Anyone want a hot 225 Slant Six?

pwd72s · 09-13-2023, 08:54 PM

About 45 minutes total run time, but you can skip for high points. Let's just say, built beyond 60's Mopar engineering.

asphaltgambler · 09-14-2023, 02:31 AM

I know a fair bit about the 'leaning tower of power'. Small bore, close bore spacing, small head bolts, too little deck surface area, on and on. In the past there have been countless builds making good HP/TQ either N/A or boosted but the problem is longevity. They just don't stay together because of all the limitations of the original design.

The OE design was cheap, low rpm, small displacement, economy engine. I would love to know how much $$$ and time was thrown at that......

rfuerst911sc · 09-14-2023, 03:10 AM

Back in the day I had a 1964 Dodge Dart GT . Had a 225 slant six and 4 speed Hurst shifter . Had the block bored out and added a Crane cam . Added an Offenhouser intake manifold with a 390 cfm Holley 4 barrel carb . Final touch was Clifford Research long tube split headers .

Car was very quick but ran out of lung at top end . Had a great exhaust snarl . I humbled many a 289 Mustang 😋 . Car was very touchy to vapor lock I really never solved that . And that stupid firewall mounted ceramic resistor 😩 . But overall fun memories .

fastfredracing · 09-14-2023, 04:13 AM

The leaning tower of power, lols

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

The leaning tower of power, lols

It's been referred to as either the Leaning Tower of Power or Scant Six for as long as I can remember. I've had several of them. If I had a choice between the 225 six and the 273 V8 I'd take the six every day.

herr_oberst · 09-14-2023, 06:36 AM

To answer the OP question, a lot of people want a hot slant six, and the aftermarket is still out there ready to supply cams, headers, manifolds....they can make an engine bay come alive. Truth be told, though, I'm not a huge fan of the sound they make. That's just me.

asphaltgambler · 09-14-2023, 07:22 AM

The foremost issue is head gasket sealing between the cylinders and only 4 small head bolts (square) per cylinder, thin deck thickness.

GG Allin · GG Allin's Garage

BMW has put out a few hot slant 6's.

911 Rod · 911 Rod's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by GG Allin

BMW has put out a few hot slant 6's.

Lots of work to balance them I bet.

911boost · 911boost's Garage

Sounds a lot like the 200ci in my '66 Mustang rfuer except for the Holley. I have the same headers and an Offy 3x1 intake on mine.

With 3.73's in the back it will be pretty quick off the line. I did the engine work a long time ago and then it has been sitting, finishing up the brakes now to get it back on the road.

Jeff Higgins · 09-14-2023, 10:00 AM

Lipstick on a pig. As another old MOPAR guy, I pretty much ran the gamut with these as well. Great little motors for that which they were intended, but woefully unsuited to any real hot rodding.

I know guys are just being the usual snarky PPOT-ers when mentioning the BMW straight six, but it does serve to demonstrate how far the basic platform can be taken when performance is actually designed in. My younger son had an E46 M3 for years and, I have to tell you, what a marvelous motor. Polar opposite end of the spectrum from the MOPAR. Completely different design objectives, however.

The straight six is actually one of the better planforms, one of the only ones where all primary and secondary forces that generate imbalances and thus vibrations cancel one another out. It is inherently a very smooth motor. Packaging has always been a problem, as has the long crankshaft, but all in all there are far worse designs.

pwd72s · 09-14-2023, 10:37 AM

Talking stock here...The slant 6 should be on any short list of USA engines that are long lived...

But this one? Boosted to 11 PSI? Yeah, even with the all forged internals, don't see it lasting long. Great fun at the dragstrip, though...

rfuerst911sc · 09-14-2023, 10:39 AM

My wife's Volvo xc90 has a 3.2 litre straight six and front wheel drive . That is a packaging marvel !

rfuerst911sc · 09-14-2023, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911boost

Sounds a lot like the 200ci in my '66 Mustang rfuer except for the Holley. I have the same headers and an Offy 3x1 intake on mine.

With 3.73's in the back it will be pretty quick off the line. I did the engine work a long time ago and then it has been sitting, finishing up the brakes now to get it back on the road.

Sounds like a fun car . The 3.73 gear must really wake up the acceleration .

pwd72s · 09-14-2023, 11:05 AM

3:73's with limited slip in the '08-'09 Bullitts. 1st gear used mainly to just get the car rolling...full throttle in 1st doesn't last long. This translates to the Bullitts having a 1/4 mile ET edge over the Shelby GT350's of the same years because the Shelby ran 3:55's.

Yes, the 3:73 a good compromise street ratio..go to 4:11 and experience too many RPM's at freeway speeds.

pavulon · 09-14-2023, 12:07 PM

Straight 6 crate engines from DirectConnection

https://www.motortrend.com/events/direct-connection-hurricane-i6-twin-turbo-crate-engines/

Mopar gets cute with the Hurricane crate motor names, which will come in themed "Cat 1," "Cat 3," and "Cat X" (that's "X," not the Roman numeral for 10) outputs, the lowest being a 420 hp package—same as the non-high-output Hurricane 510 in the Wagoneers. The Cat 3 comes in at 550 hp, and Cat X is set to hit "1,000 plus hp." This maximum-power engine will also be seen in the next Drag Pak car that's coming soon.

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Lipstick on a pig. As another old MOPAR guy, I pretty much ran the gamut with these as well. Great little motors for that which they were intended, but woefully unsuited to any real hot rodding.

Yeah, lipstick on a pig. But some people like pigs. Never underestimate the determined foolishness of a hot rodder. There are STILL people trying to hot rod Ford V-8 60s.

I really liked the scant sixes I've had, because, as you say, they are great little motors for what they were intended for. Never had an itch to hot rod one though.

Superman · 09-14-2023, 01:01 PM

I sure don't think of them as performance engines, but I also sure don't think of them as having a longevity problem. The opposite, in fact. It's a motor you couldn't wear out. At least at that time, compared to most other motors which would start to get tired at 100K.

sc_rufctr · 09-14-2023, 01:57 PM

Excellent well presented video. My parents owned a locally built Chrysler with a 225 Slant Six for many years. Absolutely bomb proof. When they finally traded it in it the original battery from new was still in its place. Great cars with torsion bar suspension.

Like this one: https://musclecarwarehouse.com.au/listings/1967-valiant-vc-regal/

Also "Yella Terra" is an Australian company based at Braeside, Melbourne in the state of Victoria.

https://store.yellaterra.com.au/

Jeff Higgins · 09-14-2023, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Yeah, lipstick on a pig. But some people like pigs. Never underestimate the determined foolishness of a hot rodder. There are STILL people trying to hot rod Ford V-8 60s.

"You'll never spend so much to go so slow." Truer words never spoken, in either case. But I get it. Cool in their own quirky way to those who love them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I really liked the scant sixes I've had, because, as you say, they are great little motors for what they were intended for. Never had an itch to hot rod one though.

Growing up in the '60's and '70's, my family always had at least one car with the mighty slant six. Started with an early Dodge wagon and finished with a '76 Duster. They were a part of my life, and one of the first motors I learned to wrench on. Countless friends had them as cheap, reliable transportation before the Japanese cars effectively took over that niche for young people. Lots of memories.