Project Sublime - SBC powered 00' Dodge Dakota
01-04-2011, 10:11 AM
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Project Sublime - SBC powered 00' Dodge Dakota So I have finally gotten back to the project I started this summer. Work and other things have kept me away from it, but I now have some time to devote to it once again. It started as a plain jane 00' Dakota with the 3.9 V6 and 5 speed transmission. It came from the factory wearing Solar Yellow paint, it's getting some minor body issues dealt with and a fresh coat of Sublime Green Pearl paint. I still have to pull the bed from the frame, and the front suspension so I can give the frame a coat of POR-15.
I pick my block up this weekend, and hope to have it at the machine shop in the next month or so. I am still debating on just building a stout 355, or building a turbo setup. This is a long term project, so cost isn't a huge factor within reason.
Oh yeah, Dodge boys get PISSED when they find out it's getting a Chevy engine.
Before.
Stripped, and firewall painted (I plan on keeping the ABS, A/C and Airbags.)
Interior gutted and color changed.
Interior going back together.
This is not a photo of my truck, but one similar, however, I plan on doing something like the Rumble Bee stripes on the bed, except with a skull theme rather than the bee and a flat black hood stripe.
I pick my block up this weekend, and hope to have it at the machine shop in the next month or so. I am still debating on just building a stout 355, or building a turbo setup. This is a long term project, so cost isn't a huge factor within reason.
Oh yeah, Dodge boys get PISSED when they find out it's getting a Chevy engine.
Before.
Stripped, and firewall painted (I plan on keeping the ABS, A/C and Airbags.)
Interior gutted and color changed.
Interior going back together.
This is not a photo of my truck, but one similar, however, I plan on doing something like the Rumble Bee stripes on the bed, except with a skull theme rather than the bee and a flat black hood stripe.
01-14-2011, 07:03 PM
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Thanks guys! I hope to have some more progress pics soon, been sidelined with customer cars instead, and other things. I've decided to go with a front and mid motor plate, still trying to find a pan that will let me get the engine as low as possible and still have room for headers, not that there is much to begin with. No one makes conversion kits or parts for this swap, so I am having to go by trial and error.
01-30-2011, 09:39 AM
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So I started mocking up my engine and trans. I will be running a motor plate so I am mounting the engine as far back and as low as I can get it to help with handling. The engine is 2.75" offset to the passengers side, close to factory position and lowered almost 2.5" compared to factory position. The oil pan is a vette pan and works perfectly. I was surprised by how much room I had for the 4L60E. After I snapped these pics, I put a small cap distributor in and had just enough room to get the cap off and on with about a half inch of clearance. I'm not certain I will even be using a distributor, may end up using a LT1 LS1 PCM conversion using a Vortec timing cover and crank sensor with the 24x reluctor setup. Going that route will allow me to place the engine an extra inch back helping handling even more.
Header clearance is going to be tight, but when aren't they. I am almost wondering if the S10 conversion headers wouldn't work?
Anyways, here are some pics.
Header clearance is going to be tight, but when aren't they. I am almost wondering if the S10 conversion headers wouldn't work?
Anyways, here are some pics.
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02-05-2011, 09:45 AM
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Motor plate came in yesterday (after ordering it at 4:30pm the day before on ebay!), so now I have to put the front fenders, core support back on so I can mock up the radiator and verify I can run a long style water pump/electric fan combo. I also need to put the fenders on as the inner fenders are welded to the outer fender and the motor plate will bolt to the frame and match the contour of the inner fender before tapering off.
Hope to have pics up later today!
Hope to have pics up later today!
05-31-2011, 09:36 AM
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It's still alive and kicking! I haven't had time to grab any updated pics, but the engine compartment is painted and put back together and the temp engine is in (just a rebuilt L88), the majority of the interior is back in and some odds and ends are getting painted as well, the bed is off for some rust repair and the body work is getting done.
I don't have any updated pics, but here are a few after I painted the engine compartment and got my motor and trans mounted in their final positions with a spare block I had.
I am also trying to decide what route I want to go with the ignition, for now i have decided to keep it carbed, and I think I will just use the Megasquirt to control spark only until I get the new engine built and switch it over to EFI. The transmission is a 4L60E that is going to be controlled via the Optishift controller, the A/C, ABS and Air Bags will still be retained and fully functioning, as will the factory gauges.
I don't have any updated pics, but here are a few after I painted the engine compartment and got my motor and trans mounted in their final positions with a spare block I had.
I am also trying to decide what route I want to go with the ignition, for now i have decided to keep it carbed, and I think I will just use the Megasquirt to control spark only until I get the new engine built and switch it over to EFI. The transmission is a 4L60E that is going to be controlled via the Optishift controller, the A/C, ABS and Air Bags will still be retained and fully functioning, as will the factory gauges.
06-30-2011, 07:44 PM
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07-01-2011, 04:22 PM
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12-12-2011, 07:15 PM
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question... i have a 99 318 and want to use factory gauges with a lsx/4l60e set up... would it be hard to keep the factory gauges working? i wouldn't think so.. but thought i would ask.
05-07-2012, 10:24 PM
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You can retain all the factory gauges except the tach, though since you started with a V8 truck, you might, though not sure if the tach signal to the PCM would be interpeted correctly. The automatics use the VSS in the transmission, where as the 5 speed trucks use the tone ring in the differential, which makes engine swaps nice, though, the down side is if you grenade the diff, you're out of luck with your speedo. With your 4L swap, you will need a pulse convertor to make the factory speedo read correctly. I know someone was making them a few years ago. Not sure anymore.
The trucks about done and ready for paint. Just need to get a driveshaft made, and figure out what shifter I want to go with and a few other odds and ends. Ended up going with -8AN all around and using a 12 gallon cell in the bed with an Edelbrock pump mounted out back. When the 383 is done, this engine will go into something else.
She's not nearly as radical or beautiful as most of the rides on here, but she has come a long way from where she begun.
My solution to the factory tach issue.
04-11-2013, 10:03 PM
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Updated pic.
The swap is done and running, just rebuilt the entire front end, including all new urethane bushings, control arms, ball joints, lowering springs etc and all powdercoated. I also went with the TCI Outlaw shifter and am in the process of starting a C4 IRS swap.
