what are the differences with the two? starter location? bolt pattern?

would like to use a r154 5 speed

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1980 Aspen 4 speed

Mopar standardized their bellhousing bolt pattern to the ever famous "LA" small block pattern (273,318,340,360,3.9,5.2,5.9,8L) so if you have a 3.9L or 5.2L equipped Dakota you then will need to get the famous adaptor plate from a mid-late 60's truck that was equipped with a slant six and A-727, or be on the lookout for one of the AREngineering adaptor plates that were made (can be used with A-904 style tranny/A-500 with a little elbow grease), or you can look at the some of the other bellhousing/adaptor posts and see what else is being done...maybe the tranny bolt pattern is enough to allow you to modify one of the standard slant six bellhousings to the tranny with a little welding and machine work (IE similar to the T-5 bellhousing group buy).

-D.idiot

There's no bell housing that comes anywhere near fitting a slant six that can bolts to the circular pattern on that trans. I believe that trans is a near match for the AX-15.

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'81 W150 on Propane... Oversize valves, Oregon Camshaft cam, 10:5 static CR, Distributorless ignition, megajolt timing controller, PowerTrax lockers.

ax15 hass the same bolt pattern as the r154 to the bell

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1980 Aspen 4 speed