Thread: Hemi guys, need your advice.

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Don, You did good. 400 bucks ain't bad for any core motor but a Hemi any early Hemi its a real good deal.

All of the Desotos had dual point dizzy's. Also "ALL" Desotos use a plain unscripoted valve cover, the Logo as you guessed is on the Spark Plug covers on the Desoto. There were no Desoto Poly engines, thus no single point dizzy.The Desotos also share a common Bolt pattern with the Chrysler handy when it comes time to put a tranny behind it. Hot Heads has the adapters for just about any tranny you can think of. Rebuild Full kits can be had from severeal sources, many in your neck of the woods on E-Bay prices for complete kits start around 1,035.00 or so and go on up depending on Pistons and such. Egge has in stock just about any compression combo you can think of but they aint cheap. Hot Heads once again is the place to go, really cool folks, know what they are talking about, and there prices while not the cheapest always are not bad at all, and they will have the stuff.

There are two problem areas with any early Hemi and the Desoto to be sure. One is the cooling system, water pumps have not been available for a long time and on mine I couldn't even find a rebuilder to do the one I had. Hot Heads does sell a aluminum timing cover that incorporates a SBC water pump. very good idea and I am running one "NOW" on my 330 inch Desoto. The other area is the oil pump, they also have been out of production for years. Everyonce in awhile a rebuild kit comes up but thats the best you can hope for with a stock oil pump. Once again Hot Heads to the rescue, they sell a conversion that uses and adapts a Small Block Mopar modern oil pump to the Early Desoto, cool deal and I am running one of those as well.

Intake Manifolds in almost any configuration are out there for the Desoto. Stock there were single 4 brl manifolds, 2 brl manifolds and 2x4 manifolds. After market "TODAY" there are 4x2 brl--2x4 --- 6x2 and 3x2 brl manifolds all available for the Low and High deck Desotos hemis. Even a guy in New Zealand selling manifolds here in the states that he has cast in NZ and does the machine work and then ships in. They come in severeal different combois thru exchangeable tops, they run around a grand but hey man its an Early hemi and a Desoto at that, stuff aint supposed to be too cheap.

Very cool deal you got there congrats... Here's a couple of pics of my current Desoto Hemi swap for my 49 Ford F-1. This one is a tall deck 330 inch but very similiar to your 291.

Hombre,thanks for mentioning the NZ intake,I know the guy who came up with the idea/design,and the guy who did the pattern making and casting for that intake...and I believe he is looking at another combo to suit a blower...If you want to make contact with the guy,Don,PM me,or go to www.ace-customs.com

Jimmy should be able to help you out with one of PWs WHEKE intakes...[Maori for octopus]?

Thanks Hombre and Lamin8r for that info. Nice looking engine Hombre, nestles right down in there. I was wondering why the Chevy water pump swap was available because it looks like the stock DeSoto was very compact itself. Makes sense if you can't find them any more. I already told my Son to dust off his MasterCard, it's gonna be a bumpy ride costwise.

Don probably hasn't seen this thread yet as he had to run yesterday right after we picked up the engine and put it to bed in the shop. I'm sure he will appreciate all the info you guys have given too.

Don

Don