72 Dart Swinger 3.6L Pentastar +T5

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Picked up a aluminum driveshaft out of a early 2000s Ford Police car for $100

55.5" ujoint to ujoint looks NEARLY perfect but i'd be happier with another inch shorter. It needs a smaller T5 yoke, so we'll see

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How did you like the nylon line and push lock connectors?

I like them a lot. Pushing on the 90 degree fittings into the bare line is a bit fussy but once its done its done. Super light too of course
I bought this Dorman kit for a couple hundred bucks several years ago and its been used to upgrade several fuel systems


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I like them a lot. Pushing on the 90 degree fittings into the bare line is a bit fussy but once its done its done. Super light too of course
I bought this Dorman kit for a couple hundred bucks several years ago and its been used to upgrade several fuel systems


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Nice! So is that kit required for the nylon line?
 
Nice! So is that kit required for the nylon line?
You can buy everything separate of course and there are several you tube videos of making your own DIY fixture/clamp/vice dingle-bop thingy to press the tuning onto the fittings. Some fabbed up riggs are more thought through than others.

Whatever you do DO NOT HEAT THE TUBING within 10" of a fitting. I've seen some ding dongs in videos use a heat gun to make the tubing easier to press on the fittings. Heating stress relieves the Nylon, lowers the hoop stress A LOT and the tubing looses all its "clamping force" and promotes leaking or a worse failure.
 
I got the Radiator upper and lower mounts fabricated and 09-14 LX radiator bolted in

Rubber bushing secures the top,
Space between the radiator and core support is for wiring and possible A/C condenser.
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cut/weld lower brackets out of C channel on to the XV lower reinforcement.
Just tack welded a 1-5/8" machine washer to secure the radiators lower mount bushing.

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Blacked out the front of it

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Finally got some brakes for the front end so i can get the front suspension and steering put together.

Best thing about it as I took 20lb of UNSPRUNG weight off the front end.

For 1 side its an even 10lb weight savings

Wilwood 10.75" = 24.4lb

10" Drums = 34.4lb





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Got it mocked up at least on the driver's side with the new brakes, 1" bars and control arms.


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The Wilwoods were made to fit 72 and older SBJ 10" Drum spindle but my SPC upper control arms used a BbJ K772

So I converted the SBJ spindles to BBJ with a $11 tapered bushing from
TeraFlex pn 990120




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This build has really grown on me penstar 3.6 yet to get enough love. The Ripp supercharger in my 2017 JK says this will be a lot of fun. Great you blazed your own path. What hot rodding is all about. Ma mopar should take notice another turn key option from the hellcat and Hemi would be great.
 
I've been following this off and on for a while now, really stoked to see its progress. Any idea when it'll be drivable?
 
I've been following this off and on for a while now, really stoked to see its progress. Any idea when it'll be drivable?

I'm trying to get it moving under its own power over the next few weeks. There's tons of small stuff and detail work to do just on the rest of the car but I'd like to just get the bare bones things it needs to start/run/drive and before getting bogged down in the minutia.

So next big things on the list are:

  1. Install 72 steering column(needed lower bearing and coupler parts)
  2. Drill Flywheel for Mustang T5 pressure plate
  3. master cylinder and throwout bearing
  4. Finish fuel pump hanger
 
I'm trying to get it moving under its own power over the next few weeks. There's tons of small stuff and detail work to do just on the rest of the car but I'd like to just get the bare bones things it needs to start/run/drive and before getting bogged down in the minutia.

So next big things on the list are:

  1. Install 72 steering column(needed lower bearing and coupler parts)
  2. Drill Flywheel for Mustang T5 pressure plate
  3. master cylinder and throwout bearing
  4. Finish fuel pump hanger


Knock that list down.


Morphed
 
Your job is all looking very good. A great job well done.

Did you mount the engine with the crank horizontal line raked a few degrees down at the rear ?

If so, then how many degrees ? If not, then you will have installed it level, and in that case why level ?

I ask because the Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.6 donor vehicle for my project had the engine mounted with a very noticable engine rake angle, which I am still getting a handle on. Hopefully this week I will nail it and install the 3.6 on the same angle … for reasons not yet known to me … but better safe than sorry and for fear of the unknown.

Keep up the great work.
 
MD360,
Just a thought of mine, as I continue to think ahead to the time when I get my 3.6 started … when you started your 3.6, is there any chance that it may have been running in LIMP-HOME-MODE ?

I'm living in fear, especially as my plan is to use the original ZF 8-speed auto trans with all the issues that that will bring.
Thanks
Jim
 
The north/south oriented 3.6L Pentastar and auto trans setup in the 2015 Grand Cherokee RWD is canted 8° off horizontal toward the rear.

If this same package was subsequently installed in a project vehicle, such as the Swinger, perfectly level at 0°, would there be any future operational consequences ?

Back in the 1980s GM had an east/west FWD Buick V6 engine, that was no doubt installed horizontally across the frame. That same engine apparently without changes but with different trans was then also used by the GM Australian Holden Comodore, in a north/south RWD config. and they had it tilted backwards (I don't know the angle). Apparently as a result, GM initially experienced numerous problems with the engine in the Holden cars, and I'm told major cylinder head hot-spot problems.

Of course, vehicles are designed to go up hill and down dale from time to time, but I guess primarily designed to run on the flat for extended periods at high speed.

Any thoughts ?
 
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