slant 6 in a 48 coupe

[kdog1157@suddenlink.net]

has anyone put a slant 6 in a 48 coupe.if so did you put headers or dual exhaust. trying to find best fit for car.

[greg g]

Local fellow has one with a torque flight in a 50. Don't know what needed to be done to accomplish, or how much different the engine compartments are but it got done. Slants are considerably longer than the flatheads, and distributor service might be an issue but measure measure measure.

 

This guy, he is a some time participant here

 

https://p15-d24.com/profile/7102-51cambridge/

 

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by greg g

[Plymouthy Adams]

personally the install of the slant six is just another dated drivetrain that is getting less and less supportive every day.  If you are going to the trouble of an engine change, there are better choices out there for sure.  None is a drop in....all of them are invasive and many problems to overcome in the build.  

[Los_Control]

I really can not express how much I love the /6 and my history with them ... great engines.

I do think is a poor choice for these cars. A shorter V8 would fit better ... the location of the distributor will be a pain for maintenance.

Same time it has been done, have seen a truck for sale on craigslist with a /6.

Just guessing you will find 10 v8 conversions for every 1, /6 conversion. Just not common.

 

But if you have one sitting in the garage taking up space, it may be a decent choice.

[Young Ed]

 

Check out my friends /6. Fast forward to the 5min area if you want to skip right to the track.

[JerseyHarold]

8 hours ago, greg g said:

Local fellow has one with a torque flight in a 50. Don't know what needed to be done to accomplish, or how much different the engine compartments are but it got done. Slants are considerably longer than the flatheads, and distributor service might be an issue but measure measure measure.

 

This guy, he is a some time participant here

 

https://p15-d24.com/profile/7102-51cambridge/

 

 

I've seen that car in person and the firewall had a recess put into it to accomodate the slant six.  Whoever swapped the drivetrain did a nice job.

[kdog1157@suddenlink.net]

11 hours ago, kdog1157@suddenlink.net said:

has anyone put a slant 6 in a 48 coupe.if so did you put headers or dual exhaust. trying to find best fit for car.

slant 6 been in it for years.have a hp slant 6 going back in it.

[greg g]

There was also a guy with a slant 6 in a 56 Ford Pickup.

 

 

[Frank Elder]

There was also a guy who put a slant six with a 904 and a 1948P 15 without resetting the firewall and It fit just fine.

Edited September 16, 2020 by Frank Elder

[Ulu]

I drove an 84 Dodge van with a slant six and it was one of the most rocksolid engines ever made. It didn’t make a lot of power but the power was always there because it had four on the floor. That’s the set up I might look for if I was going to do a six.

 

But it’s as wide as a small V-8, PLUS it’s as long as a big block V-8.

 

That being said I do prefer in-line engines over Bent engines. There is a great reduction in complexity, compared to a V.

 

And I think they sound smoother. More coordinated.

 

Of course nowadays they almost all are smooth as hell. Balancing technology has gotten really good.

 

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

an inline has never compared to the quality of sound that a V engine ..man down the street has the most pathetic and annoying/obnoxious inline six Jeep on the planet.    Even V6 with duals are not the best of sounds but a vast improvement over an inline....true duals on the inline (most any engine) always sound better and will enhance over stock....but  many are still lipstick on a pig...

[Frank Elder]

I’d rather hear a slant six over a 302 or 350 any day.........not everyone prefers V8 over in line 6.

[Plymouthy Adams]

not the point Frankie...it was a comment on the sound as preferred by another poster....and as the sound is perceive by myself and well, many others in the hobby....we all have our favs...

Edited September 16, 2020 by Plymouthy Adams

[Ulu]

What can I say about my taste in noise?

I’d like to hear smooth machinery that doesn’t sound like it’s trying to come apart. That’s one of the beautiful things about the Flathead Mopars.

 

 

[kencombs]

A slant six durability story from long ago.

  I was just starting my career with an airline.  Mail delivery boy promoted to a clerical job working at our overhaul base flight line.  The crew also serviced in use airplanes at the passenger terminal, about 2.5 miles away.  When I got there they were using a 61 Ford station wagon as the crew ferry car.  That got upgraded to a crew cab, 3/4T Dodge.  Slant six with a Torqueflite!  Heavy truck, little engine, almost always full of six big guys and tools

 

It may have left the airport grounds once a year.  Otherwise 5 mile round trips several times a day.  127 different drivers, none of which had any real interest in preserving the truck.

 

When I got a new job and went to become a computer programmer, it had 125000+ miles on it with absolutely no mechanical problems.   Amazing drive train!

[keithb7]

I suspect the only engine tougher than a Mopar slant 6 is it's predecessor.. The Mopar L6 Flathead. Darn those flatheads engines are tough. Performance?   Not a high priority compared to later engines.  Fuel economy? Don't make me laugh..It could be good, but if you live in the hills of Tuscany its similar to a 400 bog block V8. True grit? There may not be a better engine that will continue to run and propel a car after decades of neglect and abuse. The Mopar L6. What a tank. Will it run on almost any combustable fuel? Likely.  These old engines, like Zombies, come back to life daily to get the work done. Many, many, many decades later.

[pflaming]

So, why did mine throw a rod? Still baffles me. I had the replacement pistons and rods balanced to prevent, yet still lost #5. 

[Frank Elder]

On 9/16/2020 at 12:41 PM, Plymouthy Adams said:

not the point Frankie...it was a comment on the sound as preferred by another poster....and as the sound is perceive by myself and well, many others in the hobby....we all have our favs...

I was making the point that some of us prefer the 6 over modern engines........I can live with the fact that you don’t prefer them Tim.....and that is my POINT.

[Plymouthy Adams]

and I respect that....I like the older engines.....I have two Maytag washing machine engines......?  they definitely a different sound....

[Dodgeb4ya]

44 minutes ago, pflaming said:

So, why did mine throw a rod? Still baffles me. I had the replacement pistons and rods balanced to prevent, yet still lost #5. 

Drive em too hard....pedal to the metal...rev em too high. The knocking will start.

You can hear an engine beginning to come apart. As long as you can hear that type of sound.

You might see a drop in oil pressure...maybe smoking too.

Maybe the machine and assembly work was subpar.

Who knows...but when the knockin starts.... you got to park it. It will just get worse.

Drive the flatheads reasonably and they will be extremely reliable...

.....if built and driven right.

[pflaming]

Agreed. I built this engine, my first build from the crank up, could well have done something wrong.  I was told rod #5 is the one that usually goes, any truth to that? 

Edited September 19, 2020 by pflaming

[Dodgeb4ya]

Any rod can go.

Did you spend a couple or more hours mic'ing the crank rod and main journals after having the crank ground...the rods resized, hung and aligned, check the small end new bushings...crank end play,  piston to cylinder wall clearance, Was the block decked...

Was the assembly done in a dust and dirt free area....no loose fluffy cat hair in the bearings?

Did you use a properly calibrated torque wrench? Did you use rod bolt protection on the rod bolts and not nick the rod journals? 

What type of bearing pre-lube lube was used on the crank journals?

Was the pan, timing chain and other parts thoroughly professionally cleaned including the oil pickup?

Dirt, rodent hair, old engine sludge will make a rebuilt engine fail for sure.

These are some of the items that need to be done or checked for an engine to have a long and happy life.?

[Frank Elder]

There are no fluffy cat hairs in Paul’s garage............ They are all singed.....lol.

[RobertKB]

14 hours ago, Dodgeb4ya said:

Any rod can go.

Did you spend a couple or more hours mic'ing the crank rod and main journals after having the crank ground...the rods resized, hung and aligned, check the small end new bushings...crank end play,  piston to cylinder wall clearance, Was the block decked...

Was the assembly done in a dust and dirt free area....no loose fluffy cat hair in the bearings?

Did you use a properly calibrated torque wrench? Did you use rod bolt protection on the rod bolts and not nick the rod journals? 

What type of bearing pre-lube lube was used on the crank journals?

Was the pan, timing chain and other parts thoroughly professionally cleaned including the oil pickup?

Dirt, rodent hair, old engine sludge will make a rebuilt engine fail for sure.

These are some of the items that need to be done or checked for an engine to have a long and happy life.?

 

Not being a mechanic, that is why I had my L6 flathead rebuilt by a professional machine shop, owned by an old timer (unfortunately now dead) who had rebuilt hundreds of these engines in his younger days. Sometimes you need to spend money to save money.

 

2000 miles so far and it's running very well. At 71, I hope to be able to put another 20,000 to 30,000 plus on the engine before I have to move the car on.

 

Paul, hopefully you get your truck repaired and back on the road soon as you have said you have a good spare engine.