looking for info and ideas for a NON-mopar engine swap...

ok here's the deal been working on my baby for a few years now. not my first project and not the first slant 6 for me either... i have done body work, made some bumpers, interior etc and put a ton of time and effort into the motor but sadly for me the engine runs like garbage. now here is my question and idea.. keep in ind this is not set in stone and this is why im posting here. basically my 225 has a decent bottom end but the way i see it i will need to pull the head have it decked replace the valve seats etc and while im at it i would like to get a 2 bbl intake and put on the weber carb i have sitting in my garage.. now i want my van to be as good on gas as possible but still have enough torque to pull a small trailer. my trans is old and will need rebuilding soon and is in no shape to pull a trailer. so im estimating around 2-3 grand to get my trans built and do the top end of my motor etc. here is where my mind is going. i work for a towing company (impounds, collisions repo's) i see every type of car and truck come through from jaguar fiat ford gmc mazda toyota... only problem is have not seen jack sh*t for my old 225. i can buy a wrecked car or truck with a motor and trans that runs excellent for only a couple hundred dollars. so with 20 years background in auto repair, steel fab, body work powder coating etc and the ability to buy a donor car or truck with all the parts i need for a few hundred dollars im thinking i could save money and install a motor that would have plenty of power plus excellent gas mileage along with the end result of having a crazy creation nobody else has around town haha my main concern is cash right now and getting it down in a timely manner. ok enough rambling!!

WHAT TYPE OF ENGINE SHOULD I INSTALL?
i dont want to do an fi motor, i would like to do something carb or something i can convert to carb. should i do a 22r? mazda b? datsun z? v6 buick? 302/5.0? i want decent gas mileage and i want it to be k.i.s.s. i want to go with something i can find parts for EVERYWHERE WITHOUT HASSLE AND CHEAP. im leaning towards a small block ford because i know them inside and out have spair parts up the whazoo and they can be found everywhere for next to nothing. i know the mopar guys will hate it but im only concerned with function. i could care less about impressing any biased mopar freaks. thanks in advance for any info/ opinion (be nice) haha

maybe try putting a modren motor and tran., these v6 motors today have plenty of snot and good on gas....

i had some similar ideas - and yes i am sure it would crack some mopar guys - i would look at the gm 4.3 v6 - then you could use the 700r overdrive auto - the 700 is longer than stock trannys in our van but with the v6 being shorter you could probably move the assm forward enough to make it work - or use the 200r which is shorter and keep the engine back and would have lots of room in front for ac compressors etc - just an idea - oo3

im sure you get dakotas in there, my 92 has a 3.9 with o.d and she pulls great.

Gotta keep it mopar, Im not a big v6 fan (inline 6 is better) but that 3.9 will bolt in. Not keeping it all mopar lowers the resale value!

thanks for the input so far just keep in mind i want to stay with a carb set up no fi for me haha

How about the Buick/GM 3.8 V6? They put them in Jeep CJs which was later bought out by Chrysler

The GM 4.3 is a strong engine and are (almost literally) a dime a dozen.

Swapping to a non-standard engine/trans setup probably isn't the most cost effective choice. You have to deal with motor mounts, trans mounts, drive shaft work etc.

The head work on your engine shouldn't be that much at all (<$200), the trans rebuild should be less than $1k.

I would rebuild first but if you want to swap out:

If I were in your position I'd try and score an older 318 out of a car coming into the lot and use that. And/or watch Craiglook for any slant six or LA engine, either pulled or in a car/truck and buy it. There are a good number of old Valiants/Swingers and dodge trucks etc on the road with slants in them.

I see 273cid V8's pop up occasionally for less than $500, I got my 2.73 chunk off CL for twenty bucks last week.

eta:
Craiglook shows a slant six in SL Tahoe for $150 and an auto trans for $50 here

slowflapper wrote:Swapping to a non-standard engine/trans setup probably isn't the most cost effective choice. You have to deal with motor mounts, trans mounts, drive shaft work etc.

The head work on your engine shouldn't be that much at all (<$200), the trans rebuild should be less than $1k.

I would rebuild first but if you want to swap out:

If I were in your position I'd try and score an older 318 out of a car coming into the lot and use that. And/or watch Craiglook for any slant six or LA engine, either pulled or in a car/truck and buy it. There are a good number of old Valiants/Swingers and dodge trucks etc on the road with slants in them.

I see 273cid V8's pop up occasionally for less than $500, I got my 2.73 chunk off CL for twenty bucks last week.

eta:
Craiglook shows a slant six in SL Tahoe for $150 and an auto trans for $50 [url=http://craiglook.com/
oakland-ca/car.parts.html?q=slant+six&m=245]here[/url]

although i understand your point of view for me having a few welders and the ability to build my own mounts etc and to have a driveline custom made at my local shop is $100.00 so total cost of a swap would be around $100.00 for steel and supplies + $100.00 for a driveline...

^^^agree with the above...can't go past a good 318 Chrysler V8 for reliability and you'll get a carb as well. Good on reliability and no worries towing a trailer etc. Good luck

I wonder if a Jeep 4.0L straight 6 w/ a 727 would work out OK. Hood clearance?

im still up in the air on this.. right now getting the six running as best i can for now while i roll it all around and see what my best options are... if i end up sticking with the 6 and auto trans what do you guys think would be my limits for towing? small trailer? car trailer? jet skis? haha

You have an A-108 with the longer 108" wheelbase which is much better for towing than the 90" WB A-100s. Automatics are cool for towing as long as you have a cooler on them.

You can pull a lot with a smaller vehicle, the real question is can you keep control and stop? Brakes (surge or electric) on the trailer can help a lot.

Mike S. in WI has a nice A108 w/ a V8/Auto that he pulls stuff with. He stays with lighter stuff that doesn't act like a big sail when it gets windy. I also believe he hasn't put Discs on yet I'll ask him about it the next time we talk.

Dan tows a fishing boat with his early, but I don't know what mods he's done to his van.

I know there's a thread laying around here somewhere about towing with an Early...

you know i thought i was seeing things when i would see other vans with what looked like a shorter wheel base.... my only concern right now is that my pink slip says "1970 dodge a-100" so since it has the longer wheel base why doesnt the title say 108? weird.

itruns wrote:How about the Buick/GM 3.8 V6? They put them in Jeep CJs which was later bought out by Chrysler repair

The GM 4.3 is a strong engine and are (almost literally) a dime a dozen.

yah i agree to that. but Chrysler is still holding on to the idea that they can still dominate GM on the repair side quality.