4 replies to this topic

[Ray Bell]

Looking at the information on the Allpar site about Hemi V8s produced by Chrysler, I find that the Dodge Hemi is said to have had a raised block to take it from 270 to 315 cubic inches in 1955. And that this engine was their NASCAR unit for that year.

But I'm at a loss to understand the lineage. Much of the discussion on the Hemi history page is about the 331 that started it all. I find it hard to believe that the 241 was the same block, but I know it's possible. The De Soto at 276ci is more feasibly sharing castings.

These engines were used strongly at the Daytona Beach speed trials in their time, the Chrysler usually giving the top speeds of the day, though a De Soto was said to have been spirited away after doing a 144mph run. This was a 341ci engine when Chrysler had gone to 354ci.

I've read elsewhere (sorry, forgotten where...) that the 315 was 'loaned' to Dodge by Chrysler for their NASCAR efforts. That seems to indicate that the engines were different, but doesn't altogether make sense to me.

Anyone got any knowledge or ideas?

[McGuire]

The D500 315 Dodge Hemi is a raised-deck version of the 241/270 Dodge Hemi. Not the same block casting as the decks were taller, but the same bore centers and architecture etc. A relatively common engine here in the States, used in a lot of trucks etc. Not a Chrysler; it's a Dodge. As you surely know the Chrysler, DeSoto and Dodge Hemis were all built on different bore centers, with the Chrysler being the largest and the Dodge the smallest.

[antonvrs]

I'm involved in a project using one of these little Dodge Hemis. Did anyone ever make a bellhousing adapter to put a T-10 4spd behind one of these? "Our" car is a shortened '53 Dodge with a Victress fiberglass body- strictly something different for the street.
Anton

[McGuire]

You bet. Wilcap, the adapter company from Back in the Day, is still in business. Just tell them what you are trying to do and they can fix you right up. Wilcap.com.

...all the early Chrysler Corp. V8s (except the 331 block which has an integral clutch housing like a flathead Ford V8) use the same basic bellhousing pattern as the modern Chrysler LA (273-360) V8. However, the crank flange depths vary over the years so you may need to do some imagineering on the clutch stack etc. Also, McLeod/B&M is reportedly working on a modular bellhousing for the Mopar V8 like the one they do for GM and Ford applications.

[McGuire]

Funny how these things work out. This weekend I am in Las Vegas at a Chrysler show ("Mopars at the Strip") and ran into this. Above is a 1956 Dodge D-500-1... or "dash one" as it is known among the Dodge fanatics... high performance version of the Dodge 315 CID Hemi that set the performance records etc and so forth. The car above is one of two dash-one hardtops, and the only Torqueflite. The rest were two and four-door sedans with manual transmissions. Solid-lifter high-dwell cam, 11.5:1 compression, dual exhaust, etc.

According to the owner of this car (and other sources) there were exactly 68 of these dash one cars built. This arbitrary number was apparently established by how many dual quad intake manifolds were cast...that contract being assigned to Karl Kiekhaefer and Mercury Marine (specialists in precision castings, Corvette LT5 and all that). And of course Kiekhaefer also owned and operated the quasi-factory Chrysler NASCAR team. He also ran a few Dodges in NASCAR for a time along with the Chryslers... and in all this is apparently the root of the tale that these cars had Chrysler engines or Chrysler division assistance.