engine options

[jamesadams]

Okay, i am getting ahead of myself, but i am always on the lookout for parts.

You 216/t-5 guys-can you run comfortable with small town traffic & country driving in the hills?

Anybody put a slant 6 in one of these?

Dodge v-6? Fuel injection?

4.3 chevy v-6?

Ideas & advice needed. Thanks

[Young Ed]

My 218 plymouth with standard 3spd and 3.73 rear end runs great in town and on the highway. My 218 5spd truck isnt on the road yet but I can only assume it will be even better then the stock stuff.

[smallblockjunkie]

If you can fab it, you can put what ever you want in it

[jamesadams]

I would like to stay dodge, but they ain't popular round here. Kinda like to stay pre fuel injection. I have been doing some searching and original parts are not as hard to come by as i thought,if i can cruise with one. I am open to anything,i have a 3.8 ford v-6 auto i have even considered. Don't want a road ripper, just want to run with the flow.

[41/53dodges]

how about this one on the right of the photo?

[Dave72dt]

That last one will require streching the front sheet metal a bit.

I'm sure the slant 6 has been done by someone. Whatever you want can go in it. Depends on how much you want to cut and weld. V8s a fairly common, Dodge prefered, but SBCs in some , V6 with auto/od sounds very reasonable. just last week heard of a local that purchased a 35-36 Chevy pickup someone had put a diesel in. Seems as if you're not bent on having a particular engine, whatever is available at the time gets chosen. Nothing wrong with that either.

[jamesadams]

I plan for the present, to leave the paint like it is, rust and all. I have experience with this kind of stuff and above mechanical skills. I don't want to cut the frame,but want better brakes. I think for no more driving than it will get, the straight axle with modern tires ill do. The early dakota swap sounds good,don't want a lowrider stance. I also have a good 250 straight chevy six on hand. A mechanic at work put a 4bt in a 2wd short bed 96 Dodge. Sounds awsome and turns heads.

[Don Coatney]

Here is another option.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The straight-five engine or inline-five engine is an internal combustion engine with five cylinders aligned in one row or plane, sharing a single engine block and crankcase. This configuration is a compromise between the smaller inline-four engine and the larger straight-6.

Historically, straight-five engines have been used rarely but continuously since their invention, though they have become increasingly popular in recent years. They are used in Audis, Volkswagens, Volvos, Land Rover TD5s and on some diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz models, as well as on the Acura 2.5 TL and Vigor. Recently, General Motors launched a straight-five engine for its popular compact trucks (Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, and the Isuzu i-350). It also powers the Hummer H3. The engine is part of its Atlas family that also includes four- and six-cylinder versions. Since the Volvo 850 was introduced in 1992, many Volvos make use of straight-five engines, often turbocharged. Most of Volvo's current model lineup are powered by inline-five engines (naturally aspirated-five, T5, and even D5) with exceptions marked otherwise (I6, T6, V8). Volvo engines recently found an application in the Ford Focus ST in which the Ford Focus shares its platform structure with the Volvo S40. Volkswagen has used straight-five engines in their Eurovan, and have recently developed a different straight-five engine which is used in the Jetta and Rabbit in North America. Audi's inline-five powered many of the company's bigger models in the 1980s, and was most notably used (in a turbocharged format) in the Audi Quattro racing car. Fiat also makes use of a five-cylinder engine (both petrol and diesel) in larger Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Lancia models.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Keep it Dodge?...well the slant 6 is one choice but you are still stuck with a long stroke that will not really get 'rolling' till you hit about 35MPH given you have installed a 3.55 gear..however..if a truck owner, the choice for me would be to install a Dakota V6 with the 5 speed manual transmission..as the smaller upgrade and the 5.2 first generation EFI for a bit more power and for all out getting your juices going the 5.9 R/T with an aftermarket supercharger kit would make the baby scat about real fine. Transfer the entire wiring harness from the donor..

[JBNeal]

here's one on a Ramcharger 2WD chassis...as ya can see, the wheels don't exactly fit inside the openings perfect, but it's close.

[wayfarer]

Be wary of later engines with alot of electronics.

I would recommend a 318 or 360, including the earlier Poly 318. For a 5 or 6 speed trans you have several choices all from Mother Mopar and all will bolt up to the A and LA engines.

If you want to attract alot of attention then follow Dan Babb with his Hemi engine swap.

.

[Plymouthy Adams]

the use of the electronic engine..not a problem..you may however want to reduce some of the electronics by staying clear of the automatic trannies that "RE" and not the easier to install "RH" versions..but even at that..take the entire setup from the donor and get on down the road.

[wayfarer]

Perhaps I should have used more words... I would stay away from computer controlled fuel injected engines and transmissions...unless you are an IT geek and love a challenge.

The Mopar electronic ignition is still the standard that others copy.

[smallblockjunkie]

I guess I am a geek because I loved the challenge

[smallblockjunkie]

here is some of the wires for the engine and trans

[jamesadams]

Does the aftermarket support dodge engines with wiring harness? I would rather pull eletronics from donor vehicle. Anybody ever do this? How complicated?

[ggdad1951]

I know there are several companies that do wiring harnesses, try Painless

http://stores.ez2wire.com/StoreFront.bok

[wayfarer]

I guess I am a geek because I loved the challenge

You must be related to the guy in this thread...

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=53074

This is an incredible project and he has boat loads of talent.

There is also this:

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/hrdp_0803_1970_dodge_challenger/index.html

There are more and more new computer laden engines finding homes in older cars so I may yet have to 'embrace' the computer generation...

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Edited December 31, 2010 by wayfarer