Re: [Chrysler300] 61 motor rebuild

["rob kern" <robkern@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

David,
    I went a little further to have a reliable driver that I'm proud of with my C.  If you read my articles in the STORIES section of the 300 Club website you will have learned that I had a cracked engine block.  Sure I could have had it welded, etc. but I wanted a C that I could drive with confidence and let it run like a 300...all out without my fear that it would break on me.  That decision took about one hour to make...most of that time didn't involve my gray matter synapsing but spending time on the phone with Wayne Graefen, Larry Jett and Henry Hopkins as to what to do.  I replaced my block with a '58 Imperial 392 and had the engine totally rebuilt by a racing engine builder to C specifications.  We used the crank and cam, replaced the pistons and rods and used moly rings, Felpro gaskets, high-torque starter, Pertronics ignitor ignition, etc. The block was .030 overbored and with matching pistons.  The Imperial block came from Chuck Taylor in Cottonwood, CA. I kept the original cracked block and have it stored in my boat garage on a pallet in a plastic trash bag.  Therefore it can always be validated as a matching numbers unit if ever queried. We used the heads and and replaced the valves, yadda yadda. I have driven the car about 8600 miles in the past 4 years since I had the engine rebuilt.  It has been pure pleasure and done with a confident smile. I agree with Gil Cunningham about the engine compartment looking spiffy because these engines whether it be a hemi with the batwing air cleaner or the ram horns or the longitudinal ovals and of course the cross-ram wedge engines just shout "look at me"!  I drive my car like a 300, not like a UPS delivery truck and yeah I just finished 2 hours of engine compartment detailing today.  This involved using heat tolerant rustoleum aluminum paint and heat resistant semi-gloss black paint.  Oh, yesterday I took the air cleaners to my body man to have them repainted to exactly match my wet-look CHRYSLER FIREPOWER valve covers.  So my advice would be to go the whole way, pull the engine and rebuild the beast!  While you're having fun doing it , go through every other system under the hood..it will be less expensive and great insurance (again read my story...I learned a lot going down this road).  When you're through, drive it hard and have fun...the perpetual smile on your face and memories are priceless!   300'ly,  ROB KERN
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Richard Osborne 
  To: dkshapiro@xxxxxxxxxxx ; Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2007 8:02 AM
  Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] 61 motor rebuild


  David,

  You need to do what you want to do with your car. After all, it's YOUR car. There will always be some weinie wanting to tell you what you can or can't do with your car. It's an unfortunate part of the hobby.

  At 112,000 miles, you can bet it is a little tired. You can also assume with great probability that some of these miles were put on in under higher than normal stress (i.e it was beat on).

  Rebuilding the engine will add to your overall experience (if this is what you want) and probably help your peace of mind. There is NO reason why the motor cannot be reassembled to appear just as it left the factory (if this is your concern).

  When I bought my G, it showed 59,000 miles. It ran great with no smoke. It did leak, but they all do. When I finally tore it apart, (due to overheating problems) it had 3 broken pistons. The chunks of which were stuck in the excessive slug of the oil pan. The cylinders were oval shaped and both the rod and main bearing surfaces of the crank needed turned .010 each. The overheating turned out to be the result of very clogged water passages in the block and heads.

  Now that I know the entire condition of my car, I am willing to drive it anywhere. I couldn't have had that feeling if it hadn't been all apart. I suspect that you may feel the same way after a rebuild.

  Bottom line is do what you want and don't let others dictate how you enjoy your stuff.

  Richard Osborne

  >>> "david shapiro" <dkshapiro@xxxxxxxxxxx> >>>
  Question for group, I have a decent running G with 112,000 thousand
  miles. the motor smokes some, not a lot but noticable, leaks a little of everything
  and of course looks fairly shabby. the rest of the car looks fine.
  Was going to pull the motor and rebuild it, hardened seats, new gakets,
  timing chain, ect. ect., paint and reinstall. I have gotten some flack
  about this from different sources saying that doing this to an original
  motor will detract from "authenticity" and devalue the car. Any truth to this??
  I await the advice from the sages.
  Thanks 
  In a fog of smoke

  [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



   

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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