Putting larger engines into Plymouth Valiant-based cars

Greg Purcell (MoParGreg@aol.com) responded to "Ron", who wanted to put a 440 into a Duster. He wrote: This is a swap which we specialize in, and I have done about 20 of 'em so far..There are a million different ways to do it, (and more every day) so I could write a book! I'll be brief..If you need more info, e-mail or call later.

 The "elephant ears" are easy, but they are quite outdated..the "state of the art" piece right now is a mount made by Schumaker Creative services. They have a system to bolt the big block to either a 6 or an 8 cylinder k-frame depending what your duster had in it.(and what year it is). Their number is:

As far as the front suspension, it depends on what you're doing with the car...If it's a race only car, Mopar Performance recommends the 6 cylinder torsion bars..this gives the same effect as 90/10 shocks, causing the front end to "lift" upon acceleration...but handling is nonexistent!

The Heavy Duty bars are available in ratios up to road race capability, but 340/360 bars have always worked well for me.

 The trans mounts in the same position as the small block or 6 cylinder.

 You need an 8 3/4 rear with gears matched to your cam..(again it depends on what you want the car to do)

 Exhaust manifolds or headers are the hardest part of the swap...there are fenderwell headers (easy to install but reduce turning radius) or "underchassis" headers which are a bear to get in! I use a stock "log" manifold on the driver's side and mill it to half thickness (to clear the steering column) I use a B-body HP manifold on the right. (Schumaker also sells manifolds guaranteed to fit).

 Again, there's a lot of little ideas and nuances I could convey, but I must go for now...if you want more help, call or e-mail!

You may also want to try using Weber carburetors. Click here for other performance tips.

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