273 motor question

[dan brooks]

This is a two part question to my first email. So if the 273 motor is smoked and I'm not really sure about the transmission in the car would I be better ahead to bolt in a 318 with the matching transmission instead? and if so what modifications will be necessary to do this? it's going into a 65 coronet. Thanks, Dan.

 

[Treblig]

Or maybe a 360??

treblig

 

[BillGrissom]

Depends and several options/issues. Rebuilding the 273 is probably cheapest & easiest, unless "smoked" means "broken block". You can bolt heads thru ~2002 Magnum to your block. If your transmission is fine, you can simply add a ~$25 adapter ring to fit the torque converter snout to a later engine (68+ or so). Could also use a later converter if you also change the input shaft (if rebuilding tranny). Keeping the tranny keeps your cable shifter and driveshaft. You can get ball & trunion rebuild parts (I did) or a custom driveshaft w/ slider section like many Jeep Wrangler guys do.

If a 318 (5.2L) or 340, you can bolt-up your 65 oil pan to get the proper clearance dent for the steering linkage. For a 360 (or 5.9L), you will need to strategically dent the oil pan. If you use the tranny for a Magnum V-8, you must rework the car's tranny tunnel.

 

[Sedanman]

I would swap both if you have them. The 66-7 used the same trans and is a 2 year only trans. The earlier had the trunion the the switched crank pilot siz for 68-up. I would use the 273 heads on the 318 if they are 66-7 heads (920) to bump compression.

 

[moper]

It's not a big deal but you will have to change to an aftermarket floor shifter because the OEM regardless of where it's mounted, will use the two-cable setup. I have a complete B body '65 273 2bbl drivetrain in the garage. It turns with a socket and I'm told it ran and drove into the shop that pulled it. But the cables were cut so at least the trans has to be opened up.