Ok, so anybody that has read any of my threads knows that I am a big fan of vintage OHV engines and and am currently rebuilding a '55 Cadillac 331 for '32 pickup. Today I blundered over to an auction near my home because it looked like there was going to be a few vintage parts for sale. I left with a pair of '56 354 Chrysler hemi heads complete with valves, springs, rockers, and valve covers that the owner said had been cleaned and magnafluxed. He unfortunately had no other hemi parts. In any case, can these heads be used on any (331, 354, 392) hemi? Can a wedge engine of the era be converted using these heads? This is the 1st hemi anything that I've ever owned and I'm kinda excited about what to do with them!
They will fit all three sizes of early hemi, but you will need special spacers if you put them on a 392, which has a taller block. I believe that Chrysler had a 301 Poly in '55 that can use these heads with a few minor modifications. I think there may have been a Poly 354 in '56 that also accepts these heads. I can't see the intake ports, so I can't verify exacrly what they are. Can you pull one of the rocker covers off and give us the cast in part number? There's a lot of misrepresentation going on from some people who sell hemis and parts. Several year ago, I went to look at a 426 that turned out to be a "long bell" 331. I assume you already know that they won't fit Dodge or Desoto blocks.
Those look like small round exhaust port early 331 heads in those pics. hard to tell. do they have water x-over ports?
These pictures do not show much. I don't see if there are water outlets on the front and rear of the heads. And I thought 354s had oval exhaust ports, unlike 331s which were round. Maybe I don't remember any more. I would like to see more angles of the heads. If they are 354s, those were the best heads. But they may be 331s. Which are also good.
I would double check using the casting numbers that they aren't Dodge or Desoto, as well. Just because someone wrote 354 on the valve covers doesn't prove they are.
Do the valve covers fit right? The Chrysler engines were a bit longer than the Desotos, so Chrysler covers would overhang a bit.
I never saw a Chrysler valve cover that had no writing stamped into it. I never saw a DeSoto valve cover that had writing stamped into it. Except for a few that Harry Hofman did.
Desoto heads have a single bolt hole in the ends of the heads and don't have water crossover ports in the ends of the heads. Now you just need to find the rest of the engine.
I also have a '56 331 out of a dump truck that had plain valve covers. They had "POWER GIANT" stickers on them instead.
If those are Chrysler, they are '51 to '53 331 small port heads. Fit all the other early Chryslers but are the least attractive performance-wise of all Chryslers.
I'm pretty sure they're DeSoto after doing a little research. There are no water ports in the ends. Oh well, at least I didn't pay much for them.
The embossing is on the spark plug wire covers. They say "Firedome" on them, which is pretty darn cool. Maybe they are in the trash bin at the auction place. People throw out important bits out of ignorance.
Chrysler Poly blocks are bolt ons for the most part. 1955 was a 301, 1956 and up had 331's, and 1957-58 you could get a 354 Poly Engine(spitfire). And you are 100% correct, these heads will not bolt on to a Dodge Poly or Red Ram Hemi, or a DeSoto Hemi. The Chrysler bore spacing is larger than the rest of the Hemi's and Poly's. The DeSoto bore spacing is larger than the Red Ram. All three Hemi families have different demensions. Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Your head is a 1954-1955 DeSoto 291 Hemi Head ... Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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