1948 plymouth engine swap

[47myway]

I know your radator support can be turned around for more fan clearence when installing? a v-8 maybe this would work for you too.? ? Mike wagnon

[plym_46]

Pic of the engine on the stand

[plym_46]

Don't tell anyone, but the engine in my 46 coupe is out of a 56 p28. Since the 56 was a 12V car, I swapped the genny starter.  there is also an issue with the exhaust manifold, as the dump on the later engines is under cylinder #5 instead of being all the way back as on the P15's.  If you need to interchange the distributors, swap them unit for unit, the newer engines have a different body casting and use a different dist cap. The early one have a shallow distbody casting and use a taller dizzy cap, the later ones have a taller dizzy casting and use a shallower cap.  Don;t know when they changed but I do know when I tried to use a later dist with the older cap, the rotor and the lugs in the cap don;t line up and you don;t get spark. You may also need to swap coolant pumps as there were a couple of varients. And wathc your fan clearance,  I used the later one and it is a little deeper, Probably should have deleted the little spacer things, but I only have about 1/8 inch clearence between the fan and radiator.  Other than those considerations it is a bolt in.  My engine had a 6 bolt crank to flywheel connection.  I used the 56 set up with the 46 bellhousing clutch etc.

[Jim Benjaminson]

John - make sure the '54 engine is not from a HyDrive car.  That car mixed engine oil with the transmission and is a breed of a different color.  It will fit but that is the least of your worries!

[TodFitch]

It is my understanding that any 1933 through 1959 Plymouth or Dodge passenger car L-6 engine would be a direct bolt in for your 1948. If you are trying to put a newer engine into a 1933 or 1934 then there are some issues with the starter/bellhousing. However, you don't have a 1933 or 34.

If you get a Dodge engine then it might have a different number of bolts on the flywheel if it had fluid driver. I understand that that is not a problem.

Canadian built cars, DeSoto and Chryslers and the larger Dodge trucks used a different longer block that can be made to fit but modifications to the car would be required.

[john]

I would like to know if a 1954 plymouth 6 engine will fit in a 1948 plymouth.  I have the 54 engine out and have compared it to the 48 and it looks and measures out to be identical.  I would hate to rebuild the 54 engine and then find out it would not fit!!!  Thanks. john d.