Well I'm about to come into some money and I plan on swapping my 3.9 for a 360. My plan is to find a wrecked dodge that has a 360 in it. I plan on purchasing the vehicle and putting everything from that vehicle tranny computer everything motor related. Then if I have the money right after I plan on finding a dakota that has a 10.25" rear axle and swapping that out. As my rear axle is an 8.25". I'm just wondering of these plans will play out accordingly or will I find some hiccups on the way?

 

Well first off, what year is your dakota? Drivetrain? You should put that info in your profile or make a signature or something.

A 360 will fit, but if your truck is a '90 or older, it will take a little bit more effort to fit it. As for the computer, make sure your parts truck is a obdi if your truck is '95 or older or obdii if your truck is a '96. Also, plan on doing somthing with the transmission. If you have an automatic, you have the 42rh/e, and you can either build it with performances clutches and a shift kit, or replace it with a 46rh/e. If you have a manual, plan on replacing it with a nv3500 or nv4500 (you'll need a body lift for the nv4500, but it will stand up to the 360 better than the nv3500).

As for the axle, I hope you mean a 9.25" rear out of a 2nd gen dakota or 1st gen durango.

 

Its a 96 dakota. what difference would the computer make, obdi or obdii, if I take everything computer included from the donor vehicle? Why wouldn't the trans from the donor work? And yes I did mean a 9.25" my bad on that typo. I'm gonna be the first to admit that I'm not yet too knowledgeable on this subject. However I'm willing to learn. My dad and my neighbor (mechanic all his life) says it shouldn't make a difference. But regardless I always appreciate input.


And yes the trans is an automatic.

 

Its not that you can't make an obdi computer work in an obdii vehicle and vise versa, but it would be a huge PITA!!!! The obdi computer has one 60 pin connector, and the obdii computer has 3 different smaller connectors. Since yours is obdii, in order for you to have a fully fuctional truck with an obdi set-up, you'll have to rewire the ENTIRE truck and change over any electronics that have different connectors.

Sorry, the transmission from the donor should work fine... I missed that part of your first post. But if you were to get an obdi truck as a donor vehicle, the tranmission will not work unless you change over all the wiring to obdi. The automatic transmission changed from the fully hydraulically controlled 46rh to the electronically governed 46re when the obdi to obdii switch happenend. If you try to use a 46rh with an obdii computer, it will throw codes and put the computer in "limp-in" mode. If you try to use a 46re with a obdi computer, it won't control the transmission at all.

Your best bet is to find a '96-'01 Dodge Truck with a 5.9L and 46re transmission. It will be the most hassle and headache free swap.

And as for the 9.25", you'll have to get that from a Dakota or Durango because the Ram 9.25" is wider and has a different lug pattern on the axle shafts.

If you need any more info, feel free to ask!

 

Well as I said before our neighbor is a mechanic and he will do the work for free for me. Me and my dad will help too. So the work isn't a big deal. I figured that it would have to be rewired for the obdi motor.

My plan is to find a truck with the 5.9 and trans working fine and a majority of everything else that's been rearended or something. Then find a dakota or durango with a 9.25" rear axle and swap them out. Hopefully ill have all this done by the end of april.

Thank you for explaining it to me and making me feel better about my plan. Also thanks for the informative post.

My other alternative is, if I can't find a 5.9, is to find a dakota with a 318 and swap it out instead. But I hope I can find a 5.9. Again thanks, if I need anymore questions I will ask

 

Hey I got a question about the radiator. My dad has a 97 ram 1500 with a 360. I was looking and it appears the radiator won't fit from his truck to mine. However I've read on this site that the radiators are the same on v6 and v8. am I wrong about that or what would I have to do about radiators?

 

Your neighbor must have lots of time on his hands. Double check with him and make sure he knows it is going to be a very intensive swap.

V6 radiators are typical 1 row. V8's are 2 row. But if yours has 2 rows it can handle the V8.

Also you DON"T have to upgrade the rear end just because of the swap. The 8.25 can defiantly handle a built 5.9. I got a 8.25 with a 5.9 Magnum with tons of mods. But upgrading is always fun.

 

Mine has two rows so that answers that. Yes he knows. He use to be a race car driver and is a damn good mechanic. He likes helping people out so its no biggie for him. Thanks crazy.

 

I'm not 100% sure if the 1 row can handle the V8. But according to www.autozone.com and www.napaonline.com the V8 replacement radiator is 1 row. If you wanted a 2 row you would have to buy one that fits the Dakota. All I know is I got a 2 row. But mine is aftermarket.

 

the rad from a 318\360 will bolt right in to your front, the only problem i found was the 318 was wider than my 3.9 rad so i had to cut some metal off the drivers side with a grinder, only takes a minute. it's like a flange that goes out against the 3.9 rad.
i put an alum rad in and got rid of that plastic tank rad. more expensive but worth every $.
i should add that i went from an 89 3.9 rad to a 96 318, so i'm not sure you will have to do any cutting.