Technical Yeah, Its got a Hemi/41 shop truck

Man, that engine is the bees knees! Love the valve / wire covers

 

So we know "it's" got a hemi... but what is "it"? Well the search is over and here is the answer

This is the jumping off place. The first pieces assembled; a title in my name, a plate and a HAMB topper. The rest is the easy part. And oh yeah, it'll have a hemi!

 

Let me see.......maybe a truck!

 

^^^^^^Now you know where that 9" posi is going! No one wheel squeal deal here buddy.

 

Here is a real quick pic on the build of the Desoto 330. I stopped by the machine shop with a set of adjustable push rods and a new oil pump and threaded pick up, a new bronze gear for the intermediate shaft and a cam torque plate that I was missing.

I called Hot Heads last Tuesday with the order, it was on my desk by Friday. Who ever says 330 parts are hard to come by hasn't dealt with the guys at Hot Heads. After the flat head build this is a no brainer and a hell of lot cheaper!

Bored .40 over to clean up the holes, custom pistons are 10:1 compression ratio. It took some time to get them but I was in no real hurry. This should make a fine little hot rod motor for the 41 pick up. I also dropped off my respirator to protect him from the catalyzed gloss black paint I bought for the motor. The entire truck will carry the black, white and gold theme starting with the power plant.

 

I know your penchant for polishing Billy but yezuss, looks like you polished the bores, sure hope the rings seat!
Kidding, probably just how it looks in the photo.
So, who is doing the machine work?

 

Archie Somers here in Brush Prairie. The guys know his motors and loves Hemiroids (his affectionate name for them). He un-bagged it so I could see the reciprocating assembly this morning. They do look shiny, probably due to being dripping wet in oil. He has been building hemis for the local racers forever. If the SloPoks recommend him he cant be all bad. If the Wizzard recommends him, he must be da man.

 

Now that's the kind of work I'm used to seeing. I'm guessing here that what your saying is based on your own personal satisfaction and not just because someone you talked to bragged on him a good bit.
The Wizzard

 

This is my first motor over at Somers but it I have already sent a buddy in there for a 455HD TA rebuild. He will get a lot of work from me because of his professionalism and talent.

 

Archie don't miss a lick or take any short cuts. If you have a budget that won't let him do the job right he just don't do it. Gotta admire a Guy for that.
The Wizzard

 

That is almost verbatim our conversation when I dropped off the hemi. He would have built it with the stock CR but he was very pleased when I asked him to up the ratio with new custom pistons.

 

You know what has a hemi in it? My parts hauler! 330 back from the machine shop. Things are about to get all funky up in here!
DESOTO, that's native American for "He who rides fastest stallion and mates with best looking women while drinking top shelf whiskey"...actually, I can't back that up but it is cool to have her home.

 

I'm glad you bumped up the compression. I wish I had done the same to mine but the short block already had the new pistons installed (low).

 

Yeah, when we spec'd the holes it needed .40 to clean her up and that point it meant either spending $300 on slugs or $900 and upping the ratio. I think in the end it will be funds well spent. Had to go with adjustable push tubes due to the decking, new valves, hardened seats. Custom cam grind, it's an old recipe and the cook was very experienced, should be tasty!

I did test fit those Sanderson block huggers I got from Hot Heads. Someone on another thread was talking about them not bolting up. Not so, every bolt dropped in like money.

 

Damn.. that's sexy

 

I am finally getting back to things after a brief health related interlude. I had to add an oil fill to one of the covers as the new timing cover has no fill provision. Hot heads had one of these Donovan water necks that worked well for an oil fill after some cutting, welding a couple of studs in, and re-chroming the cover.

I also added 2 breathers to the covers and a PCV valve to the valley pan. Distributor is a MSD unit with black cap also from Hot Heads. I cut the wires and fitted them to the cap and then I had an idea. This block sits real snug to the firewall during mock up and I don't want the wires rubbing against the firewall. I remember having some fancy wire looms lying around from my camaro years ago (I never throw stuff away). these are them

designed to be threaded into the head accessory bolt hole. I had to run a tap through the Hemi heads to accept the tread pitch but that was easy enough. These are polished aluminum and hold the 8mm taylor wires very tight. You can see the distributor is the farthest point to the firewall now instead of the plug wires flopping all about. Cost...$0.00

This one is upside down but you get the idea

Very tight, very cool addition that will be invisible after the block is installed but added points from the cool kids who take notice.

Hemi now complete other than intake manifold. According to Hot Heads that is next week. More to follow on that. For now it is time to remove the cab and start some frame surgery to fit the trans.

 

You have some great ideas and its very tastefully done.

 

Yea nice but did you BUFF those brackets before installation LOL

 

Well, of course I did. I mean why do a job half rate?

 

Time to get some work done. Roadster off the lift, truck on. In order to fit the Desoto Hemi and the A518 I have to do a little frame surgery.

The x member (soon to be more of an H) is going to get a bit wider, 18" side to side, 27" long ought to do it. I'll replace it with straight beams I had formed and a 13" runner to the frame sides that will be even with the trans mount I'm fabricating. I tried to keep the cut square so the trans mount will slide in and out for servicing.

The A518 takes up some real estate, fortunately the truck has some to give. Time to cut it up.

 

Make sure you have room for a Booster behind the in floor brake pedal. Swing pedals in your Truck the way the steering column mounts could be an issue.

 

^^^Yeah, under floor pedals aint happening with this trans in the way. Going to have to look at a firewall mount and drop pedal.

Take a little off the middle please. This frame is in pretty good condition but I most fond of the id numbers that match my title, already licensed and registered. That is always step one when possible.

Test fit. Looking good so far, I need to refit the cab to make sure I have this in the right spot and the correct elevation in the tail in order to not mess with the firewall. When we mocked up the motor mounts originally we used a short deck Desoto, the same length so I know the 330 will fit with the MSD distributor once I set the tail at the proper elevation. If it works the same as before, the cab should sit on the frame with no alteration to the firewall or floor pan, pretty cool.

And we wont belabor the fact that it has a front end job already and nicely installed I might add. I wouldn't have gone there first choice but what done is done and it is going to allow for this hemi to sit inside the constraints of the engine bay (barely). Headers are block huggers and fit fine, I'll have my work cut out for me on the exhaust system.
The 2X6 tranny mount is just about where the trans mount will go and the new side supports that will brace the new H member to the frame rails.

 

Eagerly following as I'm planning the same build! More, more, more! THANKS!

 

Looking good!

.

 

I started the procedure of replacing the 2X6 with some steel. Cut up a transdapt cross-member and shortened it to 18" then welded it back up. It lays inside the new inner rails that replace the x-member. I had the rail folded by a local fab shop out of identical material that I removed. The clearance is a bit snug at the left tranny pan rail, I will mark and cut some relief after the running gear are removed. I will finish the welding at that point as well with the frame on my rotisserie.

I cut a couple of holes in the new rails that line up with the speedo output and a pressure switch just in case I needed access. I also planned ahead and drilled the cross member holes on the drill press to make life easier...normally I would weld them in and then hand drill the holes while cursing and swearing the entire time.

Still to come are the side braces that will run from the outer rails to the new inners. I also cut 3 1/2" holes in them to run the exhaust through. They will weld-in between the cross-member mounting bolts to make a continuous side-to-side reinforcement...kinda like this. I need to remember to cut some relief holes against the outer rails for fuel and brake line routing.

Only straighter I hope. I am pretty close to the correct tranny tail height but I may have to raise her an inch or two by adding a spacer under the rubber trans mount.

 

Sano!

 

Thanks buddy, trying to keep this from breaking the bank while building a cool ass shop truck. That is a tall order but we are off to a good start.

I decided to go a different direction on my truck bed so I stuck this one on CL. Wouldn't ya know it, one the HAMB brethren saw it on there and nabbed it Saturday morning. I should have advertised it on here! LOL.

I am trying to get the side pieces built this week and mount the cab back on the frame by the weekend to check clearances. Then tear it back apart and get the trans re-assembled next week.

 

All this time you are spending in the garage must be severely cutting into your golfing?

 

Nice work on the frame.
The bed is now sitting on my '40 project/build.