derrangedgadgeteer
Well-Known Member
Alright. I've got a '75 dart swinger, currently motivated by the venerable 225 slant six. I however have a hankering for a little more speed. The Obvious solution for me would be to Swap the six for a smallblock.
As for picking which engine I want, I've read the Magnum engines have the best combustion chamber design for efficiency, they build good power, and they're easy to find. I'm torn between a 5.2 and a 5.9 build, though I'm leaning towards the 5.2.
The transmission to use is the next issue, and it's worth noting I play with a lot of late model 5-speed boys who like to go from a roll. Between that and considering fuel mileage, I think I'd like to run a late model overdrive tranny. I've got no qualms cutting up the floor of my car and fabricating stuff to make things work, and I've read that there's a good bit of that required to install one of those under an a-body.
Finally, swapping rear ends will be crucial to this project, (Unless someone has some pagan incantations I can recite to keep the 7.25 rear from coming apart under v8 punishment) and while I want something less granny-ish than 2.73's, I'm not too keen on 4.10/3.92's given this'll probably be highway driven on a regular basis.
So, my natural conclusion, Go out to the junkyard and pull the whole driveline from radiator to brake drums out of a 93-2000 dakota, durango,or cherokee so equipped. Rebuild anything that needs rebuilding, check anything that needs checking, and modify anything that needs modifying before jamming it in.
In any case, I will most likely shave, gasket match, port, polish, and I'm considering trying out singh grooves on the stock heads. I'll gasket match and smooth out the stock exhaust manifolds, I'll get one of those knock-off air gap intakes, just so I can have something to put a carb on. (I've read the ports are rough, and if they are, I'll clean them up too.) I'm thinking a 600 or 670 holley or eldybroke. Exhaust would be true dual 2.5's from the manifolds, thrush 2-chambers, dumping at the front of the rear wheels.
I'm still looking for a cam, and my first questions pertain to this. I'm hoping for a cam with a narrow lsa, healthy duration, but I want to keep the stock springs. Vacuum isn't much of an issue, as the car has manual brakes and doesn't have any wild vacuum operated accessories. I've also got no qualms about putting in a stall converter. I'm looking for an aggressive idle, and I'm shooting for about 9.5-1 comp, depending on what I can achieve with the stock bottom end and cutting the head.
The transmission would get a rebuild if it needed it, but otherwise a stall and that's it. Though a manual valve body would be the sh-napple. Just for simplicity's sake, I'd probably have the driveshaft from the truck sent off and shortened. I took a tape measure to a couple of the rear ends in the junkyard, and though they're about three inches wider flange-to-flange than the a-body one, I figure I can run those steel dirt track wheels you can order in any size and backspacing and still make it work.
Is there anything glaringly obviously out of line in this plan here? Anyone got better alternatives to what I've got planned?
My Questions:
1) How much cam lift can the stock magnum head springs handle (redline 6-6.2k shift at 5.5k)
2) How much can a Magnum head be shaved without needing special headgaskets and whatnot? And what compression ratio would be achieved?
3) Does anyone have cam choice advice given I'm going for being loud and obnoxious with good mid range power?
4) Has anyone done a swap similar to this before? (Late model engine & trans.) And does anyone have pictures of how the floor must be cut to accommodate the transmission? Likewise any pictures of the trans crossmember that must be fabricated.
5) As far as cost and headaches are concerned, would everyone here reccommend I go looking for a 318 k-member and bolt it in or rather just give up the cash and buy a mount kit? And is there one for my post-'73 k-member? (I can't find a kit for anything but pre-72) And Is there any reason I can't put an earlier model k-member under my 75 dart?
6) I've read that to put a truck motor in a car you need a different pickup and oil pan, is this only true for the v8 k-member, or does it also apply to the slant k-member? Are there motor mount kits that perhaps set the motor back such that you don't have to? Or would it be feasible to cut the k-member to clear it as opposed to buying the new parts?
7) My slant has electronic ignition, is the magnum motor compatible with my much older electronic ignition box? (i.e. can I wire up the Magnum distributor and coil to my slant six ignition box and have it work well?) Or should I just get a set of points and say "hell with it?"
8. Does anyone know where to get a manual valve body for these later model transmissions?
:toothy9:
As for picking which engine I want, I've read the Magnum engines have the best combustion chamber design for efficiency, they build good power, and they're easy to find. I'm torn between a 5.2 and a 5.9 build, though I'm leaning towards the 5.2.
The transmission to use is the next issue, and it's worth noting I play with a lot of late model 5-speed boys who like to go from a roll. Between that and considering fuel mileage, I think I'd like to run a late model overdrive tranny. I've got no qualms cutting up the floor of my car and fabricating stuff to make things work, and I've read that there's a good bit of that required to install one of those under an a-body.
Finally, swapping rear ends will be crucial to this project, (Unless someone has some pagan incantations I can recite to keep the 7.25 rear from coming apart under v8 punishment) and while I want something less granny-ish than 2.73's, I'm not too keen on 4.10/3.92's given this'll probably be highway driven on a regular basis.
So, my natural conclusion, Go out to the junkyard and pull the whole driveline from radiator to brake drums out of a 93-2000 dakota, durango,or cherokee so equipped. Rebuild anything that needs rebuilding, check anything that needs checking, and modify anything that needs modifying before jamming it in.
In any case, I will most likely shave, gasket match, port, polish, and I'm considering trying out singh grooves on the stock heads. I'll gasket match and smooth out the stock exhaust manifolds, I'll get one of those knock-off air gap intakes, just so I can have something to put a carb on. (I've read the ports are rough, and if they are, I'll clean them up too.) I'm thinking a 600 or 670 holley or eldybroke. Exhaust would be true dual 2.5's from the manifolds, thrush 2-chambers, dumping at the front of the rear wheels.
I'm still looking for a cam, and my first questions pertain to this. I'm hoping for a cam with a narrow lsa, healthy duration, but I want to keep the stock springs. Vacuum isn't much of an issue, as the car has manual brakes and doesn't have any wild vacuum operated accessories. I've also got no qualms about putting in a stall converter. I'm looking for an aggressive idle, and I'm shooting for about 9.5-1 comp, depending on what I can achieve with the stock bottom end and cutting the head.
The transmission would get a rebuild if it needed it, but otherwise a stall and that's it. Though a manual valve body would be the sh-napple. Just for simplicity's sake, I'd probably have the driveshaft from the truck sent off and shortened. I took a tape measure to a couple of the rear ends in the junkyard, and though they're about three inches wider flange-to-flange than the a-body one, I figure I can run those steel dirt track wheels you can order in any size and backspacing and still make it work.
Is there anything glaringly obviously out of line in this plan here? Anyone got better alternatives to what I've got planned?
My Questions:
1) How much cam lift can the stock magnum head springs handle (redline 6-6.2k shift at 5.5k)
2) How much can a Magnum head be shaved without needing special headgaskets and whatnot? And what compression ratio would be achieved?
3) Does anyone have cam choice advice given I'm going for being loud and obnoxious with good mid range power?
4) Has anyone done a swap similar to this before? (Late model engine & trans.) And does anyone have pictures of how the floor must be cut to accommodate the transmission? Likewise any pictures of the trans crossmember that must be fabricated.
5) As far as cost and headaches are concerned, would everyone here reccommend I go looking for a 318 k-member and bolt it in or rather just give up the cash and buy a mount kit? And is there one for my post-'73 k-member? (I can't find a kit for anything but pre-72) And Is there any reason I can't put an earlier model k-member under my 75 dart?
6) I've read that to put a truck motor in a car you need a different pickup and oil pan, is this only true for the v8 k-member, or does it also apply to the slant k-member? Are there motor mount kits that perhaps set the motor back such that you don't have to? Or would it be feasible to cut the k-member to clear it as opposed to buying the new parts?
7) My slant has electronic ignition, is the magnum motor compatible with my much older electronic ignition box? (i.e. can I wire up the Magnum distributor and coil to my slant six ignition box and have it work well?) Or should I just get a set of points and say "hell with it?"
8. Does anyone know where to get a manual valve body for these later model transmissions?
:toothy9:
