I am rebuilding my engine in night school engine building class and cannot seem to find the engine spec's for this engine. can anyone help me with this issue.
Shop Manual.......available used and new reprints.....check online....FAXON sells this stuff, or eBay. Ray
Sactownog, I just got a 53 PU and assuming it is a 230 but still trying to track down serial numbers. If you track down any info it will be greatly appreciated if you PM me and I will do the same Thanks, Dan
Hi. I am not certain about truck engines but for cars Plymouth and Dodge BOTH used the 218 engines and Desoto and Chrysler used the 230 engines. A quick way to check to see if you have a 218 or 230 is the 218 head is 23" long and the 230 is 25" long. A couple of parts and info sources are www.robertsmotorparts.com and www.kanter.com . Both have online stores and both have paper catalogs they will send. This past spring we overhauled the 218 in my 50 Plymouth and all the overhaul parts came from them. I ordered a reprint shop manual from ebay seller. Good luck, Jimmie
There are two 'families' of Mopar flatheads. 218 and 230 are both 23" head length. The 25" are mostly 228, 251 237, and 265. Plymouth and Dodge used the 23" in the U.S.. Chrysler and Desoto used the longer one and all Canadian built vehicles got the long version. Lots more into at allpar or p15-d24.
If you go back to the ‘30s there were Plymouth 201 cu engines and Dodge 217 (aka 218). At some point Plymouth adopted the 217/218 and Dodge the 230. In 1954 Plymouth also got the 230 through the end of USA passenger car use of the Flathead six in 1959. All were 23” head length. I think some DeSoto models, ‘57/‘59 era, used the 230 as well, though quite limited in numbers. DeSoto and Chrysler USA production most commonly used 236, 250 and 265 (Chrysler only) cu in engines through ‘54 passenger production and all were 25” head length. Canadian production, as stated in a preceding post, used 25” head length in smaller displacement engines for Plymouth and Dodge. Ray
Nope wrong info. 201 218 230 are 23.5 inch engines used in Plymouth and Dodge cars as well as US built Dodge and Plymouth pickups. Chrysler and Desoto used the longer 25 inch engines in displacements from 237 to 265. In Canada all Chrysler flathead 6s were 25 inch from 201 all the way to 265. For all cars to trucks. Check this out http://www.t137.com/registry/help/otherengines/otherengines.php
Thanks guys for all the info. I got the serial numbers off the block and head, so let the research begin.
Ray, These were quite a bit different engine than the 218/230. The blocks had cylinders with outside of the bores you could see, along with babbit bearings. I might head out later and see if I have an old 218 head gasket still hanging up and see if it would fit on the 201 block. At least I think mine is a 201.
Thats not really true. The 218 & 230 share the same 23.5" block, the rotating assembly crank and rods are different. You can take the guts of a 230 and install into a 218 and create a 230. On the other hand, All canadian cars ran a 25" block, I think they may have had some 218/230 ... I am not really sure about these engines Just look at the # on the pad in the photo, then look at this site http://www.t137.com/registry/help/otherengines/otherengines.php
Yes of course in Canada 201,218,228,237,241,250 and 265 all 25 inch. The little 218 had shortest stroke with 3 3/8 bore. Canada never had a 230 engine.
Los_Control thanks for the help with the serial numbers. According to the site you steered me to I have 218CI motor. Mine starts with a T306 so the list says 218. To be a 230 the number must start with T310. Thanks again for your help' DAN
Since you are rebuilding the engine at night school, why not measure the bore and stroke when it is apart and do the math? Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Don't even need to take it apart. Measure the head, if it's 23"long it is either a 218 or 230. Now pull the little plug out of the head over #6 cylinder. Insert a soft but stiff object, copper wire, plastic etc. Rotate the engine and measure the distance it moves (stroke). 4 5/8" is a 230, shorter, it's a 218. All the parts, rings, bearings etc are the same 218/230 EXCEPT the crankshaft and rods.
Check out Vintage Power Wagons for parts, they have some deals like $75 for a set of 6 NOS pistons. 218/230 were basically the same block, same bore, same pistons but different stroke. The long stroke crank came with shorter connecting rods so the same pistons could be used.
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