ww2dodge.com Forum

I'm getting close to done with the WC-51, and having brakes and decent steering now, have taken it for a couple more runs around the block. These trips finally ran it long enough to warm the oil up good and find it won't hold decent oil pressure warm. It starts to overheat after a half hour or so too. This is the same motor that has marginal compression... it's just too tired and needs a rebuild.

I need another 230 for it before the 4th of July parade.

A good mechanic could rebuild the current engine by then, but I don't have much rebuild experiance and would have better luck if I could take my time. I think the simplest thing would be to swap out the motor and then rebuild the original over the winter at an easy pace.

So I don't need anything fancy, just something with known good compression and oil pressure... I've got all the accessories already.

A WWII block would be nice (T-214) but at this point I'd be interested in any 230 that will still bolt up to the WWII tranny. (PW or M37)

Please contact me if you've got something available... oh, I should add Western US location prefered. I'm willing to drive 500 miles or so to pick it up.

Thanks,

Chris Davis
Centerville, UT
cdavis@surplustrucks.com
H: 801 298 2906
C: 801 831 0741

A lot of these engines were built and installed in practically all Chrysler vehicles for several decades. In other words, an "L Head" engine from a sedan or pickup will get you running again, although things like the intake and water pump may need to be switched from your truck's motor to the donor.
I'm using a block and head from a '57 two wheel drive pickup in my WC51.

That does widen the search a bit. I'll check some other Dodge web sites.

Chris

We have four motors two of which are mid fifties Plymouth motors. One is currently in the truck, the other plymoth motor is disassembled as spares for one of our T214 motors that are at the rebuilder. Our fourth motor is another T214 that is a spare to be rebuilt as time allows. Sorry no assemblied motors with known good compressions and oil pressure. The disassemblied motor was a runner when we tore it apart. We were told that one of the motors we have is out of a desoto. Check the salvage yards.

Robert
1942/43/44/45 WC-52

I've got a line on a '51 Plymouth Business Coup with a good running original motor that I'm considering.

Quick question, how hard is it to swap the engine? The manuals show pulling the transmission and motor together. Can you just pull the engine, leaving the tranny in place supported on a jack? Or do you need to pull the both, and swap motor to tranny out of the truck?

Thanks,

On a WC 3/4 tonthe easiest way is to remove like the book says. If you don't want to pull with transmission you still have to remove the transmission because no matter what you have to pull with the bellhousing. the bellhousing does not pull away from the engine unless the flywheel is removed and to remove flywheel you have to remove trans. the book says remove brake pedal assembly but you can manage it with it in. read the removal section carefully in the book it will save you alot of time. if you want to remove trans before engine you need to remove the crossmember behind trans, disconnect everything from trans. I put a jack up high under the trans so when I slide it out of bellhousing I can rest it on the jack. Just like the book says to remove with the trans attatched you must remove the shift tower first.

I pulled engine and trans as a unit. I put the engine back first and later replaced the trans from the top using a come-along suspended from the ceiling.
A good measuring caliper and some inner and outer divider calipers can come in very handy in engine evaluation. I tore down a Ford 391 a while back in which the crank journals etc. still measured stock. I know it may not be recommended, but I put her back, sans machining, with new rings and bearings. Made a big difference in the oil pressure and has been running now around the fifty thousand mile range without further difficulties.
By the way, I simply gotta have tires like your's. Do you mind telling where you got them?

Kaegi, you're saying they need to be pulled as a unit, but if you're carefull you don't have to mess with the brake assy? Good news there.

Mike, I'll probably just assemble them (engine & tranny) outside the truck and put the whole thing back in. Of course I need to find an engine. I've got a line on a rebuilt unit that is more $, but I plan to keep the truck for some time, so it's probably worth it. Problem is, I can't have the rebuilt one until after the Holister, CA rally... probably too late for my 4th of July parade.

Thicker oil (50 weight) and STP oil treatment, seem to have brought the oil pressure up high enough to avoid the over heating issue, but I still need to do a good road test to confirm.

I do own a set of calipers and ID gages. I've checked out the boar of the current motor's cylinders and they are borderline. I have not checked bearings, but the dropping oil pressure points to trouble there too.

As for the tires, they are Michelin XL 11.00R16 military surplus from Marine LAV combat vehicles. I bought these a few years ago from another MV collector in S. CA. I know he was selling off his MV related stuff at the time and doubt he has any more.

Recently more have been sold off by the military, although I think most were the newer XZL tread pattern (still basically the same tire). Here's a link to an ad on the Powerwagon forum.

http://www.dodgepowerwagon.com

He's on the east coast too, so shipping might not be too bad.

The military sold a lot of those XZL's, so there are probably others about...

Thanks for the engine removal info!

"Kaegi, you're saying they need to be pulled as a unit, but if you're carefull you don't have to mess with the brake assy? Good news there."

You can remove transmission first, it just means more nuts and bolts have to come out if you decide to. you can leave brake pedal in, TM 9808 is quite thorough in its instruction. Once the front clip is off and floor boards are out it all happens pretty quickly.

It seems these engine were used in vast quantities of welder generators, compressors, and aircraft tow-tractors, as well. I have the engine manual as sold by Vin Pwr Wagns which illustrates industrial assemblies.