SWAP MEET

CHRYSLER A-518 FOUR-SPEED IN AN OLDER MOTORHOME

Q:I have a ’76 Dodge Chinook motor-home with a 360 V-8 and I need an overdrive unit to make it useable again. In a response to a letter I saw in a previous column, you stated that a Chrysler A-518 automatic overdrive transmission could be used from 1988-’95 Dodge Ram two-wheel drive pickups and vans ( 1/2-ton through 1-ton) with a 318 or 360 V-8 gas engine. This leaves me hopeful that the newer 360 block is still the same bolt pattern as my old 1976 unit. Are they still the same?

Catimann

Via Hemmings.com

A: Yes, the 360-cu.in. engine block bell-housing bolt pattern was unchanged for more than 20 years, from 1971 up until 1993. The bolt pattern continued when they changed from the 360 designation to the 5.9 Magnum in 1993, although some of the engine internals were different. Your best bet is to search for 360-equipped trucks and vans built after 1988 to locate the overdrive A-518. Many of the 1988-’91 units do not have a lockup torque