Small block 318/360 Magnum Swap - Motor mount answers for those with questions

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gwmax65

Magnum V8 Mopar
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A thing to note to anyone out there reading this, and is doing a 318/5.2L or 360/5.9L Magnum swap in their early A-body (If I remember right, the 318 Magnum & 360 Magnum use the same motor mount ear castings, NOT LA blocks). You'd notice on the Magnum 318/360's passenger sides motor mount ear perch had the 3 main bolt attaching holes for the motor mount bracket switched compared to the 273. I've read a hot rod article about putting a magnum 360 motor in a 1965 Plymouth Valiant,

http://www.hotrod.com/cars/project-vehicles/hrdp-9810-1965-plymouth-valiant-engine-swap/

they say that you have to modify the passengers motor mount bracket by cutting some other metal in the shape of a triangle and welding it on the passengers motor mount bracket in order to mount it on the Magnum 318/360's passengers ear (Don't worry about the drivers sides motor mounts ear perch, the 273's motor mount will bolt right on with no hassle).

They ('65 Valiant Hod-roders) did not think about sliding a heavy duty long bolt (Grade 8 - 5-6" bolt + washers + lock washer & bolt to shim is what I used) through the motor mount bracket and putting a nut on the other side of the bolt to hold it into place. What I just wrote probably didn't make any sense to you, but I'll try to explain it the best I can.

Let's say that this little illustration below shows the motor mount holes (using the # 0 to illustrate the motor mount ear perch holes), and the dashes (-------) to illustrate the bolts.
Hopefully the spaces for my illistration below won't be justified in such a way that it doesn't make any sense, probably better off viewing this on a PC.

273 motor mount ear perch:

(Passenger side)

Back --0- -0-- Front (crank pulley)
--0-


318/360 Magnum motor mount ear perch

Back Front (crank pulley)

*the vertical line | stands for the motor mount bracket, the 'x' is the long bolt head
--0- -0--
*-> x-|--------0-- <- Long grade 8 bolt

If that still doesn't help, look at the pictures.

Essentially where I'm getting at, is you don't have to modify the passengers motor mount bracket in order to mount it on a 318/360 Magnum motor, you only need to slide a heavy duty long bolt through and it will be at the correct angle & safely function when installed. Hope that helps, please comment/post/reply with any questions. Hope this helped!

*Photo name order below*

#1 - 1965 273 V8
#2 - 1965 273 V8 Zoomed
#3 - 1997 318 Magnum (Before)
#4 - 1997 318 Magnum Zoomed
#5 - 1997 318 Magnum Motor (After) in a 1965 Plymouth Valiant 200
#6 - 1997 318 Magnum motor mount w/long Grade 8 bolt
 

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When I put 318 from -89 van to my -66 Dart, on the pass side I used slightly modified vans mount. Just drilling two holes for early-A´s original insulator and that´s it.


Just thinking, was there need for two washers....
 
I used washers to take up slack, the washers on the oem bolts are there for some apparent reason, so I still used them.
 
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