You might get buy with some undersize bearings (.001 or .0015 under) if they are now standard. You may also find that your oil pump is worn. I'd do a little diagnostics before going the route you're suggesting.

[austinsailor]

I went out to finish pressure washing my drive after writing the above. Lots of time to think. 

 

Let me get this straight and make sure I understand. You have a good running 265. it's out of the car now. Only problem is low oil pressure at idle. So. instead of diagnosing the problem, which,  by your account, could result in a $1000 repair job, you want to hack in a small, undesirable 23" motor on which you'll spend $750 plus shipping, plus probably a couple hundred on mounts and a fan, hoses and probably more, and then overhaul or repair the desired 265 in the future, spending another $1000? 

 

Am I stupid or missing something?