Ok, so this is a bit far fetched...but i'm really considering the option. I've come across a Viper V10 at quite a reasonable deal, and was curious about fitting it behind the grill of a 47 pickup that i'm currrently working on. Was planning on a 350 Vortec until yesterday...any reason i shouldn't go with this V10 (comes with tranny and complete wiring harness) other than it is a Dodge product? }>
With enough cutting and welding, anything is possible. I guess a lot of it comes down to how much money you have, how much time you have, and how much modification are you ok with. One of the immediate concerns would be steering. The V10 will be tight, especially with the exhaust, which may have to be custom fitted for clearances. You will need to use an electric fan, and probably an aftermarket firewall for clearance. Brakes need to be majorly upgraded, bigger the better. That also means bigger wheels. Differential, and driveline need to be fabricated, and front and rear suspension upgraded as well. It will be a lot of work, but so is the vortec upgrade. If done correct, it will be a hell of a ride, if done wrong, it will be a ride from hell. Do a ton of homework before commiting to it. I would probably buy the motor if indeed it is a good deal, as you can always resell it. Get the original engine out of the truck, and do a mock up to see what you will likely deal with for clearances, then have fun........Mike
Sounds awesome. I put a big block 402 in my 1950. I have about 1/2" from the back head to the firewall and about 1/2" from my pulley to the radiator. I'm using a pusher electric fan and I had to build my own headers to go over the frame rails. Behind it got a TKO 600 5 spd and ford 9" rear. I'm not sure how much longer that v-10 is but this was tight. I did not recess the firewall or put in a front clip off another car. I got plenty more pics where this one came from. Not many people have these with big blocks in them, but NOBODY will have one with a V-10 in it. Do it. Attachments: https://talk.classicparts.com/images/attachments/4325cf7d02345869.jpg
Uh YEAH definitly do it, it wil be a lot of work but it will totaly one off and the only one around and the truck will be ungodly fast. Let me know if you decide to do it and give me/us updates. Shane
Ok, bought the motor anyway...hoping to get it set up on the frame to check fit. I've already modified the firewall with a recess (similar to bitchin products) for a V8. My main concern is going to be the transmission. The motor came with a manual and is pretty far back, so i'm looking into the possibility of an automatic for this motor. Otherwise i gotta retrofit a clutch assembly also...which seems like alot of trouble to me. The steering looks like it'll be fine with the MII power rack. If anything i may have to move the radiator forward within its frame. Not quite sold on it yet though...will post with updates, thanks for the suggestions!
Myself, I would try to go the automatic route. I think it will be much simpler to work with. A manual trans would be fun, but with that much power an auto will be easier to drive. Using an auto will also allow you to put the shifter in a better location. Sounds like a fun project. Good luck, and keep us posted. If all else fails, you should be able to sell the motor, and work with a V8.......Mike
ehh, a manual would be way cooler. All you'd need to do is find somebody with the pedal assembly from a manual truck and bolt it under the cab. Obviously the 3 speed linkage would be useless, I made a linkage myself and it works well. I'm using a MII power rack and it works great. My engine is a 71 iron BB w/iron heads so it is probably heavier than a modern viper V-10. You probably could modify that core to move the radiator further forward, I considered doing it with mine but it was easier to just use a pusher fan.
Just an small update, have decided to go with an auto to simplify the install. A manual would be great, but maybe next time}> . The V10 is already beyond what i was planning with the project, so at the moment i'm trying to find an auto tranny for sell, or trade for my manual. Any suggestions on gear ratios for rear 9"? I've already got the rear axle completed with 3.70. Think that'll be too low? A friend is telling me i should look into around a 3.00. I'm not looking to do 200mph in a truck shaped like a brick....but i'd like it to be highway friendly at around 75-80 mph. Thanks for all the suggestions.
A lot of that depends on which transmission you use. Auto transmissions used differential gearing from mid 2 to mid 3:1 ratios all the time before they went to overdrives. If you use an overdrive transmission, 3.70:1 may work very well, as the final overdrive gear may be as low as .5:1. After you decide which transmission, figure out the tire size you want, then you can use any number of sites to calculate your engine rpm at various speeds. The V-10 should really have no issues with running at higher rpm's , unlike the stock engine. I would just sit on the 9" until you get those numbers, you don't want to get rid of it, then figure out it was good to go. Just my opinion......Mike
I remember from a Jeep Wrangler install I read about that the 4.0L six they were removing was around four inches shorter than the V-10, which meant they needed an electric fan and possibly water pump. I know from comparison that a 235 and a 4.0 are about the same length, if not, the 235 is longer. I am really interested in seeing some pics of this beast! What's going to happen to the 9" when you punch it? That's a lot of ponies to force through a 9" isn't it?
The 9 inch will be o.k. It is the standard anymore for the performance guys whether it is NASCAR, drag, or street. There is a bookoo aftermarket parts for them and is much cheaper than a Dana 60 which is probably slightly stronger, but much harder and pricier to get parts for. I'm jealous that we got beaten to the punch though. Our shops brag is we can mount a 450 Cummings on a skateboard if that's your thing but this is a one upper I just gotta follow closely. Kind of makes our 392 Hemi VW Bug look ho-hum. Good luck, and I mean it.
I have a 9" in back with a 3.89 My 5th gear is a .64 though, so it will be acceptable at highway speeds with 28" rear tires. 2000rpm's gives you 67 mph. If you used a 3.70 you be going 71 @ 2000rpm's, that's with a .64 5th gear though. I have a spreadsheet made up that calculates speed as a function of rpm, tire size, rear ratio and trans gear ratio. You can see what every gear will be like, it's pretty useful when making tranny decisions. I can't attach excel files to this forum, but if you'd like the spreadsheet so you can mess with it yourself I'd be happy to give it to you. Just email me if you want it.
