331 hemi

[Chlngrcrzy]

Can somone tell me a little about the 331 hemi and the 413 motor? I believe the 413 was used in older pickups and motorhomes, and the 331 was an older hemi. Any build kits available for the 331? I cam across a 331 for 1000.

[bb71challenger]

331 was the first hemi engine used by Chrysler and was launched in 1951. The heads were unique for the time with their hemispherical design and were made to get good combustion on low octane fuel. Displacement grew then to 354 and finally to 392 cu. inches. I have a '53 New Yorker with a 2 barrel 331 and man did that thing run. The intake looks like a Tarantula. That thing had gobs of torque. The parts for them are out there but the engine is heavy and that negates most of the horsepower potential that the engine has. It would be great for a nostalgia rod or something of that sort but unless you just love them or fall on a super deal they are not very practical. The 413 was both an industrial engine and the first stop on the Max Wedge tour. It also eventually grew in displacement to 426 inches and when Chrysler made second generation hemi heads you have the venerable 426 HEMI.

[heminut]

bb71challenger is correct on the 331. It was in production from 1951 thru 1954. The 51 thru 53 engines had an extended bellhousing as part of the block and there's not much out there to adapt later trannies to them. 54 was the only 331 with the standard bellhousing flange. Rebuild parts for the 1st gen. hemis are expensive and high performance parts are limited. If you want to find out more go to www.hothemiheads.com there's some good info there on the old hemis.

[black71]

i recently (within the past year or so) picked up a 57 392 hemi...it'd been sittin outside for a long time and one of the cylinders had filled with water at one time...after teardown i found one of the cylinder walls was cracked  but a local mechanic and mopar nut said it should be able to be sleeved! 

[heminut]

Definately sleevable! The old hemis had quite a bit of meat in the cylinder walls and it's not uncommon to see them bored .060 or more. These engines were also known for their high nickel content in the castings and the excellent machining that was done on them. These were very well made engines, but that is part of the reason they went out of production, they were expensive to manufacture and the cheaper to make wedge design got the nod from the bean counters. The 392's and 354's were ran for years on nitro with stock blocks, heads, and cranks and there was at least one team (the 'Surfers') who ran 98% nitro and rarely did anything other than running the valve clearances all through a weekend of racing. The 392's are the most in demand and getting harder to find. I just sold a core engine for $1,500 and it didn't even have the original maincaps and will have to be align bored on top of all the other machine work! If you're going to rebuild it go ahead and get it sleeved and don't worry about it. You won't regret spending the money to rebuild it, the wow factor when you pop the hood on one of them is great, and they are awesome on the street because they have SO much torque!

[black71]

right on thanks for the encouragement! i am planning on rebuilding it, not sure what i'm gonna put it in though 

[heminut]

Just build it a little at a time, and sooner or later something to put it in will come along. Things like that seem to have a way of popping up. I took the 392 out of my Cuda and put a 5.7 hemi in it because it's about 200 lbs. lighter and I wanted my power steering and power brakes back. I built a dolly with casters for the 392 and put it in the garage. My wife asked me if I was going to sell it and I told her no, something will come along sooner or later that I can put it in. She rolled her eyes at me and walked back into the house! 

[black71]

haha sounds like you have a pretty understanding wife! hehe i better find me an understanding one otherwise i'll be in trouble!

[Chlngrcrzy]

Thanks guys for all the information. I think the ole 331 is out of my price range to purchase and rebuild anyhow.