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LA360 into 91 Dak

AJ.

Active Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2020
Messages
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Location
manitoba Canada
Boy I wouldda thought there would be more activity in this forum.....
I'm dropping-in from FABO, where I am AJ/FormS.
Hello to all.
I was recently offered for zero dollars, a 91 Dakota,regular cab shortbox, 3.9/5speed; with a blown engine. I have an LA 360HO 400hp. I was thinking of dropping it in there with the rest of the powertrain from my 68 Barracuda, namely; A833/GVod/and 8.75.
Sifting thru the threads here, I gather that the oilpan is gonna be a big deal, and maybe the cooling system too....I have not brought it home yet,lol.

So; I have some questions, mostly all are as to the transplant;
1) I guess I'll be building my own 360 oilpan?
2) What about adapting the LA engine to the V6 cradle mounts?
3) What am I gonna run into with the clutch pedal system?
...I am not averse to changing to an A500
4) She's gotta have headers.
How much trouble to put my TTIs in there from my 68 Barracuda?
5) What about; body panels; I found several on-line sources for body panels for this truck, at attractive prices, and everything I need is available. Any of you guys have a supplier that you would recommend? or recommend to stay away from? I need fenders, bedsides, and cab corners.

I think I'll down cam my 360, and make this a DD; but I would like to set it up for quick 60fts...... on the street, not necessarily on street tires lol..
With the GVod as a splitter, I have 4 very close ratios, 3.09-2.41-1.92-1.50, to stay on the cam with, and I can run any rear gear; up to 4.88s are currently in stock.
Not going drag-racing; I have no interest in that. Not any kind of racing. But just once in my lifetime (I'm coming 67 this summer), I would like to pull the front wheels. What do I have to do. I don't need the pick-up box.
I would prefer to not move the rear axle, but........
Any other surprises I might run into?
 
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Only bright side I see with this combo is it already has a manual trans. The bellhousing, clutch linkage and trans will bolt to the 360. Every thing else will need to go. To bad it could not have been a V8 Dakota. But if you can build your own oil pan building the rest should not be a problem. Good luck with this. But myself would have kept the 360 in the Barracuda.
 
welcome, AJ. It's really really slow here …. lol :D
It's not all crickets, we get an occasional bird chirp. :rolleyes:

Is an oil pan off a Magnum different than the LA pan, bolt hole spacing? If it fits, you could get one off a V8 Dakota in a yard.
 
The mounts and frame are different between the V6 and V8. Not sure what would have to be changed or what will fit.
 
Boy I wouldda thought there would be more activity in this forum.....
I'm dropping-in from FABO, where I am AJ/FormS.
Hello to all.
I was recently offered for zero dollars, a 91 Dakota,regular cab shortbox, 3.9/5speed; with a blown engine. I have an LA 360HO 400hp. I was thinking of dropping it in there with the rest of the powertrain from my 68 Barracuda, namely; A833/GVod/and 8.75.
Sifting thru the threads here, I gather that the oilpan is gonna be a big deal, and maybe the cooling system too....I have not brought it home yet,lol.

So; I have some questions, mostly all are as to the transplant;
1) I guess I'll be building my own 360 oilpan?
2) What about adapting the LA engine to the V6 cradle mounts?
3) What am I gonna run into with the clutch pedal system?
...I am not averse to changing to an A500
4) She's gotta have headers.
How much trouble to put my TTIs in there from my 68 Barracuda?
5) What about; body panels; I found several on-line sources for body panels for this truck, at attractive prices, and everything I need is available. Any of you guys have a supplier that you would recommend? or recommend to stay away from? I need fenders, bedsides, and cab corners.

I think I'll down cam my 360, and make this a DD; but I would like to set it up for quick 60fts...... on the street, not necessarily on street tires lol..
With the GVod as a splitter, I have 4 very close ratios, 3.09-2.41-1.92-1.50, to stay on the cam with, and I can run any rear gear; up to 4.88s are currently in stock.
Not going drag-racing; I have no interest in that. Not any kind of racing. But just once in my lifetime (I'm coming 67 this summer), I would like to pull the front wheels. What do I have to do. I don't need the pick-up box.
I would prefer to not move the rear axle, but........
Any other surprises I might run into?
Talk to Johnny Mac, and get a 408 smallblock...just change the sump to suit.

upload_2020-3-18_17-16-28.png


upload_2020-3-18_17-17-22.png
 
It's not all crickets, we get an occasional bird chirp. :rolleyes:

Is an oil pan off a Magnum different than the LA pan, bolt hole spacing? If it fits, you could get one off a V8 Dakota in a yard.
magnum and LA share the same bolt pattern. People use LA 360 pans to put magnums in cars. Sealing the timing chain cover varies per whats being used (as in LA, magnum, pans & timing cover)
 
Boy I wouldda thought there would be more activity in this forum.....
I'm dropping-in from FABO, where I am AJ/FormS.
Hello to all.
I was recently offered for zero dollars, a 91 Dakota,regular cab shortbox, 3.9/5speed; with a blown engine. I have an LA 360HO 400hp. I was thinking of dropping it in there with the rest of the powertrain from my 68 Barracuda, namely; A833/GVod/and 8.75.
Sifting thru the threads here, I gather that the oilpan is gonna be a big deal, and maybe the cooling system too....I have not brought it home yet,lol.

So; I have some questions, mostly all are as to the transplant;
1) I guess I'll be building my own 360 oilpan?
2) What about adapting the LA engine to the V6 cradle mounts?
3) What am I gonna run into with the clutch pedal system?
...I am not averse to changing to an A500
4) She's gotta have headers.
How much trouble to put my TTIs in there from my 68 Barracuda?
5) What about; body panels; I found several on-line sources for body panels for this truck, at attractive prices, and everything I need is available. Any of you guys have a supplier that you would recommend? or recommend to stay away from? I need fenders, bedsides, and cab corners.

I think I'll down cam my 360, and make this a DD; but I would like to set it up for quick 60fts...... on the street, not necessarily on street tires lol..
With the GVod as a splitter, I have 4 very close ratios, 3.09-2.41-1.92-1.50, to stay on the cam with, and I can run any rear gear; up to 4.88s are currently in stock.
Not going drag-racing; I have no interest in that. Not any kind of racing. But just once in my lifetime (I'm coming 67 this summer), I would like to pull the front wheels. What do I have to do. I don't need the pick-up box.
I would prefer to not move the rear axle, but........
Any other surprises I might run into?
I just spent the last year swapping out a 91 4cyl 5sp to a la 360 with 904 and ladder bar.It was definitely a lot of work doing what I did.So the engine mounts I used some of the 4cylinder and made my own by welding them to the frame.The oil pan I just ordered one for a stock 91 v8 and welded a deep sump on it with a milodon pick up(look at hughes site they have milodon pan with all the measurements for the Dakota).Headers I made my own from abody hooker 5204 that I had leftover and a universal 1 3/4" kit from jegs.Rear got a strange s60 on black Friday with 10% off and free shipping.Used a ladder bar kit from applied racing.Funny I also got this truck for free minus a case of beer.I built this for my son to bracket race and just made it's first pass two weeks ago.It went 11.29 at 116mph at mir.Guess I need to figure out how to slow it down so he can run sportsman and high school classes.
 
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15848107566297549294297018454034.jpg
15848108177911204006342469296433.jpg
I just spent the last year swapping out a 91 4cyl 5sp to a la 360 with 904 and ladder bar.It was definitely a lot of work doing what I did.So the engine mounts I used some of the 4cylinder and made my own by welding them to the frame.The oil pan I just ordered one for a stock 91 v8 and welded a deep sump on it with a milodon pick up(look at hughes site they have milodon pan with all the measurements for the Dakota).Headers I made my own from abody hooker 5204 that I had leftover and a universal 1 3/4" kit from jegs.Rear got a strange s60 on black Friday with 10% off and free shipping.Used a ladder bar kit from applied racing.Funny I also got this truck for free minus a case of beer.I built this for my son to bracket race and just made it's first pass two weeks ago.It went 11.29 at 116mph at mir.Guess I need to figure out how to slow it down so he can run sportsman and high school classes.
 
@Mhead
Thanks for the pics, Ima thinking ladder bars too, but a lil less tire,lol. Was that crossmember part of the kit?
 
Your welcome. Yes the kit came with everything including the crossmember. The rear is stock a body width,wheels are 8" with 4" back spacing and tires are 28×11.5.They fit inside the wheel well without cutting anything. The front I just ordered new 1990 Dakota rotors so I have five lug pattern.
 
new 1990 Dakota rotors so I have five lug pattern.

tires are 28×11.5.They fit inside the wheel well without cutting anything
good to know!
What sort of 60fts are you getting with that combo?

Well then, this is the combo for me, except street tires that offer a lil more treadlife.
I already have 15x10s with 4.5bs and I guess I can install my 325/50 DRs on those, and see how long they last......
I was sorta thinking leafs tho, with housing floaters in place of the coil-overs, on a narrowed 8.75, that I already have.
I'm still in the dreaming phase, and sorta hoping that somebody with leafs chimes in. But I have already sorta decided that I want ladders.
The truck is free for the taking but it also needs bedsides,cab corners, and fenders, which I mighta mentioned. But that stuff, from what I can tell, is pretty affordable. Certainly not like the A-body stuff.I have tentatively scheduled delivery for October.
I like the looks of those flares on your truck, and think I will mock mine up with a regular A-body width like yours, under the flares, and see how I like it. I might like the body a tad lower, (on account of I'm 67 and not getting any younger), and the seat a lil higher.My legs seem to be a lil long for my 5ft8 frame, and my arms a lil short for the leg length. It has always been a challenge getting comfy in cars I have owned. I'm looking forward to setting the cab up for all that, cuz this project would be my last.

I also have a couple of manual transmissions that I am considering.
One is the A833 od, with a GVod behind it, that I split gears with. The ratios are;
3.09-2.41-1.67-1.30-1.00-.78od-.54od , GV ratios in red. The splits are
.78-.69-.78-.77-.78-.71, so I can run whatever rear gears I can imagine. 4.88s turn into 2.64s on the hiway,which would be nice since this is gonna be a DD. The tight splits also allow less motor.
I ran this combo once before in my Barracuda. with a 223@.050 cam, and 3.55s. It wasn't bad, was better with 4.30s, but in the end I ditched it cuz I didn't like the the wide splits in the main box (.54-.60), and cuz I kept breaking the fragile overdrive mainshaft gear, by forgetting to stop shifting in third/direct. I think I might try it again with 4.88s cuz I already got 'em. But I'm not averse to any other ratio, nor to using an automatic, nor even to moving the axle forward a tad. Still dreaming.
The only part of my dream,that is important to me, is that just once in my lifetime, I would like to have a car that needs wheelie bars,lol. I'm not going racing, and don't care about ET; I just want it to stand up and friggin go!
Since I have to make engine mounts anyway, I'll also consider moving the engine back. (Goodbye A/C, we only need that up here for about a week in July, at most, anyway). If I read right, These short WB trucks are 113 so I got lots of room. If I put the squeeze on, maybe I can get to 108 like the Barracuda, and reuse my pricey driveshaft,lol.
Since I'm dreaming, and not restricted by any racing rules, I can put stuff where ever I want. So I already know where I want to put some stuff, and since I don't actually need the pick-up box, that stuff is gonna be in the back.
somewhere.
Hey, since I just want the wheels up, maybe I should just tow a trailer full of cement ,lol........... Hey,,, maybe that's the answer. No,not a trailer,lol; but a ballast box, hmmmmmmmm
I know a certain tireshop owner....... I bet lead is cheap. And he goes thru a lotta lotta lead. You ever try to pick up a 5 gallon pail full of tire weights? lol. Lead weighs 708 pounds per cubic foot. Seven Hundred and Eight. A 5 gallon pail is pushing 1 cubic foot. Maybe what I need is a lead rear bumper, or just a bumper box full of tireweights, Hmmmmmmm, I guess we'll see.
Well weighta minit.
If I did that,and the starter gear is 4.88x3.09=15.08, and the splitter dropping to 11.76 like an automatic, And my trans is already Slickshifted, so Second gear usually hits with no break in the blackies, and now we are at 1.67 x4.88=8.15 going to 6.36 ; that is 4 gears in the usual place of two.
Maybe I could get away with just Superstock springs ......... that would be a quick and easy install.
Ok now I'm just being silly,lol, dreaming is dreaming.
But I do know a welder/fabricator, who..........
You don't get to be 67 without making a few key friends along the road,eh.
I know/I know; by now you probably think I'm nuts,
and maybe I am. And here is more fuel for the fire:
The Bible promises Believers (of which I am one) a lifespan of only 70years, 80 if by reason of good health; so my 70 year promise is just three years away. Today I seem to be in perfect health, but those last 10 years could bring anything. And while God does provide the tools to maintain perfect health, satan is a tricky and powerful opponent. If I'm gonna do this, I gotta get moving. And I still have so many other, more important things to do.
 
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Got 1.49-1.52 60 foots but have only three passes on it.Im sure it has a 10 second pass in it especially with the flow master mufflers that always cost me 2.5 tenths.It weighs 3030 lb without me.Old ati 10 converter that I had,10.65 compression,forged icon pistons,scat I beams,stock crank,custom bullet solid cam and old j heads I ported.
You'll probably have to put wheel tubs in the bed with the 10 inch wheel.
 
Thanks.I'm very happy with the combo so far.I actually haven't tried to lighten anything yet.
 
Mhead. Where did you order the 91 V8 pan?? I have looked for 3 years as I have a 426 stroked 340 to go in my 93.
 
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