saving a baby elephant

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

That is my goal.


I have this old lump that I just couldn't talk myself into ditching. It is a 1955 Desoto 291 c.i. Hemi.
Key word Desoto. That means virtually none of the other hemi siblings parts interchange.
Parts are hard to find; if you do they cost crazy $$$ even for stock level stuff. For example the only pistons to be bought off the shelf are 7ish-1 compression. Yea, like I'm going to go through this kind of aggravation to build a 180 hp Hemi------um NO!

it was purchased as a "running engine", but I had my doubts.............









I have been debating what to do and looking for another block for some time. I finally just started collecting stuff, and the block to be cleaned up and sleeved. I have been waiting on pistons so it can be bored and balanced.
Today the pistons made it! WOO HOO! 10-1's from Ross. I also have a solid roller cam waiting. That is where it sits today. A bit early to be runnin' my mouth about it, but I'm starting to get excited about this little Hemi.

[Beagle]

I cried on that cylinder picture. ROSS for the Win! They make beautiful slugs. Tie-barred rollers... I'd be excited too! Here's to hoping the block doesn't wind up in jail. What are the dimensions on a 291" Desoto? The last picture, well, this has the right stuff. More!

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

Exterior dimensions? It is the middle one of the baby hemi's

Dodge is the smallest then DeSoto then Chrysler is the longest. Not even the valve covers interchange. LOL

Most listings I've seen have this engine @ around 620-630 lbs. everything on it is heavy, the cast iron 4bbl intake must weigh 45-50 lbs by itself.

The tiebar still needs to be modified. As is they will not fit under the "low deck". The bar will be made so it can be removed, the lifter slipped through the hole in the deck then reattached.

[BBR]

Huge steaming bucket full of win!!!!!!

[Gary 351C]

I love seeing old oddball stuff like this brought back to life. This is the kind of motor you build a car around.

[Scott Liggett]

Whats the bore and stroke? I wonder if its possible to go old school and offset grind the crank fof more cubes.

[squirrel]

neat! I had a 330 desoto (56) that looked fine on the outside, but the pan had been full of water for years, every bore that I got a piston out of was broken, and I ended up scrapping most of it. Sold the valve covers, manifolds, stuff like that.

Leaving it stock compression would work great with a blower, but it looks like you're probably going to give it some squish and make it spin fast? should be fun

3 23/32 x 3 11/32 bore stroke

[ls7gto]

thanks for saving the native wildlife....whats the intended use? Street Rod, old school digger , or just a bitchen Hot rod?

[BigBlockMopar]

Nice build!

I dragged home a 392 years ago with a spun rodbearing.
After opening it up it was sludge city in there.
I had the block machined .020 and bought some Egge pistons for it. Engine is still in the stand waiting for the heads to be rebuild aswell.

[milner351]

Great to hear from you again - this is going into the uber cool old coupe you saved - right?

Been out on the boat yet this year?

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

thanks guys!

I considered the offset crank turn until I realized that the crank only needed to be polished!!!
A blower would be nice, but I'll save that for a 392, since those parts are possible to get.
It will be going into a 47 Dodge cab based old styled hot rod. It came with the hemi and that is where the ol' Desoto mill will start out to see how I like the combo. I really REALLY like this thing being all Chrysler. It's why I bought it.

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

Great to hear from you again - this is going into the uber cool old coupe you saved - right?

Been out on the boat yet this year?

YUP same old pile sitting in the corner...with a few parts collected it's time to dig it out.

Ah the boat(sigh) The motor ate itself last year. Wife is back in school and working full time, so decided on a year off for the ol' Daytona.
I'm hoping to add a s/c this winter - (DON'T TELL MY WIFE!!!)LOL

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

OK I just heard from the machine shop, the crank is ready. Std on the rods and .001 on the mains ;-). The block is still not bored, but will be soon.

I knew I didn't want to cut that crank. It is time to start locating the goodies I have "squirreled away"......

He also has the heads for my cursed wagon ready.......


Here is the trans adapter and ALUMINUM flywheel. I have the distributor somewhere I converted it to electronic already.

[milner351]

'Lumnum flywheel? you gonna road race this coupe when yer dun?

Sorry to hear about the boat - and what's up with the wagon - long time since we met up in Indy - nope I still haven't done a derned thing with all those I beams!

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

No road racin' just parts that I picked up. If I don't like it I'll order one in steel. They are not cheap, bur I can get one.

The wagon never did run properly. My orig heads were cracked and a former coworker had a set of small combustion chamber heads he built and ported and"ran for 1 summer" (dude builds sprint car motors for his son). I bought them and didn't disassemble them before installing them. DUMB DUMB DUMB. They had an exhaust valve hanging and 2 intakes that didn't seal. It has maybe 150 miles on it since I put it all together. It's just been sitting, and in the way. Time to fix it and drive it, or send it down the road.


I guess I should dig that thread up and post up some more fail...I was just being cheap and lazy, I know better than to trust a used part.

Funny u mention about the beams. I have a w 8-18 26'L in my driveway since last spring.........seemed like a good plan "in the moment".