1978 Dodge 4x4 camper van

[Pntyrmvr]

I just put a 1993 5.2 L Magnum and a A518 overdrive trans in my 1984 B350 4x4 extended Dodge. Sure is nice when it drops into 4th gear and easily cruises at 75 mph. Forget the diesel swap. Both those engines are way too noisy for a van with the engine sitting right next to you.


"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."

 

[Vobile]

I just put a 1993 5.2 L Magnum and a A518 overdrive trans in my 1984 B350 4x4 extended Dodge. Sure is nice when it drops into 4th gear and easily cruises at 75 mph. Forget the diesel swap. Both those engines are way too noisy for a van with the engine sitting right next to you.


"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."

Nice, was it a difficult swap ?

 

[Pntyrmvr]

Swap part is easy. Fixing broken stuff "while you're in there" ate up a lot of time.

It was already converted by Advanced 4wd in Salt Lake City so the basics were there.

Stuff I fixed:

rotten inner fender under battery tray
replaced rotten tranny cooler lines
weld up 100 + holes in the cargo area floor
Plenum gasket, timing chain, tensioner, water pump, alternator, fan clutch, motor mounts, rad hoses, exhaust manifold gaskets, pull one head and replace a few valves, 5 new relays in harness, rad, and valve covers. All in 93 motor.

Stuff I fabricated, or had to do for fuel injection:

converted non AC heater box and firewall openings to AC box
Stretch rear wiring for FI gas tank and O2 sensor
Figure out how to power up computer to run it all while leaving main wiring harness intact. Then dig a resistor out of old wiring harness for brake light connection to computer so it gets 5v instead of 12v and blowing computer out.
Install FI fuel lines, tank, and vapor canister, and new in tank pump including new connections at the fuel rail.
Install trans and fab rear mount as OD trans is 5"+'longer than original
Adjust trans cable to shift properly
Install engine and fab driver's side engine mount
New driveshafts front and back as transfer case is now 5" + rearward
Build exhaust to hook up to Magnum exhaust manifolds.
Weld gas pedal base from 93 into 84 so throttle opens 100%.

So when I say swap that's not quite right. It was more of a driveline transplant.

It sure was great to hit the key and hear the pump run and have it start instantly.

It runs like a top. Used 1/2 quart of oil in first 500 mis. With 122,000 mis on it. Cruises 75 mph easy.

PS The computer hook up was a piece of cake.



"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."

 

[Vobile]

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/164436-1978-dodge-explorer-4x4-camper-van-rv


I put it for sale above. There are some interior pictures as well

 

[Vobile]

Okay it's not for sale anymore .. when I told my wife that a lot of people were interested in buying, she broke down, got all emotional, crying.. etc. Well I can't stand to see that, so I took it off the market.. Guess I'll try to fix it up.

 

[Vobile]

How about this idea ? The dodge / Mercedes sprinter vans have a 3.0 litre diesel enging that pumps out 420 ft. Lbs. Of torque ... That might be a perfect transplant. Has anyone seen this done in any application ?

 

[villageidiot327]

what about a cummins 4bt? it might fit in the space, and doesn't have a bunch of crazy computers to figure out.

not sure what they put out for power, but its gotta be more than a 318 in torque numbers.

 

[dwh]

440 wedge baby, 440 wedge.

 

[Bikersmurf]

The $BT is a powerful option but they are super noisy. I'd not want to listen to one for hours on end.

I'd do a trans swap before installing a 5.9 or other Magnum. Our Durango had one and the economy was about the same as my '69 350 with a worn out carb in my 4x4... it sucked fuel... although very reliably.

 

[Bikersmurf]

The $BT is a powerful option but they are super noisy. I'd not want to listen to one for hours on end.

I'd do a trans swap before installing a 5.9 or other Magnum. Our Durango had one and the economy was about the same as my '69 350 with a worn out carb in my 4x4... it sucked fuel... although very reliably.

 

[Xplorer228]

Hi Vobile,
I'm wondering if you could give some friendly advice to a fellow Xplorer owner.
I have a 1983 Dodge Xplorer 228 very similar to yours and I plan on adding a ladder rack.

Where did you get your racks and are they modified at all? What is the purpose of the hilt jacks?
Did you just attach directly to the gutter with no modifications? What would you have done differently?
Anything else you can think of to help me install this would be amazing.

Also, Be sure to keep us updated on your paint job! I plan on painting my van white as well.

Thanks!

 

[Pntyrmvr]

How about this idea ? The dodge / Mercedes sprinter vans have a 3.0 litre diesel enging that pumps out 420 ft. Lbs. Of torque ... That might be a perfect transplant. Has anyone seen this done in any application ?

Great idea. Hard to execute. That engine only runs with a complex, integrated computer controlling everything in the vehicle. Very tough to swap. I am unable to find anyone who makes a wiring harness to run that setup as a stand alone.

I would do the magnum swap with the overdrive transmission. Find a 94 or 95 4x4 Dodge pickup that runs well and transplant the driveline.

Gas tank from a 91-94 van will fit right in.


"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."

 

[Vobile]

Xplorer228 sorry for not responding .. if you haven't got a rack yet, mine is just a heavy duty gutter mount ladder rack. Designed to fit high top vans. Only issue with mine is that the extended back portion of my van is fiberglass, so the gutter stopped at the original length of the b300. So there is a fake gutter going all the way back and it is flimsy , and should not be used to hold any weight. One day I plan on welding an actual gutter all the way back and attach it to a ladder that will go down to the bumper.

 

[kybishop]

I just put a 1993 5.2 L Magnum and a A518 overdrive trans in my 1984 B350 4x4 extended Dodge. Sure is nice when it drops into 4th gear and easily cruises at 75 mph. Forget the diesel swap. Both those engines are way too noisy for a van with the engine sitting right next to you.


"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."

Been a mainly Mopar family most of my life. Really like these 4x4 Dodge vans. I really like the looks of your camper van Vobile with the paint coming off/patina. Has a story to tell. Very cool van you have there.

I had a 1993 Toyota FJ80 with a 4BT swap. I am a fan of the Cummins platform, the power and efficiency. However I must agree about the noise. The 4BT is not something you want to roll in and out of the campgrounds late at night or early in the morning. Love the sound and feel of these diesels but the noise was a bit too much for my use for this type of vehicle. Great for hauling and towing. We don't frequent the ORV campgrounds though. We tend to like the quiet campgrounds, mostly state parks in the tent areas. No generators etc.

I would wake the entire campground up rattling in and out in that 4BT... It was a bit louder than our first gen 6BT Dodge trucks I believe. My father has a 1993 club cab 1st gen Cummins he bought new with a Getrag 5 speed. 6BT's sure are fun to drive...

 

[PGGRS]

I have a similar rig that's been on the far back burner for years. Yes, an Xplorer 224 but, done by Champion in 1980. Had a 440, 727, divorced Tcase & a 44 & a 60. Now sitting with a 1996 Dodge 2500 Cummins driveline under it. A 4BT might be easier to fit, but you'd be way short on power. Biggest problem with my swap is the injection pump ends up right about where the gas pedal is (was). It's got a big lift on it now(also used sturdier late model Ford arms up front) so I'm planning on cutting out the wheelwell on both sides & flattening the floor. I'll use a junkyard sourced clutch pedal as the brake & repurpose the brake pedal as the throttle. With the lift, the motor sits lower & with a (extra insulated) modified doghouse cover I'm hoping it won't be too loud.