Vannin' Home Forums Dodge How To (Dodge) Engine & Transmission swap

Hey all , any big difference between the 76 , 77, 318 engine & tranni i picked up a low mileage rebuilt 318 ( 5000 miles on it ) Transmission wiring harness all still intact i am hoping i can just do the complete swap without too many issues

Thanks in advance vm2

Nope. None at all. Be sure to use the van trans dipstick and oil pan and oil pump pickup, though. Everything should just drop right in.

Thanks Reed i do appreciate your help will let you know how it goes , my 76 B200 318 is tired and slow these days not too mention the smoke & oil she seems to pour out ~~ so its time for a new power plant install clean her up and back on the rode again

thanks again vm2

If your motor is worn then chances are your trans could use a little love. While you have it apart, it is not a bad idea to replace the torque converter and at least the transmission front pump seal if not the whole front pump. You have to pull the engine or trans to get at these items, so a little preventative maintenance is a good idea. It is also a great idea to install a shift kit in the trans. I highly recommend the transgo SK-1.

Honestly, if I were in your shoes I would go ahead and pull the whole trans and rebuild it. You can rebuild it yourself for under $200 ( http://www.makcotransmissionparts.com/ ) including putting in a shift kit. At the very least add a shift kit and adjust the bands. Even if you have never done it before the 904/727 family of transmissions is so simple that you can teach yourself how to rebuild them with a factory service manual or the ATSG insruction book.

I taught myself how to rebuild 904s after going through three bad transmissions in a row in my brother's 83 Dodge van. I finally broke down and spent a weekend disassembling one and taught myself how to rebuild it. For under $400 I wound up with three rebuilt and great-working 904s.

thanks again reed for the input its a good idea i am going to drop them both and replace them as the engine i bought comes with the tranni still attached

Cool. Just make sure that the trans attached to the engine is in good working order. I still recommend adding a Transgo TF-1 shift kit. It will make the trans perform better and last longer.

Reed thanks for the info and input and will install a shift kit ~~ i am all about performance and definitely want it to last as long as it can !

You won't regret it. The shift kit is super easy to install.

Also be sure to adjust the kickdown linkage properly, and make sure the vacuum advance on the distributor still holds a vacuum and is connected to the correct port on the carb. The carb port for the vacuum advance should have no vacuum at idle but full vacuum as soon as the throttle is opened.