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Re: Pros and cons of the Dodge Rampage's?
#477183
10/11/09 12:25 PM
10/11/09 12:25 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 104,346
Garden Grove, CA
OzHemi
Penguin-hating Ginger
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Penguin-hating Ginger
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 104,346
Garden Grove, CA
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Quote:
I have to deal w/California emissions
There is going to be your hard part. You will have to go through a referee and what not...best to check with the DMV to see what is needed before going much further..
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Re: Pros and cons of the Dodge Rampage's?
[Re: OzHemi]
#477185
10/11/09 01:09 PM
10/11/09 01:09 PM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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I know with CA emissions that I will have to comply w/the yr of the engine I put in. So I will have to conform w/1989 emissions. I am wondering what I need to do as far as the whole project.
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Re: Pros and cons of the Dodge Rampage's?
#477186
10/11/09 07:04 PM
10/11/09 07:04 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 21,318
Manitoba, Canada
DaytonaTurbo
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 21,318
Manitoba, Canada
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Quote:
I have an 83 Rampage, std trans. I found an 89 LeBaron GTS w/auto w/a 2.2L turbo as a donor car. What issues would I have to face besides swapping out the engine? I have to deal w/California emissions. O2 sensor, pressurized fuel, is my current exhaust system adequate after the swap, wiring, cooling system w/radiator and fan, adding the brain box are all things that I am concerned about.
Motor and trans will swap right in. You will need to change to axles from a 89+ auto trans dodge omni. There was an axle shaft change, the inner splines on the axles changed so your 89 trans will not work with your 83 axles.
For fuel system you will either need to add a walbro 255 in-line universal fuel pump or switch to a pickup assembely from a fuel injected omni/shelby charger. However if you do this you will still be missing the in-tank fuel sump the efi models had, unless you buy a new tank at that time.
Rad/fan will be fine. Your existing exhaust system will be adequate, although not great for performance. I don't know what you can get away with there, but the fwd vendors sell 3" exhaust systems w/ cat converter.
Wiring will be your biggest hurdle. You have several options. First option is to splice and dice the harness from the lebaron together with your rampage harness. I have done this before, it works but I do not recommend it. It takes a lot of time and knowledge of the chrysler efi system and overall is just a pain in the rear. Your second option would be to find an engine harness from a 87 or earlier shelby charger or turbo omni, those are the only plug and play harnesses to fit your vehicle. Although you will need to cut a hole in your firewall for the wires to the computer. A 88+ shelby charger harness will work, but the bulkhead connector changed its layout so you'd need to either rewire that to your bulkhead connector or change your dash harness to the 88+. Also if you have an 88+ dash harness, an engine wiring harness from a turbo minivan will plug right in if you move two wires on it, for the wiper system. Hope that's about as clear as mud for you, lol.
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Re: Pros and cons of the Dodge Rampage's?
[Re: RodStRace]
#477187
10/11/09 08:01 PM
10/11/09 08:01 PM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 4,127
Ramona, CA
NicksGarage
master
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master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 4,127
Ramona, CA
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Quote:
dodgebarger, PM nicksgarage here and ask him about this. He's done the later model swap and knows a bit about the smog issues.
Sorry, mine was registered in a rural area and didn't have to be smogged after I bought it. I did look into it though and others have done it.
My conversion was done from an '87 Shelby Charger and then from an '87 GLHS. The first time I had the two vehicles side by side and gutted out the Rampage and then transfered everything over. It helped that the donor only had 9000 miles.
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Re: Pros and cons of the Dodge Rampage's?
[Re: DaytonaTurbo]
#477189
10/11/09 11:31 PM
10/11/09 11:31 PM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Wowsers! I guessed that the wiring harness would be the stickler. I was planning to keep the std. tranny in my Rampage and marry it to the 2.2L turbo. The donor car has a bad auto trans. I like having a stick anyway. There are about 5 mid-80's K-car LeBaron's w/2.2 turbo at the local junk yd. right now. Would any of there wiring harness work as long as they are pre-87?
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Re: Pros and cons of the Dodge Rampage's?
[Re: 8T2TOP]
#477191
10/12/09 12:28 AM
10/12/09 12:28 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,861
Riverside, Ca
R70RUNNER
master
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master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,861
Riverside, Ca
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Had an '83 Shelby Charger once upon a time. Weak points on the 2.2.....Head gaskets, electrical, and transmission. Not a horrble little thing but wouldn't go too far to buy another. VERY easy to work on.., even swapped a head gasket in a couple hours by releasing the timing belt and removing the head bolts then jacking the whole head assembly (manifolds and all) up and slipping the old gasket out and sliding the new one in!  I had no time to get it done, and it worked fine 
Current cars: 2000 Dak Quad Cab, 2012 Challenger,1970 Road Runner, 1994 Firehawk
1966 Coronet post sedan, 1988 Corvette, 2005 Magnum RT all SOLD
R70RUNNER<---VP Inland Empire Chapter of the MPM
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Re: Pros and cons of the Dodge Rampage's?
[Re: 8T2TOP]
#477192
10/12/09 08:03 AM
10/12/09 08:03 AM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Will do. I need to check out the donor car (LeBaron) this week. It is in south part of the county (San Diego) and I live in the north part. 
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Re: Pros and cons of the Dodge Rampage's?
[Re: R70RUNNER]
#477193
10/12/09 08:18 AM
10/12/09 08:18 AM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Maybe that is what happened w/my original (2.2) engine. I have yet to take it apart. I bought it this past May and I noticed that it a new head in it and the Rampage had 160,000 mi on it. The engine did seemed noisy (tired), perhaps the rods. I am only a shade tree mechanic at best, and have yet to work on the inners of a block. Maybe it is time for me to do that.  Did you mill the head when you replaced the head gasket on it?
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Re: Pros and cons of the Dodge Rampage's?
[Re: DCI]
#477195
10/12/09 10:52 AM
10/12/09 10:52 AM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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That is awesome! 
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Re: Pros and cons of the Dodge Rampage's?
#477196
10/12/09 01:30 PM
10/12/09 01:30 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 21,318
Manitoba, Canada
DaytonaTurbo
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 21,318
Manitoba, Canada
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Quote:
Wowsers! I guessed that the wiring harness would be the stickler. I was planning to keep the std. tranny in my Rampage and marry it to the 2.2L turbo. The donor car has a bad auto trans. I like having a stick anyway. There are about 5 mid-80's K-car LeBaron's w/2.2 turbo at the local junk yd. right now. Would any of there wiring harness work as long as they are pre-87?
Your rampage transmission will not take any amount of abuse. They were designed with 100hp in mind. IMO stock T1 power - 140hp/170ft-lbs would already be pushing on to it's max limit and/or beyond. The only harness that's going to be plug and play will be one from a 87 shelby charger. A 85-86 shelby charger harness can be made to work with a few wiring mods to change it from log intake T1 to T2.
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Re: Pros and cons of the Dodge Rampage's?
[Re: DaytonaTurbo]
#477197
10/12/09 02:10 PM
10/12/09 02:10 PM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Thank you for that valuable piece of info. Now I know where I stand. Besides the Rampage, I need an extra set of wheels, so I plan to check out the LeBaron GTS (which has a bad auto trans) and see if I could install a trans being advertised on Craigslist. The ad from Craigs list is a tranny from a 90 LeBaron convertible. Now my question is, will this tranny is from a the ad work? It says it is good for 87-90 LeBaron, Shadow, Acclaim etc. w/a 2.2 or 2.5. Since the LeBaron GTS w/a 2.2 turbo will this trans work or do I need to find out more about the engine on the 90 LeBaron to see if it would work in the 89 LeBaron?
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Re: Pros and cons of the Dodge Rampage's?
[Re: DaytonaTurbo]
#477199
10/12/09 02:52 PM
10/12/09 02:52 PM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Since you answered my question re: the Rampage, I will pursue fixing that later. Right now since I could use a daily driver, I am asking if I get this 89 LeBaron GTS (2.2 turbo) and get the 90 LeBaron convertible trans. will it work? Or do you need more info on the type of engine that the 90 LeBaron convertible had to say I could swap out the trannys?
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Re: Pros and cons of the Dodge Rampage's?
#477200
10/12/09 03:11 PM
10/12/09 03:11 PM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,109
Hiram, Georgia
474218
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,109
Hiram, Georgia
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Quote:
Since you answered my question re: the Rampage, I will pursue fixing that later. Right now since I could use a daily driver, I am asking if I get this 89 LeBaron GTS (2.2 turbo) and get the 90 LeBaron convertible trans. will it work? Or do you need more info on the type of engine that the 90 LeBaron convertible had to say I could swap out the trannys?
All the transmissions used with the 2.2 (and 2.5) engines will interchange. However, there is differences in the shifters. L-bodies, like the Rampage used shift rods. The G-bodies, like the Lebaron, used shift cable.
You need to get a copy of the MOPAR 2.2/2.5 FWD Book. Part No. P5007162. It provides all the answers.
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Re: Pros and cons of the Dodge Rampage's?
[Re: 474218]
#477201
10/12/09 03:31 PM
10/12/09 03:31 PM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Thanks, I will check both the car and the trans this week. You have been a great help. I will post any progress on this topic.
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I always hated front drive cars and trucks, have never owned another since then.
