RamCharger.net

yeah that rust is no fun. I am working on sixgun to buy my 318 from the 91 since it should be a easy swap. i have the harness and computer for it.

he is trying to figure out how to make it work, i think lol

i can tell you he may need the motor mount extension plate that may have been in the ramcharger that you got rid of. i know my 91 needed a motor mount extension plate on the drivers side to fit that 318 in there. after looking at my 93 ram charger i got to see what a factory motor mount extension plate look like. now if sixgun wanted to get a magnum 318 i think he could get that to bolt in to his motor mount brackets. 

yeah we talked about that this weekend. I need to get some measurements and see how they compare.

CW have you got a pic to look at so I can see what I'm looking for?

unfortunately i don't. it is almost impossible to get a picture of the factory mount extension plate with the engine and crap installed. i know because i went to try showing my dad the other day and realized you can't see nothing from the top. i might try to get a picture tho. it could come in handy.

I need to go hunt the JY with a camera to get some pics so I have some comparison and get some prices lined up. I'm sure I can find a crossmember but they don't allow power tools at the pic n pull so I will have to pay them to remove it too.  I'm afraid of going through all that and getting the wrong one. 

The biggest reason to get the 318 is for towing the new rig when it's done.  Ryan even says the ac comp goes with the motor.  Yee haw what else could I ask for?  I work retail and we are heading into the Christmas season which is balls to the wall work, 6 day work weeks with very little time off.  Looking at the new year at the earliest.  Definately want to do this but need to get my ducks in a row first.  Sorry Ryan.

BTW any updates on the radiator support CW?

no real updates. i don't think i will be able to do much till Thursday because of the weather. got lots of rain in the forecast and possibly some snow at the beginning of next week. i did order some new headlamp adjusting screws since my old ones were kind of broken and really rusty.

now if you are looking through junkyard you should see if you can find the extension plate. i have wondered if some of the newer ram vans had a motor mount extension plate since they seem to use the same motor mounts as the older truck. could also possibly build your own if have the time. i used cardboard to make a template for mine then cut out of some heavy steel and and welded it up. mine pretty much bolted up to the factory holes. i was meaning to drill a hole through my bracket into the frame but never got around to it.

So this ext plate is not part of the K member?  Can I just bolt this plate onto my K member or how does it work?

ya. it just bolts on k member with 2 or 3 bolts and then 1 into the frame. it would replace the triangle shaped one that would that that dies not extend.

i tried to get a pic from underneath. i managed to get a lot better pic than i thought i could of. you can see the one into the frame and one of the bolts into the k member.

So is there really a need for the new k member or just the extension?  Is it bolt on or does it need to be welded?

that is it. it is just bolted on. i guess the bolts are a bit hard to see through all the rust. i also think 1 bolt is hiding behind the mount.

My 91 and 93 don't have that. I did some searching and could not find anything on dakota's or newer trucks as far as needing adapters.

The 3.9l is a 5.2l with 2 cylinders chopped off, so it would seem like the mounting distance would be the same. Who knows, I will try to measure some today while working on the 91 and see.

I am not in a hurry to get rid of the engine, but it will be nice to get it out of my garage sometime soon. Here before long I will need all 3 spots for parking cars. As it is now the 3rd car bay is full of engines and truck parts lol.

but if you think of it the ears on the v8 are on the front of the engine so if you cut 2 cylinders off the ears would have to have to moved back or the v6 would be sitting fairly far ahead.

i think dakota and newer trucks just used different motor mounts out of the box. maybe since your trucks were 4x4 they did not have one. maybe it was a 2wd only thing

could be, the only 2wd's I have are a 03 durango with a 4.7 and a 00 Ramcharger, and its mounts are different as well.