1976 Dodge Sportsman Help
Hello All, I came across an old post with oldtrucker63 and Lo Lo and I hope they or someone else that can help is still around. Here's the situation, yesterday I bought a 1976 Dodge Sportsman motor...
Forum Discussion
Let me try to help from my memory archive filed under "Distant:"
FROM 1971 DODGE VAN WE OWNED 20 YEARS
If Distributor is in the FRONT of the engine, it's a Big Block, probably a 440
If Distributor is the BACK of the engine, it's a Small Block, probably a 360
Our 360 had "360" cast into the bottom edge of one side of the Block
A weak Fuel Pump will let it start COLD and it'll let it run under Light Load
The magnets in the Distributor Pickups weakened over time and it might not start if you couldn't crank it fast enough, as in with a fully charged good battery
The ceramic ignition/charging circuit Ballast Resistor (on firewall near the ignition module) failed frequently
Replace but buy two
Have one as spare
Leave the Mounting Screw LOOSE - reduces chance of resistor cracking as it heats
Rear Engine Mount (the one on the back of the Transmission) didn't last long and when failed sends vibration throughout the vehicle
FROM EXPERIENCE WITH RENTAL CUBE VANS ON DODGE CHASSIS
They tended to sling belts - Hopefully this was only on the chassis JARTRAN bought without factory air conditioning
The Carter ThermoQuad carburetors would leak
When they leaked they caused engine compartment fires - I am serious about this - JARTRAN lost MANY trucks to this - When they catch fire you have SECONDS to get out - I saw them where the door handles no longer worked because the plastic linkage clips had melted
Chrysler designated the engines -1 -2 and -3 - A 440-1 would be a passenger car/light truck engine and very likely what a Class C would have - 360-1 or 440-1
Transmission is probably a TorqueFlite "727" series called LoadFlite being in a truck chassis - DIFFERENT from a Car - More rugged components
Torque Converter from CAR will FIT and it will BURN OUT - A Truck Converter has much less slippage than CAR version - On the Highway under load (like towing a trailer or simply being an RV), CAR version will run Very Very HOT and burn out the entire transmission
FROM 1971 DODGE VAN WE OWNED 20 YEARS
If Distributor is in the FRONT of the engine, it's a Big Block, probably a 440
If Distributor is the BACK of the engine, it's a Small Block, probably a 360
Our 360 had "360" cast into the bottom edge of one side of the Block
A weak Fuel Pump will let it start COLD and it'll let it run under Light Load
The magnets in the Distributor Pickups weakened over time and it might not start if you couldn't crank it fast enough, as in with a fully charged good battery
The ceramic ignition/charging circuit Ballast Resistor (on firewall near the ignition module) failed frequently
Replace but buy two
Have one as spare
Leave the Mounting Screw LOOSE - reduces chance of resistor cracking as it heats
Rear Engine Mount (the one on the back of the Transmission) didn't last long and when failed sends vibration throughout the vehicle
FROM EXPERIENCE WITH RENTAL CUBE VANS ON DODGE CHASSIS
They tended to sling belts - Hopefully this was only on the chassis JARTRAN bought without factory air conditioning
The Carter ThermoQuad carburetors would leak
When they leaked they caused engine compartment fires - I am serious about this - JARTRAN lost MANY trucks to this - When they catch fire you have SECONDS to get out - I saw them where the door handles no longer worked because the plastic linkage clips had melted
Chrysler designated the engines -1 -2 and -3 - A 440-1 would be a passenger car/light truck engine and very likely what a Class C would have - 360-1 or 440-1
Transmission is probably a TorqueFlite "727" series called LoadFlite being in a truck chassis - DIFFERENT from a Car - More rugged components
Torque Converter from CAR will FIT and it will BURN OUT - A Truck Converter has much less slippage than CAR version - On the Highway under load (like towing a trailer or simply being an RV), CAR version will run Very Very HOT and burn out the entire transmission
