I am in the same boat as you. I have a 92 318 2wd auto, 188k miles. So far this
is what I have been able to find.
360 swap with a junkyard engine. I have been able to find 360s with less than
75k miles and at least a 90 day warranty for less than $750 shipped. Similar
prices on 318s as well. With a 360 swap though you need a 360 Ram PCM, which is
around $300 new. Bigger injectors would also be a good idea, run you another
$2-300. Everything else should drop right in.
Here in Dallas I can get a rebuilt 318 installed for $2150 w/core exchange. I
have found 1 or 2 other places that may be cheaper, I just have not had the
chance to call for prices. 2 year warranty is standard on the engine.
A little more price, but I have also been looking at a potential 390 stroker
buildup on the existing block. A little more expensive but gobs more power. My
engine still runs strong, but is old and consumes oil. I think my rings are bad
or valve seals are. Haven't had the chance to do a compression test yet. My
biggest problem is that this is my daily driver, so I need to minimize
downtime. I can probably do an engine swap over a weekend or long weekend, but
getting the block machined and bored will take more time. I can get a reman
shortblock for about $300 or so. Alternately, if I run across a good deal on a
junkyard 318, I can put it on a stand in the garage, tear it down and have the
block machined, then rebuild and have it ready to go when needed. A stroker kit
will run $2000-2300, depending on where you buy it from. You might also be able
to get some things for cheap if you look around. There is a thread over on DTO
from a guy who built a 408 on a budget. Might help out some.
Overall, if money is the biggest concern, a junkyard 318 with less than 75k
miles for $750 or so is the best bet. Straight swap, do it in a weekend. I am
looking for more power in mine as things wear out, so that is the direction I
am going. Money is still a concern, but I will pay a little extra if the gains
are worth it.
Currently I have purchased and/or installed the following mods - M1, ported TB,
MSD 6AL, MSD wired, Blaster SS coil, K&N filter, LSD, 4.10 gears, 1.7 rockers,
Mopar PCM.
In article <20041017200605.55927.qmail@web14823.mail.yahoo.com>,
k_kodiak2@yahoo.com (will) writes:
>
>
> Hello,
>
> I would like to rebuild my engine. I noticed in the
> archives some posts re cost of diy-v-crate, but really
> no definitive answer. I'm not sure that I can afford
> to buy a new engine. Any thoughts about:
>
> 1. Me, doing it myself
>
> 2. Taking to an engine rebuilder (recommendations in
> SoCal?)
>
> 3. Crate engines
>
> I"ve got a large garage and not afraid to get dirty.
> :-D
>
> Thank yoo.
>
>
>
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Nov 01 2004 - 10:47:43 EST