/6 to V8 Swap Help

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fastcorgigarage

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I have grown tired of hunting down basic parts and performance parts for a /6. After talking to a member on here (RustyRatRod) I have decided to just do a swap for a 318 or a 360 for the ease of finding parts and for the wider selection of performance upgrades. The other member helped me out with some info already but I still have some questions and I wanted to ask for some help and advice from the more experienced builders of the group. I will add more questions as I hit road blocks.

1) I will have to swap my current 904 for a small block 904. I want to keep it as a push button set up though. Can you guys help me out by naming some mopars that had the V8 push button 904.

2) Which route would you recommend for the wiring? I was thinking of just getting a universal wiring harness so I would be upgraded to the new style of fuses, and because I am going to add other options later like door poppers, electric windows, etc.

3) Will I need to switch out my rear end to a 8 3/4 instead to hold up to a 318 or 360?
 
Cool! This will be a great thread to share once it has grown :thumblef:
Is this going to be dun to your 64 Dart 270 2 door ? the linkage/push button I think will if you can find a Trans. Be careful looking for a trans before you locate the engine, You will have to have an early V8 trans with the correct spline count so the crank can mount to a T.C..is what I have learned, the crank shaft is different after 67 thus why I am keeping my 66 standard shift and adding a hydraulic throw out bearing (thanks to my son Creed).
I am no way a tech here so I will be watching your transformation :thumblef:

So there is no way you would just put an automatic floor shifter in ?
This would greatly help finding a good 904 trans and not have any problem finding a later small block for it.

Know lets hear from our great tech's we have here :hello2:
 
Yes I will be doing the swap to my 64 Dart 270. I have put a lot of thought into the transmission and I will use a column or floor shift if I have to, but I would love to keep the push button set up.
 
The only small block 904 V-8 pushbutton is 1964 only. A 1965 can be made to work by using the 64 valve body. And you will need the crank adapter if the SB is 68 or later.
 
Charrlie_S said:
The only small block 904 V-8 pushbutton is 1964 only. A 1965 can be made to work by using the 64 valve body. And you will need the crank adapter if the SB is 68 or later.
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I will be ordering the adapter from you tomorrow so that way I have it on the shelf. I know there was a small block push button 904 in the 64 and 65 darts but I know other mopars had to have them as well. I'm honestly surprised that there isn't someone that makes a conversion kit for the /6 904.
 
64DartGTinAZ said:
There was an outfit that did a cable kit to convert an non-pushbutton transmission to work with the pushbutton shifter - found a link - sounds like a possibility, if you're not in a hurry: http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=155720&highlight=pushbutton+cable

Thank you for the heads up. I called and left a message so now I play the waiting game.

I'm not in a hurry I'm going to try and get the more expensive parts now why I have the extra then buy up the rest over the winter. I can't get to far into the actual work till my families new house gets done being built in Oklahoma anyway.
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Charrlie_S said:
The only small block 904 V-8 pushbutton is 1964 only. A 1965 can be made to work by using the 64 valve body. And you will need the crank adapter if the SB is 68 or later.
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Correct. My 65 Dart SB & 65 Newport BB both have cable-shift transmissions, but not the dash push-buttons. My Dart is floor shift. My Newport is column-shift, which I expect was what A's w/ non-floor shift also used in 1965.

As Charrlie suggests, the 65 cable-shift valve body is unique, in that it uses the now-standard shift pattern P-R-N-D-2-1. My guess is that it would work with your push-buttons if you re-label the buttons (but don't blame me). My 64 Valiant has push-buttons that I can barely read, so it might actually be easier if it used the standard pattern. Now you have me thinking of someday changing the valve body to a 65 someday for that. There was also a 727 SB cable-shift tranny. I bought a 65 for $100 at a swap meet, and this summer I picked up a 64 slant 904 w/ the pushbuttons for $40. The guy was lucky to find someone who had that combo.
 
Try A & A Transmission. It seems they would know how to get you where you want to go. I'm with you on the pushbuttons, I always loved them. I also agree with you about sticking with a 904.
 
66fs said:
Try A & A Transmission. It seems they would know how to get you where you want to go. I'm with you on the pushbuttons, I always loved them. I also agree with you about sticking with a 904.
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Thank you for the tip and for the kind words. I figure I would have decent luck finding a 64 small block cable trans at a salvage yard that time forgot or a swap meet. I have also considered using the dash shifter that was in some of the older trucks.
 
Something like the shifter in the pic would look neat where the push button selector goes.
 

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Ask HotLines (Joey Madden) about his. He has the pushbutton box mounted in the floor next to the driver's seat. It's really cool.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Ask HotLines (Joey Madden) about his. He has the pushbutton box mounted in the floor next to the driver's seat. It's really cool.
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That would be badass but I take my Corgi Dog (Chong) and my wife's large pit bull/chocolate lab (Izzy) with me and I wouldn't want to risk them shoving the trans into a different gear going down the highway. That's why I am really wanting to stick with a dash shift on the left side of the steering wheel.
 
I've got the pushbutton 904 with a 360 in my '64 Barracuda and I love it. Worth the effort for the conversion. It's a blast to push 2 with the throttle down! People always comment on the weird shifter too! I went the route of switching the front three main components in the tranny to the 68 and later so I would have a broad selection of torque converters. If you build the 904 with quality pieces it is a stout tranny. Just round up a '64 904 and you're good to go.
 
grimreaper said:
I've got the pushbutton 904 with a 360 in my '64 Barracuda and I love it. Worth the effort for the conversion. It's a blast to push 2 with the throttle down! People always comment on the weird shifter too! I went the route of switching the front three main components in the tranny to the 68 and later so I would have a broad selection of torque converters. If you build the 904 with quality pieces it is a stout tranny. Just round up a '64 904 and you're good to go.
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I have a 904 now but it is hooked up to my /6 and a lot of people say that wont work with a V8.
 
I don't know what your budget is but you may want to check with J.W. Performance
racewithjw.com 321-632-6205. They may have a bolt on bellhousing so you can use you existing 904. About 10 years ago we took a 518 smallblock trans and removed (cut) the bell off and used a bolt on bell to mate to a 440 big block. It comes as a kit and bolts to the front pump. Worked out for us. That way you know what you got and if your trans is in good working order it may be cheaper in the long run. They make bells(SFI) for many conversions like putting a powerglide behind a mopar block etc. .Ask if you still can use your stock converter.Our conversion we had to use a 10'' converter as the factory 12'' didn't fit the thick new bell. I think you may be ok with the small converter from your 904.It may save you the changing of shifters, driveshaft,beating the flange of the floor. If I remember the cost was around $600 for everything.Just a thought.
 
Darter6 said:
I don't know what your budget is but you may want to check with J.W. Performance
racewithjw.com 321-632-6205. They may have a bolt on bellhousing so you can use you existing 904. About 10 years ago we took a 518 smallblock trans and removed (cut) the bell off and used a bolt on bell to mate to a 440 big block. It comes as a kit and bolts to the front pump. Worked out for us. That way you know what you got and if your trans is in good working order it may be cheaper in the long run. They make bells(SFI) for many conversions like putting a powerglide behind a mopar block etc. .Ask if you still can use your stock converter.Our conversion we had to use a 10'' converter as the factory 12'' didn't fit the thick new bell. I think you may be ok with the small converter from your 904.It may save you the changing of shifters, driveshaft,beating the flange of the floor. If I remember the cost was around $600 for everything.Just a thought.
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That is a great thought and thank you for this lead. My trans has less than 1,000 miles on it and I have been dreading getting rid of it. Plus like you said this route could avoid a lot of future hassles.
 
Does the trans from the poly 318 not interchange with the LA series engines? I thought I remember hearing they used the same bellhousing.
 
Yes they do. Just one bolt hole is different and is usually left out.
 
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