Mopar 318/360

I "know a guy" with a Dodge 360 in a CJ5... Me. Problem is I can't offer you much in the way of advice on the swap as it was done by a PO and I just got the Jeep in Jan. It has a Torqueflite 727 trans and the original Dana 20 transfer case. Strong running engine but I only get like 8 MPG with 4.88 gears and 33s. It's an older engine with a Holley 4 barrel headers, and MSD ignition. Supposedly, the full width Dana 44 and 9.25 axles came out of the same truck.

 

Very cool! I love the valve covers. Is the front cross-member in tact? Can you get a picture of the front clearence?

Also, what year CJ5?

 

Scratch that, found the other pics. Neat Jeep! Thanks for postin!

Fits like a glove in that later 5. I'd love to see pics of one in an early 5.

 

I am in the middle of putting the AMC 360 (NOT Dodge 360) in my CJ-5. I obviously got rid of the weak T4/D300 and replaced it with the stronger T150/D20 combo. Nice having everything bolt right in with no mods.

 

I have given some thought to a Mopar 3.9 v6 it's to the 318, what a Chevy 4.3 is to a small block . There are tons of them out there in Dakota's and Durango's. We had one in a D100 at work and it was a nice little engine.TJ

 

I tried in vein to find a 4bbl manifold for the Magnum flavor of this engine (same as pre-magnum?). Also, I'm a bit torn on it. In one hand, I can share a trans with my truck. In the other hand, I might as well find a 225 and run the T90 I have in stock location.

That being said, it appears to be a solid power plant and very comparable to the excellent 4.3.

 

Just confirmed on the stripped down Magnum 318 in my garage. If you take the fan off, it's 27.5" long. So, as I thought, the Magnum water pump and the new belt setup is much shorter than the LA setup.

A serious gothcha will be the driver side starter.

 

Where does the distributor sit? Front, or rear. Been a while since my last Dakota got wrecked (Some BOZOs should not be allowed out of Klown Kollege) and I don't remember.

 

Rear. Right about where the SBC has it.

 

The beauty is the distributor is way smaller than the Chevy and shorter.

 

I may end up pulling the F134 out of the 57 and putting it in the 61. If I do, I'll try a test fit of the Magnum 318 with the 435 on it.

 

As a Mopar fan, I think doing a 318 or 360 swap would be way cool. I've owned vehicles with both motors and they are great. I once knew a guy back in the '80s who built a T-Bucket for drag racing and had an old Mopar small block in it. He said every T-Bucket in the world has a SBC and he wanted his to be different. Won a ton of races, too.

 

That engine bay would never fit an elephant engine. Probably wouldn't fit between the frame rails.

 

A BBM would be way overboard in a 5, but I'm sure it'd be entertaining.

The Magnum 318 is pretty close to the 340 in many regards if you check the specs, and actually superior in a couple ways. I know the 340 was hot stuff when it was out prowling the streets, but the nastalgia carries a serious price tag with it. The 90s 318s are basically free lol.

 

There's flattys with Buick 455's. Pretty wide...

 

Still narrower and shorter than a hemi. There's a reason they call them Elephant motors. At 29" wide, 32" tall and 32" long and 690lbs its a beast compared to all other big blocks but maybe the Boss 429, its bigger than the 500 cadillac engine.

 

What about an old Mopar Slant 6? Talk about an indestructible engine. Not sure how obtainable they are but I remember giving one away many years ago.

 

The leaning tower of power! Great engine.

 

They are well loved, but if an I6 would fit, I'd use a mechanical swapped (Clifford Intake and 258 dist) Jeep 4.0L all day and twice on Sunday. Very partial to the AMC I6.

I got some farting around to do outside now that it's getting nice. Maybe I can get some fitment pics this weekend.