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  #1  
Old 10-04-2002, 08:39 PM
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Default Big Block Duster! Maybe.........................

I have been debating going wih a big Block in My 73 Duster! The car has manual steering and manual front disk brakes which will aid in the swap. First I would completely cut the innner fenders out, but would leave a lip to install them again if desired. I have several questions on this matter. So here goes..............

1 Will the crossmeber work, currently a 727 small bolt tranny in the car.

2 Will the mounts from sheumacher work says up to 72 I belive?

3 What oil pan do I need front,center, rear sump?

4 With the fenders cut out could I run a set on B or E body headers?

5 Would this swap be worth the extra power and would you do it again for the peoplen who have done this?

BTW This car is not ment for a daily driver!
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  #2  
Old 10-04-2002, 10:06 PM
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Tranny crossmember will work fine.

Schumacher mounts will work fine.

Regular passenger mid sump pan will work fine.

Some B and E body headers will work with a low deck (383-400) and no power steering, but the inner fenders have little to do with that. I think TTI makes an underchassis header, I know CPPA does, and Herb McCandless used to carry the old pro parts semi fenderwell header (someone still sells them, but I can't remember who). Hooker of course makes two sizes of fenderwell headers, and Jere Stahl makes a beautiful fenderwell header.

Oh ya, if you're going in a straight line, this is a very worthy swap. Power to weight with even a mildly built big block is awesome.

One thing that worries me is cutting out the inner fenders as they are a major structural member of the car.
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  #3  
Old 10-05-2002, 02:40 AM
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You will need to put a cage in it if you cut out the fenders. I have a '74 with a 500 cid aluminum engine. The front frame started to sag and the doors would hit the fenders. This was before the car was even finished and the sud frame had already been tied. I used fender exit headers. Plus I use a one piece fiber flip up front end. You can use that piece on the street if you want.
You will have to tie the frames. You will have to increase the right rear spring even with a mild motor. The car I have now is not the first one I have built.
If you need any help just ask. Check out magnumforce.com. They have a tube front end and rack set up. I love it and it's a bolt in. Take you a full Sat. to install it by yourself. Worth the money. I run a ladder bar coil over rear and tha magnum force set up in the front, but I did use a diffrent coil over brand and mount on the front that is much better.
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  #4  
Old 10-05-2002, 03:00 AM
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I have done this swap and it is fairly easy, except! LOL. I used the Hooker fenderwell headers and they do not fit all that well. I cut the fenderwells according to the templates but they still ended up being wrong, I had to run 14" wheels and tires and have the car sitting fairly high and the tires still rubbed in tight turns. A friend of mine had the CPPA headers and doing anything with the starter was a huge pain in the ass, and they leave absolutely no room for the spark plug boots and so they constantly burn through. This is all I know about these headers but, I would not recomend any of these. Try to find something that is more user friendly and without the headaches.
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  #5  
Old 10-05-2002, 04:01 AM
George G. Leverette George G. Leverette is offline
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Had a 440 in a 73 Duster with factory manifolds. I used a modified K-member with factory motor mounts. The problems are clearance around manual master brake cylinder, if about 1\8 inch is ok then you are in. the right side exhaust manifold eventuall burned a hole in the sheet metal, the raised block jams the air cleaner up against the hood high rise intakes are out, the hood must be clearenced to get the air cleaner to fit, it also restricts air flow to the carb. Heat under the hood is a major problem, 1 hour cool down at the track. Raised blocks in A-bodies are no longer necessary to make power. A 451 or stroked 360 are much better choices. There is a web page that have all the facts on big blocks in A-bodies I think it is big block dart.
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  #6  
Old 10-05-2002, 08:24 AM
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There is a kit from Mopar that moves the master cylinder over away from the engine. I use a motor plate. With it you can use the 2" Hooker header and 15" wheels with 4 x 26 or 4 x 27 tires without hitting the headers. Mine engine sits no where near the hood and heat aint no problem. If you use the motor plate or the magnum force mounts and kit the engine will set where it is supposed to. Stock mounts wont get it. The trany is the only stock mount to use.
Someone said stroker motor. It's ok, but I don't think you can get 1000 hp without the bottle from a small block. Indy has some cast iron 800,900,1000 hp motors already assembled and ready to drop in. I still prefer to build mine.
I've done several of these the right way,so if you need any help just let me know. I could even give you an e-mail address if you need it.
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  #7  
Old 10-05-2002, 11:04 AM
Bryant Fields Bryant Fields is offline
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I have the 2" hookers. They fit great. The tires do barely rub but you'll never notice when youre driving, only sitting still with the wheel turned. To cut some weight and keep the strength of the inner fender wells , I used a 2 5/8 hole saw to swiss cheese 'em and it helps vent some of that underhood heat. also reminds me of those nostalgia racers. Definetly a swap worth doing, and pretty easy too. Much more so now than when I did it with a $300 Direct Connection K-frame....oops! just told my age !!
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  #8  
Old 10-05-2002, 03:36 PM
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I did the swap in my '71 duster origionaly /6. I bought the mounts from shoemaker and the engine went in easily. I actualy put the engine and transmission in at the same time withought removing the grill, just the hood. Since i put the engine in i have had it out 4 or 5 times and each time it took less than an hour. My fenderwalls are completly intact and i use the headers from shoemaker designed for a 440 a-bodie. IM guessing these headers arent a good choice for you since they are only like 1 1/4 primary, but alot of people use proparts headers in there cars with great results. Check out www.bigblockdart.com. IN there tech section they have about 12 different headers and how the fit and what it took to get them in.
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  #9  
Old 10-05-2002, 08:46 PM
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Thansk guys you been a big help!
This site rules!

I will do some more diggin, but I made my mind up. 440 it will be, but It will take some time to aquire the parts. By wallet is shallow. Maybe have $300-500 a month for parts. I will obtain the best fit headers as possiable. Even if there expensive. Does TTI make stepped headers for this? I know there usally great quality and fit very well!
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  #10  
Old 10-05-2002, 11:14 PM
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The schumaker headers arent quite as small as that, but the are 1 5/8 for the first step, but well worth the smallish size. They are just great to work with. The motor mounts are great too, but the do have mounts for 73+ too. I have this setup in my a-body, and haven't had any drivability issues in the 3 years its been in.
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  #11  
Old 10-12-2002, 12:19 PM
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Mine Demon that I owned is the blue one on www.bigblockdart.com
If you have any specific questions let 'er rip. I used the CPPA headers, which worked well once I learned the ups and downs the "hard way"... but I WOULD do it again. I don't like the looks of the fenderwells, but they are more practical in some ways ie: starter removal/plugs etc...
Schumacher has triY headers for the A body440 I do believe?
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  #12  
Old 10-12-2002, 12:38 PM
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COOL CAR!
I will be purchaching the Sheumaker Tri Y headers and mounts this week for my Duster! The car is a 73 model with manual steering and front manual disc brakes which I hope will be enough to stop the car dicent! But thinking about it it should stop just as well as other earlyer cars Like 70 challenger with the drum brakes! I wonder what the differance is in weight when comparing a 360 with aluminum intake and headers to a big block the same way?
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  #13  
Old 10-13-2002, 10:55 AM
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My 73 duster still has manual 9" drums on the front and the 10x1 3/4 on the rear. It stops fine. I will switch to front disk in the future. My car isn't a daily driver though, so that is some thing to consider. I used schumacker mounts and headers and they work good and I have power steering. I can get the starter out no problem, and havent burnt a plug wire yet ( with carefull routing). I have an edelbrock perfromer rpm and the hood shuts too. My car was a /6 so my shifter linkage was out, went with a cable but kept the colum shift. ........by the way what rear end is in that? I had to switch from a 7 1/4 to an 8 3/4.
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  #14  
Old 10-13-2002, 08:35 PM
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My rear was a 8 1/4 but but switched to a 8 3/4 from a early B body being there 3 inches shorter than the older ones like the 68-70 B's! Cant tell its not factory at all!
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