[lilRed318]

Ok spend the better part of Thursday 4-14-05 pulling the beat down 4 banger and dropping in the freshly built 400 sits in there just about right .... going to have to sort of flatten out the oilpan a bit ... BUT I wasn't willing to pay $260 for an oilpan made for this swap ! .. that aside the hardest part is out of the way now ..... 4banger is OUT and 400 is IN along with a built 727 trannie got snaps coming in about 2 or so days of the engine sitting in it's new home. That monster dropped the front end about a good 3 inches once it was seated.. Now comes the fun part .... getting the wiring up and running ! wish me luck cause it's all on hold till next Thursday if the weather is good that is

 

[Magnum]

6.6?

WOW!!! Sounds impressive!! :woot:
If you don't mind can you clue a neophite in as to what a 6.6 (400) is? :help:
I mean is this a 318/360 block or what?

Thanks!

 

[lilRed318]

it's old school Mopar muscle from the early 70's It's a big block 400CI monster

 

[Magnum]

Ohhhhhhh!! I see! Ya I recall the 400.

Came out about '74 or so in GTX's, RR's, etc.

Can't wait to see some pics!!

Good luck!!! :biggthump

 

[lilRed318]

This is how far along I am now ... the engine and transmission are in the truck now just haven't gotten the pic's back and scanned in yet ..... now it's just the little stuff ... like putting in the starter and cleaning up the waterpump housing and putting that back on .... odd's and ends really hope to have it all zipped up in about 3-4 weeks now !

 

[WicKed R/T]

That's going to be one mean ass gen2 :bow:

 

[MoPaR DaK]

Not feeling the green block but it will be pretty sweet. *paging lowering kit department after the swap is done* :biggthump

 

[lilRed318]

Well I was aiming more for strange I guess ... I wanted Yellow but couldn't find any at the time so Green looked good I mean it's different from the normal blue and red ya see most of the time .... I am cleaning and refinishing the water pump housing in aluminum to match the intake....Lots of little things to do to finish up the build...but thanks for the props y'all :biggthump

 

[JethroStyles]

Its funny.. I was driving home tonight and pondering slapping a 440 into my poor little Dakota...

I think once I get a daily driver, I just might do it. I love Torque more than anything in the world... I don't know of any Cummin's in a Dakota (Gen II), but I think that might be a bit more than I'm lookin to get into =) We'll have to see... I guess if I could find a 24 Valver, with a 6 Speed... It might be a doable thing... =)

 

[lilRed318]

I actuly went looking for a good 383 but bumped into a 400 and transmission I couldn't pass up .... straight up stock rebuild the 383 is a BEAST with a few mild bolt on's and a the cam I got in the 400 it would have been a fire breathing monster lol .... put in a Comp Cam XE268H cam and lifter set and a double roller timing chain....the 400 will do nicely but still would have rather had the 383 if I could have found one close by and well priced. :mullet: :banana2:

 

[Evilsizer]

the green on the engine looks cool... to bad i havent seen this thread before.... the yellow would have looked badass on that engine as well.

 

[joe cool]

Sweet !

Sweet. Looks like you got things going your way with the engine. :bow: Got my Sunflector (VentShade) from Preformance Products friday for my 96 Dakota and put it on this morning..... (for the back windshield tinted limo black) and it LOOKS GOOD! Goes great with the vent visors ,flamed mats.

Now for the seat covers..... got to find some flamed seat covers for the seats. By the way went to Maacoo for paint job for the Dakota today...... Ouch :huh: $550.00. Going to try Facto Bake and Earl Sheib also see what they qote me.

Later !
joe cool
1996 DODGE DAKOTA 3.9 L

 

[JethroStyles]

Maacoo for paint job for the Dakota today...... Ouch :huh: $550.00.

LMAO, That's NOTHING... I went to a reputable shop around here... Asked about a basic Blue job, Factory color so no need to jam it etc... $6k!

I might be gettin a Maaco job afterall! I guess as long as I do all the prep work, their paintjobs can come out rather well. I'm just unimpressed with the quality of prep work they do, and I am absolutly anal about overspray! (Which there is already a decent amount of on the truck due to a previous owners halfass'd atempts to cover peeling paint) Wurd Doggie!

 

[lilRed318]

Cause we ALLLLLLLL love pic's .... !!! ----->>>>

I lack just a bit of wiggeling to make that beast sit and STAY! lol almost there though .... now i'm just putzing around with the never ending stupid azz odd's and ends of the install !

 

[WicKed R/T]

*in best elmer fud voice* Kill da wabbit.....kill da wabbit....kill da wabbit.....lol

 

[GregZ]

We need an update !!! :biggthump

 

[lilRed318]

Wow .... not a lot has happend lately got totaly hung up on the Passager header. Still trying to get it wedged in if I can't get it to fit i'm going to have to go with a center dump manafold :rant: other then that it's still about where it was before. I have been putting in MUCH OT at work and not haven a lot of time to do much else

 

[GregZ]

what is the problem with the fit?

 

[lilRed318]

the lower half of the Header is catching between the crossmember and the engine block .... I can get the front half of the header to line up with the studs but I need about a half inch of extra room in the back half to make the rest of the header line up ..... I droped them off with a friend who is going to kinda like squish it for me a bit ... right at the collector spot I need it to be about a half inch thinner and bend in a bit more

Have I lost ya yet ? lol

 

[GregZ]

nope, I get it... I guy I know used the same headers in a car... he added Flowmaster "ball" type connectors instead of the flanges.

I'll post a pic..