The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop mopar engines

has anyone ever checked out putting a sb mopar in an AD? i've been told you don't have to mess with moving the steering colum because the mopar sb are narrower than chevy's any truth to that?
thanks
tony'n weatherford :p

Tony: It problay because they are slanted away from the steering box and shaft good motors also. popcorn The Truth is Out there (Hope this helps)

I do know for a fact the Fomoco 289/302 is a few inches less wide , but a few inches longer.It's not so much the width as it is the placement of the exhaust ports and head design.I bet the old Buick Nailhead V-8 would slide right in there, available in 425 cubes too.I have seen a few Chevy smallblocks in AD's using the stock steering box just moved over slightly.

Tony n,, I bet a 440 in your panel would really make it move,,but getting it in there,,,,Fred

Tony,

The SB mopar is not narrower than a SB Chevy. But it has a driver's side exhaust manifold that is much closer to the body than the ones You normally have in chevies. I'd not care for installing one in an AD just for this reason. Would be a sort of a crossbreeding and would be somewhat weird to pop up the hood and see such a stranger there. You know, just the 0.02.

M O P A R Mash On Peddle And Replac manny old parts at random

One Word: Hemi

I know its been done, but have never seen one in person. I have seen a couple of Advance Design trucks with F*** motors, and somehow that just doesn't feel right!

If you want to minimize the changes you make in a motor swap, why not build a 302 or maybe a 292? It won't make the power of a 440, but should be plenty powerful enough to run around on the street (says the guy with a 454 on the engine stand).

This is just hearsay and not admissable in court but, back in '89 before I bought my 55-1st Chevy I talked at length with a guy who had a 53 1/2-ton for sale with a Dodge 318. He had done the conversion himself and said it was straight forward with no frame mods, moving steering box, etc. He fabbed simple side motor mounts and a crossmember under the trans. Late model rear end and open driveshaft and away he went. I did not see it myself so I just had his word....personally I like the 318 Dodge "small block" motor. Had a good one in a '86 pickup. Still, it would be a morph in an AD truck.

Gotta agree about the 318. My dad's first new car was a 69 Plymouth Satelite wagon (triple bench) used to haul the family across country and back (twice). Had a 318 and a 2 barrel with a Chrysler torqueflight 3speed. darn strong car. Rusting away in the late70's/ early 80's, known to my friends as the Royal Imperial Land Yacht, it would walk all over new TA's. Shock the heck out of the guys driving the Camaros. 10:1 compression, no emissions, 225 hp straight to the shaft. The engine had enough torque it used to roll and break the right mount (then the right collector tube... only barked when tromped on.)

If you're going to put a non-GM engine in your truck, you could go far worse than a 318 or a 440. Be different, too!

You fellows are way behind,lol. I put a 383 Chrysler big block in my '46 pickup, years ago. I had to move the steering gear but the rest of it sits under the stock hood and with the stock radiator support. I'm running the 727 trans. and a '69 Chrysler rear end. It makes for a great tow truck, for my race car. All in all, I had still rather have a Chev motor though. :p