What the ?

[57effie]

Hey Guys,

I've been given a motor today and I'm not sure what it is. Its block looks like a grey but has a red style oil filter and tappet cover. Manifolds are the same as a grey and it has HP on it reather than a size. Cant read the sticker on the tappet cover. The motor is painted red.

Can anyone give me some clues please.

Cheers

Mark

[OldGMHolden]

Hmmmm.......

Sounds suspiciously like a red to me.
Post a picture and I think everyone else will agree.
By the way, it is a HOLDEN isn't it?

Cheers,
Gaz

[fb delivery]

179hp out of a EH

[GMVAN]

HP stands for High Performance, definately a red motor.

[MattFC]

179 Red motors used the "hot box" manifolds, similar to the grey motors. So I'm guessing it's a 179 from an EH.

[57effie]

OK

I'll try and get some pics up tomorrow

[FCRB26]

is the dizzy at the back or in the middle but it could be a rare NASCO 1 of a kind HP grey motor e bay special..     ;)

[57effie]

Picked it up saturday morning. Its a red alright, probably 179 as suggested but I dont think its an EH sump.  Rare is not my luck. Dissy in centre over oil pump, has the hot box manifold, the sticker on whats left of the tappet cover looks like 170. Is there such a thing ? Disappointed after digging it out from under the pile of farm junk it was under. It was lying on its side but what couldnt be seen was the bag of sand it was lying on. Sad story ! Pictures tell the tale.

What do the different size red motors share (head crank etc) ? And what is special about the HP ? Higher compression to start with I'm pressuming but what else, cam, bigger valves ?

[colt]

There's nothing particularly special about the HP motor. They are the same basically as any other red motor. All early reds had steel cranks, valve sizes vary marginally and cams vary marginally between sizes. There is no 170 red motor. I'd say you've got a faded sticker. There was a high and low comp head. All parts up to 186 are interchangeable. Most 202 stuff is also. What are you doing with it?

Colin.

[57effie]

I see the photo's didnt upload. Any clues. One of the photo's was of the sticker. I've got a 161, 186 and now this one. I am going to put the 161 in. So what varied, if the cranks are the same then stroke didnt change, is it just bore size ? So apart from pistons & rings everything else is interchangeable ?

[colt]

Cranks from 138 up to 186 have the same stroke. 202 is a longer stroke. The bore size varied. You can't bore the smaller sizes up to the larger sizes. All bits interchange apart from pistons and rings.

Colin.

[FB_MAD]

HP means it's a 179, the engine number prefix will tell you as well .The pic of the tappet cover shows a very faded 179 sticker. Nothing high performance about it although it was a high performance version I guess compared to the smaller 149 which had no engine size embossed in the block.A red with no cast in number in the block is a 149.The engine number prefix will also confirm a 149.

The sump appears to be a HD/HR so it's probably  from a HD originally I'd imagine.EH sumps are different and if you are fitting a red into a pre EJ Holden you will need an EH sump to install.

Throw up the engine number prefix and we'll be able to tell you what it's from originally.

[57effie]

                                Engine number is M15882

[brett_f]

57 effie, Going back quite awhile but remember the HP blocks were sort after because they stood for high performance. I think they had steel cranks and rods and i think the main differance was they could be bored more (thicker walls). If it is standard bore it could be a good motor to use. Dont worry what it looks like outside as long as the bores are not wrecked. Also the head may have H or L on it. This is for high or low compression. If it is high it would also be good to use although our petrol might not be up to the extra comp.
Regards Brett

[57effie]

Thanks Brett,

I'm going to shelve it for a while. Got a few other things to sort out first. According to old mate it hadnt been touched. Is it something that might have come out of a torana ? He couldnt remember what it came out of but he had had a few models over the years.

Mark

[brett_f]

57effie,
Definantly from an EH or HD/HR.
Regards brett

[fb delivery]

Definantly from a EH