318 to 360 swap

[TopBanana72]

Hi all, I have a 72 Charger 318/904 original car. The 318 has been upgraded to a 4bbl with aftermarket Edelbrock 318-360 performer intake with Holley 4bbl carb. It has the stock exhaust manifolds, but going to dual exhaust. The 318 is worn out and I am thinking of swapping to a 360. I was thinking I would buy a reman long block (block and heads only, with cam, valvetrain, timing chain already installed). Kind of like this one:
Dodge Chrysler 360 5.9 Long Block 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 | eBay

What all from the below list could I use from the 318 to keep costs down?:

Performer Intake?
Distributor? (its the original Chrysler Electronic type)
Timing chain cover?
Water Pump?
Front fan?
Alternator and it's bracketry?
Power Steering pump and it's bracketry?
Exhaust manifolds?
Fuel pump?
Valve Covers?
Motor mounts?
Oil Pump?
Oil Pan?
Harmonic Balancer?

I understand I will need the B and M special flexplate for the balancing.

Thanks!

 

[BeatersRus]

this is why you should Always do your research before you buy.
that seller,has negative feedback for failure to follow thru and no refunds.
his rebuilds,rollseyes,are " spin tested ",Not fired up and broken in.
speaking of,look at what you actually are getting for 1500 bucks.

MABBCO® long blocks include NEW pistons, piston rings, rod bearings, main bearings, cam bearings, timing set, freeze plugs, gasket set, oil pump, and lifters.

this is called the Hook.
they reel you in with that base price and then logically walk you thru the extras list until you have paid at least 700 more in markup.
then,after the shipping and all is in,
you are at 2500 plus for a long block that doesnt even have an oil pan,water pump,or even valve covers on it.

all you are getting for that money is the machine work and standard low compression motor.
unless,you pay up for the stage 2 parts,which like i said is an extra 700 bucks.

speaking of,heres a stage 2 master kit.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Stage-2-Ma...71-1973-Chrysler-Dodge-360-5-9L-/163106234355
it costs 368 bucks.
i would advise skipping this whole idea and finding a complete built/rebuilt 360 to swap in.

finally,for a 360 swap you Will need a Car pan with the correct car pan pickup tube.
if you buy a new one off ebay like i do,
be Warned they are made in china and should be test fitted and tightened for Flange Straightness before actual use.
plus the motor mount Bracket may be different on one side?
the rest of your parts will swap over,altho i would not reuse an old oil pump nor water pump.
the exhaust manifolds might fit but i would deffo check the port size,318 versus 360.
hope any of this helps,cheers.

 

[YY1]

magnumswaps.com

If you're going to go to the trouble, you can at least come up to 1990's power and durability.

 

[62 Dart Convertible]

318 harmonic balancer on a 360 is a big NO. 318 = internally balanced = neutral balancer, 360 = external balance = counter weighted balancer

 

[Big Bad Dad]

Balancer. Torque convertor. Oil pan and pickup tube. Left side motor mount bracket. These are what I needed when swapping a 360 into my old 318 Dodge pickup. Plus, I went with headers instead of exh manifolds.

 

[65-440]

Why not just build the 318?

 

[dvw]

I just swapped a Magnum 360 into a 68 Satelite. It used the stock 318 front cover bracket and pulleys. A magnum requires a specific cam or a extension fuel the mechanic Lee fuel pump. You also need to use a 45 degree adapter for the bypass hose. The intake outlet is in a different location. The stock carb linkage bracket can be bent to fit. Also the Magnum balance is slightly different than an earlier 360. B&M no longer has a flex plate for a 360/904 combo. You can buy the weight package from Mancini or Mopar to weld the weight to a standard converter. Along with the mods listed in post #5 it will all fit. About using old parts. Take the oil pump apart. If it doesn’t show wear (some do, some don’t) use it. A water pump is easy to change later if it leaks. Be aware that the water pump needs to match the front cover as the water pump outlets can be on different sides. An early pump blocks the late timing marks. Use can still see them but it’s tough. They are also pretty cheap new. The motor mounts may need an additional hole drilled depending on year. The manifolds will work. They could be replaced later as well.
Doug

 

[ddpsnake]

well i have done this swap many times befor, so the B&M flex plate works, motor mount left side will work you will have to add a spacer, you will have to get a car oil pan from a 360, i am doing the 318 to 360 now.ditch the exhaust manifolds.

 

[TopBanana72]

These is all good info. There are so many choices of what to do now. My idea about the Mabbco long block and using as many parts from the 318 was that I wanted to keep it low-bucks as possible, but still getting a fresh engine and some more cubes for a bump in performance. Car is not a muscle car model, but I use it as a great highway cruiser and I like it that way. I was thinking my plan would cost about the same as rebuilding the 318 without having to go through the trouble.

 

[dvw]

The B&M flex plate for LA 360-904 (10239) was not available for quite some time. Apparently they are now. However 5.9 and LA 360 do not use the same balance weight.
312-p5249843.pdf - Jegs

www.jegs.com › InstallationInstructions › 312-p5249843
Doug

 

[Slap Stick]

I did the swap on a 72 Charger back in about 75-76 and it was a straight drop in swap. We didnt know the converter needed changing. It had a slight vibration but we didn't know why.
Ran fine, though. Even embarrassed a guy with a 389 Goat one night he got pissed when he found out it was a 360 and not a 440 (I put 440 Mag fender emblems on it) he left driving like a madman...and got stopped by the cops and arrested for drunk driving.

 

[YY1]

magnumswaps.com has all the info in one place including parts and where to get them.

5.9 has the same HP as a 72 400 and almost as much as a 73 440.