This question does NOT pertain to the "LA"-series engines (273/318LA/340/360), to get this out right upfront! In the Mopar "A"-series engines (318A, 325, 303, etc), were any of these available stock with hydraulic lifters/cam; were they ALL solid-lifter engines, or were some solid and some hydraulic? Purely curious, but I've come across a '56 325 Dodge engine that is complete and ready-to-install (according to the seller). I have not seen it yet. I am curious about the solid/hydraulic cam/lifter issue.
Hydraulics were standard. A few performance versions may have been built with solids but very few. There was a Dodge hemi, also made in a poly version, 241-259-270-315-325-326 which was a totally different engine from the Plymouth/Dodge A engine, 277-301-303-313-318 and the LA 273-318-340-360. Chrysler made V8s had hydraulics starting with the first Chrysler Firepower in 1951.
i have never heard them referred to as "a" series but my 1960 318 poly is a solid lifter motor. i dont believe that i have seen a hydraulic set up for a poly. ask "abomination" here on the hamb hes quite the poly guru. you could also see if a hydraulic cam is part # for any of the poly motors
The dodge 325 is a hydralic lifter engine and comes from the Hemi/Poly range of engines that ran from 1953 through to 1958. Here in NZ we got many Plymouth "A" series engines and they were all solid lifter engines. These were Canadian sourced engines and ran from 1956 through till 1966. The american 318 could be had with hydralic lifters and started this with the Plymouth sourced Dodge 326 engine in 1959 which was a slighly over bored "A" series 318. There were minor differences between the Canadian and American engine - bore size was smaller on the Canadian and the Yank engines could be had with hydralic lifters. Kinda sounds confusing.
I had a '58 2x4 poly dodge poly motor that was hydraulic. I think that the solid lifter motors were the rare ones in the poly.
OK, I wasn't sure on the 325 Dodge whether it was an "A" or a Hemi/Poly based engine, so this makes this even more interesting. Found the 325 locally for $200, allegedly complete, pulled from a running car in 1983, sealed up and stored in a shop in the local area. Guy was cleaning his shop, getting ready to sell a few parts, and ran across this 325 4-bbl under a bench. Said the car it came from was a southern MS car originally and had scads of rust, so the car itself was parted and scrapped back then. So, we're saying it's a hydraulic-cammed engine, that'll work. I'm tossing around stuffing this in a '46 Hudson, just to be completely different! Also thought the 277 Plymouth was the first "A", but was not absolutely positive of that fact. I knew about the Plymouth engines being different than the Dodges then, but again, I was concerned mostly about what cam it might have. I do know a bunch of Mopar stuff, but every day, there is more yet to know.
Sounds good, you might want to check the numbers stamped on the top of the block, I thought the 56 engine was a 315, 57 was 325. also if you could get a way to peek inside to make sure it actually was sealed up, you might keep from spending money on a pile of rust....a friend got a 56 desoto hemi with a similar story, the pan was chock full of rust, really bad, and there was no clue to that fact from the outside.
I'm going to look at it tomorrow. I plan on pulling the pan and valve covers, as the seller said that was OK...he's curious to the condition, as well. I believe you are right on the '56/315 and '57/325, he did not mention the year of the car it came from, but said the engine was a '56 325. I'll bet it's a '57 325. We'll see tomorrow afternoon! Pics, if I get the engine.
"I do know a bunch of Mopar stuff, but every day, there is more yet to know." You could go nuts trying to figure out the welter of engines and transmissions Chrysler produced between 1939 and 1959. Notice above I listed 11 engines and that is JUST Plymouth and Dodge small blocks, no mention of DeSoto, or Chrysler, or hemi vs poly, not to mention high perf, low perf, and trucks. Or the flathead 6 and 8. Now let's not get started on all the weird and wonderful transmission options :0 One other thing to look for. If it is a poly engine, the Dodge versions (that used the hemi block) usually had valve covers with rounded scallops along the bottom. The Plymouth/Dodge A motor had more of a saw tooth effect. Best thing to do is get the serial #. If it is a 325 it will be a hemi type block.
The hemi based poly has a seperate valley cover & intake, on the "A" Poly the Intake seals the valley. The hemi based Poly can be converted to Hemi. if it's a 315/325 there would be a use code in front of the valley cover.
the first A engine was 1964 -273-it will say so on the block A273... a 1956 Dodge motor should be a 270/315 with the 315 carried over to the trucks in 1957.... a 325 was a 1957 D500 motor....please correct me were I'm wrong...
Every 318 poly I've owned (all in sweptline trucks) have been solid lifter engines. All have been the 200hp versions with 3 or 4 speed manuals, don't know if they were different in the cars or with an automatic.
My understanding is that ALL 277/301/313/318 Plymouth based A series Polys were all solid lifter engines, from 1957 to 1967. I have personally played with 313/318 Polys since 1973 that were used in Oz Chrysler Royals and Dodge Phoenix's and all these were solid lifters. I also have 1957-58/1960/1962 USA service manuals together with Oz 1957 and 1962 Service Manuals and NONE mention or picture hydraulic lifters for the 318 A series Polys. Other variations of Mopar Polys appear to certainly have had hydraulic lifters but 318 Poly A's...nope.....not that I am aware of.......andyd
You're wrong but right The first series of Plymouth based poly engines were known as A engines starting with the 277ci engine in 56. LA engines did not appear till 64 with the 273. The Dodge polys ran till 58 with their own design then in 59 shared the Plymouth based poly's as what was then now a corporate engine. A 57 325ci could be one of three engines a 325 poly a 325 hemi or a 325 D500 hemi engine
Well, it's a Poly 325 with some serious internal problems. The crack on the right side of the block was the first indicator of problems. Pulled the pan and it was dry, as the oil had been drained prior to the engine being yanked. The external crack was bad enough...there was an internal crack, as well, that was about seven inches long. Looked like the block may have cracked before the engine was pulled. Didn't yank the heads, but the rockers looked like oil changes were not real important to the owner who ultimately boogered this engine up. I called a buddy who ended up giving the guy $75.00 to get it out of the shop. He has a '57 Dodge Coronet that he is looking to make into a D500 clone of sorts, and there was a pretty good amount of parts that are useable in the build of his other block. Better than seeing it go to scrap, for certain. It was a January 1957 casting, so it's a '57 engine.
The 325s had hydraulic lifters. The '57 - '66 A motors had solid (but can be converted). http://www.allpar.com/mopar/poly.html ~Jason
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