Torn between engines for my wifes 54 plymouth

I am not asking a question, I am simply responding to shadowmtkustomz comment of saying it will fit. What I am asking is since a 318 WILL FIT and a 360 are the same size I am wondering how much differant the 360 in a late model van is from a 318 that came in a A body.

Cool, thank you for the info and understanding what I meant

 

Easiest swap you could do is another 218 or 230! I drive a '53 Plymouth (about 1,200 miles this summer) and there is nothing wrong with a well maintained Mopar flathead six. I don't know how nasty the one you are tossing is, but if you can get it to turn over you may be able to get it to run. You can still swap it out later if you want.
CHAZ

 

I am not trying to be a dick ( I'm sure it sounds like that but I''m not )

if you would , answer my questions And I'll help, we can put anything in anything here .. period ( well maybe a allison tank engine might challenge us but we will get it in there

I live 25 miles north of downtown Fort Worth by the way

 

I have the manifold you need PM me if you want it. The 360 motor is the same on the out side as a 318,I have done this swap before using dodge truck motor monts.

 

ps .. a early 318 up till about year 67 ( it gets just a bit cloudy there )
was considered a "wide block / poly 318 " good motor but, not what you want to use

You want a later 273 /318/ 360 motor .. vans, trucks,cars its all the same except some minor differences

They are great little motors, many call the LA series" bullet proof"

All we have to do is do some slight engineering to fit it in ..
yea ,, the starter is on drivers side and that sucks but, so is my 440 so
big deal, we can get it in there

And, I'll help ..

 

I'd go with a small block Mopar as well. There are a lot of 340 or 360 cid engines around and should be fairly cheap. I've got a couple in old vans, but I'm saving them for my 17 Dodge roadster project.

Hey Big Dad, If you decide to stuff an Allison Tank Engine in a coupe, let me know and I will make it down from OKC to help/watch...........

 

You guys are awesome, I love all of this information. Big dad I will get with you soon, thanks again guys.

 

Big Dad is a good guy and he builds some really nice stuff Ron...

 

Hey, piss everybody off and drop in an SBF.

dka

 

First things first. Get the flathead, transmission, and rear-end out of there, and hauled-off.

If she wants dependable transportation, I'd grab a mopar donor car and move the stuff over.

Consider also, that the Plymouth was 6 volt positive ground. Going to a 12 volt negative ground will be a little problematic with the wipers, heater, and dash instruments. The tube radio probably has to go...

 

My 49 plymouth has a sbc, my 53 dodge truck has a sbc waiting to go in it along with the s=10 chassis. I say do what you want, put in what you want as long as you are happy with it. I get loads of crap about what i run in my cars, but i built it for me, not for them.

 

i have a 55 dodge pickup with a 318 727 and i love it!!!!

 

Tell me why you decided to go with a sbc?

 

Kind of like...YOU, P Rope.

Back on topic...
I do agree, however. If I were in your shoes I would do a 318 just for the sake of keeping it MOPAR.

318's are very much like SBC's. There is a good reason why they are still around.

Reliable, inexpensive, simple. i would do the 318. But you need to work with what you have available. That's what hot rodding is about.

I'm no Mopper guy, so I have no clue what will fit or not. So my comment is just opinion. And like most opinions, they suck.

 

Drop in a 500" Caddy and really blow their minds.

 

Very well put...

Hit you local impound or junk yard. I have bought several 200 dollar cars, some mopars, and drove them out of there. Then you have a whole car for other stuff you might want. ie rear end, disc brakes, front clip and so on. mopar in a mopar...

 

Trust me, I left High School a long time ago so peer pressure doesnt work.
I just love to hear everyones opinion. I just dont want to go out and buy a bunch of parts that wont work together and then I have wasted money and time. I would love to have her car up and running and chopped by this time next year and being on a budget that is a crunch.

In the end it is everyones opinion and my money, donations excepted lmao.

 

Big dad is a great source, so is mopar ron.
A 318 and 360 are pretty much the same externally.
Differences are driver's side motor mount (a donor will come with this), external balance (again, the damper and flexplate/convertor will come with), and the crank journals are larger, causing a different oil pan. You will want a truck or van (rear sump) oil pan for the swap, and the A body (dart, duster, demon, vailant) exhaust manifolds. The driver's side is the important one. A donor will also give you all the pulleys, trans crossmember for modifying, and plenty of nuts and bolts stuff...
If you have the room, I'd get a van. It will give you more storage room for all the parts and pieces as you work. If you can find a good flat 6, go for it, but I doubt those pop up cheap very often. PM sent with more info...

 

Here you go, one of the most bullet proof small blocks built.............

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_Car....c0.m245&_trkparms=72:543|65:12|39:1|240:1318

 

because before I was a Mopar guy, I was a Chevy guy and the motor thing just never wore off. When I was a kid, I put countless sbc's in 49 to 54 chevys. The swap mentality just never went away, although I will probably go mopar on mopar next time just to be different. My point is that I just think the mopar on mopar mentality is kinda narrow minded..... ok if you want to do that for your cars, but not ok if you preach it as the only way. I also understand that toooo many cars are built with sbc motors and it would be nice to see other ones transplanted in them. Variety is nice.

 

Befor you put a Cheby definatley check out ShadowmtKustomz blog spot! Great small block MOPAR swap tech info! I'm glad I did. No cutting and way more economical.

 

There is a clearance issue but It's easily solved. You also have to notch out the front of the frame for pully clearance and indent the fire wall on the passenger side ta clear the valve cover and head.

 

Thanks man.

 

Yeah Big Dad contacted me last night and offered his help on this, I cant wait. It is always great to meet new people and learn more things.

 

find a 230 and an O.D. trans and you dont have to change a thing, and you stay true . My flatty is reliable. it aint a speed demon but runs killer.

 

I am a die hard chevy guy with outta doubt.. But im also a "keep it what it is".. i dont like seeing cars with other motors in them GM with GM Mopar with Mopar.. Fords an exception a duece coupe with a sbc is better then a duece coupe with a sbf.

 

I just went out and measured the 360 in my 88 Dodge D250 outside to outside of the manifolds is right at 25 inches.
I then measured the ramhorns in my 71 GMC C2500 sitting next to it. 24 inches give or take a tad.
It looks like the only issues with a 318/360 might be left hand exhaust manifold choices and starter to steering box clearance.
A lot of the Lebaron/Diplomat body style from 77 to 81s had 318's or 360's I'd think a guy could pick up a good runner in your area for a more than friendly price, do the normal tuneup and oil leak fixes that all old engines need and then do the swap. The rear end may even come close to fitting if you get something
That 79 Van that someone gave the craigslist link to looks pretty interesting though and you might recover a fair portion of what you spent on it by selling off leftovers. the payoff at the credit union may be somewhat lower than he suggests too.

 

Mopar in a Mopar = bolt in = easier = cheaper

no way adapting a SBC into a Mopar is going to be easier and cheaper than just getting another decent Mopar to bolt in. And finding a decent/cheap used Mopar should be pretty easy.

Nothing wrong with a decently setup and dressed older SBC, but I say go mopar for this project and keep it simple and easy.

 

Plus, Big Dad probably has a bare block and tranny you can borrow to weld in the mounts and get everything aligned. Your Chevy friend probably will only let you pet his dog...

 

Vodoowagon, just so you know, I practice what I preach. I just bought this for parts and the drivetrain. If I can do it, so can you! A rebuild kit for a Chevy is cheap, but this thing only needs a carb kit. $299 and I drove it home!
http://prescott.craigslist.org/cto/902918707.html