Well I went to go look at the 331 this morning and I am going to scoop it up by the end of the week. It's '51 so I am going to be looking at that extended bell housing but I am sure all the info you guys have given me will be a good start as far as knowing where to look for adapters as well as anything else. I will bring it home this weekend and start taking everything that may be of any use off before the body has to look for a new home. I hate to send the thing to scrap yard because I would just feel like someone could use it. There is an H.O.A where I live so I am not sure they are going to let me keep it out for very long. Anyways, the engine looks good but I will not know what we are looking until I get it home. I will have pics posted in a bit. Thanks guys.
Ha !! HAMB confessions : I sometimes go back to the oldest threads on here to bump 'em up. Last one was like 10,000 plus threads back. It's fun revisiting. Also fun to see new comments. Or not ... lol.
I'm looking at a 1956 20' Century Coronodo runabout boat with an originally installed 331 Chrysler Marine Hemi w/ twin Carter WCFB 4 barrels. After reading this thread, am I safe to assume that a 1956 331 Hemi is a good engine with some awesome heads?
Most likely. Check the part number; they may be the famous "Triple nickel" heads ("555" in the part number). These are supposedly the best hemi heads out there. They are better than the later heads because of the basic geometry of the low deck engines.
First, let suggest that you go back and reread post 29......all of the heads are good some are better. Awesome? ...not a word I'd attach. Yes, it would seem that you have a great starting point with that particular 331.
1. Does it have a closed or open cooling system? 2. If open do you have any history of the boat? If it spent its life in Ok you're good, if it was in saltwater with an open cooling system it may be badly rusted out on the inside water passages. 3. Is it staying in the boat or going in a car? If a car you have to check if it spins the right way, and the crank may not be machined for a damper.
Generally correct. There is word out there that some early '54 two-barrel engines were extended bell. I've never seen one.
The long bell 331s are great engines. Only big problems you encounter are scarcity of 4bbl intake manifolds and the hassle of adapting a tranny. As mentioned above there are a couple sources of adaptors for modern slush boxes. Beauty of this engine is it can be bored 1/8" over and you have a factory 354 engine. Since you will surely be buying new pistons anyway, have it bored to 3-15/16", balance the crank and you are set. Another feature that is not premium on these early 331s is the small round exhaust ports and smaller valves. The later '54/'55 331 heads have the big ports like 354s and 392s but are scarcer than hens teeth. My solution to this problem was to get a couple 354 truck heads. Truck heads are the best kept performance secret in hemi land. They have no water inlets on the heads to block off, they use hot water in the manifold heater crossover so the two inner exhaust ports are not Siamesed which on the passenger car heads kills header performance, and they have the biggest ports, intake and exhaust valves made. They do require a few simple mods though before they will bolt up. They come with hardened exhaust seats but also sodium filled valve stems. I ordered new intake and exhaust valves from Hot Heads anyway so no problem. The other oddity to fix is the heat crossover port is too tall and exposed when the manifold is on so it needs the top of it welded up. Sounds daunting but not that big of a deal and you end up with top of the line heads!! Get the best heads in hemidom for dirt cheap price, a bit of elbow grease. Small exhaust ports on early 331s. Valves are likewise smaller. BIG valves and BIG ports on truck heads! No exhaust heat crossover ports to mess up exhaust ports like on passenger car engines. This is the tall hot water crossover port. Block plate brazed in, ready to machine the surface. Didn't mention these strange lugs need to be cut of. Quick work with a recipri-saw. Also didn't mention the truck heads and 331 block have different size locating pins. Can get step pins from Hot Heads or just drill the holes in the heads like I did. All done! Fueler heads for VW price!!!!!!!!
Correct.I have a late 1954 Hemi with a short bell housing and a 4 barrel carb. I guess there weren't a lot with 4 barrels. Like 20% less?
All 1954 331 Hemi engines have a 4-bbl carb. All 51-53 331 Hemi engines have a 2-bbl carb 1954 and later have larger oval exhaust and larger intake ports compared to 51-53 As George astutely notes, consideration must be given to the previous water borne service. Salt water destroys the block.
The plan was the NYer was to have the 2 bl., the NYer Deluxe & Imperial was to get the 4 bl. engine. Both engines are in the '54 shop manual. They probably had such a response to the 4 bl that they dropped the 2 bl early. There are few reports of 2 bl engines being found in '54s.
4bbl manifolds for 331s are really hard to find. I fixed that on my '52 331 by brazing pipe stubs into a 354 manifold and making my own thermostat housing. Here is a 331 4-bbl manifold. I have never seen one at a rod run or drag race swap meet or on ebaY. Alternative is to modify one of these. 354 4bbl, very common and inexpensive. I run a Holley 3bbl so used a carb adaptor to hole-saw the carb holes bigger. The plenum and runners of the manifold are plenty large. Finished plenum for the 3bbl. This shows where I brazed in the tubes and made the thermostat housing.
I didn't know that they all came with a 4 barrel. I guess the Hot Heads website is wrong with there specs?It's showing a 1954 Chrysler 331 Hemi with a 2 barrel(c541-8 1001) putting out 195 hp and the 4 barrel C542-8 1001) putting out 235hp?Its also say 10% of production came with 4 barrels.
There are lists that indicate that a 2-bbl engine was used in 1954, but it would have been the held-over long tail 331 from '53 so not exactly a 1954 block. If anyone has a large port '54 2-bbl intake please post a photo with the casting number so the manifold can be added to the list of intake casting numbers.
OK. Let me see if I understand this. There were an unknown number of 1954 Chrysler automobiles that were built using leftover 1953 long-tail blocks that had 2 BBL carburetors. Correct?
Thank you!That clears it up for me.So the 54 short bell would of all been 4 barrels and the 53 to 54 carry over long bell would of had 2 barrels.Got it!
I thought that the 56 331 was a hemi block with poly heads. 1957 did that with 354 blocks and poly heads.
Evidently something changed dramatically to their plans. '54 was the 1st year of the PowerFlite tranny. The '54 shop manual shows them using not only a standard bell PF on the 4 bl engines, but also created a flat bell version for use on the 2 bl engine.
The Chrysler shop manual for '54 has 2 and 4 bbl. Also the long casting block listed as "Early Type" '54 saw the 2bbl bump up from 180 to 195 hp, and the introduction of the 235hp. Basically a Windsor had the flathead 6, New Yorker the 2bbl, and New Yorker Deluxe and Imperial had the 235, 4bbl, dual exhaust. different exhaust manifolds to fit the bigger exhaust ports. Auto choke heat riser came out the side of the passenger manifold not up through the intake. The 235hp was more than just better heads with bigger valves. It had a different cam, tappets, stiffer valve springs. Pushrod bores in the heads are smaller. The air cleaner is much larger. I have seen several original 2bbl 54's on the you tube machine, but on "standard" New Yorkers, not the Deluxe.
The NYer was supposed to have the 2 bl engine, but not a lot seem to turn up. All 331s through '54 had the same size valves. Only the '55 had bigger valves, 54-4V & 55s had the larger oval ex ports. All 331s except the '55 300 engines had the same cam.
Fan-friggen-tastico, I ever so eagerly await the arrival of the promised pics ... and wait ... and wait ... and wait ...
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