There's a link to my write up in FAQ2 about the swap.

 

I was told that i should put a manual in because it would give better excelaration witch id like but if i were to do that id rather just put a 318 in with one because id like to get more power and that ive heard it dosnt burn too much more gas than the 3.9

 

Thats a topic that is always up for debate. A manual transmission is more efficient than an automatic because it has a mechanical clutch that will put near 100% of the engines power to the ground. An automatic uses a fluid torque converter that generally has about a 10-12% power loss. It's hard to say which one is actually "faster." If you look at any built drag car it will have an automatic transmission, because performance torque converters can limit power loss to about 6-8% and shift faster and more consistent than a manual.

 

So I think now you know...lol

 

Hey jagass who are you talkin to.......

Well anyways the Dakotas had five speed manuals so woudnt that give you better excellaration than the three speed automatics or not

 

Well you have to look at the gears ratios in the transmission and your rear end gear ratios. 4th gear in the manual and 3rd gear in the automatic are both 1:1. 5th gear in the manual is an overdrive gear, which your auto does not have, so it's more like a 4 speed vs 3 speed. 1st gear in the auto is actually capable of a higher top end speed than 1st gear in the manual, and the manual requires more shifting to get up to the 1:1 ratio, and shifting takes time, but like I said before, the manual is more efficient, and the closer ratios give faster acceleration in each gear. Basically, there is no single answer. In your case, chances are a manual will be faster.

 

I will for sure read you write up as of now the tanny has somewhat low miles and shifts great so ts something i will plan for as i would like to build up my 3.9 since its a carb. zackn920 i too would like to do a 318 swap but i want to make a 390 stoker out of one first and if you want a manual i belive it would be the nv3500 you would want with your v8. If your serious about the swap plan it out and let me know as it would be my first. So keep me posted and write it up and take pics.

Thanks

 

Yes, you will want the NV3500 with the 318, not the AX-15. But with the 390 stroker (as I recently discovered) may need the NV4500. Right now I'm actually doing some research into getting a NV5600 to bolt up to the 408 I'm building. I want to find out if it will fit under my truck or not. I know it will bolt up to the motor, cause they used them in the v8 and v10 heavy duty Rams, but I need dimensions as far as shifter location goes and I need to know if the transfer case will bolt to it.

The research I've done so far about the New Venture Gear manual transmissions is that the NV3500 is actually a "meduim duty" transmission and may not be able to withstand the torque of a built stroker quite as well as the NV4500 or NV5600. In fact, the stock 360 is apparently the "top end" of using the NV3500. If you're building a 390 stroker, you may want to look into a NV4500 if you want a 5 speed or NV5600 if you want a 6 speed (if I find one I'll let ya'll know how it works)

 

I agree i was just saying for zackn920 who wants to do a 318, in my case where i want to build a 390 stoker if i got a manual i would for sure get an nv4500 but there are not too many that i could find here. Im prob going to get this 4RH from my local salvage yard for only $80, and ill just rebuild it

 

Ah, ok. Lol, its hard to keep everybodies projects straight :P

If your rebuilding the 46rh for a 390 stroker, you may want to think about swapping in 47rh or 48rh clutch packs (I'm not 100% sure if this can be done, but it's something to look into). Just my $0.02.