Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines GM 4 cylinders 151 153 181

Here's a blown 181 Mercruiser in a '53 Stude coupe that turned 131 mph at Bonneville. The owner said it did 133 without the blower.

I was reading on another thread about putting a 292 crank in a 250. I know it isn't easy but it is doable. Here's my question. Could a 292 crank be shortened and put into a 153 or 181 to stroke them? It would add 0.075" to the 153 and 0.040 to the 181. 1" to a 151. If you cut the front there would be no snout for the balancer. If you cut the rear the flywheel hub would have to be reattached. If you cut the middle you'd have two 2 cylinders in the same block. But I bet it can be done.
It would make a 181 or 151 into a 200+ and a 153 into almost 195. All with standard bores. Those would be some snorty torquey 4 bangers!

The throws are 120° degrees apart on the 292 and are 180° degrees apart on the 4 bangers. You would have to figure out how to overcome that.

DUH, I guess I'd have to cut it into a lot more pieces. Talk about odd fire.

A billet crank would be easier, more reliable, and - in the long run - cheaper. At 200 cubic inches you will want all the crank rigidity you can engineer into the engine.

Some of the ingredients in the newer 181's may warrant a closer look like the powdered metal connecting rods, will they also fit the 6's? Stronger and lighter than stock and cheaper than aluminum! When they came out in the SBCs' they were the hot ticket at the time. Also the water pump looks pretty good with the newer style seal. , http://www.gmpowertrain.com/Libraries/Marine_Engines/Vortec_3_0L_I-4_Marine.sflb.ashx

And the industrial version has a MPFI head option and interesting ignition systems., http://www.gmpowertrain.com/Libraries/Industrial/Vortec_3_0L_I-4_Industrial.sflb.ashx .

Those look cool! I've heard bad things about powder rods. Is that just urban legend? Here is a good video , I even like the music.

The belt drive looks interesting, would the water pump etc. work on an american 153,250 etc. as well as the intake? My margarita hazed mind seems to recall that the powdered rods used in the Z28's were referred to as the pink rods and were never know for coming apart.

My rod info could be urban legend.
I think that engine is the same as ours. That is indeed an interesting belt setup. some of the brackets appear a little fragile.Not the quality that Hank turns out for sure. That is one long friggin' belt.

If I'm looking at it correctly the water pump looks like the same mounting as our 4's and 6's, I'll see if my lil brother can get one out of Chile. How do you get a legend out of your urban area, you got bears, racoons, sheep and Vic, and everyone know those sheep are liars...

Vic can make a ewe turn.

So the 181 was faster without the blower.

Yes, That is not uncommon if you scan through the records. There could be many causes, people moving up in class and simply sticking a blower on a N/A engine, fewer people have experience with blown engines,or even people who have more money than brains. Sometimes it just takes a while to sort out a new setup.

No matter a four cylinder '60s design boat motor pushing a ton and a half '50s design full size car at 130+ MPH impresses me. What might my 3/4 ton roadster be like with virtually the same engine? Fun at least.

Hello fellas.

I've got a 153 built for inboard hydroplane racing. We've fired her off, she runs like a dream, except for one thing. We aren't getting any oil coming out of the lifters. We've got Crower Solid Roller lifters, brand new (PN: 66206-8). We had the same issue with a set of hydraulic rollers that were in it when we first got the motor (they were probably 10 years old)

We've got plenty of oil pressure when priming the pump (45+).
With the lifters pulled out, oil comes through the galley into the lifter bores. With the lifters in, oil weeps around the lifters and oozes out the side of the block. Turning the engine over while priming doesn't seem to make a difference.

We've checked that all galley plugs are in and where they are supposed to be. Confirmed that oil is getting to the crank. There are no external oil leaks.

We've missed 3 races this year trying to get this motor to cooperate and are out of ideas. Can any of you help us out?

What are you using to prime the engine with. Are you concerned with oiling to the bottom end or valvetrain, or both.

Had the same problem, oil galley not lined up with band on lifter must be how the base circle is on the cam, anyhow just take a very small grinder .020 .030 and cut a very small grove from the top of the lifter band to reach the oil hole in the side of the lifter.

Harry

I'd check out and try what Harry says. He knows this stuff and the workings of the 6s is the same as the 4s with just a few more parts. Let us know what you find.
Beater

cutting a small groove on the lifter worked perfectly. thanks so much guys! lifesaver!

I just got a 153 to swap into my 47 CJ2A Jeep.Have some interesting spare parts like a cast branched exhaust manifold and fabricated intake.

Show us some pictures. Are you wanting to sell them?

I will in a day or two.

That should be a great little engine for your CJ. I have a 151 Iron Duke that came out of a Jeep 1980 YJ I think.

My engine is a 153,not a 151 Iron Duke. Here's what some of the parts look like.it's a branched cast iron exhaust. The bolt holes line up with a stock 153 head,but the ports are way off? Very thick walls, probably for an industrial version?Or maybe the early 151 Iron Duke with the intake and exhaust on the same side?
If anyone has a use for it let me know



And what appears to be a propane intake.Nice ports but again only the bolt holes line up to the stock head.

Interesting, I'm betting they are for a 181 from a forklift. I think there are 3 181 heads and a couple have 8 ports. There were some pictures of 181 head on this thread but I can not find them. At any rate those are good parts the intake is a natural for a TBI setup or maybe even port injection with dividers. Beater

Thats the wrong gasket for those components. As Beater mentioned, the intake and exhaust are for an 8 port head, and the gasket is for a siamese head that is like the 250/292 engines.

I was using the gasket to show the difference between the two head types

Here's a few pix of 153-181 5 and 8 port intake gaskets and heads. that may help., , , , ,posted these before but lost the link somewhere,

Does anyone have a photo of the engine bottom end showing the oil pump pick up on a front sump 153?

It almost looks like a SBC header?? Was this on the engine or just in the pile of parts??

That cast header does not fit the head of a car 153 engine.It does fit some of the 8 port heads as mentioned above.I also have a steel tube header of the same port design as the cast header shown above.

Tony, I'll take a look. I think I only have one pickup tube and it's for the rear sump pan.

Got it pictures tonight! Never mind here they are. The last 6 pictures in this ALBUM

Got a rear sump 153 pan you can part with? Trade you for a new front sump pan.And thanks for the photo

I only have one rear sump. I don't even know what they came on. Dave, the guy I got the first 153 from swapped it to me along with the other pump and pickup tube in the photos. He views this site maybe he'll tell us where it came from. My engine was from a Chevy II and it was front sump as are the boat motors I've seen.

I'm a bit concerned about the front sump in a Jeep climbing up steep grades generally going forward.Rock climber guys do insane angles side to side with regular wet sumps V-8's so maybe it's not really a big deal.

Try this oil pan.
Fiero
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SPECTRA-PREMIUM-...b3636ec&vxp=mtr

Pickup tube
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sealed-Power-224...24fae83&vxp=mtr

Middle sump oilpan
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OMC-Stringer-Cob...11b173c&vxp=mtr

I just went out to check the 151 I have that came from a Jeep. It has a rear sump. I had not noticed that it is sitting in a wooden cradle that hides the pan. So there is a source. Jeep YJs I think, mine is from a 1980.

I have a 153 engine not the later 151 Iron Duke. Checking the Rock Auto catalog online it appears the 153 and 151 have a different part number for the oil pan gasket.
So...does a 151 pan fit on a 153?,it look s similar but ???

They were used in the Postal Jeeps, white boxes with sliding doors and right hand steering.