392 hemi into a-body question.

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Relax360

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I have read quite a few threads on a 426 or bigger hemi into and A-body and the steps needed to make it happen. But what about the early Hemis.

Has anyone put a 354 or 392 into a Dart or Barracuda? Does the Distributor clear the firewall?

Was just curious.

Brad
 
My personal opinion of this is of preparation for the additional weight of the engine, that is by adding a couple hundred or more pounds in comparison to the original small block. The changes in relation to what is there now may open a can a' worms unless of course be changed with bigger pockets in your trousers.
 
Yes the weight issue had crossed my mind even with aluminum heads intake and lil parts and an Alterkation front end it would still be quite heavy. Was more of a question of can it be done without major modification.
 
Relax360 said:
Yes the weight issue had crossed my mind even with aluminum heads intake and lil parts and an Alterkation front end it would still be quite heavy. Was more of a question of can it be done without major modification.
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Dude... it can be done and its not a waste of time if thats what you want.........
 
We had a yellow 1970 Charger that was originally a 318/904/8-1/4" car so we swapped out the drivetrain with a well built 354 HEMI engine (That my father had originally swapped into his 1971 Challenger 4-speed) with a 4-bbl Holley in it backed by a A833 4-speed/8-3/4" with 3.91:1 gears.
Was a fun/powerful car.

P.S. I believe the Dart on eBay was blue.
 
It actually weighs 25 pounds less than a 426. HA. Thats pretty neat. I always wanted to do an old hemi swap into something because it is just too cool to have an old hemi!

As it says on hotrods and hemis. The 426 is listed under COMMON american v8 engines :cheers:
 
Generally, a newer, more high performance engine is installed into an older body. After 1971, performance went in the toilet. New motors make power now, but they have a bunch of plastic on them, and just don't look right to me in an older car. Generally, something like a '20s or '30s Ford should have a flathead V8. A smallblock Chevy is often used, too, but that just sux, in my opinion. It may be a lot faster, but who cares? It's not cool. A '50s or older Mopar is perfect for a 392 Hemi. That motor in a '60s car is going in the wrong direction since those cars were available with a 426 Hemi, and the 392 wasn't really a high performance engine, whereas the 426 was a race engine from it's inception.
 
Use 383 torsion bars and the heavier front end parts that are B body thickness for the tierods etc, stiffen the lower control arms and use all poly bushings, add a good front sway bar and aluminum parts where you can.

Other than that it is a very tight fit and needs a lot of mods, but would be fun to build and drive with mega torque if built right too:)
 
HotLines said:
My personal opinion of this is of preparation for the additional weight of the engine, that is by adding a couple hundred or more pounds in comparison to the original small block. The changes in relation to what is there now may open a can a' worms unless of course be changed with bigger pockets in your trousers.
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Ummmmm......what?!?!?
 
daniel_depetro said:
My factory 380 horsepower 392 HEMI says otherwise. 8)
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No kiddin. The factory 392 dual quad intake manifold says otherwise, too. Sayin a 392 wasn't a high performance engine is like sayin Linda Lovelace never gave head.
 
375inStroke said:
Generally, a newer, more high performance engine is installed into an older body. After 1971, performance went in the toilet. New motors make power now, but they have a bunch of plastic on them, and just don't look right to me in an older car. Generally, something like a '20s or '30s Ford should have a flathead V8. A smallblock Chevy is often used, too, but that just sux, in my opinion. It may be a lot faster, but who cares? It's not cool. A '50s or older Mopar is perfect for a 392 Hemi. That motor in a '60s car is going in the wrong direction since those cars were available with a 426 Hemi, and the 392 wasn't really a high performance engine, whereas the 426 was a race engine from it's inception.
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In actuality, the 392 was more a Hemi than a 426. They were a true hemispherical combustion chamber engines. The 426 was not. All of the early Hemis shared a true hemispherical combustion chamber. The 426 was actually a "semi" hemi engine.
 
Kinda looks like a high performance engine from here!
 
well and they made monster TQ too... and over a wide range:)
 
The 392 is considerably wider than the 426 as the combustion chamber is centered directly over the bore. One of the compromises in the 426 design is a slight offset of the chambers toward the crank centerline in order to mkae the engine narrower to fit better in the B body chassis.
At 1 time it was relatively inexpensive to build an early Hemi compared to a 426, but today in some cases the early parts are the expensive ones.
But, an early Dart with a blown '92 and a straight axle would be awesome!
 
What about trans options for the early hemis does anybody know what bellhousings bolt up? Can I run a 833 behind one?
 
People that have no imagination will say that it is not worth it...bs IMO..

I will build an early hemi regardless of what anybody says. It will take forever though...lol..

Also, a 392 not a performance engine?? 2x4's and 375hp isn't a performance engine??? The 440 Magnums were also rated at 375hp. I guess they are not performance oriented either.

Build the early hemi if you want. When they say "why?" say "why not?"
 
Is there an advantage to building one over the other of the old hemis? money, hp, better blocks? Is the 392 the newer and best option for parts?
 
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