engine swap question

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1BadDodge71

1BadDodge71

FABO Rice Hater
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Hey everyone.I want to later on swap my slant six out for a small block (just aquired a 318 and a 360) and was wondering ,will the auto transmission bolt on to the 318?Will I need a different driveshaft?What all will i need because I want it to go smooth.Also,will I need to get a bigger radiator?its going into a 72 Duster.thanks
 
you will need a smallblock transmission. If the trans you put in is the same type (904-904 or 727-727) the driveshaft will be ok.
 
you will need a V-8 K Member, motor mounts for the swap too. And if I recall, the fuel system in a v-6 is smaller than in a v-8.
 
Try to find a 4speed trms.What engine will go?318?

The Dart -Nº1,2.jpg
 
To physically put a sb in you will need;

1. Either the sb v8 K-member with the appropriate mounts or conversion motor mounts

2. A sb V8 tranny

3. An exhaust.

4. a V8 radiator.

To do it right you also need;

1. You likely have 9" drum brakes they need to be upgraded preferably to disks.

2. The front suspension needs to be upgraded. The \6 torsion bars will hold the car up but the handling will be horrible. I would recomend at minimum the .870" sb heavy duty bars or better yet the .890" big block bars.

3. The rear axle will need to be upgraded from the 7.25 to either 8.25 or 8.75. This will also require either a new drive shaft or have your exisiting one shortened.

When I did the swap to a v8 I did the brake, rear end and suspension upgrades the year before I actual did the engine swap.

Someone mentioned the fuel system the tank and the lines from the tank are the same whether it's a \6 or v8 no need to upgrade there unless you are building a big horsepower motor.
 
LowDart said:
Try to find a 4speed trms.What engine will go?318?
Click to expand...
Im not sure which one yet.As far as the motor mounts go,Im planning on buying the Shumacher kit.I just want it to go smoothly.As for the torsion bars,where can i get these?Also,what will i need to change as far as the rear end goes and whats the best car to get these partsoff of?
 
Torsion bars are available from Summit, Mancini, etc.. Rears are 8 1/4 or an 8 3/4, both A-body size, to bolt right in without alteration. 8 3/4 is beefier and more expensive. 8 1/4 is about half the price, and are said to be good for up to 400 street hp. There are other more expensive exotic rears available for racing duty.
 
LowDart said:
Try to find a 4speed trms.What engine will go?318?
Click to expand...
Well,its not going to be a high horsepower drag racer(yet,lol),Just something I can drive whenever I want and streetable.Im shooting for maybe 300hp at the most so Im not going to get too extreme.the 318 has a 904 on it already came out of a 74 Charger (the charger was wrecked from the back and totaled) and motor ran fine before we pulled it but I plan on rebuilding it anyway.the 360 has no tranny and came from a cordoba.I'll do some more research and hunt for a parts car.Maybe a old 4 door valiant with a v8 or Dart will pop up that I can buy for parts(Im in Colorado,these cars are not easy to find here.) :sad:
 
318 Darts came with 9" drums and 7-1/4" rears originally. I agree that they do need to be upgraded, though. My '64 273 GT Dart has gone through two 7-1/4" rears and after I "upgraded" to 10" drums, it still stopped like s#!t. I'm putting in an 8-3/4, big bolt discs, .99" torsions, and replacing all the other suspension stuff. It's all just nuts and bolts. I just picked up an A-518 trans. That's going to be fun fitting in there. There will be some cutting and welding involved in that upgrade.
 
I bought a 74 dart 318, 904 at the junk yard for 500.00. I used the 8 1/4 out of it (took it out complete with springs and boxes). This will bring you up to 4 1/2 wheels. I will use the engine linkages,brackets, kickdown etc. k frame i will sell, I'm useing schumaker also. The disc brakes and disc master cyclinder and proportioning valve were salvaged etc. Thought I could use the standard drum master cyclinder on my 73 duster, but was advised not to by one of the site guys, has to do with the disc master holding pressure continuously on the disc system. If you can find one like that it will save you alot of looking. You will also need the upper control arms with the large ball joint, which i already had, will sell them also. I will also sell the 318 to recoup some of my money. Good Luck, i have been stock piling everything for 3 years. Walt :toothy7: "Hope to install the 340 this winter,"
 
same as previous post, i found and bought a 360 4 speed dart parts car. I am using the rear end and torsion bars and doing a complete rebuild on the k member/ disc brakes and putting them in too when i do the swap. This k member has a factory sway bar where my slant six does not.
 
Here is a list of everything I needed to do my swap..........
 

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