Engine swap

[6t3gt]

Hi have a 63 dart gt (3.7L slant 6) automatic A904 tranny and want to drop in v-8 without any mods. Does anyone know if I can drop in maybe a 318? any suggestions.....

Thank you

 

[Rob64GT]

Its a tight fit with the bulge on your firewall and the distributor on a small block. 64-66 cars don't have the bulge. Other than that its an easy swap.

 

[70DartMike]

wont he have to buy some sort of v8 engine conversion kit? like instead of putting a v8 k frame in there? or am i just out of the loop on that one?

 

[Dusteriffic]

These guys are pretty popular -

http://www.engine-swaps.com/

 

[linc]

www.manciniracing.com Manciniracing sells this kit which is MRE-A73B6 for 159.00

 

[63dartman]

When you say without mods, do you mean none? I wouldn't do it without upgrading the front drums to disc including new dual master cylinder, you"ll need a v-8 904, v-8 centerlink, upgraded shocks and torsion bars, exhaust, better rearend, that is unless you just plan on looking at it and not really driving it hard at all.

 

[70DartMike]

agreed, its not just as simple as changing the engine over to a v8, you really make some upgrades

 

[fstfish66]

i think he meens a 318 with out mods,,as in a stock 318 engine,, if thats the case,,do what ever you need to the fire wall,,im not experienced in tthe 63 fire wall,,but not strange that its different form 64 and newer,,,

the 7 1/4 rear will be fine with a stock 318 if you drive it normal,,, i had a 340 with a 7 1/4 that was fine,,,as long as your not putting any big sticky tires that stock rear will be fine,,,you will need a trans for a v8 and a drive shaft,, motor mounts,, and the stock torsion bars will be fine for a street driver,,,drag racers have been using the 6 cylinder torsion bars for years with a v 8 they make a v 8 car lift nicely in the front making better weight transfer,,

 

[SilverFish]

To drop in a V-8 you will not need a different K-member >> they are the same from 63-66. You will need a V-8 centerlink and motor mount brackets (mounts are available through Schumacher).

The most difficult part of your swap will be the firewall modification required for distributor clearance (as pointed out by Rob64GT, the 63 didn't come with a V-8 so the mounting area for the wiper motor interferes). 64-66 vehicles had a different firewall, and V-8's fall right in.

Clearance can be achieved either via a BFH, but surgically cutting the periphery of the mounting panel for the motor and pushing it into the passenger compartment by about an inch is much cleaner.

Another challenge that us early-A types wrestle with is the availability of exhaust headers. There are some options out there, but only two under chassis flavors >> Dougs and TTI, though some would say that Spitfires are another option but sometimes availability becomes questionable.

Good Luck!

p.s. - I've never heard the 225 referenced in liters before!:read2:

 

[racingsnake440]

You don't have to do anything to the firewall on a '63 to fit a small block but it is VERY tight. When I first put a 360/4 speed into my '63 I put a dual circuit master cylinder on but made no other changes. The 7.25 rear lasted about 6 months as a daily driver including the odd burnout (on the original
13" bias plies) until it grenaded then I bolted in a junkyard 8.25. The drums have been swapped out for discs but it still has /6 torsion bars - with the suspension lowered it handles well enough to keep up with other traffic. It will eventually get stiffer torsion bars and a bunch of other stuff but if you're on a budget it can be done bit by bit and still use the car and have fun with it in the meantime.

 

[Optik]

,,,drag racers have been using the 6 cylinder torsion bars for years with a v 8 they make a v 8 car lift nicely in the front making better weight transfer,,

i've noticed this happening since i swapped my slant for a 360. i was thinking about getting stiffer bars and cranking them up to get the front end up in the air a little more but it does lift up pretty good when its romped on. sometimes its a bit scary when racing out on the streets if the road has got hills or bumps it makes it feel like the car wants to go out of control. i have a high stall converter in mine so you kinda have to bump the throttle a little to get it moving from a stop, when doing it in a parking lot of something it makes the car kinda leap up and forward like the old super stock cars would do in the staging lanes. i think it looks cool haha!
-tim

 

[Optik]

You will need a V-8 centerlink and motor mount brackets (mounts are available through Schumacher).

in my experience the v-8 centerlink is a very hard-to-find part. you can put the motor in without the v-8 link but you will have to clearance the oil pan a little bit. i've been running with the /6 link and its VERY tight but some precision hammering makes it just barely clear. i wouldn't recommend that as a permanent solution but you will be able to get the car on the road at least that way. put some spacers on the motor mounts to raise the engine about a 1/4" and it should work.

-tim

 

[MadScientistMat]

When you say without mods, do you mean none? I wouldn't do it without upgrading the front drums to disc including new dual master cylinder, you"ll need a v-8 904, v-8 centerlink, upgraded shocks and torsion bars, exhaust, better rearend, that is unless you just plan on looking at it and not really driving it hard at all.

On the other hand, except for the different trans and center link, I'd argue you should do all of these if you plan on driving it hard whether you're swapping in a V8 or not. A-bodies were designed to ride on the slippery tires of the time and respond very well to chassis mods to let them use the grip you can get with modern tires.

 

[64ragtop]

Another challenge that us early-A types wrestle with is the availability of exhaust headers. There are some options out there, but only two under chassis flavors >> Dougs and TTI, though some would say that Spitfires are another option but sometimes availability becomes questionable.

If you can be patient, the Spitfires will be 1/3rd the price of the others, or less. If ya gotta have 'em RIGHT NOW, you will be disappointed. Spitfire is a one man shop and he's got a day job. Making headers is a sideline - he'll get yours done, eventually.