Hi All, I'm new to this board and I am looking for some info. I have a line on a 55 hemi 270 the I'm told was from a truck. What is the difference between the Dodge hemi in the car vs a truck? We currently have a 270 poly in a 55 Dodge 2dr hardtop and would like to go to a hemi. My dad thinks there is a big difference in these engines, but I can't find any info to confirm or deny that they are the same or different. I will appreciate any information you can give me. Thanks, Steve.
Welcome aboard, I'm new to the hemi world as well, look into some of the hemi tech posts, it will help you along.
Welcome! You should definitely check out the hemi tech pages here... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=118764 But, to give you a short answer- A '55 Dodge 270 hemi is pretty much the same, car or truck makes almost no difference at all. Also, a '55 270 poly is the same exact block as a 270 hemi. The only difference is the heads and the pistons. Any of the Dodge hemi heads (241/270/315/325) will bolt right to a 270 poly block. Change the pistons to keep the compression right and have the cam reground and you're off. But seriously, check out the hemi tech pages!
It depends how big of a truck. If it's from a half-ton pick-up, it's probably exactly the same as the standard 2bbl car version. The 270's used in the bigger trucks had lower compression and a cam orientated more for low rpm torque rather than higher rpm horsepower. But other than that, there's no real difference. If you're going to rebuild the engine, you're probably gonna' replace the stock, original pistons and cam anyway, so starting with a truck engine shouldn't pose any problems. Mart3406 ==========