318 to 360 swap screwed up big please help!!!

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jeremiah2146fa

jeremiah2146fa

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Short story, (the long is sad, but with more detail) I have a new 727 for a 318 and I bought a 360 not knowing the torque converter differance. I have no money, wrecking yard converter?

So here's the tragic LONG story. I get back from my second tour in Iraq and decide to by my highschool dream car, a 1974 duster. I find a nice one with a 318 that claims to have everything done (rebuilt engine, transmission, rear end, wiring, ect...) I drive the car for 2 weeks and the tranny blows. Dropping the tranny, I had to pull the exhaust manifolds wich revealed cracked heads! I suck it up (my wife literally screaming the whole way) and buy a new preformance tranny/ Torque converter from Monster transmissions in Florida, and a set of ported 302 casting heads from a machine shop in Missouri. Thinking I've made the best of the situation, I fire her up, and the bottom end blows from the new found compression. (the wife's screaming again) Now, extremely broke, I listen to friends who say "just put in a 360" and head to the local wrecking yard with the very last of the money I don't have and buy a low mile 1974 360 out of a dodge motorhome. The motor looks decent. I get it home and the compression feels good, the oil looks great, the plugs are good, pulled the valve covers and the valve train looks new.
Just as I lower the new mill in I discover my new tradegy!!!
It's not a straight swap!!!!! A quick search of the net tells me that I need to go back to the wrecking yards and get the motor mounts, no big deal.BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TORQUE CONVERTER!!!!!
I am offically LESS than broke! I do have some trading stock for the wrecking yard. Do I try and trade for a 360 torque converter, clean it real good and hope it doesn't send junk particles into my new trans, or ?????

Please help!
 
the converter just need the weights welded on for the external balance of the 360. or you can just use the B&M 360 flexplate. but that runs about $80.

you should be able to modify the 318 motor mount with out too much trouble.


there is no way i would run a junk yard converter in a fresh trans.
 
You can go to the dodge dealership and order a 360 torque converter couter weight kit and you get the template and all you need to do is weld it on.Or just buy a B&M 360 flex plate for about $65.
 
What about using used weights if I can find a copy of a template, or maybe make a template by tracing a wrecking yard converter? I really am SUPER broke and the wife is gonna come un-glued if I tell her that we need to max out another credit card for parts.
 
How bad is the vibration gonna be? Is it the kind of thing where I could just put the engine in, without it and then do the flex plate or weights later?
 
No dont do that! It will take out the bearings in the motor eventually, not to mention trans seals, bearings and its just a bad bad idea.... Do yourself the favor of maybe trying to sell some parts and come up with cash to get the correct flex plate. I bought mine from summit. I actually sold the original style 360 flex plate when the last trans went. I sold it for like 30.00 on ebay. Check there.
Once you have the correct flex plate you can run the typical toque converter. You wont have to fork over money for a new converter.
I wish you well man. I know how it is to be broke and have an expensive hobby. This is when it pays to start thinking creativly on how to raise cash. LOL Craigslist all your spare parts of list em here. Take the cash and buy at summit!
 
Maybe go to the "parts needed ads here? Some one may have one for cheap?
 
jeremiah2146fa said:
What about using used weights if I can find a copy of a template, or maybe make a template by tracing a wrecking yard converter? I really am SUPER broke and the wife is gonna come un-glued if I tell her that we need to max out another credit card for parts.
Click to expand...

jeremiah2146fa said:
How bad is the vibration gonna be? Is it the kind of thing where I could just put the engine in, without it and then do the flex plate or weights later?
Click to expand...


factory weights are different then the template ones.

and no do not put the converter in without the weights. can and will probably ruin the motor.


is this your only transportation? if not i would let it sit while you gather the proper parts.
 
Well, I told the wife and she didn't freak out TOO bad. She told me to just use our Pay pal credit card and order the B&M 10236 flexplate off ebay. Thanks for the help. What about the motor mounts? Oreilly auto parts has both sides stock 360 Motor mounts for a 1974 duster for $20 and my father in law said he'd spring for them as a belated birthday present (He was worried about me using old ones before we knew they wouldn't work). Is that all I need?
 
I just pulled the pan on the 318 and found the remnants of a grenaded piston. Looking up through the cylinder through the center of what's left of the piston with a flashlight I can see that there are a couple of gouges in the chamber area of the new 302 heads. I'll have to pull the heads to check for damage. What I can see doesn't look too bad, but they will probably need to be cleaned up by a machine shop at least. IT'S A SHAME TOO, THEY HAVE LIKE 10 MILES ON THEM.
Oh yeah, what about the mounts? Did anyone get a chance to check that link and see if those are really what I need?
Thanks guys!
 
By the way are you in Grayland Washington?
Sorry I cant answer the question as to whether those are the correct mounts or not. I havent delt wait those since 97ish..... LOL I replace the k-member to the spool type, but dont remmeber any details about mounts.
 
If thoes mounts are for a 74 duster 360 they will work .I have had 3 74 Dusters in the past and from the pic they look right to me.You should have a spool k frame witch means you need spool mounts like in the pic.Good luck.
 
If you are useing the stock spool type x member those 360 motor mounts will work although some times you might have to place a spacer between the mount and the mounting tab on the block no big deal though should drop right in. Thats what my dart has a 318 xmember and i dropped in a 360 with no problems and i used kragen,o'rilley motor mounts...
 
That's a good looking Duster, (I've got a 74 as well) good luck with the swap, If I lived closer than Pasco I'd come over & help. Thanks for your service & hope you don't have to go back .
 
if that engine came out of a motor home you will need a 360 oil pan for a car (center sump). because the motor home has the same rear sump pan as a truck it wont work in a car it will set right on the drag link
 
Thanks. Yeah, I already swapped oil pans from the 318. One more thing. Just for fun, what do you guys think I'll get for horswpower with my bone yard 360? Being an R.V. Motor, I guessed between 275 and 290 with headers, my good ignition, edelbrock performer rpm manifold, new holley 600, and headers.
 
A stock 360 four barrel has 265 HP
add 25-30 for headers
15-20 for manifold
so you shou get 305 to 315 HP, oh yeah you have those heads which will a bit more too. (these are only guesses, power could vary)
I swapped my /6 for a 360 in my Dart Sport, it developes about 325 HP
 
What I ment to say was that I had pulled both pans. I was planning on swapping them, but hadn't bought a pan gasket yet. I guess that's one more thing I need to go looking for. Nothing's ever easy!!! And I checked the casting number, it's a 360.
 
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