JJs 1948 Posted October 1 Report Posted October 1 A friend of mine owns a 1939 Plymouth PT81 with a worn out 201 engine in it. He can get a rebuilt 250 engine from a 48 Chrysler car. Is it possible to swap them using the 39 transmission. The 250 does not have a trans with it. Is it possible to move the radiator forward and use the 250 front motor mount? We would appreciate information from anyone that may have done this. Thanks Quote
Young Ed Posted October 2 Report Posted October 2 My 47 WC which is basically the same as that Plymouth truck had the longer 6 in it. The truck transmission and bell housing were bolted on. Watch for starter depth against the flywheel. The person that did mine welded angle iron on the frame for the front engine mount and then hacked up the radiator mount. I'm sure you can flip it or rearrange the radiator to get a better result than they did. Quote
PT81PlymouthPickup Posted October 2 Report Posted October 2 My opinion would be to either rebuild the 201 or perhaps locate a 230 which is the right length. It's a big enough job removing and replacing an original engine. Adding the modifications needed to swap in an engine the vehicle was not designed for can be a can of worms. Best left for the mechanically gifted that have access to fabrication equipment. As Young Ed suggested the starter offset might be one issue. I'm pretty sure that same issue is true with the 230 as well. I rebuilt my 201 many years ago and have been very happy with it in my PT81. With a T5 trans conversion and a 3.73 differential, it easily cruises at 75 mph. Although I rarely go that fast. Quote
rockingjd Posted October 2 Report Posted October 2 (edited) It can be done. My '40 P10 convertible has had a 25" engine installed at some time in the cars past. It appears they used the original rear engine mounts and drilled new holes for the front mount. I'm not sure what they did with the rad but it's not butchered. One flaw that I need to address is the front crank pulley. It sits too close to the front cross member and I can't change the fan belt. Edited October 2 by rockingjd Quote
JJs 1948 Posted October 3 Author Report Posted October 3 Thank you for the response's gentlemen. I am trying to be neutral on this question. The 250 engine is one I own and is fully rebuilt. I never used it and don't need it anymore. I met the owner of the 39 Plymouth at a car/truck show this summer and he wants to know if it would work in his 39. He'd like to use the 250 engine since it is already rebuilt. Any other ideas would be appreciated. Quote
QEC Posted October 3 Report Posted October 3 The 201-208-218 has a different flywheel than all of the other 50's engines. Do not try to use it on a 250 in this truck, get another. IIRC, Vintage Power Wagons has/had some new wheels. I have numerous used wheel as do others guys. Quote
JJs 1948 Posted October 3 Author Report Posted October 3 Will the transmission in the 1939 bolt to the 250? Quote
QEC Posted October 4 Report Posted October 4 The block bolt pattern should be the same so the bell would swap over. Quote
Old CWO Posted October 4 Report Posted October 4 On 10/2/2024 at 8:27 AM, rockingjd said: She's a beaut! I really like that color combo Quote
Old CWO Posted October 4 Report Posted October 4 In the context of refitting with a non-native engine, going from the short to long flathead Mopar 6 is relatively easy. In this case, that's a significant increase in displacement without dramatic alterations to the car. Quote
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