hello iam thinking swapping the 318 out for 360 i would like more power the 318 has no ***** at all and i use the truck everyday and it sucks the gas back real bad so i mit aswell have more power if iam paying to feed this 318 plus i use it for towing so i do need more power so is the swap worth it and will the 360 give me much more power

 

I believe the 5.9L is rated at 245 hp / 330 lb ft. The 5.2L is 230 hp / 300 lb ft.

So, the 5.9 definitely makes more hp and torque (duh). Is it enough to suit you? Only you can know that for sure. I would guess that the torque will be handy since you tow things around.

One of the things you said was kind of odd - speaking of the 5.2L, you said "it sucks the gas back real bad."

I wouldn't count on the 5.9L getting better mileage. They tend to suck it back even better than the 5.2L.

What do you consider terrible mileage? 15 mpg? 5 mpg? Without knowing for sure, it is hard to say "I would do this" as opposed to saying "I would do that."

If you are getting truly terrible mileage (10 mpg or less???), I would be willing to bet that there is an issue with the engine that should be addressed. That being said, if you are getting "really bad mileage" I am guessing that your engine is not producing the hp or torque that it is capable of. If you are able to spend a little money to get the 5.2 running like it should, who is to say it will not suit your needs? I would think it would at least be worth trying as I am willing to bet that is cheaper than a swap.

Of course, if you get it all running porperly, and it still doesn't meet your requirements, then you will have wasted that money...

Maybe a little more info related to the way the engine is running right now. Because if there is nothing broke, there is nothing to fix, and talking straight up good running 5.2 to good running 5.9, then of course the 5.9 will do more. But, if you are saying "my 5.2 is running crappy and I am wondering if I should fix it or swap it" I think that is a little different question.

 

What I would do for the 318 in my Dak but anyhow....Heres what I found..
The 5.9 has 245 hp (183 kW) and 345 lb·ft
The 5.2 has 225 hp (168 kW) and 295 lb·ft

I would say thats a pretty big difference in torque!

 

theres nothing wrong with my 318 i just had it etested (drive clean) and it passed like new very low numbers plus i did a tune up and put a new o2 sensor and cat on it and theres no engine light on but one day i took my brothers 3/4 chevy towing a trailer to a job site just to see what i would use in gas in it and it costed me about half the gas then what it takes in my dakota towing the same trailer but i dont really care about the gas i just need more power because it really dont like hills and i like the truck so i just need to get her moving alittle faster and i dont really want to try putting cams and lifters in to to get alittle more power becuase theres a dakota r/t around where i live its a fast little truck and its just a stock 360 and i really want the power it has i would like to burn some rubber some days lol

 

My 5.2L with 165,000 miles has no problem burning some rubber. In 4 wheel high, I can roast through first and break 'em loose in second. 31.5x10.50 R15 A/T tires - not like they are bald with no traction either.

I would never expect a Dakota to tow as nicely as a 3/4 ton full size pickup. That just doesn't seem likely to happen. 3/4 ton = made for towing, Dakota = not so much.

That being said, I am pretty sure most everything on the 318 will fit on the 360. I am not so sure if there are computer issues that have to be taken into account, but there is a sticky up at the top of the forum that has links for the swap. From my causal perusal, I would say the swap isn't overly difficult as far as engine swaps go.

So, if you can get a 360 for a decent price and truly believe it will benefit you, why not do it?

I still wouldn't count on getting better fuel mileage though

 

Yeh then u can sell me that 318!

 

I would buy a bigger truck if it really bugs you. It has been said before, but i'll repeat it. The Dakota isn't a 3/4 size truck.

 

I couldn't agree more alleymad. Maybe look into making the 318 a little better first. An m1 intake, cam(maybe get a custom grind for your towing purposes), and some lt's will have that pulling a lot harder. That is if you want to keep the 318. With that said, it isn't a big deal to swap it out for a 360 either. But the gains are HUGE. They're noticable, but not day and night. You can easily achieve those numbers with the 318.

It's an easy swap (compared to most anyway, it's still a swap after all). Look at the FAQ sticky on the top of the page or search. There are numerous threads on it. And I don't want to tell you anything because I'm not positive.

But let us know what you think about upgrading the 318. Btw, how many miles does your engine have on it?

 

the trailer i tow is not very big i think my 300m could tow it but anyways i just want more power out of it and like i said before i dont care if it sucks more gas back and iam thinking maybe its the gears in the rear end if you guys are telling me my 318 should get some good rubber my 300m would kick the **** out of my truck and its only a v6 and it burns rubber really good but dont tell my wife lol anyways thanks guys i think i will just put a 360 in it

 

You could benefit a lot from a set of gears. If you have 3:55's you need to ditch them. You should go with either 4:10s or 4:56s. Althought you aren't adding any hp, you are putting the engine in the meat of your torque curve. Therefore it doesn't need to work so hard to tow that trailer.

Trust me. If you get a nice cam, an intake manifold, lt's, a nice exhaust, a superchips programmer, and a set of gears; that thing will be night and day different. She'll pull a ton harder.

But overall it's up to. If you get a 360, I suggest them same things.