/6 to 360 engine swap.Can I use '81 Ramcharger parts

[carnut]

Hey All,

I'm going to upgrade the power of my '68 Dart.
Parts aren't very easy to find here (Belgium) but I can get
a full driveline of a '81 Ramcharger, that is the engine (360,
casting nr. PK4058397 6964 7373), 3 speed auto trans (727
I assume) and 9 1/4 rear.
so here are some questions;
1) I want to use Schumacher engine supports, so are all 360
engine support-points at the same place, or is there a difference in
engines used for trucks?
2) Can I use the trans or should I better rebuild my 904 into a
V8 housing ? and will that 360 than fit on the 904 ??
If I'm correct those 4WD transmissions are some longer as normal
727's, and I don't want my gearstick to end up on the rear seats ;-)
3) Is that 9 1/4 rear of any use if shortened (is this a lot of work)
or should I better try and find a 8 3/4 . Probably can swap the 9 1/4
for a 8 3/4 somewhere...

Sorry for all the questions, but info on this topic is not that easy to find on the net and I want to be well informed before I buy the Ramcharger parts...

greetz,
Gert Ouderits
Belgium.

 

[AdamR]

Very nice car !

The schumacer mounts is the best way to go.

Your correct that the 727 is longer. I'd try to find a short tail shaft for it. The 904s are good transmissions for small blocks the the /6 and smallblocks use a differant bolt patern.

Id look for a 8-3/4 or even a 8-1/4 rear instead of the over kill 9-1/4

 

[tt16v]

Hello Where are you at in Belgium? Beautiful country had an oppotunity to go to the Condroz du Huy Rally a couple years back and toured around Belgium cant wait to go back. Parts are not to difficult to come by here in the USA and with the euro still stronger than the dollar it should not be to tough to find parts for your swap. as far as narrowing the rear end it is somthing that should be done by a professional.

 

[dgc333]

The 360 will require a car oil pan. The sump on the Ramcharger engine will be at the back and will interfer with the steering linkage. These can be purchased new and must be for a 360 (318 and 340 pans are different because of the rear main bearing cap shape to accomodate the large journal size of the 360).

If the Ramcharger is 4wd then you will have a of work swaping around parts to get the transfer case off the back and a rwd only tailshaft on it. You would be better off looking for a small block 904 or 727 from a rwd vehicle. The length is really a non issue the gear shift lever you are refering to is for the transfer case which has to be removed anyway. The column shifter in your car will connect to the tranny.

The 9 1/4 can certainly be cut down to fit if you can find a machine shop in Belgium that does that kind of work. Remeber the axle shafts will need to be cut and re splined.

 

[moper]

As noted, the oil pan and exh manifolds will not work in the Dart. Also, even if the ramcharger is 2WD, the tailhousing will not fit the A body trans tunnel. (the retainer clip on the rear bearing is on the side, not the bottom, so a regular pass car tail is needed. I would find a 904 transmission. The 9 1/4 is a waste of effort, try to find a later 8 1/4, or 8 3/4 for it.

 

[Cerwin]

How did this swap end up turning out?
what trans did you decide to go with? and hows it look? pictures??


Cerwin