Thread: Mini Truck Engine Swap

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Well as a couple people mentioned my 76 Dodge is almost (ALMOST ) too nice to really use as a truck although it is being used as one. I’ve been using the truck on a daily basis and the 12-13 MPG of premium is getting a bit old too.

I find myself contemplating doing another truck for shop duties/light hauling sometime in the future. In typical hot rod fashion I happen to have a reasonably straight rust free Mini-Truck with a bad motor and a fresh SBC sitting around that needs a home.

In my mind throwing a SBC in a Mitsubishi is an OK swap and wouldn’t bother me at all to do. Unfortunately mine is the Dodge D50 version and I just have a hard time getting my head around throwing a Chevy into a Dodge .

As I never got into SB Mopars I have don’t have anything around to do a SB Mopar swap and I’ve got just about everything to do the Chevy stuff. (using one of the HEMIs is kind of out of the question although it would be kind of neat )

I guess the option is to remove all the Dodge badges

I personally think that it would be easier to drop the sbc than a 318 and putting a Chevy in a Dodge would be pretty cool.

The SB Mopar is supposed to be a pretty easy swap and the SBC a bit smaller on all the important dimensions.

I don't remember, but isn't the sbc a touch lighter? I also don't think you'd have the header issues you'd have with a 318.

Both engines average 550 in weight. The SBC is slightly narrower and 3 inches shorter front to rear. with air cleaners being different, the SBC usually comes out 3 inches shorter with comparable set ups. I shoved in a 305 SBC in an '81 D-50 Mini Ram using stock manifolds etc. I had an advantage of it being converted to a 4X4 from the dealership (wasn't available for that year from factory). I had plenty of room to fit everything and revamp exhaust and stuff. I did manage to get it all tucked in neatly as if it was a 2X4 set up. Don't over power it, the rear end is pretty tough, just not tough enough to handle a warmed over engine.

Geez, I guess there are a number of us who have violated this same little truck. In 1990, I swapped a 302/C4 from a Granada into my '83 Mitsubishi pickup. Bought the whole Granada running for $180. Had to move the motor to the passenger side by 2 1/2" from centrline to clear the steering box and move the radiator 2" forward so I could use all the Granada factory cooling components including the radiator. (I'm a stickler for that). Re-engineered the core support to accept the Granada radiator. Made a bracket to mount the Mitsubishi power steering pump on the 302. Cobbled up the motor mounts from scrap layin' around.

Of course I can't leave a motor alone, so opened it up, bored it 0.030", new flat-tops and an Isky solid lifter 270 cam. Love to hear solids tapping. For throttle response and mileage, used an Edelbrock Streetmaster dual plane intake with a 500 Edelbrock carb. The truck wasn't a world-beater, just throttle-responsive and a good runner. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Streetmaster, it was developed by Edelbrock in the 70's as a low-rpm mileage manifold to address the fuel crisis of the day. Has tee-tiny little runners.

The circuit breaker in the system was leaving the stock size tires on the rear with the one-legger diff. It would spin the right rear and not break anything. Otherwise, it was just a good runnin' little truck. I drove it for several years, then sold it to my son. He drove it for a couple of years before a drunk driver T-boned it and totalled it. My son was jostled around, but nothing broken.

The thing I remember most vividly about the motor is that all you had to do was barely touch the key and it was running. Second-best easy starting vehicle I have ever owned. Oh, forgot, wired in the Ford electronic ignition system too.

Originally Posted by Mike P

The SB Mopar is supposed to be a pretty easy swap and the SBC a bit smaller on all the important dimensions.

Man, you put a chebbie in that truck, I'm gonna have to put a Ford in my 'maro just to balance out the natural order of things!!!!!!!!!

Come on Dave if I say I'm putting it in a Mitsubishi it doesn't sound THAT bad.

Yeah, but it's almost a MoPar, needs a MoPar engine!!!! Heck, build some fenderwell headers and put a 440 in it!!!!!

I'm putting a 383 mopar in my Mazda built Ford Courier - LOL
I say go for the cheapest easiest solution available to you and enjoy the truck. Dont worry about the strange family tree you are creating it'll be cool either way

The whole thing about rodding is "use what ya got." I wouldn't suggest using a Mitsu engine in a Chev truck, but the other way round is cool. I am a Dodge guy, but if a Chevy is in your shop, taking up room, go for it! And leave the badges on it just to PO the purists.
A neighbour dropped a 305 in a Mazda pickup for a daily beater and drove it for years. The "Chinese" rear end held up well, and he overloaded it something fierce, he's a building mover by trade and carried blocks and jacks in it all the time. The body finally dissolved and he junked it.

i have know people who have done wild things with the d50 platform, the 440 r code will fit in the later models of d50 with major cuttin but man its worth it there a terror on the strip, but the easiest swap is the 302 fits right in there little to no major mod needed

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Man, you put a chebbie in that truck, I'm gonna have to put a Ford in my 'maro just to balance out the natural order of things!!!!!!!!!

Yup, I always say I am going to do a 390 in a 57 Belair Dave.lol Of course Ed Roth did a 406 in a 55 Chevy.

If Mopar would have made 8 million 340s that's what everything would have, that's one stout engine, I've seen quite a few back in the day that could handily trounce most bigblocks.