Bob J <bobsoldbikes@yahoo.com> wrote:
: Hi there!
: I just joined to ask a quick question-
Welcome!
I'm not sure if that trans will bolt up to the engine,
but you probably don't want to go that route anyway; as
others have said, the motor is a bit too much for that
transmission. An NV3500 (5 speed found in late model 318
powered Daks) would likely be more than adequate for a
stock '74 360, although if you plan to increase the power
output of the motor, you'll probably want to get something
a bit stronger still.
As far as the fit goes, that 360 should work just fine
in your '90. (People put 440s into GenI Daks all the time.)
However, you will need to go to an electric fan; there
just isn't enough room for a mechanical fan in that truck.
You might want to check out Schumacher Creative Services
at http://engine-swaps.com/ They sell kits which will
basically make swapping a small block or a big block into
the Dakota a bolt-in deal. They also have a "tech tips"
file on their site, which you may want to read for some
additional info, however some of it assumes you are swapping
the motor in place of a V6, so some items may not be applicable
to your exact swap.
Regarding the suspension, the rear should be fine as-is,
but you may want to consider an upgrade in the front, depending
on your plans for the truck. To be honest, I'm not quite sure
if different springs were used for the various motors, although
that is usually what is done. Assuming for a moment that there
are stiffer springs for the V8 trucks, then you might want to
swap those out with springs from a Shelby Dak, or springs from
a '91 V8 Dak may work also, as I think the front suspension
on that truck is the same as '87-90. However, if you are
looking for weight transfer at the dragstrip and don't
mind sacrificing some daily drivability, then perhaps leaving
the I4 suspension in place would be the way to go.
Anyway, hopefully some of the above is of some use to you,
good luck with it, and I hope you'll stick around to keep
us updated on your progress! :-)
--
-Jon-
.-- Jon Steiger --- jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@jonsteiger.com --.
| '70 Barracuda, '90 Dakota Convertible, '92 Ram 4x4, '96 Dakota |
| '96 Intruder, '96 Kolb FireFly, '99 Cherokee, '01 Ram 3500 |
`----------------------------------- http://www.jonsteiger.com --'
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