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Re: Engine Swap from 325 Poly to 354 HEMI in 58 Dodge

From: Herman
Email: hplpp@airmail.net
Remote Name: 66.94.133.82
Date: January 16, 2004

Comments

Hi Milt, 354/392 in a 58 Dodge is a great swap. I did this swap back in the mid 60's with very little money on hand and the only real problem I had was hooking up the the power steer pressure hose. Because the Dodge pump was bad, I used the Chrysler pump and it had different fittings than the Dodge pump. A few trips to the auto parts solved the problem though. I left the Dodge tranny unit in the car and used the 392 bellhousing and torque converter still attached to the Chrysler engine. Other than shimming the left motor mount with a few washers and butt welding the Chrysler exhaust pipes to the Dodge exhaust system, it was a very simple swap. Although a tight fit, the engine has adequate clearance everywhere. If I had it to do all over again, I would have removed the radiator core support to make lining everything up a little easier because I did it myself without the benefit of an extra pair of hands. Although I didn't have any handling problems, if I did this swap today, I'd likely look for a set of station wagon torsion bars. The difference in power/torque is almost amazing. I'd go for it! Good luck, Herman

 

Last changed: March 03, 2024