In a different post of mine, I was talking about picking up an LA 360 for a ramcharger Im replacing a blown motor in, and had others suggest going magnum. Well, I thought about it, and that is the best idea, with a slight twist. Im going to take the LA 360 out of my Satellite and put it in the ramcharger, and do up a nice magnum for my Satellite. Might as well be happy in the end right?

Ok, so here is what I plan on doing. Trying to have all loose ends tied up so I dont have any surprises once I start, and I can swap both motors all in one shot:

Steps for the truck:

LA 360 in the Satellite should bolt right in place of the LA 360 in the truck. Should not have any surprises there. Simple enough, right?

Steps for Car:

1. Pick up a Magnum 360.
2. Pick up a carb manifold with Magnum angle bolt holes.
3. Will need to go with electric fan (junkyard here I come).
4. I want to keep the Serpentine setup so it should drop right in, just need to have custome A/C and P/S hoses made, should not be a problem.
5. My current setup has radiator inlet on drivers top, and outlet on passenger bottom. Thats the same for the magnum correct?
6. I have manifolds on my LA 360, will those bolt up to the magnum heads or will I need to go with some headers?
7. Motor Mounts should be same right?

8. Will need to go electric fuel pump. Exactly how do you set this up. Return line needed? How is that plumbed in?

9. My LA 360 is bolted to a 904 trans using the aftermarket flexplate for proper balancing. Will this same flexplate work with the Magnum 360/904 Combo? If not what will I need to do?
10. Will the car oilpan that is on my LA 360 bolt up to my Magnum 360. If not, what specific oilpan do I need to get?
11. The ignition system that is on the LA 360 (pertronix II, Flamethrower II coil) will all swap over to the magnum
12. finally I would like to upgrade the cam with a nice cam kit to give it a little more oomph. Something that will still give it a nice strong vacuum source for power brakes, etc...but still let it idle pretty smoothly as I drive the car a lot, a whole lot. I would like a nice middle ground between performance and still be very street friendly. What cam/spring/retainer kits do you recommend?

Is there anything that Im missing?

Im sorry the post is so long but I want to have everything taken care of and lined up before the swap starts, so that it can go smoothly with no surprises.

Thanks
roe

did this a couple years ago. put it into a 65 coronet.


3. Will need to go with electric fan (junkyard here I come).

mercedes fan is what I did. new controler out now. but the nissan maxima fans worked okay too.

4. I want to keep the Serpentine setup so it should drop right in, just need to have custome A/C and P/S hoses made, should not be a problem.

did this too. took both hoses taped together to get length to a hose shop in town. think it was like 50 bucks.

5. My current setup has radiator inlet on drivers top, and outlet on passenger bottom. Thats the same for the magnum correct?

yes. and I have a 26 inch rad. there is a gmc truck hose that works best for the upper hose. if you have a smaller rad, then not sure. but I went to the store and just bought a crap load of hoses to find the right one. the lower for me was on the other side. used the metal rad hose to a rubber hose to run it across, so not a big deal if it is wrong.


6. I have manifolds on my LA 360, will those bolt up to the magnum heads or will I need to go with some headers?

the mag ports are slightly different. technically they bolt up, but have heard of blowouts/exhaust leaks because there is very little holding at the bottom of the ports. take the manifolds with the motor. they worked perfectly for my car.

7. Motor Mounts should be same right?
yep. exactly the same.

8. Will need to go electric fuel pump. Exactly how do you set this up. Return line needed? How is that plumbed in?

well since you are going carbed, there are plenty of electrics that only put out 6 or 8 psi. you don't need a return line, but if you want, you can put one in. just need to run another line to the gas tank from where ever you put your regulator. but I would keep it simple and find the regular pressure one from holley or carter.

9. My LA 360 is bolted to a 904 trans using the aftermarket flexplate for proper balancing. Will this same flexplate work with the Magnum 360/904 Combo? If not what will I need to do?

This actually depends on which mag engine you get. the cut off is like 97 I think. 98 and up will use a neutral balanced torque converter and you can get a weighted flex plate for the 727 and bolt it up to the 904 by slotting a bolt hole from what I have read. I belive there are torque converter weight kits for the other. but I did it for a 727, so this is just what I read. someone else will have to tell you for sure here.


10. Will the car oilpan that is on my LA 360 bolt up to my Magnum 360. If not, what specific oilpan do I need to get?
standard la 360 pan works. don't forget the pickup. and use the la pan gasket, not the mag one. or it will leak front and back.


11. The ignition system that is on the LA 360 (pertronix II, Flamethrower II coil) will all swap over to the magnum

yes this should work fine.


12. finally I would like to upgrade the cam with a nice cam kit to give it a little more oomph. Something that will still give it a nice strong vacuum source for power brakes, etc...but still let it idle pretty smoothly as I drive the car a lot, a whole lot. I would like a nice middle ground between performance and still be very street friendly. What cam/spring/retainer kits do you recommend?
sorry, no idea here. kept mine stock.

If I have it right, then my LA 360 is external balance. Im currently running a 904 and nuetral balance converter so I had to run the aftermarket weighted flexplate below:



It is a weighted flexplate with 727 and 904 bolt patterns. So I can use this on '98 and up magnums.

But if it is a '97 or earlier magnum I would just use a stock mag 360 flexplate, or would I use and LA 360 flexplate?

PM Sent

I am not sure, but I would have to geuss the mag and LA 360 are balanced different. since b&m put out one specific to the mag.

But again, someone with more knowlege on that part would have to chime in.

but that does look very similar to the one I put in my car.

I forgot about the ps pump.
if you use the stock one out of a truck, it goes wider and higher. puts the cap right under the battery tray.

I happened to get lucky and a pick your part was doing an all you can carry for 25 bucks when I first started the swap.
I did not know vans were different, but pulled the whole front end off the mag motor in that van, a dakota, and a bunch of starters.

anyway. turns out the van one tucks it in closer to the engine and drops it down.

so it just barely clears the battery tray.

you do need a weird belt too. it didn't match the van belt. but is a common one the parts stores carry.