Seized Gem - DeSoto Hemi History, 276 Teardown, Tech Tips (Dragging It Back From The Dead)

Video Description

I first got my greasy paws on a 1950s Chrysler Hemi (or "dual rocker shaft engine") well over a decade ago. This was a 331 in my 1955 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe, and when that sludge-laden engine barked to life after decades of slumber, I was amazed - and I was hooked. It was so smooth, so quiet, and so fantastic to behold. Ever since then, I have harbored a mild obsession with the early Hemi engine, and over the last couple years I have started collecting them in the hopes of getting one together and operational for installation in an as-yet unknown project. Though I now have one running in a 1955 Imperial, that doesn't quite scratch the itch or set me up for future engine swap possibilities, as I could never bring myself to ruin that car. So far, the others I have collected have proven to be glorified scrap metal, with not a usable crank, block, or set of rods in the pile. But today... today, we've got something different. This 1953 276 DeSoto Firedome engine looks to be largely complete, and aside from being seized solid... it's looking like a serious revival candidate. So now it's time for a first generation Hemi deep dive, and with any luck we'll get to hear one run too. Let's dive in.