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 C., N.Z.]

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.

[Ken U-Tx]

The 232 block is identical to the 262. To make it into a 262, all you need is a 262 crank and pistons. Just thought I'd pass this info on for those who need a 262 block, as the 232 block will serve just as well as a 262. Makes me wonder how many "232" blocks were discarded in the belief they were only useable as a 232 c.i. ?? Anyone with a decent uncracked 232 block should save it or sell/ donate it to someone that can use it.
Use the "500" 1950 Pacemaker head on the 48-50 262's for a little more compression as well. Those aluminum 2 barrel intakes were only offered in '48-49 if I recall right. I have, or had one laying around.
I feel the 262 was the best all around Stepdown Six . The 308's are nice but a bit more temperamental, and the long stroke means higher piston speeds, thus more upper cylinder and ring wear than the 262. The 232's are the more durable motor, but a bit low on torque due to the short stroke.

[Ken U-Tx]

[QUOTE=Aaron D. IL;88741]
I just couldn't time it right no matter what I did. Has a new timing chain.

Aaron, did you check the oil pump /distributor brass drive gear for wear??? I bet that is the culprit. Once they wear the teeth to razor edges, there is so much slop that the dwell and timing can zoom back and forth 10-20 degrees or more, making them impossible to time....if you use a timing light on a stepdown six with worn dist/ oilpump drive gear, the timing marks on flywheel will jump back and forth at idle....it will stabilize some on accellaration, but go back to fluctuating when you close the throttle. Take the dist cap off and try to see how much play the rotor has in it by rotating back an forth (but not including the resistance felt by advance springs).Kenneth

PS: I said "razor edges" on the gears because when I changed the worn one out on my Hornet, the old worn gear sliced my finger open! Be careful handling them worn out drive gears. THE GEARS SOMETIMES WEAR SO THIN, THAT THEY STRIP OFF BRASS SHAVINGS THAT CAN GO INTO THE ROD AND MAIN BEARINGS, RUINING THEM. Modern aluminum-bronze replacements are availble from Randy and Russ Maas at 21st Century Hudson.

[Billy K.TN.]

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.

[51hornetA]

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

http://www.hudsonmotorcar.org/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10003/normal_pumpgear.jpg

[Kevin C.]

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

http://www.hudsonmotorcar.org/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10003/normal_pumpgear.jpg

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!

[1049superg]

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