318 into my '50 Coronet

[FESTER60]

Well I have given up finding a good replacement flatty for my '50 Coronet. I thought about a rebuild but 2K later and I would still have an underpowered car.

Solution? My local country junkyard parts guy has in the corner of his shop a nice 318 out of a '71 Dart at too good a price to pass up. This guy knows Mopars like nobody's business. The engine has an unusual upswept exhaust manifold on the drivers side. Question is would that manifold give me the clearance needed for the steering column?

I know there must be threads here dealing with this swap. I am not having much luck finding them. If someone could direct me, it would be much appreciated.

He also has a good 904 AT to go with it. Can't beat this deal with a stick.

Thanks to all for any input on this.

[Plymouthy Adams]

yes the right manifold..do be sure you upgrade the seats in the heads..

[meadowbrook]

I thought most Mopar V8's have this driver's side upswept manifold top clear the steering column. Not unusual.

[FESTER60]

I thought most Mopar V8's have this driver's side upswept manifold top clear the steering column. Not unusual.

I have had a few Dodge V8's and I have never seen one on any of mine. But they were all in trucks. What sort of snags can I expect to run into with this project?

[Plymouthy Adams]

these manifolds are upsept on the outlets to hug the head and the outlet is C curve hugging the block thus providing clearance for the steering..

[Plymouthy Adams]

truck manifolds have a center down spout on that side..other side is standard rear dump...these manifolds are box in design and are basically parallel to the ports..no upsweep..in some applications using the center dump is a good choice and having your pipe curve toward the block..one must be careful here as you can actually block the starter for futue service unless you drop the pipe..extra room can be obtained with the later model shorter starter motor..if yu wish to use the standard steering..the LA A body manifolds may be your best bet..even with dropping a V8 utilizing alternate steering setup (subframed Dodge late model w/R&P) it can still be sorta close for steering..

[hkestes41]

Look around at Shadow MT Kustomz blog http://shadowmtkustomz.blogspot.com/ he does a pretty good tech thread on install of a Mopar small block into his 50 Dodge with a ton of pictures.

[Young Ed]

FYI I heard somewhere that the exspensive Mopar performance short starter is the same as a dakota pickup starter.

[Plymouthy Adams]

yep...the size is about the same but I think there is a bit more meat in the HP model..if you are running stock to tad warmed over, the Dakota should get you by...I love it..years ago the chebbie fans always made fun of the sound of the Mopar gear reduction drive starter..now these starter are available to them because of the pure grunt torque they have..so who is laughing now..me..another item copied from Mother Mopar..few years back they picked up a new head design..it only went back 30 + years to the semi-hemispherical heads of the early A engine (poly head)

[greg g]

The trick as suggested here several times is to mount the engine offset to the pass side 1.5 to 2 inches. After all thats what they did at the factory in some models.

[windsor8]

I used a passenger side exhaust manifold on the driver's side of my 70 318 in my 48 Dodge. The passenger side manifold dumps in the center and give more clearance for the steering. Went with Cavalier R&P steering.

[FESTER60]

The trick as suggested here several times is to mount the engine offset to the pass side 1.5 to 2 inches. After all thats what they did at the factory in some models.

I have seen this posted before. Will doing that cause clearance problems with that little divot in the frame where the crank pulley goes? Will I have to modify my inner fenders? I assume I will have to ditch the stock heater and prowl the boneyard for some other setup.

[Plymouthy Adams]

For every mod you want to do no matter how simple it looks or may seem..there will be a multitude of issues that will have to be addressed at the same time..even more so with the Mopar of this era as for the most part industry does not support these puppies like the Ford and Chevy crowd. This will be a true build if you go this route..not a simple bolt together like the other cookie cutter car owners..dare to be different..but accept early that there will be many things to overcome as you build your car.

[hkestes41]

You also might want to look at Butch's Cool Stuff he sells a set of offset motor mounts and transmission crossmember to put any Mopar small block into the early (1926-56) Mopars. The one for the 42-53 models is linked below.

http://www.butchscoolstuff.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=34

He also has rear mounting kits / lowering blocks for the narrow rear leaf springs and brake boosters if you go with an automatic.

[Plymouthy Adams]

that is for sure a plus to see this kit out there..thanks for posting..

[mrwrstory]

Beware of the Cavalier R & P kit.

Chapter #1---I decided not to do that, initially because of what it looked like in the engine compartment. Looked like a whole inventory of U-joints. Yes, GM did that so it must have worked satisfactorily. I just didn't like the way the whole "cluge" looked.

Chapter #2---A friend installed that setup in his 55 Ford, with great difficulty. That suspension looks just like the earlier IFS's from Mopar. He wasn't concerned about the appearance. However, he found that the steering radius was severly limited, something GM, and their customers, would not have tolerated. I suspect the geometry of the Cavalier R & P and the early IFS reduce the imput to the early steering arms, therefore limiting the turning radius.

My friend gave up and pulled the Cavalier unit out.

On that subject,....I believe it is Flaming River that is recently advertising a R & P for early 60's Chevys. Although quite pricey, I think that might be a candidate as those Chevys have long lower "A" arms like our earlier Mopars.

Good Luck!

[windsor8]

Beware of the Cavalier R & P kit.

Chapter #1---I decided not to do that, initially because of what it looked like in the engine compartment. Looked like a whole inventory of U-joints. Yes, GM did that so it must have worked satisfactorily. I just didn't like the way the whole "cluge" looked.

Chapter #2---A friend installed that setup in his 55 Ford, with great difficulty. That suspension looks just like the earlier IFS's from Mopar. He wasn't concerned about the appearance. However, he found that the steering radius was severly limited, something GM, and their customers, would not have tolerated. I suspect the geometry of the Cavalier R & P and the early IFS reduce the imput to the early steering arms, therefore limiting the turning radius.

My friend gave up and pulled the Cavalier unit out.

On that subject,....I believe it is Flaming River that is recently advertising a R & P for early 60's Chevys. Although quite pricey, I think that might be a candidate as those Chevys have long lower "A" arms like our earlier Mopars.

Good Luck!

Don't know what engine compartment you're looking at but can't see anything in mine but two universals joints.

As for the turning radius, yes its limited but its the same as a stock set up on my car. The stock "steering knuckle stop screws" (in the steering knuckles) limit the the turning radius. Could go furter if I remove them but then the tires would rub.

[FESTER60]

Well I've done it. Bought the 318 and 904 AT. Today I removed the clutch pedal, shifter and linkage. Tomorrow the un-needed brackets, cross member, exhaust and draft tube will go. Today I realized I may not need my shop manual anymore as there will be very few original parts left.

As far as this being a 'true build', that's a good thing. Anybody can buy parts out of a catalog and bolt them together. What's the fun in that? We can say we actually built something different. Not just another "belly button" car.

[mrwrstory]

Great, you're jumping in the deep end! Keep us updated. And, a few pics now and then would be super.

Also, I did not mean to throw unwarranted cold water on the Cavalier convert. Perhaps others in addition to winsor8 could offer opinion.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I believe the early setup was a bit of a bear to work with..lots of steering issues..this alone I think prompted the increase to the 3" drop uprights as clearance issues of a number of sort threw a wrench in the work...The Cavalier rack by TRW (not GM made by the way and in variation found in LHS platform Chryslers) can benefit from shortened dogbones to get full scale turn radius..lots of thing come into play when upgrading to the TRW rack, disc brakes and shock reloation brackets.

[FESTER60]

Great, you're jumping in the deep end! Keep us updated. And, a few pics now and then would be super.

Also, I did not mean to throw unwarranted cold water on the Cavalier convert. Perhaps others in addition to winsor8 could offer opinion.

I am not planning to do that anyway. Maybe someday if a real reliable upgrade comes along.

I cut away all the un-needed stuff today. I don't know what they made that draft tube out of, but it's tougher than it looks. Anyway it's gone.

I thought I would chisel off those rivets on the old crossmember until I saw the one under my MC mounting bracket. So out came the saws all and it's history.

[Adam H P15 D30]

Well I've done it. Bought the 318 and 904 AT. Today I removed the clutch pedal, shifter and linkage. Tomorrow the un-needed brackets, cross member, exhaust and draft tube will go. Today I realized I may not need my shop manual anymore as there will be very few original parts left.

As far as this being a 'true build', that's a good thing. Anybody can buy parts out of a catalog and bolt them together. What's the fun in that? We can say we actually built something different. Not just another "belly button" car.

Well Said!!!

[littlemo]

From another LA 318-904 AT transplant; Go FESTER60, GO, GO, GO !!! lol. Cass, alias Littlemo .....

[Niel Hoback]

Personally, I don't like hearing about transplants. BUT, if it has to be done, I think that combination is the absolute best option. a bulletproof replacement. I wish I had the nerve to do it myself.

I hope it goes easy for you, and I will be taking notes. Who knows, maybe someday.....

[FESTER60]

Personally, I don't like hearing about transplants. BUT, if it has to be done, I think that combination is the absolute best option. a bulletproof replacement. I wish I had the nerve to do it myself.

I hope it goes easy for you, and I will be taking notes. Who knows, maybe someday.....

It really had to be done. My old engine is toast and I had no luck finding a decent replacement. Also had the gyromatic and I refused to deal with that. If I had a good working combo I would have kept it. But as I looked into my crystal ball I saw nothing but a money pit. I will be gone for about a week so no updates for now, but I will post some pics later.