Small Block V8 vs. Turbocharged Slant Six

V8, Turbo Slant, or Neither?

  • Small block swap

    Votes: 51 56.0%

  • Turbocharge the slant

    Votes: 40 44.0%
  • Total voters
    91
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273 said:
Doesn't have to be magnum, the only reason there a good idea cause they can be found in good running condition more often and a bit more compression stock and a few mods like cam, headers and 4bbl can get you pretty far, if rebuilding theres little advantage. In the end if you can find a good running 318/360 or magnum is a good place to start. Even cam, headers and 4bbl cam get you 300hp out of a 318. If you got the skills turbo could be a good way to go.
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If you go LA, I suggest '88 - '91 so you get the roller cam. Great for todays oils. All magnums have roller cams.
 
If you go the v8 route, get everything. All accessories, trans, k member and driveshaft. "Running when pulled" is one of the biggest loads of crap I've seen advertised. Unless you know for a fact that the v8 was running, you're taking a gamble if you expect to buy one and just drop it in over a weekend. Building a v8 on the side and taking your time while driving a known reliable slant 6 is a good option. A turbo slant is cool as hell though
 
Thanks for all of the input, you guys are bringing up some good points. I'm curious to know how and if a mild build 360, LA/Mag hooked up to a 727 would be reliable as far as a daily driver goes. I've never read anything that would tell me otherwise it would be a good motor.

Yes, the slant doesn't have a finger to shake at to the V8 rumble. My slant idling was put to shame when someone pulled up in a 340 'Cuda. Man, it sounded awesome. But sound isn't a deal-breaker here, and to be fair, some slants with the right exhaust sound downright mean too.

Oh, and to the question about what part of WA state I live in, I live in Kitsap County right on the Peninsula.

Are 88-91 LA's carbed or TBI? Or is it just a matter of swapping intakes/wiring? (My V8 knowledge is also lacking, lol...)

As far as the slant goes....is it necessary that I rebuild my engine? I have 'maybe' 140k on the motor, and as far as I know has never been rebuilt except what I did to it (new cam, lifters, pushrods, timing chain, and a regasket). Never took the head off, but I know for a fact my piston rings could have used a re-ring.

A friend of mine also brought up the compromise of a turbo'd V8. That would take an even longer route to get to, haha.

I love the opinions guys, keep them comin'!
 
Other. Get a second /6 head, deck it ~.06, clean up the intake runners, bigger valves. Then new rings and bearings in your engine, put on the "new" head and enjoy a dependable engine that could outlast you!

I like the sound of a /6.
 
Dodge72 said:
Thanks for all of the input, you guys are bringing up some good points. I'm curious to know how and if a mild build 360, LA/Mag hooked up to a 727 would be reliable as far as a daily driver goes. I've never read anything that would tell me otherwise it would be a good motor.

Yes, the slant doesn't have a finger to shake at to the V8 rumble. My slant idling was put to shame when someone pulled up in a 340 'Cuda. Man, it sounded awesome. But sound isn't a deal-breaker here, and to be fair, some slants with the right exhaust sound downright mean too.

Oh, and to the question about what part of WA state I live in, I live in Kitsap County right on the Peninsula.

Are 88-91 LA's carbed or TBI? Or is it just a matter of swapping intakes/wiring? (My V8 knowledge is also lacking, lol...)

As far as the slant goes....is it necessary that I rebuild my engine? I have 'maybe' 140k on the motor, and as far as I know has never been rebuilt except what I did to it (new cam, lifters, pushrods, timing chain, and a regasket). Never took the head off, but I know for a fact my piston rings could have used a re-ring.

A friend of mine also brought up the compromise of a turbo'd V8. That would take an even longer route to get to, haha.

I love the opinions guys, keep them comin'!
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1. - All small block mopars are extremely reliable in every day use.
2. - 318's are internally balanced. 360's are externally balanced. You can have the flex plate balanced if you use a torque converter that isn't balanced for the 360.
3. - Yes, the TBI's just swap intakes/distributors. I did a '89 360 once and it even had the mechanical fuel pump eccentric on it.
4. - If you use a 904 tranny, you will not need to swap drive shafts.
5. - I would not swap K-frames, but rather I would buy adapting motor mounts. A '72 has the pad mounts, and you can get the 6 to V8 for 65 bucks on ebay amoung other places.
6. - 727 will require a different length drive shaft and yoke.
So lets say you get a complete LA 318/904 combo. all you would need is adapting mounts, radiator, exhaust, and kickdown linkage to get ya going. 360/727 would be almost as easy, just a few more dollars and minutes lol
 
On a 140k seasoned motor, imo there's no doing just a re-ring job.
The cylinders mostlikely have sufficient wear and a top ridge in them to break the new rings at the first few revvings of the engine.
It needs to be bored oversize, meaning new pistons and by then you'll end up doing a full rebuild.
This also means the car will be in a garage, out-of-order for over a month or two/three.

I'd say leave this engine alone and focus your time and energy (and money) on the next engine.
 
I voted turbo slant, ONLY on the condition that the work is done by the owner, other wise the cost will not be worth it. It is a fun experience to turbo a slant. Neither combo will be a one weekend job, but the small block could be, if it is done by someone very experienced.

A complete magnum would be a sweet setup, but you would also need an oil pan for the swap as well, on top of the aforementioned intake, rad, mounts, trans...

Want to eventually go turbo small block myself...
 
The work will definitely be done by me, along with the help with a family member or two. As for the small block swap, my Dad has done it, along with quite a few of his buddies. With their help, I doubt it would be much trouble at all.

Rebuilding the slant is a big consideration, and there is always an option of getting another low-mileaged slant to build the project from....people (including me) can't seem to give them away. Would also keep my driver going until then. Would I want to spend my time rebuilding a slant six then going back through to add the turbo, or spend my time building the small block and finding/installing the conversion pieces, which would include shortening my driveshaft even more. (Already shortened it an 1 1/2" from swapping to a 8 1/4 rear) Something to think about!
 
BigBlockMopar said:
On a 140k seasoned motor, imo there's no doing just a re-ring job.
The cylinders mostlikely have sufficient wear and a top ridge in them to break the new rings at the first few revvings of the engine.
It needs to be bored oversize, meaning new pistons and by then you'll end up doing a full rebuild.

.
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imo, I wouldn't even re-ring that magnum if it ran great at 140k and had good oil pressure. I'd slap a intake/carb on it, and I would put the LA front on it with new chain/gears, and if running a mechanical fuel pump, put on the eccentric adapter from hughes or swap the cam. Going to a car oil pan (with a new rear main seal) is a given. Punch in some new freeze plugs and enjoy.
I have a 318 mag with 134k that I will do exactly what I listed above and I'm going to install it in one of my dusters. I will put a 904 behind it.
Shoot, my truck with a 5.9 mag has over 228k on it and I'm not afraid to burn the tires or turn the rpm's. Runs like a top. Guy at work has 264k on his and beats on it, still runs great. Many, many out there with 250K + and some well over 300K still purring like kittens.
* Also, Dodge 72, if you run a 904, you won't have to shorten your drive shaft again. Only if you go to the 727.*
 
318willrun said:
imo, I wouldn't even re-ring that magnum if it ran great at 140k and had good oil pressure. I'd slap a intake/carb on it, and I would put the LA front on it with new chain/gears, and if running a mechanical fuel pump, put on the eccentric adapter from hughes or swap the cam. Going to a car oil pan (with a new rear main seal) is a given. Punch in some new freeze plugs and enjoy.
I have a 318 mag with 134k that I will do exactly what I listed above and I'm going to install it in one of my dusters. I will put a 904 behind it.
Shoot, my truck with a 5.9 mag has over 228k on it and I'm not afraid to burn the tires or turn the rpm's. Runs like a top. Guy at work has 264k on his and beats on it, still runs great. Many, many out there with 250K + and some well over 300K still purring like kittens.
* Also, Dodge 72, if you run a 904, you won't have to shorten your drive shaft again. Only if you go to the 727.*
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Again this is why I suggested an al motor: it would already have the oil pan, timing cover, intake ect. ect. ect.....
 
Definitely would be avoiding a bare block (slant six or V8 ) if I can, I know that the little things can add up fast. I shouldn't have too much trouble finding a mostly complete setup, those that do sell Mopar stuff around my area have a bunch of it. The problem would be to find an engine that hasn't been sitting for a decade....

EDIT: I forgot about the V8 904's. I would like to go that route, it would save me $200 in driveshaft cutting and re-balancing.
 
j par said:
Again this is why I suggested an al motor: it would already have the oil pan, timing cover, intake ect. ect. ect.....
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Hi J par!!! Oh, where do you get an al motor??? lol ..... Anyways, I agree the LA is an excellent choice, just installed one in one of my dusters. BUT.... You still may have to change the Oil Pan if it's a truck motor. If it's a 2bbl, probably still going to change the intake. Your still going to want to install a new timing chain (which requires the removal of the timing chain cover). So really, not really much extra work for the magnum. Just the locating of the LA timing cover which is no big deal.
 
318willrun said:
Hi J par!!! Oh, where do you get an al motor??? lol ..... Anyways, I agree the LA is an excellent choice, just installed one in one of my dusters. BUT.... You still may have to change the Oil Pan if it's a truck motor. If it's a 2bbl, probably still going to change the intake. Your still going to want to install a new timing chain (which requires the removal of the timing chain cover). So really, not really much extra work for the magnum. Just the locating of the LA timing cover which is no big deal.
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Are making fun of my dyslexia!??
 
I voted smallblock.

I've done the FWD turbo stuff and really enjoyed it, but when things started going wrong it got really frustrating.

I also don't really like a carbed turbo setup, I think EFI is really the best way to make a turbo setup really livable on the street. There certainly are many carb setups that work well on the street, but the carb makes it much more of a "pick one or the other" arrangement. If you build it to run well without boost, it doesn't run clean under boost. Or it runs hard under boost and rich while cruising. Not saying it isn't possible or that it hasn't been done, but for a first time build with no tuning experience, it will either be incredibly lucky or incredibly expensive because you are paying an experienced turbo carb tuner and probably spending money on an expensive blow through carb. I know Tom Wolfe did it, but that doesn't mean it is easy.

I worked for a while on building a turbo slant, but the exponential increase in tuning and complexity turned me off in the end. Seen too many turbo car have struggles both on the street and track, and experienced problems myself. Just not interested in a turbo car anymore.

Besides, while a turbo slant will make smallblock power, a turbo smallblock will make more than a turbo slant. :)
 
nuttyprof said:
Other. Get a second /6 head, deck it ~.06, clean up the intake runners, bigger valves. Then new rings and bearings in your engine, put on the "new" head and enjoy a dependable engine that could outlast you!

I like the sound of a /6.
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If you mill the head on a slanty, you can go pretty far. I think up to .120" according to the mopar speed secrets book, but i could be mistaken. If you go that route and mill a bunch for compression, i recommend shortening the headbolts a little bit. I had a 225 that was milled .080" years ago, and even with proper torquing it blew a new headgasket. Turned out the bolts were a hair too long, and bottomed before properly clamping the gasket.
 
I'm aware that you're able to deck the head of a slant pretty far, but for a turbo application, don't you want lower compression? Maybe not leave it at a stock height, but you don't want 10:1 compression either.
 
Yes turbo apps keep it about 8.0 to 1 and turn up the boost to make power. Just discussing the problem i ran into with bolts bottoming out on mine.

Matt
 
Oh okay, I gotcha now. :thumblef:

The thing that does bug me is that I have not fabricated anything, or I have no experience with anything like forced induction. This is my daily driver, and to have to have more downtime because of tuning and fiddling with the turbo due to inexperience wouldn't be desirable, unless I find someone who could help me out when the time comes for the project. The V8 would also have tuning and fiddling downtime, but less of it (I assume). I'm afraid the turbo project might be more than I can chew, since this is really my one and only car I drive and I have really worked on.

I guess I'm leaning to more than one side now, still have some stuff to think about though. All the input is greatly appreciated!
 
I vote turbo. For one it's more unique than the v8, two you already have an engine and tranny you know it's reliable. Third, if you don't some parts hunting for a turbo setup in a junk yard you can cobble something together on the cheap and have it still be reliable. Lots of turbo cars in the wrecking yards. Get a friend and fab together the mounts for the turbo, run some oil lines and your good, of course don't forget the intercooler. I'm sure you can find plenty of turbo info on here.
 
MOPAR small block engine parts MOPAR
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/pts/5329556664.html

even better yet: this is close to you and he has the K frame and is willing to do trades it looks like he just wants to get rid of it. maybe 100 for the k frame and at the most and 50 for the motor complete? Never hurts to call and again I think he's in your neighborhood.
 
alpha13 said:
I vote turbo. For one it's more unique than the v8, two you already have an engine and tranny you know it's reliable. Third, if you don't some parts hunting for a turbo setup in a junk yard you can cobble something together on the cheap and have it still be reliable. Lots of turbo cars in the wrecking yards. Get a friend and fab together the mounts for the turbo, run some oil lines and your good, of course don't forget the intercooler. I'm sure you can find plenty of turbo info on here.
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I've been finding great turbo info on here and over at Slantsix. Unfortunately I don't have any friends who could help me out with that, so I'd be mostly alone as of right now. I need better friends, eh? :D

And thanks for the link: I've been eyeing that ad for a couple days. But I'm not purchasing anything right now, I need to pay off some college classes and Christmas gifts before buying anything. Not to mention, make a decision and try to make a rough battle plan to how to build.
 
318willrun said:
imo, I wouldn't even re-ring that magnum if it ran great at 140k and had good oil pressure. I'd slap a intake/carb on it, and I would put the LA front on it with new chain/gears, and if running a mechanical fuel pump, put on the eccentric adapter from hughes or swap the cam. Going to a car oil pan (with a new rear main seal) is a given. Punch in some new freeze plugs and enjoy.
I have a 318 mag with 134k that I will do exactly what I listed above and I'm going to install it in one of my dusters. I will put a 904 behind it.
Shoot, my truck with a 5.9 mag has over 228k on it and I'm not afraid to burn the tires or turn the rpm's. Runs like a top. Guy at work has 264k on his and beats on it, still runs great. Many, many out there with 250K + and some well over 300K still purring like kittens.
* Also, Dodge 72, if you run a 904, you won't have to shorten your drive shaft again. Only if you go to the 727.*
Click to expand...

Really sweet mills,for a plug and play deal.( Magnum series..) Mine has near 200k on it, a cam lobe went flat... Crosshatch on bores excellent,pulled number one main & rod caps( furthest away from the oil pump.If low on oil quantity/quality, usually shows here.). Slammed a new cam in it,put new heads on it( because I wanted to..) ,a new oil pump ,and fired it. A bit rumpy ( big cam..) , doesn't leak oil/smoke or any of the older engine normal wear problems.
 
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