Old V8 Swap into Newer Truck - Need tips/advice.

i recently aquired a ford 360 from a 72 pickup and i am just wondering how difficult i will be to swap into my dodge dakota because my 4 cylinder blew up the other day.  

More info on the Dakota would be helpful.  

Alright, More info as needed. I have a 1996 Dodge Dakota with a 2.5L engine that has a cracked head and a heavily scored #4 cylinder, with a 5 spd tranny (unsure of the type). It is a standard cab with a 6' bed. Its green in color. I hope that is enough information for you. The engine is out of a 1972 Ford F-100 Custom with a C-6 Tranny. My friend is giving it to me for free because he is going to Iraq for 6 months and will be buying a Bronco when he returns. Im not sure what else I can add to this post to help you picture what I am dealing with. Thanks for ANY input.- Matt-  

What state are you in, first of all? Swapping an older engine into a newer truck is technically illegal in many (if not most) states. I would figure a completely new drivetrain (trans, driveshaft, rear-end) would be part of the deal. Also, you may have a little bit of an issue making the older engine play nice with the newer electronics, unless you rip them all out, and replace them with aftermarket units that will work with it.  

Checked the regulations and it is legal here, the truck is a donor that we will be stripping out all the parts we need. The engine is out, I / We want to know what will be needed for this swap. As of now, we are thinking that some minor fire wall fabrication and a drive shaft for starters. All I know is that I want to stuff this engine in my truck and I posted this for tips. Im not sure what else there is to say about this project. I am not some 17 yr old kid who doesn't do any research before a project. I was just hoping people who have done this before can give me tips. Thanks.  

I'd plan on probably getting some new gauges that are not dependent on an intermediate electronic interface, such as most late-model vehicles. Basically, they get their signals directly from the distributor/crank, tone wheel, etc. Again, I'm not an expert in this area, but the most common problem/complaint I've heard in similar situations is getting the gauges to work. I've also posted this on our Facebook page.  

hey thanks alot for putting it on facebook i was already planning on getting new gauges any way i am planing on eventually turning this into a drag truck/daily driver. do you have any thoughts on power steering from just looking at both trucks it looks like it will be more trouble than it is worth. i think i am just going to get some skinnier tires up front and just saying forget about the power steering all together.  

No problem. To be honest, our Facebook page gets a lot more activity than our Forums, so I figured you might get a little better response there.