Hot Rods How much does a 392 Hemi really weigh ?

Years ago, my son bought a 48 Plymouth. We pulled a running flathead 6 with its 3 speed trans (not the auto trans) and installed an LA 360 with a 727 auto trans. After we got the 360 running and driving, the front bumper was 2" higher then it was with the flathead 6. I was surprised how heavy that flathead 6 was. Gene

 

I just went through tearing down a bone stock and very complete 1957 392 Hemi that had never been a part since new. I wanted to nail down the weights for the engine as it seems online information varies a bit. What I learned was no huge surprise but interesting. In the 1950's it seems that weight was not a primary concern with any engine by any company, some of the common items most engines of the era shared were heavy as hell. Direct drive starter motors, generators, air conditioning compressors, thick cast iron brackets, etc. It's easy to see why these early engines looked like heavy pigs when comparing advertised total weights to a more modern version with lighter weight accessories. Bottom line, my bare block with main caps and bolts weighed 211lbs. Bare heads were 69.5 each. Crank was 70lbs with the timing chain sprocket and balancer bolt & washer. Rocker assemblies are 12.5 each. Intake manifold (single 4 cast iron) 45lbs. Water pump and housing, 17.5lbs, both exhaust manifolds totaled 16lbs with heat riser. That's the big stuff but I also weighed every other part down to the smallest items. Bottom line, if you started with a short block and a set of iron heads with rockers and added all of the typical aluminum bolt on upgrades (that most any engine gets these days) they are right in line with most other big blocks, and if you went with aluminum heads (yes, Hot Heads aluminum heads are EXPENSIVE!) they can come down to small block numbers.

 

Too blanking much

 

MEL 430. 740!!!

 

Interesting that they show a 273-340 as an "A" series engine (rather than LA) and no data for the 318 A series.

 

346 Cadillac flathead runs right at 900 lbs.

 

Welcome to the HAMB, Scott. Publishing the weights of individual parts is so important. Many of these weights you see on line don't say what is included. I see some big pig numbers, and then later learn that it includes clutch and belhousing, etc. For comparisons to be meaningful we need to know individuals weights, or what is included.

 

Ok, so the engine you see here comes in at 691.5 assembled with all stock internals and with everything shown, dry, no water or oil plus I added the weights for the distributor, cap & wires, and carburetor to get to this total. What I have not weighed yet are the air cleaner, Generator, AC compressor, Power Steering pump, belts, hoses, and associated brackets. My scale is only accurate within 1/2lb so I plan on weighing the smaller items again on a more precise smaller scale. I'll post results later.

 

740 Lbs.

 

Scott, is there a flywheel on your 691-1/2 pound engine?

 

No flywheel and no converter or transmission plate (it was from an automatic car).

 

Here's a breakdown, everything was weighed on the same digital shipping scale.

Block 211lbs
Heads 69.5lbs ea
Rocker assemblies 25lbs (pair)
Intake with bolts 45lbs
Crank with sprocket and bolt & washer 70lbs
Connecting rods 13.5lbs
Water pump & housing 17lbs
Exhaust manifolds 20lbs
Water cross over 6.5lbs
Harmonic dampener 7.5lbs
Timing cover 3lbs
Crank pulley (3 groove) 4lbs
Water pump pulley 1.5lbs
Engine mounts with insulators & bolts 6lbs
Valve springs with retainers 3.5lbs
Direct Drive Starter Motor 25lbs
Oil pump drive and front of block cam plates 1lbs
Head Bolts 7lbs
Push Rods 3.5lbs
Distributor without cap or wires 4lbs
Upper timing gear and chain 4lbs
Oil pump 5.5lbs
Fuel pump 1.5lbs
Piston pins 3lbs
Pistons 14lbs
Oil Pan 7lbs
Valley pan cover 4lbs
Oil filter base with bolts 1.5lbs
Oil filter canister 1.5lbs
Cam eccentric, dist. clamp, oil slinger, misc. wire loom brackets, attaching hardware 2.5lbs
Spark plug tubes, cam bearings, head gaskets 2lbs
Main bearings 3lbs
Carburetor with fuel filter 7.5lbs
Camshaft 10lbs
Lifters 4lbs
Valves 4lbs
Valve covers (pair with plug wire covers & bolts) 10lbs

Total 699lbs

*Not included: Air cleaner, Generator, Power Steering Pump, AC compressor, associated brackets & bolts

 

Should Connecting Rods be added to your "Not Included" list?

 

Yea but they made enough zot to get them outlawed. hence the saying, "If you can't beat 'em outlaw 'em"

I am not one who has ever weighed a 392 I always figured 700 lbs when I was going to haul one. LOL

 

Yes, missed them, my mistake. They weigh 13.5lbs with nuts bolts and caps, after adding my numbers again the corrected total is 699lbs.

 

...and the debate goes on......even with a scale

 

Oh, it will change again, I am weighing the smaller stuff again with a more precise scale, total will almost certainly change LOL

 

A lot of early internal combustion engines used cast iron pistons as well. I once talked to someone who was rebuilding an engine that used them. I forget the make, but I remember those pistons were heavy!

 

Lots of 216 chevys had those.And I think a few of the early 235 truck engines, pre-insert rods.

 

Known as "The Cast Iron Wonder" back in the day.

 

According to a HRM article (late 60s era) on engine /trans swaps, the heaviest combo was a 392 hemi with a dual range hydramatic trans.
The second was a 394 olds with the same trans.

 

Heavy and one of the best mils ever made.

 

On the other hand, some engines had cast iron pistons that really weren't very heavy at all - they were beautifully cast, fairly thin iron.

 

About as much as a henway...

 

I haven't weighed my baby hemi 270 Dodge but when I pick it up with the cherry picker it balances the same as my 383 Big Block Mopar ,if anybody cares

 

I'll be screwing together a gen 2 Hemi in the next 18 months, I'm really curious as to what it will weigh. I'm very skeptical of the 843# quoted above. Maybe that includes a cast iron bellhousing and flywheel. My guess is 740# complete with iron heads, no bell or flywheel.

 

My Ford FE weighs 625lbs, I'd hate to think what that 354 with cast iron transmission, convertor and park brake assembly weighed. I recall that Chrysler saved approx. 65lbs by going to aluminium from cast iron. This is the flathead 6 and cast iron Hydro from my 46 Olds; I remember that it was no light weight when removed!

 

Soooooooooooo....you never said how much your hemi weighed!!
6sally6

 

393 hemi . . .
1,251 lbs. ready to race !

 

Beautiful!!!!!