Mopar 360 and AX-15?

Im going to be swapping a 360 Magnum into the Jeep and I was wondering if anyone has done this (I'm sure people have). I searched around but couldn't find any definite answers.

Can the AX-15 hold this much power? If not, what manual tranny should i use instead?
If yes, do you know of anyone that makes an adapter plate for this setup or does this bolt straight up? (I dont think it does but i could get lucky)
Also anyone know of motor mounts already made for this swap or am i going to have to fab my own?

Let me know any comments / concerns. Thanks guys.

well i did a quick search on google for an adapter but i couldnt find any at all :explosion. Just a quick question, are you getting the engine from a donor vehicle? If you are i would use the trans from the donor? Maybe you could also take a trans for a GC with a v8. I was contemplating doing the same thing a while back with a dodge ram engine and trans but the deal didnt go through so im still searching.

Probably gonna want a 4500 for that one.

Yeah i looked all over google. Theres SBC swaps up the ass but nothing for a Chrysler 360. Yes, Im getting a complete 99 Durango, but i dont want to use the auto tranny in it, i want to keep it manual.

Thanks Vette yeah i was thinking along those lines as well. Is the AX-15 just not up to the power of a V8?

I would imagine that the AX15 would hold fine on the street as long as there wasn't going to be any clutch dumping...I'm going to have to agree with Vette, though, go with the NV4500. On a side note, I've heard of people destroying the synchro rings in a AX15 in just a few wheeling trips with a 4.0.

chondamx said:

On a side note, I've heard of people destroying the synchro rings in a AX15 in just a few wheeling trips with a 4.0.

Click to expand...

Some people don't know how to drive.

Yeah ive had my AX for 2 years with no problems. Plus my uncle owns a transmission shop, so rebuilds are easy to come by if i need it

try talking to 5.2poweredXJ hes basically got the same setup you want only with a 318

Thanks for the tip. I pretty much have it down though.

Im gonna pull all the crap out of the XJ
Just build the motor mounts myself
and run the AX-15 till it blows
then worry about getting a 4500

Thanks for the help guys.

BE sure to post progress pics of the swap!

Will do, hopefully i will have the Durango within the next couple weeks, then ill start tearing into the XJ.

IIRC, the 360 Magnum uses the LA-block bellhousing pattern, and the AX-15 was used behind the 3.9L V6 - which also uses the LA-block bellhousing pattern.

Also worth noting that the "external" AX-15 bell was used on the NV3550 - and the NV3550 may be a better choice for the application. However, the AX-15 does seem to be fairly tough, so you may not need to worry (unless you get happy with the skinny pedal, or you like to flog things harder than designed.)

The NV4500 would be better than either of the other two above, but not a direct swap - you'll have to "massage" the transmission tunnel to make it work. I do recall that it's been done - but some tinbending was definitely needed (I'd like to do a 426 Hemi with an NV5600 behind it, but that's a ways off yet...)

I know that most of the LA-block parts won't work in the Magnum 360, but I do think that external dimensions are similar and bellhousing patterns are the same - so that should make things a bit easier for your swap.

Yeah thanks for the info Jon, I just have to grab a bell housing of a Dakota with an AX-15 and a 360 fly wheel and i should be good to go.

novak adapters will have an adapter for that and if not they will make you one $$$$

I'd suspect that the AX-15 ain't gonna last long behind a 5.9l Mopar. OTOH, a stock configuration from Dodge for several years was a 5.9l with an NV4500 in the Ram series pickups. Dad has a 99 3500 2wd with that engine and transmission. It tows 20k lbs and more in the summer.