Plymouth, Chrysler, Dodge and DeSoto Flathead 6 Cylinder Engines 1935-1959 Part 1

What we need to know about the internal parts

From 1935 through 1959 Chrysler flathead 6 cylinder passenger car engines developed a reputation for durability. They looked similar, but went through several changes along the way. For our purposes we will concentrate on the Plymouth and Dodge engines (PD) and the 1937 through 1954 Chrysler and DeSoto engines (CD). The PD engines are both 23.5” long, as measured at the head. 1935 through 1941 Plymouth engines had a bore of 3.125” for a displacement of 201 cubic inches. The Dodge engines throughout had a bore of 3.25” as did the Plymouth engines from 1942 though 1959 giving either 218 or 230 cubic inches. Chrysler and DeSoto engines were 25.5” long and came in 2 bore sizes: 3.375” from 1937-1941 and 3.4375” from 1942-1959. A variety of displacements were arrived at due to different strokes including 228, 236, 241,250 and 265 cubic inches. For our purposes, the bore size tells us what we need to know about the internal parts.Read More