blackp7coupe Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 Hey guys, I have a P-15 coupe with no motor. A friend will give me one out of '55 Dodge, but there is no flywheel or clutch, etc. The engine has 8 bolt pattern on the crank. So I am need of a flywheel. Can someone point me in the direction of what year Dodge or Plymouth flywheel will work (?). Thanks in advance for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ194950 Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 Do you have a flywheel ,bell housing, clutch, transmission from the p-15? You should be able to use a 4 or 6 bolt flywheel on that 8 holed crankshaft but whatever flywheel you find needs to fit the bellhousing type. The flywheel would be easiest to fit will be the 8 bolt because of the depth for starter gear engagement. Others have modified the starter mounting surface by having it milled down. Look around for what you can find and advise here. DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackp7coupe Posted August 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 I have bellhousing, trans, and clutch, but no starter or flywheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ194950 Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 (edited) Ok. You can use any bolt number flywheel previous to 1956? I believe that was the year that they changed to a different number of starter ring gear teeth. Don where are you?? Don did a very complete write up on the flywheel changes, modification required when using a 4 or 6 bolt flywheel on a 8 bolt cranks. Also many good pictures with his write up. Starter will be a search but come up often on EBay and other sales web sites. Are you staying 6 volt?.What you want is a starter that is very common as they were used on many years and Mopar brands used the same parts. Be aware that myself and many others have used 6 volt starters on 12 volt changeovers without problem. You do Not want one with the older car/truck foot pedal activator setup. like this but cheaper for sure! 1949-1955 Dodge Plymouth Starter Restored 6 VOLT Prestolite MCH6101 (Fits: 1950 Dodge) EBay search Can someone better at finding Don's write up in a forum search help out?? Thanks! DJ Edited August 19, 2019 by DJ194950 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotRodTractor Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 Don's Photobucket T-5 Album: HERE Maybe you can gleam what is needed off of his picture album. I looked for few minutes and didn't find any specific thread, but I do know my car has a 4 bolt flywheel on an 8 bolt crank - and to make the whole shebang work, 3/8" was shaved off the starter mounting area on the bell housing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted August 20, 2019 Report Share Posted August 20, 2019 On both the crankshaft and the flywheel be them 4-6-or 8 bolt one hole is drilled slightly "off" of the others. So the flywheel will only bolt on one way. It may take a few tries to find the right combination. Once you find the right combination mark them as pictured below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayfarer Posted August 21, 2019 Report Share Posted August 21, 2019 The flywheel issue is related to the crankshaft. The Plymouth 23" 201-208-218 does indeed use a flywheel that is different from all others due to the amount of flange projection as measured from the block. The magic number is 0.185" shorter than a 230 for example. Flywheel ring gear tooth count changed for the 1957 model year from 146 to 172. I have seen/found the 146 used in later L6 installations however. Flywheels bolt patterns used 4, 6 and 8 bolts all on the same bolt circle so all will fit on an 8-bolt crank. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackp7coupe Posted August 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2019 So it looks like the challenge is finding the right combination of flywheel, starter, and bellhousing so that the starter and ring gear mesh. Am I understanding properly that the flange on the end of the Dodge (230) crankshaft is thicker/longer than on the 201-218 engine? Is this the 0.185 " mentioned above? This would move the flywheel back and not allow the gear on the starter drive to engage the ring gear properly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted August 22, 2019 Report Share Posted August 22, 2019 2 hours ago, blackp7coupe said: So it looks like the challenge is finding the right combination of flywheel, starter, and bellhousing so that the starter and ring gear mesh. Am I understanding properly that the flange on the end of the Dodge (230) crankshaft is thicker/longer than on the 201-218 engine? Is this the 0.185 " mentioned above? This would move the flywheel back and not allow the gear on the starter drive to engage the ring gear properly? This was my fix. Desoto engine, P-15 flywheel and bell housing. Careful measuring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9 foot box Posted August 22, 2019 Report Share Posted August 22, 2019 Looking at a Hollander Interchange, 1946-56, it looks like a lot of Mopar 1946-54 flywheel's will interchange. I'd guess that mostly 230's but there are exceptions. They will have different pressure plate mounting holes for clutch size. Post a classified for 230 flywheel, a 48-51 Dodge 1/2 ton truck is listed as an interchange. You will need to get the correct flywheel bolts and nuts if you can. Measure the diameter of your pressure plate holes and try to find a flywheel with the same pattern. I'd stay with the original 9 1/4 or 10" clutch. A lot of starters will fit. It also seems to depend on the 55 engine numbers, truck or car. That's what the Hollander states. If you have car shows in your area, I'd visit with the owners of older Mopar cars. If it's been Butchered and has a V-8, the original engine and transmission might still be around their shop. But a Purist might have a cache of parts that they could help you with. And they might have more experience and parts, with what you are needing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayfarer Posted August 25, 2019 Report Share Posted August 25, 2019 On 8/21/2019 at 3:57 PM, blackp7coupe said: So it looks like the challenge is finding the right combination of flywheel, starter, and bellhousing so that the starter and ring gear mesh. Am I understanding properly that the flange on the end of the Dodge (230) crankshaft is thicker/longer than on the 201-218 engine? Is this the 0.185 " mentioned above? This would move the flywheel back and not allow the gear on the starter drive to engage the ring gear properly? Not exactly. If you stay clear of the mentioned Plymouth wheels then there will be no issues with starter-flywheel-bellhousings. Because the crank flange is 'shorter', using a 218 wheel on a 230 crank will set the ring gear deeper into the bell and thus require the machine work Don shows in the photo for the starter to properly engage.. The face of the small Plymouth crank flange sits right at 1.00" from the face of the block. All other L6 and V8, prior to 1962 (except for the slant-6) measure 1.185". These numbers will vary slightly due to the clearance on the thrust main and whether the crank is then positioned fore, aft, or somewhere in between when measured. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sniper Posted October 6, 2023 Report Share Posted October 6, 2023 So, why could a 0.185" spacer not be used between the flywheel and the crank? Shouldn't be an issue for a competent machinist to make one up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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