? 3.0 Neon swap ?

[Sundance 6g72]

Post edited


Things I need for the swap (from what I have been told/researched)

L body Passenger Axle
Shadow hubs, brakes
Shadow driver side axle
Neon/Shadow hybrid passenger mount
Shadow driver side mount (needs trimming?)
My KMP solid trans/rear mount will work but needs a spacer because neon lower mounting point is wider
fabricate front engine mount
shifter cables should simply work (neon cables)
MS2

I have most of these things. Still need an L body axle.

Im not super worried about hood clearance but time will tell when it comes down to it. still need to sell my CTS before I can track down a neon

[shayne]

i think you could do mounts up pretty well with pretty simple fab work, length wise (width in the engine bay) i think that there would be plenty of room. i would wonder about if the height of the motor and turbo combo would fit under the hood with a 3l v6. the other one would be if the cv axles fit the hubs and within the neon track width. i think i remember seeing that the manual trans's and the auto's in the neons dont have the little extension off of the passenger side of the diff?

[Ondonti]

I think axles are the only think you need to worry about. I believe the hubs will have to be swapped out for our larger stuff. Not sure about width. I didn't know our bobble struts even had a difference.

[contraption22]

I think axles are the only think you need to worry about. I believe the hubs will have to be swapped out for our larger stuff. Not sure about width. I didn't know our bobble struts even had a difference.

If you swap to 2nd gen neon hubs, you can use Kbased axles. I forget the combination you need. I think my brother used one K axle and one L axle.

[Sundance 6g72]

bummer, I was hoping to stick with the factory 3.0 shadow axles. (i am ignorant to any differences in axles between our cars)

Im not too worried about hood clearance, I can make something work.

[contraption22]

bummer, I was hoping to stick with the factory 3.0 shadow axles. (i am ignorant to any differences in axles between our cars)

Im not too worried about hood clearance, I can make something work.

Just spoke with my brother. He says you need an Lbody right side side. GHJKP body left side.

[Unacceptable]

2nd gen Neons use the larger spline axles at the hub, so our axles will work with those.

[Sundance 6g72]

so 2nd gen hubs, L body right side axle (passenger?) and a driver side duster or Daytona axle (I have these)

[contraption22]

so 2nd gen hubs, L body right side axle (passenger?) and a driver side duster or Daytona axle (I have these)

Yessir. This was the combo used with an auto trans. So It should be the same for a 543. This was an unequal setup.

[nmw2006]

Good Luck! This is exactly what I have been trying to build for years. Just don't have the time/money right now to finish it. I really want to get mine done, but I'm driving truck right now to make ends meet and never home...

For the front mount, I designed a bracket out of 1/4" plate and reinforced the front crossmember to support it.

Bobble strut bracket on the frame needs moved over or a bracket made to change the mounting point on the trans.

My passenger side mount is a hybrid with part Neon mount and part 3.0L mount. Driver's side bolts right up after some trimming of the bolt sleeve.

Not sure if A/C will fit due to compressor location, mine doesn't have it.

Hood clearance is an issue with a rear mount turbo, idk about side mount, a reverse scoop fixes it.

I used Daytona knuckles/hubs/brakes/bearings with factory axles. Was looking into some DSS stuff because i can't remember how many stockers we broke in my Spirit and Shadow24v's car.

I probably have more stuff I learned that I'm not thinking of right now.


Edit: I've worked on and driven/raced a built 2.4NA Neon and it was fun/quick. Just not the torque we 3.0L crowd are used to.

[c2xejk]

Not sure about a 3.0, but on turbododge, a guy put a 3.3L/A604 into a neon. There was also a craigslist ad link for a guy that put a Mitsu 3.8L into a neon...

[Sundance 6g72]

thanks guys


Im curious if I should be using turbo dodge hubs vs the 2ng gen neon stuff. I could always take my stuff from the shadow. Im curious if my front brakes, bugs, and such will all bolt right up to the neon.

- - - Updated - - -

I got my new trans and a second motor last night.




Plan on putting that trans on my motor.

Not sure if going turbo right away or not. probably turbo. Its hard to lie to my self and say ill be fine NA.

- - - Updated - - -

I am curious about shifter cables? I cant remember if im running 1 neon cable or 2 but they seemed to work fine.

[Vigo]

Im curious if I should be using turbo dodge hubs vs the 2ng gen neon stuff.

I would use the stuff you have. It will swap right onto the neon ball joint and strut.

I think it's a cool swap other than the fact that your hood might be hideous.

I have a k-car solid bobble strut on my neon. The bracket on the neon is wider at the bottom so you have to use a spacer of some kind to keep the bushings from pushing out of the bobble strut. I used a washer and a nut to take up the space iirc.

[Sundance 6g72]

thats good to know. One of my wheel bearings is newish and so are my disc and calipers.

[shackwrrr]

For the hood, just lay some plastic over the engine, fill in obvious voids with foam, and lay a molded fiberglass hood.

[Sundance 6g72]

im not all that worried about the hood. If it needs to be cut or spaced thats fine.

[RoadWarrior222]

There's a ton of options for aftermarket neon hoods, http://www.ebay.com/bhp/dodge-neon-carbon-fiber-hood that EVO style one looks like it would give a 3.0 nice clearance.

[Sundance 6g72]

I would prefer a stockish looking hood but I wouldnt mind a carbon hood if I could afford it



So if 2nd Gen neon hubs/breaks are required (or K based hubs) does that mean I can run SRT4 calipers??

[ATaylorRacing]

I want the modern 3.6 29?hp rwd with 9 speed shoe horned into my 95 1st gen neon...if a 2wd Ram can run 15.10s with the 8 speed at Edgewater think what it could do in a neon!

[Vigo]

if a 2wd Ram can run 15.10s with the 8 speed at Edgewater think what it could do in a neon!

Do you have a link to this run? Is it documented anywhere?