Trying to find a 318 from a Dodge van to put in my sons 75 Gold duster. is it easier to get a truck or van engine out? Do you drop a van engine instead of pulling it? Newbies to this stuff. I know about the Scheumacher mount conversion but wondering if I should just try to find a v8 K member and switch. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Truck is way easier than a van for motor removal.

 

At junk yard the vehicle is probably up on blocks. I would drop it out the bottom on a Van. You will need to change the oil pan to a center stump. I would also look for a later Magnum motor 318 or 360

 

found a 74 Coronet. Can I swap the trany, drive line and rear end to the A body Duster?

 

I believe the rear axle out of the Coronet is too wide. Some of the earlier B body rears will actually work in an A

Engine/ trans, maybe radiator will work. Pan on that engine should work. Exhaust manifolds may not

Stuff you need

Either a V8 K member or aftermarket (Shumaker) conversion mounts

Radiator if the Coronet won't fit. Driveshaft. May be able to shorten the Coronet shaft. Depending on what rear axle is in the /6, you should put a heavier duty rear axle in.

Obviously, exhaust

 

OK we have a D200 318 I am putting in the Duster. I will get the 0oil pan and pick up from the 74 Coronet.
Will I have to remove the engine from the Coronet to get the oil pan off? It looks tight.

 

For $80-125 you can get a NEW pan and pickup at AutoZone Why mess with taking a dirty, scraped up one off. Just make sure the motor is a 318 & not a 360- pans are different

 

I've pulled plenty of engines from various cars. Vans suck no matter how you slice it. The engine is hard to reach with the engine hoist. I pulled a 360 from a 79 Dodge van that I towed home. I used a sawzall and cut the core support, removed the dash then used my portable hoist to hook up and pull out.
Vans at the junkyard? Man... That sucks! If you try dropping them out from underneath, they are heavy and hard to get out from under the van. The overhead A-frame chain hoists won't work unless you cut the van like a tin can for direct access. Look for a car or truck engine!
When I go looking for an engine that I want to use in a car without rebuilding, I have a few things I look for. First up I pull all the spark plugs and look for uniformity of deposits. If I find even ONE that is crusted with oil deposits, I pass. I'll pull a valve cover and look for caked on oil sludge. If it is clean, I'll pull the oil pan and check 2 rod bearings and the main thrust bearing. If they are still gray and NOT copper, it has a good chance of being a winner.

The oil pans in most vehicles can be removed without even lifting the engine. The steering linkage often needs to be removed though.