Hot Rods Early poly engine bellhousing

How can I tell about the cooling system type ?

 

You would need to see the boat that it came from. Some boat engines are cooled by taking in and expelling the water that the boat is in.

Some have a heat exchanger, so sea water or lake/river water does not actually make it into the engine's water jacket.

Barring seeing the boat, a good visual inspection and a sonic check of all of the bores, the head and block decks, and the combustion chambers will tell you how much metal is left.

In any case, all signs point to this being a truck engine, and likely not from a boat.

At least in the Hemi era, the true dedicated marine engines had a gear driven cam, and gear driven accessories. They lacked the shoulder on the crank snout for a conventional timing chain sprocket.

 

Look in the water neck connection.
I would look closely at whatever is down this hole:

 

In the case of the true marine Hemi, make a note of what end of the engine the prop drive is on. It is not on the back where your flywheel is. Even the starter is on the front.

Look closely at your flywheel and see if there is evidence of concentric circles indicating that a clutch disc made contact with it. Boats don't customarily have clutches.

If it appears that a clutch was on that flywheel, I am 99% positive that it was not in a boat.

 

Of course, there is the possibility that it was an industrial engine, unless the lower two are just where the water pump should be.

Your block appears to have the additional water outlets, unless the lowers are just where the water pump would be.

 

Yeah. Ive been trying to figure that out.
Checking all pictures I can find of 315s but none is clear enough to tell.
Why would a truck engine block have those extra outlets used on marine and industrial application ??

 

Anyone on those apparently extra water outlets on the block ?

 

Remember, the extra water holes are on a Chrysler Hemi industrial/marine block. A 315 Dodge is an entirely different animal and I would be hesitant to apply Chrysler attributes to it.

When you got it, did it have exhaust manifolds? If so were they regular or water-cooled.

 

That hole is for the oil fill tube....

 

No, no exhaust manifolds.
The guy who sold it to me suspects they put an external water pump on it due to those little pipes. Thus he thinks it might have been for marine purposes but he has no clue actually .

Check the image I found from a Dodge truck 315. Same holes as in my engine. That would be enough proof its not a marine nor industrial specific block.

 

The Dodge housing is similar in design to the Chrysler in that it attaches to the heads as well as the block. Without a photo of the front/ from the front, we are guessing about the 'lower' nipples but my bet is normal Dodge.

 

Industrial also has its own use codes......

 

Gary, check the images I posted before your last answer.

 

Also there may be differences with South American production engines that we up here aren't familiar with.

For example 292 Ford Y blocks put in cars in the '70s.

 

Yup, failed to look at the recent pics...normal Dodge.

 

Chrysler never produced V8 engines down hete.

 

No extra outlets. The better picture shoes the lower pipes are where the water pump would be.

This is just a truck engine.

Look in all the holes where water goes and see if there is any in heavy flaking corrosion.

If not, do a compression test. If good, run it!

 

Thanks all !!

 

@mercjoe

I have a fully assembled ‘57 Dodge 325 poly in my shop and will take a photo tomorrow and post it here. You will be able to see the ‘water manifold’ required, which also mounts the pump. The water pump manifold is the same for 315 and 325 poly and hemi models.

I am not sure about the earlier blocks, but I do have a 270 truck water manifold I can measure the ports and bolt spacing for comparison. My only hesitation is that 315/325 blocks have a higher deck height. That does not mean the water manifold spacing changed, but I just want to verify that.





I measured the width and height of attach points and, as I kinda suspected, the spacing is different on high deck blocks than low deck. It makes sense since the raised block spaces the heads both upward and outward. So, if you want a stock water pump manifold, it will require sourcing from a 315/325 poly or hemi.

There may be some options to adapt a Chevy pump. Try Hot Hemi Heads on line catalog. First, you might try @73RR (Gary)here on the HAMB. He very knowledgeable and sells parts too.

Ray

 

I really appreciate that stray !!!

 

Thanks a lot for taking the time, Stray.

Yeah. I'll probably get all the parts necesary to use a sbc pump from hot heads. I dont see a reason to try to get an original pump and case.

Thanks again

 

Although the shiverlay change-over allows for cheap pumps you will spend a fair bit of time figuring out the sheaves, brackets and especially the t-stat manifold.
See what Mr Bill did on his: Projects - Poly begets a Hemi begets a Model A | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)

 

Small update. This thing is back to life and running strong. Good oil pressure, no water or oil leaks anywhere. Hidraulic test results were perfect. It's a keeper

https://youtube.com/shorts/xTv4AM98q4g?feature=share

And yes. We had to crank it up the old fashioned way by hand

 

Guys. Could someone tell if the Carter on the images could be the original carb for the 315 ??

Thanks !!!

 

I can't help you with carb identification, but I think you've got a 1/4" pipe thread screwed into an inverse flare fitting:

 

The number on the pictured tag will allow you to look up the application.

Jon.

 

So you're still looking for a bell-housing and a starter?

 

I missed this. The engine needs the big aluminum adapter plate used with the short bell engines. It widens the mounting area and mounts the starter. Most new adapters use them and the are normally reversed to put the starter on the passenger side. Hothemiheads sells bellhousings/adapters. You might find a pic of the stock plate on eBay. I can post one if wanted.

 

Thoughts on chevy water pumps I have Fabbed head crossovers with an upper hose neck and used 8N ford tractor in hose thermostats. If you do use a nonstock crossover It needs to have a bypass hose from the crossover to the inlet side of the water pump or coolant will not circulate in the engine when the thermostat is closed same as a Chevy vortec with out a bypass hose.