Mopar Flathead Durability

[RobertKB]

My 1953 Canadian Plymouth Belvedere (25” engine, 228 CID) has just over 102,000 miles. It is the original engine with very little work done. In 1977, at 72,000+ miles, I did replace a burnt valve with a good used one and all valves were lapped. As it was kind of apart, I did put new rings in after honing the cylinders. Bearings were plastigauged and were within factory specs so therefore reinstalled. 30,000 miles later the engine still runs great and uses virtually no oil. Serviced and maintained regularly. It just goes to show these old Mopar flatheads run a long time if treated reasonably. So, original pistons, bearings, valves, etc. Only new non-original parts are rings, one valve, and head gasket. 
 

 

P.S. - Paint is original too. 

 

[keithb7]

She's been well loved for sure.  Ownership, care and maintenance is a major factor. Lots of people across the past 100 years have, and still do ,treat their car as just another tool. They'll defer costs and drive the wheels off it. Any hint of downtime, go get a new one.  Many just do the bare minimum until something starts acting up. Preventative maintenance is unknown to many.

 

I like the saying that many people treat their cars just like their fridge. You just buy one and use it until it breaks. Then buy another. In many instances its as true today as it ever was.

[greg g]

As my little avatar attests, I have been involved with setting up the P15 Picnic over the past few editions.  One of the covenants of these gatherings is the phrase, " No Plymouths left behind " Meaning we never leave a participant behind due to a breakdown.  Over the last few years, the hard luck trophy has been awarded for 

Fuel system, blocked pick up in tank

Charging system, fouled Voltage Regulator points

Broken tail pipe hanger

 

The fuel system required a call for a trailer.

 

There was another failure that required a trailer rescue on the trip home due to a noisy rear end .  

 

But all who started got home. 

 

So over the course of seven or eight years with around 300 miles of tour driving plus miles to  and from the event, let's call it 600 to 700 per car times 10 cars, adds up to considerable reliability with very little in the way of mechanical down time.

Over the course of our regular driving and long distance events,in just over 50,000, our P15, has blown a headlight fuse, spit a fan belt, and needed a fuel filter swap due to a split seam leak on metal in line filter. 

 

Compared to my daily driver. which now gets about the same miles as the Plymouth it has needed

Brakes, transmission cooler lines, valve cover and intake manifold gaskets, exhaust, set of tires, radiator and hoses, horns, timing chain, O2 sensors, front struts, u joints, and two recalls.

Edited March 26, 2023 by greg g

[RobertKB]

1 hour ago, greg g said:

 

But all who started got home. 

 

So over the course of seven or eight years with around 300 miles of tour driving plus miles to  and from the event, let's call it 600 to 700 per car times 10 cars, adds up to considerable reliability with very little in the way of mechanical down time.

Over the course of our regular driving and long distance events,in just over 50,000, our P15, has blown a headlight fuse, spit a fan belt, and needed a fuel filter swap due to a split seam leak on metal in line filter. 

I have owned my ‘53 Plymouth since 1975 when it had 68,000+ miles. In all those years it has never left me stranded. I have replaced a few things like fuel pump, water pump, repaired radiator, etc. but the basic mechanicals are original. Transmission and differential have had seals but that’s it. I sometimes think it has quit running when it idles because the engine is so smooth and quiet. 
 

As is wise…………I will say “touch wood” to all the above. 
 

At some point it will be time to part ways but I would like to own it 50 years which is only two years away. 

[Dan Hiebert]

Our '48 D24 has just over 256K on it.  For a car that spent its earlier years in the southwest, that really isn't an unusually high number.  Most of it is original, we got it when it was 44 years old, with an unknown maintenance history, although I do know the engine had at least a partial rebuild sometime before we got it.  I could also tell it was "rode hard and put up wet" for a number of years.  It was someone's ranch car for a while, used in lieu of a truck when you could only afford one or the other.  Yet, other than smoke due to worn valve guides, the engine has performed flawlessly in the 32 years we've owned it.  It's had other things that needed work, but so far, not the engine itself.  It's not even "tired", just smoky.   

[47 dodge 1.5 ton]

Durability— I would go on a limb and be inclined to say possibly one of the most durable engines offered IMO.

 

The 47 truck I have have currently appears to never have been opened. Guess that can be debated because I have only talked to the 2nd owner.

  25” industrial Chrysler engine I pulled from an air compressor was told to me never opened, it was built in the 70’s however did not run.

 25” industrial motor I pulled from a 1960 combine ran smooth, cool and had good oil pressure when I drove it home 2 1/2 hours(first trip off the farm and on the road!). The PO bought it new in 1960, used it several crops a year until my purchase. Said that he never changed the oil, plugs, wires, points, or water pump. He drained the water, gas at the end of each season. This motor has never been touched as he said it was too hard to access it in the machine. He only ever hose washed it, added oil when it was low and only checked about once a year. They generator and water pump pulleys are wore through as I’m guessing the belts got old and became loose. That is a true testament of time. 
  I’m sure there are some other engine manufactures out there that may have similar stories but I don’t know them personally.

[D35 Torpedo]

The 52 plymouth I have sat in a back yard for a decade. Before that it was at a school. The kids and shop teacher couldn't get it running. It took me a day to go through the starter and put together a good distributor for it. At the end of the day I fired it up and it ran like a new engine, no smoke or shakes. The engine looks like it was on the bottom of the ocean for a bit. Then it was pulled out and thrown into cage with rats and squirels for a decade.