232 Engine Question and ad

Aaron D. IL

I just did an engine swap and put in a used 232 with new headbolts and I was wondering, how critical is it for those head bolts to have washers under them when you torque the head down???????



FOR SALE: 1950 block 232 cast iron head. Overdrive transmission. Has not been dismantled. Head gasket does not leak. Was running about two years ago. I just couldn't time it right no matter what I did. Has a new timing chain. Water jackets plugs were removed and the chambers were cleaned out with a power washer and the plugs replaced. Has a double barrel 262/308 aluminum manifold on it, gave it more acceleration but didn't quite work out. Have original intake manifold pictures available upon request. Not trying to misrepresent it, it will likely need to be rebuilt however it's as nice a core as you're likely to find. Asking $500.

EMAIL at: HETad19789@hotmail.com (remove the "HET" in the address)



Also available but not Hudson: 1999 Dodge Dakota 4cyl engine with 40,000 actual miles on it. EVERYTHING is connected to it even the computer. It's ready to be plugged in a car or truck. It was taken out of a truck that was hot rodded into a V8. It worked fine was not abused. Has a 5 speed stick transmission. Get better gas mileage or make an interesting rod. $500 You pick up unless you live real near to Chicago.

Geoff

Aaron, is the replacement head cast iron or alloy? If cast iron you are better off probably best with no washers under the bolts, but with alloy you would need hardened steel washers. There is also a difference in tightening - alloy you do cold, and cast iron you do hot.

Geoff.

Unknown

Pay attention to what Ken says. I ran into a like problem on a 308. Run fine going down the road but at slow idle just did not sound right. Some expert had replaced the pump gear and did not like the pre drilled hole in the gear so drilled new holes at 90 deg. with a larger drill bit. The gear would move back and forth on the shaft. As my Dad told me over 65 years ago. Ever body who works on cars are not mechanics.

[Deleted User]

Here is what the gear looked like on a 308 I rebuilt.

[Deleted User]

51hornetA wrote:

Here is what the gear looked like on a 308 I rebuilt.

YIKES! You could lose a finger or two with that thing!:eek:

Aaron D. IL

Thanks for the feedback guys.. You're likely right. I never did remove the oil pump gear on my 232. When I tried to set it I'd always wind up with a very tempramental timing somewhere between the spark plugs on the distributor just to get it to stay running.

As far as the aluminum double barrel manifold in another thread someone (if I'm remembering correctly) told me the 232 didn't really handel the airflow in the valve chambers and that's why my attempt to beef up performance only half-worked. ...that and when I put it on I didn't have it planed level first with the exhaust manifold, so there may have been some minor blowby but I couldn't confirm it.

Billy - right on target there, until you get into an old car you bought you don't know what's been shoe-horned, jerry-rigged, abused, or whatnot.

Anyways I put in a 1951 Block 232 I had that was running smoothly enough in another car and going back to the old WA-1 in the process. I figure around town the lower performance doesn't matter I still have overdrive and may get decent gas mileage. It has new headbolts and a gasket and I'll see if I can't squeeze another few thousand miles out of it. I sure miss driving that step-down.

Aaron D. IL

That drive gear looks like some sort of midevil weapon you'd put on the end of a handle!

[Deleted User]

Aaron,



I had the cast iron head off my '50 Pacemaker, Deluxe!, a few years ago and put the head back on without any washers beneath the head bolts as this was how the engine came from the factory. Over 2500 miles later, no problems with leaking head gaskets. Also, I did torque the head bolts down a few times at about 50, 500 and 1000 miles after the initial tightening with a torque wrench just to be sure.



Dan