Hey guys, I am new to this forum. My dad has a 99 Dakota with the V6 in it. We saw this awesome hood on a V8 model the other day and he asked me this morning what he would have to do to the engine to warrant that kind of hood. It's not a "can it fit" type thing. He is one of those guys who thinks cars and trucks should be fast before they look fast, ya know what I mean? I guess the easiest way to put it is he is extremely ANTI-RICE. Haha

The real question is what will it take to put a V8 in this truck?
Which size V8 is the best to transplant in?
Where is the best place to find one?

Thanks for the help guys

 

honestly unless you've got a lot of other stuff done to the truck already it's best to just find a V8 and trade up. With a 99 you're going to trash the resale value, and you're going to need to swap the engine, tranny, wiring harness, ECU, and rear axle at least.

 

I agree with Horatio. If you can get lucky, find a '99 R/T 360 Magnum motor. I wouldn't go away from the Magnum.. to an LA, etc.

 

what is La?

 

Old school motor.. back in the 70s. The blocks are similar, different heads as well. Forgot to add, different motor mounts as well.

 

LA motors were used from the 60's through the 80's. The 273, 318, 340, and 360 are LA blocks up until there were some minor changes and they were renamed Magnum. The difference in the block is minimal, it's mostly the upper end - MPFI instead of carb or TBI, different heads, and the valvetrain gets oiled through the pushrods instead of holes in the head.

If you're going to build a monster, either will work. The Magnum heads are way better, but LA heads can be made to work great too.

The 3.9 V6 is an LA motor too - just a 318 with two cyls lopped off.


edit: Oops, I knew I was forgetting something. Added 340.

 

horatio102 what is a 273? I have a 4.7L V8 and is says it is a 287

 

273 was the first LA motor, WAAY back in the 60's. They haven't made it in a long long time, and I've only known one person with one, and that was in a '64 or 65 Barracuda.


The 4.7/287 is an entirely different engine line, overhead cam, completely different. I don't believe it shares anything with the LA or older Magnum engines.

 

Let the new guy take a stab at this...

"The real question is what will it take to put a V8 in this truck?"

A complete motor, a torque converter, the proper PCM (vehicle computer) with the right harness. To be thorough, also get a 46RE transmission, and it would be a good idea to get a rear axle from a 1500 so you'd have the 9.25 rear setup.

"Which size V8 is the best to transplant in?"

The biggest one you can fit..

Seriously, its all about your goals. Do you just want a nice sounding motor that gives you a good jump when you floor it? Search the forums for a 5.9 motor pulled from a 98-2003 Dakota. If you get lucky you might find one at a salvage yard complete with transmission and electronics.
Do you want some real performance? Have a reputable tuner build a 408 Magnum motor for you from the block up.

"Where is the best place to find one?"

For a pulled motor, look on eBay, Craigslist, the newspaper, check salvage yards, browse the forums. For a custom 408, I can recommend Shady Dell based on reputation, or Southeast Performance based on me just spending about $12k there. I'm putting my new motor in tomorrow.
Dan Arcand, one of the forum sponsors (theFastman.com) also builds motors, though he's best known for his custom rebuilt factory throttlebodies. I had one on my stock motor with Kenne Bell supercharger, and it made a noticeable difference.

 

ixnay on the rear axle out of a 1500 - they should be several inches wider, have the wrong bolt pattern, and incorrect spring/shock mounts. Yank a 9.25 out of another Dakota to save yourself the headache, and make it an 03/04 to get the disc brakes, but you'll have to grab the master cylinder as well, and maybe the brake booster and ABS module.