Engine Repair Information For Your Imperial

Imperial Home Page -> Repair -> Engine

• Air Cleaner (located in our Imperial Fuel Repair section)

• Belts

• Camshaft, Lifters and Tappets

  • Read Chrysler's Master Technician's Service Conference on Diagnosing Tappet Noises & Removing/Replacing Tappets (session 64) from March, 1953.

• Changing Your Oil 

  • Some great tips on how often and why changing your oil is important

• (Engine) Checklist to go through when purchasing your new Imperial.

• Cleaning Your Engine Compartment

• Cleaning and Flushing Your Engine Block

• Cylinder Heads & Gaskets

• Dip Stick & Dip Stick Tube

• Engine Block

• Engine Identification

• Straight 6 (1926-1930)

• Straight 8

  • 385 (1931-1950)

• Hemi

  • 331 (1951-1955)

  • 354 (1956)

  • 392 (1957-1958)

   

• Wedge (Big Block)

  • 413 (1959-1965)

  • 440 (1966-1977)

  • 400 (1976-1978)

   

• Small Block

  • 318 (1981-1983)

• Engine Misses - what they mean and what to check for (includes rough running engines)

• Engine Painting (including engine compartment and engine block)

• Engine Rebuilding (Lower end: block, crankshaft, pistons, connecting rods, bearings, etc.)

  • General Tips on engine rebuilding including information on how to start a rebuilt engine

  • Cost of having your Imperial's engine rebuilt

  • "How To Read Your Chrysler Engine" - A great article from High Performance Mopar (March,1994) on how to read your engine as you are tearing it down.

  • Read Kerry's step by step story on how he rebuilt his lower end.

  • Things to check before you spend the money to have your engine rebuilt.

• Engine Renewal (how to revive a stuck engine)

• Engine Replacement (swapping)

• Engine removal and installation

• Engine Specifications (includes general numbers, oil/journal/rod numbers, piston/ring dimensions & a torque table)

• Engine Storage

  • How to start an engine in below freezing temperature or one that has been stored, from the 1973 Master Technicians Service Conference - "Getting Them Started" (#307).

• Freeze Plugs

• Hood Insulation Material (located in our "Body Repair" section)

• How an engine works (general definition of terms and history)

  • Check out this GREAT article on how an internal-combustion engine works.

• Literature that deals with Mopar engine repair

  • The 1972 Engine Performance Facts and Figures Master Technician Service Conference from February, 1972 (Session #291)

• Motor Mounts

  • Check out Bob Schmitt's site and his information about motor mounts for 1960-1966 Imperials.

  • Read Kerry's step by step story on how he replaced the motor mounts on his 1973 Imperial with a 440.

• Noises—identifying

  • Read Chrysler's Master Technician Service Conference booklet from June, 1956 about diagnosing vibration noises caused by the engine and distinguishing between engine vibrations/noises and chassis vibrations/noises.

• Oil Systems

  • Oil Consumption

    • Identifying Leaks (includes information on oil film)

    • Oil Burning - information on Imperial "smoking"

    • Read Chrysler's Master Technician Service Conference booklet from October, 1947 about diagnosing oil consumption problems.

  • Oil Filters

    • Converting your canister Oil Filter to a modern spin-on type.

  • Oil Pan

  • Oil Pump (includes information about the oil sending unit)

  • Oil Types and Additives (includes information on "milky colored oil)

    • If you have ever had any questions about synthetic or petroleum oil, read Ed Hackett's article which explains and compares them ALL!!

• Performance Checks (compression test, oil pressure, engine vacuum, etc.)

  • How to calculate your exact compression by Bill Cole.

  • The how's and why's on how to perform a dynamic compression check.

  • Read Chrysler's Master Technician Service Conference booklet from August, 1948 on Engine Power & Economy.  This is a wonderful booklet on how to test your engine for performance problems.

  • Read Chrysler's Master Technician Service Conference booklet from February, 1972 on engine performance facts and fixes.

• Pistons

  • Read Chrysler's Master Technician Service Conference booklet from November, 1947 on the story behind pistons.

  • Read Chrysler's Master Technician Service Conference booklet from August, 1959 on piston ring service.

• Rear Main Seal

  • Read Chrysler's Master Technician Service Conference booklet from January, 1953 on Oil and Grease Seals.

• Red Ram V-8 Engine - read the Master Technician Service Conference booklet from October, 1952 introducing the NEW Red Ram engine (not directly Imperial related, but a good resource for Mopar lovers).

• Temperature Sensors

• Timing Chain

  • Read Kerry's step by step story on how he replaced the timing chain on his 1973 Imperial with a 440.

• Timing Light - how to use a timing light.

• Tune-Up

• Valvetrain (includes Valves, Valve Components, Sticking Valves, Rockers, Shaft & Valve Covers)

• Read Chrysler's Master Technician Service Conference on Bearing Service from December,1947 (Session #4)

• Read Chrysler's Master Technician Service Conference on 1959 Bearing & Valve Service from September,1959 (Session #142)

• Head Gasket repair (includes information about head bolts)

• Valve Cover colors (includes information on engine decals)

• Valve Cover Gasket (replacement tips)

• Valve Cover Interchange

• Valve Cover Reproduction Stickers  1960   1961

• Valve Seal repair (bad seals can cause spark plug fouling)

• Read about Jim Martin's repair of the valves and guides on his 1939 C-24 Imperial Limo with a flathead engine.

• Vibrations

• Water Leaks

This page last was updated December 17, 2004.  Send us your feedback, and come join the Imperial Mailing List - Online Car Club