Technical Yeah, Its got a Hemi/41 shop truck

So, whilst snagging a 57 t-bird from her resting place for the last 47 years I happened upon a motor the PO had planned on using as the birds drive train. I offered a modest sum and backed my parts getter up and loaded up the disassembled motor. I have hauled it around in the back of my truck until I had time tonight after work to unload it.
The mill is a 56 Desoto hemi. The block was magnafluxed, ridge reamed, tanked, new cam bearings installed and painted then bagged for the last 20 years.

The PO had used masking tape and paper to seal it up and the residue lingers on the mounting surfaces. the cylinders are stock bore and lightly rusted on the surface. A light ball honing ought to improve that and I need to clean off the tape residue.
While I was taking inventory tonight I found the spark plug tubes and head bolts

A cleaned set of std pistons with new wrist pins.


Cleaned and assembled rocker arms

A box of pulleys, motor mounts, pumps, bolts and stuff I have no idea what they are. Yes, the harmonic balancer is there with the mounting bolt.

A complete felpro gasket set and a nice little holley

A cam in a box labeled only RV2 and a crank in a bag labeled std rods and mains, nicely polished like it was done yesterday. A new oil pump as well.

A full set of push rods, new main bearings, new rod bearings, new rings, new lifters, new timing set

And two nicely machined heads, assembled with new valves and springs.

Valve covers were there but no wire covers, oil pan filled with bolts and the old timing set. no timing cover or distributor but I found the hold down and old fuel pump.

Seems the OP was all ready to re-assemble but never got around to it. Kinda sad but I will take it over for him from here. I found a receipt in one of the boxes for the bearings/gaskets/lifters/etc, it was dated 1987.

It is stamped S23, a 56 Desoto 330 hemi and I did find the 2 bbl intake that was mounted on it. I think a re-assembly is in order after a thorough cleaning. What a unique find. Makes you wonder what is in the shop/barn/garage you pass by daily.

Now what to do with it?

 

Congrats! Cool engine. You gonna put it in the Tbird?

I have a pair of Desoto 'FIRE DOME' wire covers if you're looking for some.

 

Think I might be jealous Nice score

 

I had a 291 in my 40 Plymouth business coupe. There big heavy suckers.

 

PM sent

 

I have paid more for a good bottle of Bourbon. I am surprised it is this complete and ready to assemble. You never know.

 

Go Billy go...yeehaww!!! Oh and one of these......I must visit the other thread with the receiving end of this powerhouse.

 

Cool project!

Hoodless prewar Ford roadster, or maybe a coupe since you're in a rainy clime.

Fenders are up to you. Blackwall bias plies mounted on 16" steelies. Single stage paint in a stockish 1950's color like '56 Chevy sierra gold or dusk plum.
So far, so good?

 

Nothing like a Hemi. Good score.

 

Scoring that 'bird was a steal but you really hit it with this!!

 

SCORE!!!


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I cleaned up the block tonight. It was machined in 87 according to the receipts.

I ran there ball hone through the bores with plenty of oil. cleaned up nicely. There is a ridge but is minuscule.
[
The slight surface rust I removed using only 10/40 and emery paper.
Should I be concerned with this groove in the cylinder wall?

 

Put it in the T-bird, then sit back and listen to all the screeching/weeping from the restorer crowd.

 

Like me if you read the other thread

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/play-free-bird.1112316/page-2#post-12629779

which this is kinda sorta connected to this one it ain't gonna happen...unless...​

 

the groove will fill up with carbon they used to say

Nice score by the way.....

 

Way to go Billy, and I'd stick it in that Bird also. If the rings are Cast Iron that little mark wouldn't bother me at all. Even if they are a Cast/Chrome and that's the only one, I wouldn't loose any sleep. What machine shop did the work on it?
The Wizzard

 

Nope! Don't sweat that small shit....

 

No idea on the shop. I would assume someone in Salem, OR where he used to live. The receipt for all of the parts was from Californy, $650 bucks worth even back then.

Gotta stop by the auto parts house and grab some plastigauge and set the crank in it tonight. Fun project this week.

 

Please post plenty of pictures....
Thanks bud!.....

 

Cool score.

 

One thing, what would you guys use to clean out the lifter bores? They have the same little rust build up from sitting this long that the cylinders had. I don't have a hone that small. Ideas?

 

wheel cylinder hone should do the trick.

 

Yep! What he^^^^^sez......

 

The same outfit that makes ball hones for cylinders makes 'em for shotgun barrels.

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25.00 will get you a little ball hone to fit right in the lifter bore. Different grits too.

 

On it. Thanks.

 

If the front damper is original? don't use it, rubber dry rots. There is two threaded oil galley plugs in the rear under the bellhousing. One is smaller than the other. Don't forget the inner one. You might want to adapt BB Chevy water pump, Shortens motor 4". but you loose mechanical fuel pump.

 

^^^I saw that timing cover on Hot Heads site that uses the chevy water pump, tricky. Ill go home and check those plugs in the galley.

Damper is original and likely quite old.

 

Block has been machined to take cup style freeze plugs too!