Hey guys, I picked up this old 331 with a matching clutch flight tranny a couple years back, and I still haven't found out much about it. It has a Weiand manifold with 4 strombergs. Any thoughts or comments? Is it worth rebuilding and reusing?
Posted By: 71mopardude
Re: 331 hemi quad carb - 08/18/10 01:50 AM
neat piece !!! i would use it !!! specially digging the intake and carbs
Posted By: Supercuda
Re: 331 hemi quad carb - 08/18/10 03:44 AM
Clutch flite?
Fluid drive more likely.
That's an extended bellhousing block, not much fits it other than the original trans. I think Offy makes some adapters (made?) for trans that are almost as hard to find.
Don't think anyone made a clutch flight for the extended bell setup.
Posted By: NTOLERANCE
Re: 331 hemi quad carb - 08/18/10 05:27 AM
Check the size of the ports on the intake and the head.
I dont recall the year, but I think its pre 55 engines have very small cylinder head ports. Seeing as your engine hase the extended bell housing, its an earlier engine.
Intake is worth more than the engine, I would guess the ports on the intake and heads dont match sizewise.
Im not an expert, just overing hearing what a friend of mine says. He currenty has 11 or 12 early hemis.
Posted By: Supercuda
Re: 331 hemi quad carb - 08/18/10 11:48 PM
A fluid drive is, essentially, a manual trans with a clutch and a primitive torque converter.
A clutchflite is, essentially, an automatic with a clutch (no torque converter).
The extended bell was to accommodate the torque converter on the fluid drive setup. Not sure when Chrysler first started making real automatics, but I suspect it was not back in the extended bellhousing era. Be some interesting machining to put a clutchflite on that engine, can you post some pics?
Posted By: TrWaters
Re: 331 hemi quad carb - 08/20/10 03:40 AM
54 was the first year of the larger port heads.
Posted By: fstfish66
Re: 331 hemi quad carb - 08/24/10 05:28 AM
some one has a adapter plate to use a GM manual tranny,,i have seen it,,but dont rememebr who,,
you can also cut the extension off ther eis a kit to do that also and attach an adapter to the block for the tranny of choice,, check over on the H.A.M.B or call one of the many early HEMI gurus,
Posted By: shinnery
Re: 331 hemi quad carb - 09/04/10 06:19 AM
That manafold will only fit a 331 or 354 I believe as the 392 has a different stroke and deck height. You could probably build some spacers to fit between the manafold and heads for a 392. AFAIK the PowerFlites were a 1955 intro. and TorqueFlites 1957.
Bryce
I'll tell you what, if you decide to unload the intake setup I am interested, I have the perfect home for them!
Posted By: Anonymous
Re: 331 hemi quad carb - 09/05/10 02:56 AM
Quote:
That manifold will only fit a 331 or 354 I believe as the 392 has a different stroke and deck height. You could probably build some spacers to fit between the manifold and heads for a 392. AFAIK the PowerFlites were a 1955 intro. and TorqueFlites 1957.
Bryce
According to Tex Smith's book, the 392 had a taller deck height, but the factory compensated with extra material on the intake face of the heads so that earlier manifolds will fit. In effect, the spacer was cast into the head, so any manifold will bolt to any year engine (although the 54-up ports are bigger).
The cast-in-spacer and deck height difference does present an intake fitment issue if you try to run 392 heads on a 331-354 or vice versa.
Another issue is that starting in the 1955 model year, the thermostat housing was moved from the intake manifold itself to a separate casting bolted to the front of the engine. Pre-55 Chrysler hemis have water outlets on the intake surfaces of the heads, between the first and second pairs of intake passages; 55-later these passages are on the front of the heads. The later manifolds will bolt to the earlier engines, but you'll have to fabricate plumbing out of the heads to the radiator.
First year for Powerflites was 1954 and they were widely available that year in all Chrysler Corporation models; Torqueflites were available in limited quantities late in the 56 model year for some Chryslers/Imperials, and generally available in 57 for all models.
Posted By: fstfish66
Re: 331 hemi quad carb - 09/06/10 05:44 AM
if i rememerb correctly,,, don garlits always ran 354 heads on his 392 dragsters
Posted By: HUSTLESTUFF
Re: 331 hemi quad carb - 10/17/10 11:20 AM
I just picked up an early 331 51-53 with the extended bell housing. Hot heads has an adaptor for a 727. $600. 354 heads worked better with blowers per the guy I got mine from. Here's my quad carb setup. Mike
Posted By: bradleyj147
Re: 331 hemi quad carb - 01/08/11 01:06 PM
I had the same motor but not the intake. My block wasnt salvageable so I had to dump it however the manual transmission for it does look exactly like an automatic even though it isnt. I been looking for another block that is affordable to put in my 52 imperial but they arent to easy to find around here.