318 to 360 swap Scamp

-
P

photorep

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
201
Reaction score
12
Location
los angeles
I have a 1974 Scamp with the 318. I have a chance to pick up a good used 360 at a decent price. Other than motor mounts, what other obstacles can I expect during installation. I am pretty much a novice, but learn fast.
HELP
 
lol i my self am doing the exact same thing i also have a 74 scamp with a 318 i am swaping with a 360. i got the motor out of a 73 pick up i got it broke down to the block right now waiting on my heads to get in and friday im taking it down to the machine shop to have it boiled bored 30 over painted and rebuild the heads
 
After having done some more research. I see that I will have to change the flex plate (B&M). Anything else I haven't come up with yet????
 
the 318 is internally balanced . the 360 is externally balanced which means the balancer on the 360 and torque converter are counterweighted. to use the 360, you will have to have a weighted converter or flexplate. you will need 360 mounts, although i have seen guys just reworking the rear boss part of the mount to make it work. everything else is a straight bolt up and go. make sure you have the right oil pan on your 360. from what ive read, the 360 and 318 car pans are not interchangable, but i have never tried to interchange them.
 
73AbodEE said:
the 318 is internally balanced . the 360 is externally balanced which means the balancer on the 360 and torque converter are counterweighted. to use the 360, you will have to have a weighted converter or flexplate. you will need 360 mounts, although i have seen guys just reworking the rear boss part of the mount to make it work. everything else is a straight bolt up and go. make sure you have the right oil pan on your 360. from what ive read, the 360 and 318 car pans are not interchangable, as i have never tried to interchange them.
Click to expand...

There's a difference in a truck and car oil pan on the 360 also.
 
thats why i said , make sure you have the right 360 pan. the truck and van 360 used different pans and exhaust manifolds than the passenger cars
 
yup thats about the only missing peice to my 360 gettin one this weekend tho my dad gots a spare 360 im ganna pull parts off is there a difference in the motor mounts between a 360 comin out of a 73 truck and goin into a car are is it nothing to worry about
 
the truck/car 360 is the same block and mount bosses, you only need to change the mounts/pan/exhaust from truck to car. it is really a straight forward swap. if you have a 360 904/727 flexplate and converter from the truck you are all set,(im assuming you are using an auto) unless you are going aftermarket using performance pieces. a good majority of truck 360s came with 727s.
 
kool yea im using a 727 with a b&m shift kit sounds like alls i need is the pan and a center sump
 
When I put a truck 318 into my Dart I had to switch the timing cover so that the timing marks were on the correct side and not obstructed by the lower radiator hose. Just something to look at.
 
yea but that only matters if your engine is stock right if its a mild build the timing is going to be different right?
 
OK...thanks for all your help...now a new question, should I stick with my existing 904 trans or use a 727(i think I found one for sale). Will a 727 bolt up to the existing cross member on my 74 scamp? will the driveshaft need work?? thanks for your answers
 
i went from a 904 to a 727 and i had to wack 4 inches out of my driveshaft. the 727 tailshaft is exactly 4 inches longer. it cost me 65 bucks to cut and balance the shaft. your mount is a direct bolt on . its really a matter of preference. my 904 was tired and the 727 was fresh so i went ahead and did it. you will need the yoke from a 727 and installed on your driveshaft as they are a different spline than the 904 as well as a converter.if you have a 904 i would stick with it because you are already set up for it and they can be just as good as any 727. alot of guys run 904s with their high HP builds because they are lighter.the small block and big block 727 converter housings are different as well. here is a link http://wagoneers.com/FSJ/tech/Transmissions/727TorqueFlightinformation.pdf
 
In summary, to swap a 318 2bbl with a 904 to a 360 4bbl and keep the existing 904, you'll need a 360 car pan, car 360 motor mounts, A 360 torque converter or aftermarket flex plate for a 360/904 combo, an A-body 340/360 LH exhaust manifold (or both sides if the 360 doesn't have a RH manifold) or a set of headers, and 4bbl kickdown linkage. If you change over to a 727 transmission, you'll still need the appropriate flex plate, a shorter driveshaft, and a few shift linkage parts (if it's a column shift) along with the 727 dust plate(s) and slip yoke. The transmission crossmember is the same.
 
I pulled out my motor and trans today and put the motor on the stand....a fairly straight forward and simple job. My question is this..when I lifted the motor, trans fluid drained out the end of the tailpiece. Is this normal...I would have thought it was sealed up at that end.
Also, on the trans, where the neutral safety wire plugs in, the socket was wet with fluid.
That also didn't seem right. What do you guys think. thanks
 
yes, you are going to lose fluid at that angle if you dont completely drain the fluid. i usually just stick a spray paint can lid in the tailshaft and duct tape it. a good and used trans is usually going to have a little fluid leaking out in places everywhere.you can reseal the neutral start switch while it is out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top