I have an old, tired, smoking, 318 in my Ram. It starts and runs okay but leaves a nice cloud of smoke when I start or accelerate. My funds are limited so a rebuild is beyond my budget.
I found a nice 1992 Ram with a multiport fuel injected V6 in it. The specs for this engine are close to those of my old 318. I can get the V6 for $400 including the ECU, it has around 70K miles. The engine is in a scrapyard and I can pull whatever I need off the truck since I have a good relationship with the owners.

Will this engine bolt up to my automatic? What do I need from the 1992 besides the ECU? I assume I need the fuel tank for the pump.

I know the 318 is down on power and it gets around 9 MPG. I don't hual huge loads, the current power is fine, but gas ain't cheap. If I get 15MPG I can pay for the engine in less than a year.

thanks

 

Is there a wiring diagram on the net for the 1992 Ram 150 with the V6? I need to see what's involved in the wiring side of this. My mechanic says the swap would work, but I need the complete wiring harness from the 1992. I find that hard to swallow. I assume I could simply remove part of it and wire the fuel pump in manually. The part I figure I'd need is the link between the ECU and the injection system.

 

For $400 you could do a minor rebuild on your 318, or find another one that doesn't smoke...

But if it only smokes when you accelerate or start, check the carburator. It might just be running rich...

 

It's a lovely light blue cloud of oil smoke. Not as bad as my Nova back in the 70s, but it's definately oil.

What would you suggest I do in a minor rebuild?

Oh, and part of my issue is the fuel use. I guess I could live with it but 15MPG would be nice what with gas prices around $3 a gallon.

 

Depending on what the piston walls look like, I'd hone it and put new rings in.

I could be a little off on the price though; last engine I was going to rebuild was a ford 300 inline six, and it was $560 for all new bearings for the bottom end, rings, gaskets, and some other odds and ends.