I recently aquired a nice, low mileage '87 Dodge Ram 150 pickup with a 225 SL6 engine and automatic.

My son borrowed it and proved that these engines are not indestructable.

The thermostat stuck closed and the engine overheated. He "didn't notice" the temp gauge and kept driving till the fluids and several important looking pieces leaked out through the side of the block and oil pan.

What should I look for in a replacement engine? Are there differences in flywheel/flexplate/ bellhousing configurations to mate up to my transmission? are there any special issues that I should be aware of when looking for a replacement?

Where are you located?

Many years of engines will swap in, at least '68-up based on the crank pilot/register hole.

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Sault Ste. Marie Ontario, Canada.

It's harder to find good slant-6 engines up here than "down there" because we have more rust up here so most slant-6 vehicles have been junked. It's not impossible, though. Hit www.car-part.com and search creatively; search results show only zero-mod interchanges; the pool of interchangeable engines is much larger than that just by swapping easily-removed parts like the oil pan and such. Any slant-6 engine 1968 or later will work for you. Just three engines show up in all Canada when searching on '87 Dodge Truck D150, but when I change the search to 1974 Dodge Truck D200, many more results come up. Whatever you find in wrecking yards, it's going to be a core for rebuilding. If you are looking for a freshly built-up or drop-in engine (or a good running used one with reasonably low miles) you'll need to hit the various Mopar classifieds.

_________________
一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks for the replies.

I have a few leads locally. One is an 80,0000 km engine and transmission out of a '78 pickup. The seller says he swapped it out for a v-8

What I'd like to do is find a reasonable engine with good compression, freshen up the gaskets and seals, inspect a couple of the lower end bearings while the oil pan is off and put in a new timing chain set and maybe new oil and water pumps, depending on how the budget goes.

That '78 engine and trans sounds like a hot, "juicy" prospect! Swap it complete, including the carburetor and distributor, and enjoy improved performance and mileage compared to stock '87 equipment.

_________________
一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

agrees with dan....

One more "thumbs up" on the 78. Sounds like the answer.

_________________
66 Valiant, 225.
84 Van, 225.
71 Maxi-Van, 318
60 Valiant wagon, 225
87 Maxi-Van, 318 4spd

Thumbs up on the '78 with above items...maybe compression and leak down check the engine before tearing it apart if possible... If you have the ability degree cam while installing new timing chain for better power...

I would also highly suggest using the 1978 distributor if your '87 is lean burn...and get rid of the lean burn system for EI...

Big thumbs up if 1978 turns out to be a 2 barrel super six engine with all the equipment...



-D.Idiot

How do I tell if my current engine has lean burn?

In one form or another, your '87 has it. Don't worry about it, just use the '78 distributor and intake/carburetion setup complete.

_________________
一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Any problems with getting with smogged after the swap?

N/A in the poster's vicinity. He's in the other "CA" (Canada, not California). We have emissions tests in the Greater Toronto Area, but it's only for '88 and newer vehicles and it's not a California type of regime — they don't go poking around to make sure each and every hose has the correct part number on it.

_________________
一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Pollution inspections here aren't a problem, although I did get pulled over by the police last week on my '75 yamaha 2-stroke motorcycle. (I run the fuel mixture pretty rich, My kids like to ride the bike also)

The cop was a young guy who looked kind of skeptical when I tried to explain that all that smoke was normal, but i didnt get a ticket.

I'm still waiting for a reply from the guy with the '78 for sale, but it's deer season here, so things tend to take a while.

I've got a nice heated shop to work in, so we can take our time and detail the engine bay and start on some body work.

The truck is a former MNR vehicle that was then owned by a museum. The Used vehicle information package lists the previous owner as "H.M. Queen Elizabeth"

Hum Wonder if I drove that truck in the early 90's in Michigan working for the MDNR.
Frank

_________________
Scrapple: Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
73 Duster - Race Car
66 Dart Wagon - DD
178" FED
82 D150
All Slant powered