360 Swap for the 65 Dart

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Do you have the flex plate in hand? I was under the impression that they discontinued the flex plate for the 904, and you had to use the 727 flex plate which drilled for both size bolt patterns, but causes something to rub??

I'm having a custom converter made to mate my 66 trans with a cast crank 340! I was quoted $200 by TCI if I send them a core with the correct spline and small snout! According to the tech there, nobody is making the 19 spline internals for the early torqueflights, so the only way to do a custom converter is to have a core that they can mod! They will up the stall speed to your needs, but can't furnace braze the internals, they must be hand brazed! No warranty either, but an alternative worth considering! I'm goin to do some more research on this and report back! Geof
 
tsdart said:
All of the 273 stuff doesn't line up, I think it's the 360 water pump pushing the pulley out
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Is there a "shorter" 360 water pump? I can;t find anything that looks shorter, except the 273 water pump that dumps on the wrong side for me now.
Click to expand...
No shorter aluminum water pump. I put the alum w.p. on my 65 273 (long story) and had to get creative on the pulleys and belts, as have others. I recall posting photos a year or two ago (search). I used a short alum pulley on the water pump, which shares a belt with my pwr steering pump (Federal). The alternator has it own belt further in. The inner-most groove has no belt now. Haven't figured how a Sanden AC compressor will fit. I might share the alternator belt and use that as the tensioner. With the longer pump, I have no room for a fan/clutch and had to use a thin nylon fan from Summit.
 
It's IN.

Re-did the front of the engine
have the 360 timing cover, 273 water pump, My buddy made a decent timing tab on the other side (pic)
We could NOT get pulleys to line up with the 360 water pump installed. All I have is an alternator

test fit the Spitfire headers drop right in from the top as advertised

In the back is something going on.
I have the B&M Flex Plate, and a new converter to work with the 904 and 360.
Had to figure out the the missing half-moon on the flex plate was for the weight on the torque converter.
Problem is when we figured that out, all the bolts/holes don't line up. They are super close but not close enough to get 'em all in.

THOUGHTS?
 

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It only bolts to the crank one way! Keep spinning it, it should line up, probably on the last chance if you're anything like me!! Geof
 
cosgig said:
It only bolts to the crank one way! Keep spinning it, it should line up, probably on the last chance if you're anything like me!! Geof
Click to expand...

It's on the crank fine.
it's where the flex plate bolts to the torque converter that's not lining up.
it's close, just not enough to get all 4 bolts in
 
tsdart said:
It's on the crank fine.
it's where the flex plate bolts to the torque converter that's not lining up.
it's close, just not enough to get all 4 bolts in
Click to expand...
Remove the flex plate from crank,line it up to correct holes on convertor...mark it with scratch or paint.This way it,ll be installed properly.Good luck.
 
pettybludart said:
Remove the flex plate from crank,line it up to correct holes on convertor...mark it with scratch or paint.This way it,ll be installed properly.Good luck.
Click to expand...

It only goes on the crank in one position,
it'll only go on the torque converter one way (with the notch for the FP weight)
 
UPDATE
I called the B&M Tech line. Sounds like a crazy answer but here's what they told me.

Knock the weights OFF of my brand new torque converter...
I confirmed twice with him what he was telling me.
"Just knock 'em off, you don't need them with the B&M flex plate"

Has ANYONE done this, heard of this?
 
74 dart 360 drivers side with a sweet mfg stainless steering coupler did the trick for me in my 66. manual steering though. sofar so good!
 
tsdart said:
UPDATE
I called the B&M Tech line. Sounds like a crazy answer but here's what they told me.

Knock the weights OFF of my brand new torque converter...
I confirmed twice with him what he was telling me.
"Just knock 'em off, you don't need them with the B&M flex plate"

Has ANYONE done this, heard of this?
Click to expand...

If you ordered a torque converter for a 360 specific application, yes. If you ordered the half moon B & M flex plate AND A 360 SPECIFIC torque converter(read : it has weights on it),remove the weights. I had a 360 in my Scamp,with a weighted matching aftermarket converter. Went to a Magnum(the weights are on the flex plate ,like your B & M 10239 flex plate).I knocked the 360 LA specific weights off the torque converter,to make it a neutral balanced converter.
 
OK. last question before I knock off the weights.

there are no weights on the B&M flex plate,

Does this still sound right?
 
tsdart said:
OK. last question before I knock off the weights.

there are no weights on the B&M flex plate,

Does this still sound right?
Click to expand...

Take a moment,e mail or call B&M to make sure.... From all of the info I see,remove the weights. Call ,and eliminate that variable if worried.
 
Abodybomber said:
Take a moment,e mail or call B&M to make sure.... From all of the info I see,remove the weights. Call ,and eliminate that variable if worried.
Click to expand...


hehe
it was the call to B&M that started this.
I called my transmission guy today, says it's not uncommon to take the weights off when using aftermarket flex plates.
Not very common, but not uncommon....
I think I got
it..
 
tsdart said:
OK. last question before I knock off the weights.

there are no weights on the B&M flex plate,

Does this still sound right?
Click to expand...

depends on which b&m flexplate you got....some of the older 360 b&m flexplates have a weight welded on...the newer ones do not a weight on them...but they have a cut out on the opposite side from where the weight would have been..
 
question, why didnt you use the entire 273 front end? 50/50 on the front components is going to be a headache. Remark the 360 damper and your done. The cast 273 pump is shorter than the longer AL 360 pump but you might be able to find a 72 340 pump thats on the 360 side? I used the 273 fronts and all was well. I ground the weights off a 360 convertor once. didnt seem to cause an issue on a 318.
 
pishta said:
question, why didnt you use the entire 273 front end? 50/50 on the front components is going to be a headache. Remark the 360 damper and your done. The cast 273 pump is shorter than the longer AL 360 pump but you might be able to find a 72 340 pump thats on the 360 side? I used the 273 fronts and all was well. I ground the weights off a 360 convertor once. didnt seem to cause an issue on a 318.
Click to expand...

Pulleys are lined up.
I Went back to the 273 water pump, wasn't going to change the timing cover so he made the timing tab.

The weights will be off this weekend and it'll be bolted up.
hopefully next weekend it'll get fired up.

Then it's exhaust and drive shaft time
 
Are you using a mini starter? I think you're going to need one with that flexplate! I believe that is for a 727 and will rub the snout of a regular starter! I know the one for the cast crank 340 motor is for a 727 and rubs! Better safe than sorry!! Geof
 
tsdart said:
All of the 273 stuff doesn't line up, I think it's the 360 water pump pushing the pulley out

The 360 came to me with no front hardware, I did rob some other 360/340 stuff but some of the 3 and 4 groove crank pulleys are just a little much, and still don't help me line up.

Is there a "shorter" 360 water pump? I can;t find anything that looks shorter, except the 273 water pump that dumps on the wrong side for me now.
Click to expand...


if the water pump only misaligned by a fraction of an inch you can buy crank pulley shims on ebay from Richard Ehrenberg
 
it's in, it's running, no miles on it yet as we've been having vibration problems.

Swapped converter and flex plate, had a 360 converter made for the early transmission and put in a new stock flex plate.

I'd guess I lost about 1/2 of the vibration, still have too much and I think it's in the engine.
Under acceleration the vibration is there, let off the gas, vibration is gone.
Engine idling in the garage seems ok, rev it up some and you feel a little vib. in your seat.

I hate to think that the engine needs to come back out......


thoughts?
 
There are (2) different pass car 360 pans, a "392" and an "876". both are "center sump" but the sump on the 392 pan starts ~4" back from a vertical plumb line down from the very front lip and ~2" back on the 876 pan. Both sumps are ~8" long. The 392 pan fits fine but the 876 pan the front of the sump MAY hit the edge of the Kmember. My 65 dart with a 360 was just Tboned by a drunk driver so I cannot directly measure if the 2" less clearance will cause the 876 pan to not fit but from what I remember when I was working on it was it was tight enough there (with the 392) and that a pan with 2" less clearance would not fit. both pans have the indentation for the idler arm to clear on an A body. #1 issue, need good exhaust, 340 HP on the pass side and early (92/early 93) magnum with the 2&5/16" outlet on the drivers side (may need slight steering mods). Scallop the trans crossmember so the ex can tuck up nice like the dr side does. EDIT Both pans take a different pickup
 
under acceleration the vibe is there? Could it be a miss or a poor plug wire? I never had the smoothness of my 273 4bbl with any of my motor transplants, although a stock 225 was butter smooth at idle but I never got it out of the garage in its stock state. I still remember those bias ply polyglass tires and the 1 finger power steering.....ahhh. :)
 
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