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Can you put a 1950's Hemi into a 60's B-Body?

696969

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I know this topic may have the potential to be a little controversial, because why would you want to. It's just kind of a theoretical question. I've been exploring putting something very different or exotic into my 69 Satty as a drivetrain. Also wondering if anyone else has done the same or even wackier.

Here's an example motor for sale locally:

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/4374985195.html
 
You could put anything in just about anything depends on how much fab you want to do,I had a buick nailhead in a 55 Chevy.
 
I dont know if I would say its controversial, but its not something I would look at and find interesting. Or wacky. I have seen an engine put together so as the exhaust was the intake and the intake manifold is where the exhaust escaped. That was wacky. A 392 hemi in a 69 plymouth just doesnt look right to me. I dont really go for putting older engines in newer bodies. Except for a few early 60's b bodies that the 392 looks good in. And the 426 hemi, you can put that in anything.
 
I know my dad still talks about a desoto hemi he put in a '70 satellite in high school. even used the 2 speed. The have similar engine mounts as a wide block. I was contemplating putting a 354 I have in my '64 but the cost to build an older hemi is outrageous in my opinion.. I built my 360 for a fraction of the cost...
 
It's more of a pipe dream than anything else. Those 50's Hemis sure look good and sound bitchin' too.
 
I've put a 315 super power giant hemi (Poly block) out of a 58 dodge d 500 truck and put it in a 66 dodge step side pick up. it replaced a slant 6 bolted right up to the tranny. I plan to find another 315 or 325 hemi and put it in my 65 satellite with a edelbrock p600 3 deuce set up and stroke it to@ 402 c.i.
 
other than the cool aspect..the early hemi (rear distributor blocks) are limited and quite expensive to build and really expensive to build for HP compared to what is available to you today...the later front distributor hemi's are for sure the units to build for power...

stick with the LA and B blocks...unless you just got to be different with that shock and ah valve cover..
 
It can be done easily. But why? A 392 is expensive to play with. Even more than a 426 Hemi. I think in todays world it might be a polished boat anchor. Great looking in street rod.
 
I've put a 315 super power giant hemi (Poly block) out of a 58 dodge d 500 truck and put it in a 66 dodge step side pick up. it replaced a slant 6 bolted right up to the tranny. I plan to find another 315 or 325 hemi and put it in my 65 satellite with a edelbrock p600 3 deuce set up and stroke it to@ 402 c.i.

Would like to see pics if you got 'em!

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1962_plymouth_belvedere_392_hemi_2_lgw.jpg

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392 in Valiant

http://blogs.hotrod.com/when-is-a-392-hemi-not-a-392-hemi-92715.html
 
315 hemi in a 60's b body

Scan.jpgi'll try to scan some pict's of my 66 pick up in a day or two add to the pictures a 3 deuce manifold to the baby hemi it's a early 318 w/ hemi heads
 
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Search out the conversion kits... motor mounts and a transmission cross member the linkage for auto or std headers would be custom to the car the radiator and shroud will also be made to fit.. it's a lot of work and the power steering and brakes will be clearances issues... then the added weight on the front-end... I'd want that motor as far back to the firewall as possible.... needing a custom bent distributor wrench... all depends on you're level of skill and time or money.... I would get a donor car that originally had that motor in it for the cross members.... you're building a one of a kind down to the cigarette lighter
 
It is complicated. Dodge, Desoto, and Chrylsler Hemi's aren't the same. Rule of thumb: Dodge big bore, short stroke. Desoto, more square, bore and stroke. Chrysler 331-392, long stroke, smaller bore. the crank on a 392 sits below the block. They competed with each other, and made different products. Believe it or not, the Dodge guys were angry that the RoadRunner came out, and the designers didn't share information.
 
Me and my best friend put a '58 Chrysler 392 in a '67 satellite back in the late '80's. We got the engine very cheap, around $50 and went from there. Mopar Action ran a article decades ago, about this same swap, if you can find it, E-Berg's tech article was fantastic. We ended up using MP's electronic small block ignition with a brass spacer that worked perfectly. A local machine shop, long out of business, had a guy who worked and still raced these engines. His help was priceless. A lot of the bottom end bearings used LA engine bearings. Had a guy in Gran Rapids regrind a MP 509 purple shaft camshaft. Weiand two four intake manifold, Holley 650's carbs. We used our own shop built adapter plate and ran a 833 4-speed transmission. At that time most Napa parts stores still had a inventory of water pumps and gaskets sets, not many, but they still had them laying around.

I would stay away from the Dodge, Desoto and Imperial HEMI engines. And the old polyhead Plymouth engines. These engines are almost impossible to find parts for and require an insane amount of custom fabrication to make it fit in a 60's Mopar. No, not one piece will enter change between them! Not even the starter motors interchange. Likewise, there is some decent Chrysler 354 pieces still a round, but i would be cautious there. I would avoid the 331 HEMI's all together, there reliability was not the greatest.

All i got to say is just DO IT. You will not regret it. I regret the day we had to sell the car as our careers had us on different sides of the country, storage fee's were ever increasing and it was impossible for us to end up back home at the same time to take the car to the track.
 
IIRC the early hemis all have their own internals specific to just that engine Like monaco66 is saying. In other words you may not be able to swap a 330 crank or rods over to a 341. The 354 and 392s shared some parts. So you would want to find one as complete to start with. Theyre great lookin and sounding in an open hood rod, or older pickup
 
you can use a 354 block bored .125 over install a 392 crank with short rods and have a stout 417 and yes all Chrysler hemi blocks will take a 125 over bore just check for core shift before you bore it out

and all hemi's by Chrysler including the 331 from 55 up are all good to build power as they all have steel cranks with rolled radius jurnals and excellent breathing heads

dodge (short block length) is the smallest engines desoto(medium length) is next then chrysler (longest of the blocks and the heaviest)
and you can not interchange parts between families
 
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