Motor Swap

[smitty040]

As there is a wealth of knowledge on both sites for the slant six I wanted to post this here as well.

I Was doing a super six swap and I recently found out I hav a cracked block directly below the exhaust manifold and need to take the original 225 motor out of my 67 dart. I have a 225 out of an 1981 D100 I plan to put back in. Looking for advice on parts I will need to transfer over from the old motor to the new motor. I hear there are issues with the 904 transmission and crank pilot hole and I need to locate an adapter? I do have a 1971 transmission in the garage that I can steal parts from if needed. Also, the oil pressure sender is different. Is that an easy part to switch or do I have to change the whole pump?

Looking for some basic do's and don't do's and if there are any upgrades/maintenance items I should do to the new motor before putting it in.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Sedanman]

I think you will need to:swap your oil pan/pick up,add the super parts to the new 225 and get a 68-up trans. Is that the original trans in your car now? The rest of the small stuff is swapable and plugable if not needed. The new motor should be hydrolic cam and your old is mechanical. I would even leave the electronic distributor in and update the system.

 

[smitty040]

I assume it is the original trans. I know that trans is good. The other is a crap shoot. If I could swap components or purchase an adapter it would be the better option. If that can't be done I can swap in the trans that is currently bolted on to a 71 slant.

I at some point I want to do the HEI upgrade. I assume the distributor in the 81 would work for that application? Since I don't have the parts collected yet I was planning to swap distributors temporarily.

 

[kazooom]

I swapped my 225 out of my 1967 Dart for a Super Six out of a 1978 Dodge Aspen but lucked out... they have the same tranny, so I just bolted the motor to the existing Transmission. I changed the voltage regulator to electronic and put in an ignition control module for the super six... but HEI is a better way to go, problem free and hotter spark

 

[Killer6]

I swapped my 225 out of my 1967 Dart for a Super Six out of a 1978 Dodge Aspen but lucked out... they have the same tranny,

#1, that is often not the case for '67, so I'm interested in the SO date on your
fender tag. This may help narrow down when the switch to the larger crank hub was.
#2, OP smitty, you won't know 'til you pull yours either. Again, it would be most
helpful to know which size hub you have, and the SO date on yours as well.
It is pretty well established that the change was done by the '68 model year,but foggy as to
when it actually started, maybe late '67's got the new cranks/converters early.Yes, a spacer
ring is needed if your converter is for the smaller hub size, member charrlie_s has some.
#3, be aware that '81 engine is cast crank, you cannot swap any bottom end
parts from your block to it. You could redo/reuse your head, if you want to stay mech.cam.
If the new mill is hyd., you will need to swap everything from the cam&lifters up to thru' and including the rockers.
#4, any idea why the block is cracked there??? It is probably repairable but..

 

[smitty040]

I'm assuming it was cracked when I bought it? Haven't done anything that would have caused it since I've had it. I know it got super hot on a 6 hour trip in 95 degree weather last August and we couldn't figure out why.

Not sure if the motor is original but it is date code correct.

C: 1967 model year
225: Engine displacement
3 07: Engine built on 7 March 1967
Iron cross (called a Maltese cross) followed by X: All rod and/or main bearings 0.010" undersize when engine was built.

 

[smitty040]

Engine is coming out this week. Here is a picture of what caused the whole swap and one of the engine bay torn down awaiting the hoist.

 

[BillGrissom]

I feel for you. I got a water jacket crack between the "core plugs" in my 1965 383 block long ago from freezing. I was flushing the system and drained, but neglected to remove the block drain plugs.

I bought the special adapter ring for the torque converter from Charlie_S here for ~$20. Might be the same part for slant & small block. I recall the year the torque converter snout diameter changed was ~1968. The other way to keep your early tranny is to swap both the torque converter and input shaft from a later tranny. Most who do that have the 1965- shift-cable tranny and don't want to fool with the shifter. For you, a later tranny should fit directly.

Look at the 1981 distributor innards. If it has the same coil pickup w/ reluctor teeth as 1970's Mopars, you can use it directly w/ a GM HEI (8-pin type is best). Search photos on rockauto and Google Images. In the early 1980's, Mopar switched to Hall-effect pickups that won't work. My 1982 Aries had that, but was also a new 4 cyl engine.

 

[smitty040]

Getting the new motor cleaned up slowly but surely. Night picture is degreasing part #1, day is part #2. Must have had a big valve cover gasket leak that no one cared to fix. Coming out of an old South Carolina State work truck, somehow that does not surprise me. I did find my first surprise under all of the grease and grime, a partially broken water pump bolt flange. Hope a bolt and nut is all that will need.

 

[smitty040]

Motor swap took a new direction and I found a new rebuilt motor/trans combo to go in dirt cheap out of a 69 dart. Swap starts tomorrow.

 

[nm9stheham]

In case you need to know, the later crank register is 1.810" ID, and the proper TC snout would be slightly smaller.

 

[BillGrissom]

That is why slants are so great, really cheap to replace. Hard to make out in the photo, but looks like might be a manually tranny. If a 4-spd, that is great.

 

[smitty040]

Got it in and running today. Little messing around with the timing and it's good to go. Cold front shut things down early due to the ridiculous wind but tomorrow I'll finish buttoning up the odds and ends and see if it goes forwards and backwards.

 

[smitty040]

Motor out. Anyone need anything before it hits the scrap heap?

 

[smitty040]

904 transmission on the new one.

 

[smitty040]

New motor in and ready for touch up. Biggest help on this install was the tip to jack up the rear end for the motor and trans to slide in easily as a pair. Couple of ground wires, adjustment of the kickdown linkage, throttle cable swap, install the radiator and transmission lines, and a few little tweaks and she should be road worthy.

 

[nm9stheham]

Nice to see it! Bring it to the Mopar Nationals this year.

 

[smitty040]

I'll miss Carlile, but definitely will be at the Nats in Columbus.