I Need a 230 L6 dodge motor !! Barely made it home from the show today !

I bought a 59 dodge townpanel with a flathead 6. How can i tell what size it is ? Any #,s i need to find ?(im sure of that) And where are they? thanks for any help........................................YG

 

It is not unusual for a stock/original 230 to develop a knock and in fact this, or losing the upper ring lands on a piston, is the most common cause of death for these motors.

The pistons go bye-bye because the aluminum alloys used back in the day were not as good as they are today OR because during a re-ring someone got a little too happy with the groove scraper and made the top ring land a little too wide - from there the new ring eventually pounds out the top edge of the piston.

The connecting rods go south because of lubrication problems. The characteristic weak oiling of the lower end stated in earlier posts is exacerbated by the stock road draft ventilation system. These suck unfiltered air choc-a-bloc full of grit directly into the oil. Then the by-pass oil filter allows gritty oil to spend a while grinding out the bearings.

The solution is to install a PCV system. And to use good oil.

With these things done, a properly rebuilt motor will last long enough for your grandkids to wonder about a motor swap.

 

Specifically, the 230 and 254 flathead Sixes were in production all the way through 1974 for export WC-series trucks, and industrial applications. Correct, in the fact that the last automotive 230 was 1959.

 

So I have a chevy 383 and 350 turbo but not a ton of $$$. I would like to put this in my 50 Dodge waywarer coupe. Any body here ever do this swap ? I am looking for pointers and what headers to use ?

 

It will fit. You need a new transmission crossmember (cut out the stock one) and offset the motor an inch or so to the passengers side. Then use a 55 Chevy exhaust manifold on the drivers side - the front outlet will clear the steering box. You will need to change the rear so that you have an emergency brake (stock is on the tranny). I put a 283 in a 50 Plymouth when I was 16 and that is how I did it. Oh yes a 67 Camaro rear should bolt in - build new shock mounts. Lastly, convert the car to negative ground - easy. Good luck.

 

also- when you set the motor to the right you'll have to run a blockoff and an electric pump, or you'll have to btake a chunk out of the spring pocket. Depending on how high you set the motor in the chassis you may have to reshape the tunnel for the t-350. The one I did I also used the '56 manifold on the driver's side, and a 305 manifold on the pass. side

 

I guess it depends on where you want the motor to sit, as I have installed a SBC with Super T-10 into a 50 Plymouth using the stock fuel pump and without cutting the trans tunnel or frame/spring pocket. The Dodge is basically the same as the Plymouth; the sheet metal is a little wider.

 

Your car called and it want's a Hemi inline 6 from Australia.
Hope you get it running soon.

Blind Elwood