1973 dodge dart swinger and 400/727

[earthmover]

ok guys and girls lets hear some tips and tricks to this install...i have a 73 dart and plan to put a 400/727 big block in to it..i plan to go to manual steering and do away with the power stuff.. i plan to use the motor mounts from shumacher(think thats right) ....i would like to put some cheap headers on this ..its going to be street and raced from time to time and have a shot of nos on it later down the road...what do i need to look out for doing this install?????any pointers or tricks you guys can come up with will work for me...for right now i plan to run the motor just as it comes out the other car so i can get it going and collect some other stuff down the road....small cam,rockers,and a intake....8)

 

[74fldart]

i didnt use anything from schumacher to swap in my b block into a 74 dart, you can cut the factory spool mounts and move them back 1" and that takes care of that . i also used a set of ebody headers and cut the tubes and rewelded them to clear . the trouble with using the e body headers is that they rub the torsion bars and will rub the power steering box and coupler unless they are clearanced. the passenger side was fine except for the center link bumping it. The way mine is now its very hard to get the transmission out with the headers bolted up, so i have to loosen them up and even raise the engine a little , it still is a real job to get the traany out due to the wide bellhousing. since you will have manual steering that will save you a bunch of head aches. you might have a little trouble with fan/ pulley and radiator clearance but there are thin electric fans that work well. i couldnt use a fan clutch and the stock fan setup so i use a plastic flex fan and solid spacer. I removed the brake booster and that helped with valve cover clearance. it stops fine with out it.

 

[earthmover]

any pics of your install???? you remember the part # for the headers and brand??? thanks for the heads up ....mike

 

[jeeper]

I used a factory radiator and shroud along with a factory clutch fan on a 74 DS. Manual steering and manual disk brakes made it fairly easy.

We installed the engine and trans in well under an hour. This was me (able bodied male, a freshman with one arm in a cast and an 8th grader.

The install went pretty easily. The details are what took the time. It was a 440 RB with the entire Schumacher kit. There are other ways that work but this method seemed to work for me pretty well. I kept the column shift and so forth.

 

[mopar7172]

u might be able to use the b-body headers or shorty headers. here is the links http://www.bigblockdart.com/techpages/BBody.shtml
http://www.bigblockdart.com/techpages/hedshorty.shtml

also check out bigblockdart.com on the swap also. it will answer alot of questions.

 

[earthmover]

thanks for the links i have been over there and check them a # of times...just trying to get a idea of what everybody else has used and worked, and how it worked for them... sometime i ask myself why in the hell do i want to do this swap?????? i have all these small block parts and could have been running now ,but want a big block instead lol.....:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead: mike

 

[mopar7172]

thanks for the links i have been over there and check them a # of times...just trying to get a idea of what everybody else has used and worked, and how it worked for them... sometime i ask myself why in the hell do i want to do this swap?????? i have all these small block parts and could have been running now ,but want a big block instead lol.....:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead: mike

i've got both big block a-body cars. one has 383 and the other has a 440.my 383 has mainfolds my 440 has schumaker headers. as long as u get the schumaker mounts.u shouldn't have a problem with the swap. i here yah a bigblock is better. u probably to do some modifications to the headers that u want to use.

 

[mopar65]

I put a 440 in my 73 dodge dart. i used the schumaker conversion engine mounts for a factory 318 car.also if your car came with a slant six engine. i would find the steering linkage out of a 73 up v8 abody. they clear better. i used a flaming river steering manual box and tti 2x3-1/2 inch headers.be leave it or not they are not that bad to work around. the only bad thing is number six plug is hard to get in and out. i used a hole saw and drilled a small hole in the inner wheel well. now the plug is real easy to get too.i don't know what oil you are going to use but my engine has a 8 quart moroso deep oil pan and it clears every thing fine. also useing a hv oil pump. for a radiator/fan i bought a summit aluminum 27.5x19 rad and a 3.8 ford tours (spelling) fan. I also bought the summi electric drop in water pump which is really a cvr brand pump.here are a few pics.hope this helps. thanks Bobby

 

[earthmover]

yea i plan to use the conv. mounts thats from 6 to rb...i have a 187 pan and have been kicking the idea of cutting it and adding a little to it and adding some baff. to it...but i dont really know right now ..this is a budget build thats going over budget :banghead::banghead::banghead: but i think once its done and going its going to make 1 hell of a street car :glasses7::glasses7:.. but i am excited about getting it done and doing it here at home in my shop...thats all the work from front to back..

mopar65 i see you have some nice #'s from your car care to share the specs of the motor and kinda heads ported or whatever...

 

[mopar65]

yea i plan to use the conv. mounts thats from 6 to rb...i have a 187 pan and have been kicking the idea of cutting it and adding a little to it and adding some baff. to it...but i dont really know right now ..this is a budget build thats going over budget :banghead::banghead::banghead: but i think once its done and going its going to make 1 hell of a street car :glasses7::glasses7:.. but i am excited about getting it done and doing it here at home in my shop...thats all the work from front to back..

mopar65 i see you have some nice #'s from your car care to share the specs of the motor and kinda heads ported or whatever...

has anything we build ever stay on budget.lol here is a pick run down on my car.post pics when you get your car done.thanks Bobby


1973 440 0.030 over with wisco flat tops.pistons 0.006 down.
stock stroke forged crank
eagle rods
felpro 8519 head gaskets
bowl ported Indy EZ heads
crane gold 1.6 roller rockers
manton push rods
comp cams solid roller 0.264 @ 0.050 and 634 lift with 1.6 rockers
mopar m1 tunnel-ram 2 750 cfm carter comp carbs
tti 2x3-1/2 headers
727 with dynamic 9.5 converter stall around 4500
8-3/4 4.30 gears
15x8 wheels with M/T et street drag radials
this engine should be right at or real close to 11.1.1 compression. i race it with 93 pump gas.so far my best has been a 10.68 at 125 in the 1/4 and 6.88 at 100.8 1/8 mile. my car is a dog off the line. my best 60 foot was only a 1.56. also i was only running 4.10 gears when i ran the 10.68 but blew up my 8-3/4 on the fifth pass that weekend. I have sense then put a set of 4.30 gears and was only running 11.00 flat in the 1/4.that night it was 85 degrees at 11.00 pm. my goal is to get it to run bottow tens and still be able to drive it on the street.

 

[earthmover]

do you remember the offset of your wheels??? i have the same weld drag lites in 15/8 with 4.5 back with my 28/10.5 slicks i cant get them under the car hits the outside lip even if i roll the lip its still going to hit the qt..i have some 27/10 qtp i my stick on my rim and see if they work but they will be short ..thanks mike

 

[mopar65]

do you remember the offset of your wheels??? i have the same weld drag lites in 15/8 with 4.5 back with my 28/10.5 slicks i cant get them under the car hits the outside lip even if i roll the lip its still going to hit the qt..i have some 27/10 qtp i my stick on my rim and see if they work but they will be short ..thanks mike

my off set is 4.5 my springs have been moved in but the wheel well has not been moved out yet. i thought you was building a 451? and putting it in a duster? i bought a 74 that when i get the money the 440 etc in the 73 dart will be going into the duster.

 

[earthmover]

yea i am building a 451 to go in a duster if i can get back to work(weather is killing me ) i plan to buy a chasiss car with a strut frontend...and working on this street car at the same time lol...but this car here is not a big deal i work on it to stay out the house and keep doing something...lol this car (street car) will get a stock 400/727 for now that runs and drives out of a juck car..later down the road i want to put a cam,port the iron heads,and intake with carb and some 150/200 shot of that good stuff for street works lol..not racing in the street but can drive and have the power when at the track sometime...

 

[JoeDust451]

yea i am building a 451 to go in a duster if i can get back to work(weather is killing me ) i plan to buy a chasiss car with a strut frontend...and working on this street car at the same time lol...but this car here is not a big deal i work on it to stay out the house and keep doing something...lol this car (street car) will get a stock 400/727 for now that runs and drives out of a juck car..later down the road i want to put a cam,port the iron heads,and intake with carb and some 150/200 shot of that good stuff for street works lol..not racing in the street but can drive and have the power when at the track sometime...

If you plan on Juiceing that 451 with a 150-200 shot better make sure that suspentions in order & the car works well, otherwise you'll be having all kinds of fun trying to stay in your lane & off the wall, i only hit mine with a 100, after almost tapping the wall it didn't run any faster ET but i gained 7 MPH in the 1/8, went from 98 too 105. I listened to my freind when he said just let it rip off the line, it'll hold :shock:, The car wasn't on its best that night either, I could only amagin what would have happened on a 175-200 shot on a good night.

 

[earthmover]

If you plan on Juiceing that 451 with a 150-200 shot better make sure that suspentions in order & the car works well, otherwise you'll be having all kinds of fun trying to stay in your lane & off the wall, i only hit mine with a 100, after almost tapping the wall it didn't run any faster ET but i gained 7 MPH in the 1/8, went from 98 too 105. I listened to my freind when he said just let it rip off the line, it'll hold :shock:, The car wasn't on its best that night either, I could only amagin what would have happened on a 175-200 shot on a good night.

hey joedust451 sorry to conf. everybody i am building a 451 race motor but the swinger is a diff motor 400 2 diff. cars ....sorry if i got everybody messed up..:banghead:..the 451 eagle crank,rods,je pistons, ray barton short block and -1 indy heads with 2.25 in. valves ,400-2 intake and spacer for 4500 carb,713 roller cam motion custom cam, t&d 1.6 rockers ..:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:.. the motor for the dart will be stock 400/727 for now til i get it going and can get all the parts i want, cam,ported iron head,rockers,intake,and go run it some time.....lol 2 diff cars and projects and not enough money to do 1 lol but i try....[-o<[-o<[-o<[-o<[-o<[-o<[-o<[-o<

 

[donovanlucca]

ok guys and girls lets hear some tips and tricks to this install...i have a 73 dart and plan to put a 400/727 big block in to it..i plan to go to manual steering and do away with the power stuff.. i plan to use the motor mounts from shumacher(think thats right) ....i would like to put some cheap headers on this ..its going to be street and raced from time to time and have a shot of nos on it later down the road...what do i need to look out for doing this install?????any pointers or tricks you guys can come up with will work for me...for right now i plan to run the motor just as it comes out the other car so i can get it going and collect some other stuff down the road....small cam,rockers,and a intake....8)

i like shumacher he makes it easier for the swap unless u are skilled with a hammer and welding here are pics for ur enjoyment!!!