motor swap suggestions

[fixerupper10]

hey there everybody! alright so im looking into maybe doing a motor swap for my 88 ram 50. id love to keep the stock tranny since thats in near perfect shape. need a better motor than the 4 banger 2.6ltr that already in it. any suggestions to an engine that would work with the stock transmission would be helpful! thanks!

[85TDW50]

2.6L is about as big as it gets while reusing the stock transmission, you could swap in a 2.3L (4D55) Turbo Diesel, it uses the same bellhousing pattern.

Or you could (if you have a 4WD) Swap in a LA-318 (Chrysler Small Block) by swapping the Tailshaft & Housing/Adapter from a Torqueflite 904 used in the Ram 50's over to a Small Block 904.

If you've got a 4-Speed/5-Speed i don't know what your options are, i do know that the 5-Speeds don't take abuse too well. I'm on my third KM145 5-Speed in my '84 (with a mostly stock 2.6L) Blew apart several gears in the first one, bearings went out in the 2nd one, now i'm on the 3rd transmission.

If it kills this transmission i'm yanking the 2.6L / KM145 out and swapping in a 440 Chrysler Big Block & a NP435 4-Speed & NP203 Transfer Case and Dana 60 Axles

[fixerupper10]

wow nice. alright well since the transmissions sounds like an problem waiting to happen with a bigger motor. what engine and transmission set ups do you guys recomend? i heard one guy took a rb25 motor from a nissan 240sx and is now drifting the truck. anyone know how or if i would be able to fit that motor and trans in this tiny truck?

[Spicoli]

They got big motor bays.

Using the wideblock tranny I'd go turbo 2.6 using a old quest if you could find a parts car and take it apart.

There trannys hold up decently IMO. I dunno what 85TDW50s problem is.

The only dude I'm aware of drifting a MM is this guy http://www.thedrifttruck.com he uses a healthy 250-300hp range 4g63 with a narrowblock tranny using wideblock internals as I recall.

[85TDW50]

Here's some of the first 5-speed that my truck killed.



For the record theres 275k on the truck, and for 200k it ran a Torqueflite 904 Automatic, when i bought the truck off my dad i swapped in a 5-Speed. So in the last 75k or so it's ate 2 5-speeds (now on it's third)


Maybe it has something to do with the Snow Plow & the mostly stock 2.6L? Or that i use the truck as a Daily Driver (even though i swapped the differentials when i bought it off my dad, it's now running 4.625 Gears)

[85TDW50]

I've been considering it, because the lil 904's are actually a great transmission, and my dad put roughly 190k on that truck (he bought it almost new) and as soon as he brought it home he installed the snow plow on the truck. So it's had a plow it's whole life.

Undecided at the moment though, the 2.6L is getting up there in the miles. Even though i have a few more of them sitting in the garage, maybe it's time for something bigger (while still getting decent fuel mileage) like a 3.9L from a Dakota, or one of the Chrysler Small Blocks that i've got built up and collecting dust. Sure one of my spare 440's would be nice, if i didnt mind the fuel mileage and losing all my accessories (like power steering, the hydraulic/plow pump, ect)

[fixerupper10]

alright so now heres my question. the 4g64. is it fuel injected or carbed? anyone know how the 6g72 v6 motors are? the stock 88 5 speed tranny going to be able to bolt up to any of these motors?

[Spicoli]

the 4g64 is FI'd.

6g72 is a nice motor got two v6 powered trucks.

The tranny would bolt up to the 4g64 not the 6g

[marlin3030hntr]

Why do you guys always insist on maintaining those mitsu motors and trannies, depending on what you wanna do i'd say go with a chevy 4.3 v6 or a sb ford with a t5 behind it only because those are nice small trannies, if you wanna go the mopar route a nice 3.9 magnum v6 with the little funky 5speed they had would be good, would take some fab and time but would make a great truck that would be reliable and would be easy to get parts for(not to mention damn fast because of how light these little trucks are) no matter where you are, thats why i did a chevy conversion in my 64 scout, I go on like 100 mile one way 4wheelin and hunting excursions and if something breaks and its not a part that i carry with me who doesnt have parts for a chevy motor or th350, or ford, dodge whatever you know these mitsu parts are hard to come by so why waste your time? Not calling you guys out just my opinion, if my motor ever goes in my arrow(tho it only has like 600 miles on the motor now) thats my plans got a few 302 fords i could build and weld me in some frame mounts and a t5 behind it with a little welding and time there you go a bad ass yet still fuel efficient hot rod.

[TotallyBalistic]

im in the process of building a gm 4.3 to put in my 88 macro cab with a th 350 behind it. that route seems alot better for me because of the power and parts availability...to each their own but if it was me id have a 4.3 settin in it