So here we go!
Got myself a 1983 Dodge Ram 50 I'm picking up in October from a buddy in Atlanta when we go to Petit with the race team (saving myself transport money since we are tossing it on our race rig).
He says the oil pump seized, leading to spun rods and basically a junk motor. I could either: rebuild the motor (ugh, don't really want to), or find a motor and buy it (and just toss it in!)
Motor in question is a "4G52" 4 cylinder, carb'd dinky motor. Problem I think I'm facing is I don't foresee these motors as being plentiful at the junkyard anymore. Think they came in the Mitsubishi Colts back in the day.
So, anyone have a good starting point in which to find one of these motors?
Cheers!
What transmission? A friend of mine has a D50 that had the 2.6 with an Aisan Warner 70 automatic. The engine went south, so I found an old 240 Volvo with an SU carb, took the AW70 bellhousing off a newer OD equipped car and mounted the Volvo B21. Probably one of the simplest swaps I've ever seen- exhaust is on the correct side and just needed a 6 inch pipe to mate the Volvo downpipe to the Mitsu exhaust pipe, rad accepted the stock Volvo hoses, used the stock trans mount and shifter of course. The only actual fabrication was plates to mount the stock Volvo motor mounts and stands.
EFI would add a degree of difficulty, but still pretty easy.
Check car-part.com. It looks like there are plenty of these things in the junkyards.
If you're feeling frisky, how about a Mitsubishi Starion/Chrysler Conquest G54B turbo engine? It's from the same family of engines as the 2.0L that's in there.
BTW, this truck is a badge engineered Mitsubishi Mighty Max.
You could go with a Chrysler 2.5 from a Dakota and then turbo it ala The Monster Plymouth Sundance
Or a SRT4 2.4L engine backed by a jeep liberty 5-speed transmission. Which might be more expensive but should have fewer miles and be more easily supported going forward.
If this is a project I vote 4g63, the starion guys figured out how to make those work with their rwd trans.
Or a v8 from a Dakota/Durango.
Thanks guys!
I would love to do a swap, time permitting. What parts would be needed if I did a 4G63 swap? It does have the automatic in it, so I would like to swap that to a manual. Also like the Volvo idea..
I all ways liked those little Mitsu pickups. I had a job in high school, back in the late eighties, where we had 3 pickup trucks, a D50, a Ranger and an S10.
I took the D50 out to the job site whenever I had a choice, it was spunky!
My brothers first car was that, I remember him getting a ticket for 84 in a 55 and our dad went and fought it in court. It wouldn't do 84 downhill.
There was a kit in the old mopar magazines to put a v8 in them.
I imagine a rotary would fit in there nicely. 
Yeah a 13b would fit quite nicely, to stay in the "family" a nice DSM motor would be quite the amazing proposition
