Best starting point for V8 swap

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73NorthernDuste

73NorthernDuste

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Looking for some sage advice. My 73 Duster with /6 just isn't doing it for me any more so I am looking at a V8 swap. I will be using the schumacher kit but I need to decide what engine to start with. The local wrecking yards have the following engines. 75 360 from a 300 series van, a 92 360 from a van, various 98 5.9 magnums. Also there are a few 318's from 98 back to 78.

Which engine would be the best place to start from taking into account availability of performance parts and upgrades (I want to stay carb'ed). In the end I want to be able to use pump gas 89 or 91 octane, get good mpg 18 to 20 (not sure if this is realistic) and a fairly easy swap with either a 904 or 727.

Thanks in advance
Brent
 
i personally would go for the 75 360. i believe , but could be wrong, that truck engines were not yet choked down with emissions standards in 75. you will want to make sure you have at minimum an 8.25 rearend in your car. 8 3/4 would be the best. with my car im just building up the slant 6 and changing the rear end gears to be different.
 
Don't forget that you'll have to change the (stick) bell or the auto transmission, too. This means that an engine out of a 4x4 won't have a transmission that will do you much good.
 
I agree with the 75 360. Get that one. Are you looking for a complete ready to drop in engine, or something to rebuild? I would go through any engine that I don't know the history of...So a rebuild might be in order...
 
The easiest swap will be the 360. I think the best swap IMHO is the 5.7 magnum but it would cost more as you will get the same cubes with a roller cam block.That will help a bit with gas mileage.So it's all budget related.

What is your budget?
 
I had already factored in a rebuild with any engine I get (will be my winter project). Budget about 2500.00 (waiting for the dollar to go above par so I can get more for less)!!

I would have thought the 92 would be a little better since in 89 the 360 got the hydraulic roller cam. However there are a few less choices for cam with that yes or no? I will be shooting for about 300 to 350 HP nothing too wild just very steetable.
 
I think the 92 360 might be a roller cam engine with LA style heads. If so you could bolt on any LA style 4 barrel manifold. It would also be a throttle body injected engine & FI engines tend not to have as much cylinder wear as carbureted engines due to less raw fuel being sent into the cylinders.
 
I would go with the 92 360 just because it,s a roller cammed engine.You can still get a Airgap and carb for the magnum.You,ll have to change out the oil pickup and pan.If it,s a runner,throw it in.Happy motoring:-D
 
I would pick the 92 360 also. Roller cam, 308 heads, for the power level you are looking for, an almost stock rebuild, a 4 barrel and a set of headers and you are there.
 
i believe the 92 360 is still a LA motor (pre magnum) i would go with that or a 5.9 magnum motor. both are roller motors and both have plenty of performance parts available for them.
 
I would go with the 92 LA roller. Stock roller cam, more parts available, and you're more likley to find good used parts to save a considerable amount of money (compared to a magnum). An LA is just easier, imo.

BTW, this is coming from someone who's running a 5.9 magnum in their car.
 
Thanks I guess the 92 LA 360 looks like the choice. However one more question. I will assume the 92 block will still have provisions to use a mechanical fuel pump...would there be a block off plate there since the van would have had an electric fuel pump in the tank. Will there be any issues or would I have to go with some sort of inline electric fuel pump on my abody. I read somewhere (can't seem to find it now) that there was a cam difference with TBI engines no lobe to run a mechanical pump and that you needed some sort of extender to use a cam with one????

thanks again..

Brent
 
I would get a 85 to 87 318 from a car. Most truck/van engines have seen a hard life.
Many of their parts wont work in a car. Even the radiater from a Gran Fury or Fifth Ave will go in the A-body with a little effort. The right leanburn 318 might not need more than block flush, timing set, valve stem oil seals, and a oil pump, to run another 100 K miles.
Replace the leanburn with common electronic ignition and happy moparing.
 
The engine I just put in my Signet is a stock 91 Dodge 360 roller. I bought the complete excellent running truck with 48,000 miles for 800 bucks which was a former city truck here where I live. It has the electric fuel pump and so did my car so that wasn't a problem and an easy swap if I didn't have one but I did put an Edelbrock carburetor on an older 360 manifold with all its gauge thingies. The transmission that came with the truck is a 518 and in perfect shape but am using the 727 which was against the 340 and already in there, however I did change to a B&M flexplate and the fenderwell headers which were always on the Signet, here's a photo.
360017.jpg


This is all the stuff I already had on the Signet so all it needed was a hook up. I could have used the stock radiator if it had one and figured out which exhaust manifolds by asking here on FABO which was very helpful in making this simple swap as well

BTW, with the 6 cylinder I would change over to a 70's V8 Duster K-frame with the disc brakes as I did but my Signet already was a V8 car but wanted better stopping power and that setup offered what was needed at a very reasonable price and conversion
 
73NorthernDuste said:
Thanks I guess the 92 LA 360 looks like the choice. However one more question. I will assume the 92 block will still have provisions to use a mechanical fuel pump...would there be a block off plate there since the van would have had an electric fuel pump in the tank. Will there be any issues or would I have to go with some sort of inline electric fuel pump on my abody. I read somewhere (can't seem to find it now) that there was a cam difference with TBI engines no lobe to run a mechanical pump and that you needed some sort of extender to use a cam with one????

thanks again..

Brent
Click to expand...

I have a 91 roller cam motor. It has a block off plate on the timing cover. I could remove it & bolt on a fuel pump. Haven't gone into it yet so I don't know if the cam has the long snout or the short one. I checked into the cost of the extension a while back & I think it was either about $7 or maybe it was $17. It wasn't very much. The roller cam I plan to put in the motor has a long snout so I won't need an extension. I'll just need to bolt a fuel pump eccentric to the camshaft I have when I assemble the engine.
 
Thanks for all of the advice guys..It really made me do some thinking and more and more and more research....I think I got lucky however. I found a 360 that had already been rebuilt. Well I hope I got lucky as long as the guy was truthful.

77 360 block 30 over cast 340 intake, J heads with a little port and bowl work done. 340 cam, everything there except a carb and power steering bracket (even the a/c mounting brackets so I can put my rv2 compressor on it). About 8000 miles on the rebuild. With it a 727 Trans just rebuilt with about 1200 miles on it. The engine work was done at Beaty and Woods a very good shop in Toronto. Engine was in an older gentleman's 67 Charger but replaced with a correct 383. The exhaust manifolds are 98 dodge truck that I don't think will work in my Duster but I was thinking TTI's or Doug's unless a friend can find some 340 manifolds he thinks he still has. Ready to drop in my Duster (after I paint it blue) $2500.00

So now I just have to get together all the small little odds and ends and let the swapping begin. I still need a 7260 slip yoke for the 727 that ps bracket and maybe a ps pulley not sure if my pump and pulley on the slant will work. I'll have to get my drive shaft shortened again....fun fun fun....Now I can't wait till spring.

Thanks to all who replied.

Brent
 

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Well after a lot of work and searching for various odds and ends I was able to get the 360 into the Duster. Had a little trouble lining up the drivers side bolt hole drilled for the conversion mounts but after some swearing at it and another lift and drop with the cherry picker it decided to go where it is supposed to. And all this in my little cluttered one car garage..Man I need a bigger garage....LOL

I attached a few pics of the engine on the stand just before it went in.

Brent
 

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Looks great but what kind of manifolds are those? The best manifold setup for the money for an A-body with power steering is a driver-side 340 HiPo manifold and a passenger-side early ('92-93) Magnum manifold with the bigger (2 1/8") outlet. Anything less on a non-stock engine will be a bit of a bottleneck. Of course headers would still be best by far but you need the $$$ for the good ones.
 
The manifolds are 70 340 manifolds. I have magnum manifolds but I got tti head pipes with the manifolds so I will keep them until I get the bug for more HP then get headers.
 
Oh OK nice, I forgot the later 340 ones were less 'swoopy' I thought they were regular 360 manifolds. You ought to get a video of it running when it's done!
 
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