1999 5.2/46re into 1974 Duster?

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jjj1954

jjj1954

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Been searching on here for some answers but still have questions. What I have is a 1974 Duster that was a 318 car with an auto. My daughter had a 1999 Dakota with a 5.2 with a 46re 4x4 tranny, cracked and bent frame. I found a intake manifold from Huges that will replace that ugly turtle shell they call an intake and still use the injectors. Oil pan and exhaust will come off a 1970's valiant engine. Will simplify the wiring but still use the ECM.
what is required to put the 46re into the car?
 
You'll need a sawzall and a welder to fit that transmission in the car. Besides the 4x4 transmission being different than a 2wd, the factory overdrive transmissions are fat through the middle. The 727 and 904s looked like an oil funnel in comparison and the floors were designed to be barely bigger than the transmission.
Fitting any Mopar overdrive in a classic car means cutting the torsion bar crossmember in the center and building a taller and wider center section of that crossmember. The sheet metal can then be shaped and patched around that.
Nobody that I know of makes any parts to do this swap. EVERY instance that I have heard of has been a custom job by the individual.
 
On the trans just swap out the 4x4 overdrive houseing for a 2 Wheel drive. But like was said you will have to make room for the over drive houseing and build a custom trans mount. I am going to be building a 75 dart sport with a GT45 turbo, FI 360 magnum engine and a 518 over drive trans. But the way my luck is going you will probably be done before I will. Lol so don't forget to post info and picks on your build.
 
jjj1954 said:
Been searching on here for some answers but still have questions. What I have is a 1974 Duster that was a 318 car with an auto. My daughter had a 1999 Dakota with a 5.2 with a 46re 4x4 tranny, cracked and bent frame. I found a intake manifold from Huges that will replace that ugly turtle shell they call an intake and still use the injectors. Oil pan and exhaust will come off a 1970's valiant engine. Will simplify the wiring but still use the ECM.
what is required to put the 46re into the car?
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Sell the engine and trans and buy a 5.9 & 46 RH. Use an SCT Tuner with a reflash, upsize the cam and add headers. THe car will be fast. Check out the US Car Tool trans swap parts to see if the will work with the 46RH, and adjust the floor pan to accommodate that big trans.
 
No need to sell the engine/tranny. The 318 in the dakota could beat anything up Rice Hill. So power is not an issue.
 
jjj1954 said:
No need to sell the engine/tranny. The 318 in the dakota could beat anything up Rice Hill. So power is not an issue.
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I agree. The only reasion I am not going to use the 46RE is because I will be useing a non lock up race converter. Pluse I am going to use a GM LS computer/ wireing harnesses to run my turbo magnum 360
 
jbc426 said:
Sell the engine and trans and buy a 5.9 & 46 RH. Use an SCT Tuner with a reflash, upsize the cam and add headers. THe car will be fast. Check out the US Car Tool trans swap parts to see if the will work with the 46RH, and adjust the floor pan to accommodate that big trans.
Click to expand...

Man that is so cool. Thanks for posting this. I didn't know they was making 518 mounts . But now I do
 
mopar65 said:
Man that is so cool. Thanks for posting this. I didn't know they was making 518 mounts . But now I do
Click to expand...

I only know it relocates the rear engine/trans mount back and down. You will still need to do some fabricating, but it is not a big deal if you can stich weld with a mig.
 
mopar65 said:
I agree. The only reasion I am not going to use the 46RE is because I will be useing a non lock up race converter. Pluse I am going to use a GM LS computer/ wireing harnesses to run my turbo magnum 360
Click to expand...

I have a 200R4 with a 3600 rpm stall 3-carbon fiber disc lock-up converter. It is heavier than a non lock-up converter, but it is also like having a 5th gear. It drops the cruise rpm about 350rpm when engaged. Unless you are building a strip only car, it's worth looking into.

I wired mine with a 12V toggle switch that passes through a normally open pressure switch screwed into the 4th gear pressure circuit in the transmission. That way, it only will lock-up in 4th.
 
jbc426 said:
I only know it relocates the rear engine/trans mount back and down. You will still need to do some fabricating, but it is not a big deal if you can stich weld with a mig.
Click to expand...

I was just happy that I dont have to fab something now. Lol
 
jbc426 said:
I have a 200R4 with a 3600 rpm stall 3-carbon fiber disc lock-up converter. It is heavier than a non lock-up converter, but it is also like having a 5th gear. It drops the cruise rpm about 350rpm when engaged. Unless you are building a strip only car, it's worth looking into.

I wired mine with a 12V toggle switch that passes through a normally open pressure switch screwed into the 4th gear pressure circuit in the transmission. That way, it only will lock-up in 4th.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a sweet set up. I will be useing a 518 with a one wire hook up for over drive. Wish I had everything to put a 4L80 in the car. But I dont
 
mopar65 said:
Sounds like a sweet set up. I will be useing a 518 with a one wire hook up for over drive. Wish I had everything to put a 4L80 in the car. But I dont
Click to expand...

The shifter controls the transmission to go into overdrive by putting it in 4th gear. The one wire hook-up on my set-up controls the lock-up clutch in the torque converter.
 
I changed my kmember to a 74 in my 72. Used 74 motor mounts worked,fine. Also the 74 kmember allowed me to use 76 Cordoba disk brakes
 
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