New to The forum and I've been flirting with this idea a lot so I'm just going to let it go. I had a buddy pass away about 2 years ago and I bought an old style 360 LA series engine that he built that he had sitting in one of his barns that I have been thinking about swapping into my 1996 Dakota. I noticed little things between the two engine blocks when it comes to motor mounts that the Magnum engines have motor mounts in the middle and then also at the ears up towards the front but the LA series only has the motor mounts in the front of the engine block. Was wondering if anybody would know if you can swap the two engines? And I have also been flirting with the idea of putting in a 727 load flight transmission also wondering if anybody would know if that would fit? I'm a sucker for old carbureted engines that's kind of why I want to put the LA series inside that Dakota the engine that is in there has seen better days but the body is too nice for me till just let it go to the scrap yard or to sell it.

 

My son and I swapped the 318 out of my ‘95 Dakota 4x4 w/ a 360 from a 2000 Durango.
No problems with the motor mounts. We swapped over the 318 intake (keg style), but removed all of the intake runners 1st (created a pseudo single plane intake). The Durango motor did not have EGR so that’s why we used the 318 intake. Everything else was plug n play.
the 318 ECM doesn’t do justice to the 360, so we eventually swapped it with a ‘95 ram 2500 4x4 ECM. Runs like a raped ape now!
I don’t have any experience with the transmission swap, but please keep us updated with your build!