I have come across a hemi engine complete except for Carb. The number on the block is NE 55 6928. The intake says 1555473-1 11-17-54. The engine appears to be complete. Someone tore it down to short block many years ago. It was in a barn sale with most parts hung back on and the others in buckets. I would like to have as much info on the engine as I can before tearing it apart. Without the funds to build and use, my intention is to make this engine as usable to the restoration community as possible. With no more information available about what it is like inside, I am looking for suggestions from the experts on the best way to dismantle, clean and prep this engine. It has the bell housing with a torque converter. Steve
Remove the bell housing, then the converter from the crank. Next remove the thick plate on the back of the block. Be sure to note if it has open passages into the engine oil galleys from the bell housing area... Some of these Chrysler transmissions were supplied with engine oil to operate..... If the pistons are stuck I usually slide the short block into a 55gal drum and fill it with enough diesel fuel to cover it, in a week or three it "should" be ready to tear down, if not....... Plan"B"... Here is a '55 354 ALL DONE....
That is a great engine, people get stuck on the 392 but the heads on the 55 331 are the best flowing heads they made. Most of the aluminum aftermarket heads were designed after the 55 "triple nickel" heads. I remember going 100 plus in a two ton plus wagon with a stock 55 Hemi.
If there is a torque converter then it is a fluid drive automatic of one form or another... My expierence leads me to believe it likely was a "Powerflite" transmission... Some Mopar transmissions were built that used motor oil, supplied by the engine's oil pump to operate the transmission. These will have passages to the engine oil supply thru the bell-housing.
The engine has to rotate for you to be able to disassemble it. If it is stuck(a condition of corrosion regarding the pistons in the bores whereby they actually swell) you can not rotate the engine. The torque converter bolts are accesed from the bottom and you can only get at 1 or 2 of the 8 whithout turning the motor. Soaking in an acetone- transmission oil mix might loosen it.I have had to drill holes in the pistons and break them up with a chisel on some especily stubborn ones. Bag and tag the parts carefully.
Soak the piston tops with a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone for about a week... Then start tapping the pistons tops with a mallet and a hunk of wood... That should loosen the pistons up a bit... If not, repeat buy adding the 50/50 to the piston tops and let it sit for another week, then tap on the pistons again... You don't want to rush through this or you'll break something... Use a breaker bar on the crank to try and spin it... It would help if you had a buddy helping you do this while your tapping on the piston tops....
I have had experiance with crawlers with stuck engines. We always put brake fluid down the exhaust. 48 hour later most of the time have been able to turn them over and start them, if there wasn't anything else wrong. One old mechanic told me me to use drano (which is weak sulfuric acid) in the spark plug hole. Steve
Bob Walker says coca-cola is the best product to use. http://hothemiheads.com/hemi/tiki-v...ort_mode=lastPost_desc&topics_find=&forumId=1
You are confusing the matter by using the term fluid drive as a generic term. Fluid Drive, as a proper noun, refers to the semi-automatic trans used by Chrysler prior to 1954 models. The "NE55" engine is, indeed, a Powerflite equipped engine and it does have a torque converter and uses auto trans fluid, not motor oil. It most certainly will not have passages to engine oil supply in the bellhousing or converter. The way these trannies were attached to the engine resulted in them often being disassembled by unbolting the trans case from the bellhousing, leaving the bellhousing and converter in place. As pointed out in an above post, the torque converter attaches directly to the crank flange with eight studs and nuts on the back side (toward the block) that cannot be removed unless the engine will rotate OR after a major disassembly of the engine whereby the crank is removed from the block with converter attached. THAT is a very labor intensive process, usually preceded by destroying the pistons first. To the OP,........Unless you can get the pistons out relatively easily (doubtful), you may want to consider selling the engine "as is". The work you will put into it to get it apart will likely not raise it's value enough to compensate you for the effort you will put into it. If you want to do it as a 'learning experience'......have at it........but you are going to get a baptism by fire. Ray
NE engine is a '55 Chrysler New yorker 331,no extended bellhousing single 4 bbl,230 Hp,high nickel content block.I sold the exact engine to someone and he put a GMC blower on it and got over 600hp w/stock crank,BBC rods,stock '55 ported and polished heads,BBC water pump.etc... great engine,sounded really healthy..
...more internet myth... If you have documentation I'm all ears! To the OP: As has been said, disassembly can be a PITA, even to those familiar with the engines. I too suggest leaving the work to the buyer who very likely will ask the same questions... There is nothing to be lost if the pistons do not survive so the easiest way to remove them is with a drill motor and ½" bit...stay clear of the cylinder walls and con rod but remove as much aluminum as possible so the rod can come free and then you can rotate the crank. .
I'm thinking all the hemis had high nickel content vs some other engines by other companies, (vs the rumors caused by one foundry's name).
Am I hearing right? It is really really good pie but don't put you fingers in it? Actually that sounds like the best recommendation I will get but I can't resist the temptation to play with it. I'll just open it up and see what it looks like. Steve
Oh Hell no... It's a "good pie" AND lets get your fingers IN IT!!! PM me if you need help... I work on these quite regularly here lately...
Thanks Kennkat. If this engine has a virgin crank, it could be offset ground. Would that make it more desirable? I am not depending on this to feed my horses so I have all the time I need. I have never liked letting stuff go in junk form. Steve
All the home brews may work to loosen the pistons in the bores, but KANO labs makes an actual product - Kroil - that is engineered to loosen stuck parts and works well. You don't need to do anything but spray it on and wait. Sounds like an interesting project.
Yes, he is right, IF any over the counter product is gonna do it, it is Kroil But.. The substance you use is only part of it......
No at this point the value in this motor is in keeping things as "nice & stock" as possible. Then it will appeal to a broader market of uses...
you cannot get get a definate MA reading without doing a specific hardness test on one specific block to be absolutely positive but there is a lot of sources that say they do: Victorylibrary.com/mopar/hemi-c3.htm Allpar Early Hemi guide of death by Marlan Davis Tex Smith's book Hemi Haynes out of Daytona,Florida Hot Heads
A ping test. I was turning wrenches on Cooper's LPG compressors and the oil company brought in a device that basically bounced a steel ball on the rod to measure hardness. Steve
Folks 'say' alot of stuff and it somehow ends up on the internet. Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels said that if you repeat a lie often enough it becomes the truth. I'll wait for something definitive from old MotherMopar. .
Wow... This went scientific all of a sudden. HAHA! First, congratulations! Welcome to the Hemi club! You have started with a great one! Second... Educate yourself. Buy the book "The Complete Chrysler Hemi". It's about 98% accurate and complete and covers just about everything you will need to know, including most casting numbers, ID of parts, several builds, and performance tips. http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Chry...94&sr=1-1&keywords=the+complete+chrysler+hemi What you don't learn in the book you can get by simply reading and participating here on the HAMB. We've worked very hard to put together a database of information for early Hemi builders. There is OODLES of knowledge here. So get comfortable, grab your favorite reading beverage, and click the link... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=118764 Third... I'm agreeing with the Acetone-ATF mix. You should get great results from that, better than cola (in my opinion). Forth... GET YOUR HANDS IN THERE! Hard to hurt these engine, but like any stuck engine, takes a little time... CONGRATS and good luck! Start a build thread on the engine and keep us up to date. I will add the build thread to the Hemi Tech threads as you progress. Welcome!
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