Magnum Swap

[Grunt]

Hi, does anybody know of any potential problems with swapping a '92 318 Magnum into a '87 318 Ram 150? I've been "out of the loop" for a while and haven't kept up. I need to know if the balance and bellhousing are the same. If anybody has any info on this swap, please let me know.

[mrpeal]

i have dont magnum swap. as far as balance goes the old rules are the same. 360 external and 318 internal. the only problem i came into was that the brackets from the older v8 are not the same and require some modification to make them work because of the cylinder heads. the mounting pads are closer to the front of the engine.approximately 1/2inch. not a big deal.i was able to fab up the brakets in no time. of course the intake manifold is different and you will have to pull timeing cover to put fuel pump eccentric in place. the roller cam doesnt have one. good luck and hope you enjoy the magnum.

[kchristopher]

The old rules hold up except that the imbalance of the mangum and LA 360 are different, so don't use an old 360 convertor if you decide to use a 360 magnum instead. Also, Hughes Engines sells an adapter thingy that bolts to the front of the roller cams so you can use the fuel pump eccentric. MP sells a dual plane intake for this motor. Alternatively, you can modify your existing intake to fit by elongating the bolt holes (magnum intake bolts are verticle) and using tube shaped spacers with an angle cut on one end to fit the manifold face.

Engine mounts are the same as the old style motors. (Remember that the drivers side mount is different between 273/318 and 340/360.)

I don't see the benefit of this swap however, unless you plan on converting to the newer FI. What is different from the current setup. And even if you did convert, how different is it? If you are going to stay with a 318, why not just rebuild yours (or buy a rebuilt shortblock)?

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68 Cuda, twisties style
http://members.xoom.com/magnumcuda/sprfish.htm
96 Club Cab 4x4, Cummins 5spd

[Grunt]

kchristopher, buy a rebuilt motor--that's blasphemy! But seriously, my bro lives in this town and works in another 200 mi. away. We don't have the time to rebuild his as he cant have his truck down very long. A friend of his has a 318 Mag at a price that's hard to pass up, so we thought we'd rebuild that if there were'nt major problems with the swap. I seem to recall the 318s went from internal to external balance around 1982, and I wondered if the Mags were the same, hence the balance question. I had no idea the intake bolt setup was different. That would have been a nasty little surprise. Thanks for the help guys. If you think of anything else please let me know.

[kchristopher]

I have never heard of an externally balanced 318.

------------------
68 Cuda, twisties style
http://members.xoom.com/magnumcuda/sprfish.htm
96 Club Cab 4x4, Cummins 5spd

[txs]

The 318 magnums are not externaly balanced.

[Aspen77RT]

Not a hard swap, watch the alternator spacing if you use your old accessories brackets/pullies. Put on a M1 DP and carb it. Plus that block has a roller cam stock. Once the '77 block is out of my aspen and replaced with the '96 5.9L block. I will mess with flat tappets no more.

[dodger1]

I know the balance factor changed between LA and Magnum 360/5.9 engines. 318/5.2 are all internally balanced so that's not an issue in your case, and I believe the bellhousing is the same for both. But I think the motor mounts changed as well - from cast ears on the LA to a flat pad on the Magnum on both 318's and 360's. No big deal as you can get mounts from Schumacher and other sources. (lawboy2, welcome to the site, but you should start a new thread - you'll surely get a ton of answers!! just forum etiquette )

[Aspen77RT]

Bellhousing same same. Magnum blocks also have the LA engine mount ears too.

[pcrmike]

Dodger, Aspen, you are both right, as early ones like the one he got still has teh ears, but later ones did have the pads. :-) PCRMike

[Aspen77RT]

Unsure what you mean. The '96 5.9L in my garage has both LA ears and the normal magnum mounting pads.

[nhdriver]

Originally Posted by dodger1

I know the balance factor changed between LA and Magnum 360/5.9 engines. 318/5.2 are all internally balanced so that's not an issue in your case, and I believe the bellhousing is the same for both. But I think the motor mounts changed as well - from cast ears on the LA to a flat pad on the Magnum on both 318's and 360's. No big deal as you can get mounts from Schumacher and other sources. (lawboy2, welcome to the site, but you should start a new thread - you'll surely get a ton of answers!! just forum etiquette )

The magnum in my '92 Dakota came w/ the old style "ears' for the motor mounts, w/ a little luck yours will have them too. Have you considered using the fuel injection set up from the magnum ? It is far superior to the throttlebody set up on the pre magnum's as well as the wimpy carbs used on the earlier 318's. You might be able to find the computer stuff on a '92 ram which is the same body style as yours.

[pcrmike]

I believe it changed in 98 or 99. The early ones like 92 thru 98 had both. I think it was 98 or 99 when they changed. :-) PCRMike

[Aspen77RT]

If you choose to use the stock magnum speed density system, go for the OBDII found on '96 and up. It has way more support for "flashing" the PCM than the OBDI system.

[Aspen77RT]

Originally Posted by pcrmike

I believe it changed in 98 or 99. The early ones like 92 thru 98 had both. I think it was 98 or 99 when they changed. :-) PCRMike

Good to know. Thanks Bro

[ehostler]

Hey guys, this thread is almost 8 years old. Why are you digging it up?

[Aspen77RT]

Originally Posted by ehostler

Hey guys, this thread is almost 8 years old. Why are you digging it up?

hahaha I havent a clue. I might have been in a search mode, thinking it was a regular page. I just seen the date of the original poster.

Sorry bout that.

[dodger1]

Aspen77,, Ed, likewise. Never noticed the original date. Gotta start paying attention, I guess!