AHEM. No, switching the LA intake onto the magnum engine is not really a do-able situation. The LA intake sits much deeper in the valley and even by "hogging out' the bold holes to make it work it would be highly UNLIKELY that you would be matching the ports to the magnum head. It would be a really hack job install.

I have resigned myself to ordering a air gap (knock off) intake and I'm going to try to fabricate an adapter to use my existing TBI throttle body onto it. It looks pretty strait forward and I have some 1/2 flat aluminum laying around.

I'll let you guys know how it goes... I'm really trying to keep the TBI but if it's not possible, what do I have to get a generic vaccume advance distributor off ebay ($45)?

BTW- Is the magnum water pump pulley just "pressed" on? I used a puller to get it off and now I guess I'm realizing I should have just left it. I'm a bit nervous about leaving it just "pressed on", I assume I'm not missing something?

The TBI will not supply enough fuel for the magnum engine, it will run very lean as you push the accelerator. There is not enough flexibility in the programing to do that safely. If you insist on doing it wrong than at least get a 5.9 computer and throttle body from a full size truck, it will be closer to correct but still not right.

The knock off manifold is just as much a "hack job" as modifying and bolting on an LA intake, they are junk. The one I had would rock around in between the heads on a squaredecked block, it needed squared up it self, it was cheaper to buy the eddy and bolt it on than it was to buy and correct the knock off.

I have put LA performer intakes on magnum motors and the port was alighned decently as it was a smaller port dumping into a bigger port and with a thermoquad it ran awesome. It is also very easy to open up the ports a hair for even better alighnment.

Guys used to adapt LA intakes to magnums all the time. Years ago there used to be a jig floating around to redrill the magnum heads to accept the LA intake bolts.

Something like this...

No, I mean NOT redrilling the Magnum heads but "hogging out" the bolt holes of the intake to work. Some other forums claim that can be done. I might be possible, but it isn't very good. Apparently there was a hotrod magazine build that did this instead of drilling the heads.

The other issue I have run into is the Magnum oil pan does not work in the 91 Dakota body style. It hits the crossmember and the oil drain plug would be "in" the crossmember even if it didn't. So, that is another major hiccup I have hit. I'm just swapping the oil pans and oil pump pickups "at least I'm trying" but I'm not even sure that is going to work with finding the right oil pan gasket to use. The magnum gasket does not seem to work (my dad went to the parts store with the LA oilpan and that is what he is saying) I wasn't there so I can't be sure about that.

Just curious what facts you rely on to say that the TBI setup cannot supply enough fuel for the magnum engine. Have you tried this or are you just speculating?

I don't know, I see people posting up totally ridiculous things like putting 750cfm double pumper carbs on 318 engines and say how much power they are making so....

I suppose it could run lean somewhere, I guess I'll real time the fuel trims and see if the computer is trying to compensate. I'm used to dealing with mass air and speed density setups from much newer vehicles so I'll have to look into how this TBI setup works. Maybe I can add some fuel pressure or something with a piggyback, I think I have an emanage laying around somewhere.

I do have a 650cfm 4 barrel carb I could put on there if the TBI does not work but to me that is still too big of a carb for a 318cid engine. I really hate to put a carb on there, I'm not building a race car, it's just a low rider with a V8 for a go getter for my business.

I put the "hack" intake on, and it fit perfectly so I don't know, maybe you got a [censored] casting or maybe your machine shop did what they always do and say "its not them, its you" because I have yet to meet a machinist that has ever jacked up an engine.

I just sold my 96 reg cab short bed dakota with a 5.2 with a 5 speed and am regretting it last i heard it was being lowered too . i would rather have MPI than a TBI

All 93 (maybe 92 as well, but 91 is definitely TBI) and newer Dakota V6 or V8 is MPI. Some guys here say the wiring up to 95 works so, I suppose you simply need the MPI intake and some injectors, maybe you can just keep your 96 intake.

At this point, I'm not sure who to believe, I think if it was my project I'd just bolt something together and see what happens.

When I do my 47 Dodge, I'm putting a 97 5.9 magnum with its original trans, and a Hot Wire harness. I know that works, and the stuff is here. Gene

I don't think part throttle will give too much trouble, it'll be full throttle where the computer can't monitor or adjust. However with what you're doing, I'd be it will be close enough to not pose a problem because you'll probably only be making 200hp.

Magnum oil pans use a reusable rubber gasket. The LA pans use cork gaskets.

That's all great guys. Have any of you actually PUT a magnum 5.2 into a 91 dakota? Because it does not fit. The oil pan slams right into the cross member. I know because I was trying to do it two days ago.

I can say it's a pretty major thing to leave out when you are telling people that you can do this swap.

And the LA oil pan absolutely does NOT interchange to the magnum engine. I know because literally just walked inside from the garage trying to do it. The rear pan seal is an entirely different diameter than the LA pan.. So I'm pretty much completely screwed right now.

I don't know what engines these people are working on that you can interchange these oil pans.

The only possible thing I can see that could be done is swapping the LA rear main cap an convert the Magnum engine to the older LA style rear main seal which I just don't know if that is such a great idea. There is a pin set in the magnum journal that isn't there on the LA engine so I would have to remove it, or drill a hole in the LA main cap to make it work and all that seems very iffy to me.

Just know that the stuff you post up on the internet when you are not 100% positive about it can cause other people a TON of work and lost money.

Parts book is listing a 1991 5.2 Dakota oil pan as part # 53009878

Lists 92-93 oil pan for Dakota as 53020287

What application oil pan are you using now?
A magnum engine requires a magnum oil pan

rockauto shows pic of 92 dakota oil pan (56 bucks!)- it has a thin sump compared to a full size pickup. Where is yours interfering? Should be a simple think to fix with no welding or cutting

If you're needing to run an LA pan on a Magnum motor, the LA pan must be from a 360. It doesn't matter if it's a 5.2 or 5.9, they both have the same size rear main cap and seal as an LA 360. That's how people put Magnum motors in cars.....use an LA 360 car pan. I have no clue as to whether an LA 360 truck pan will fit an early Dakota chassis.

I have done this exact swap, in a 91 no less, any 92 or later dakota or durango 5.2 or 5.9 oil pan will work just fine. Some of the late vans after about 2000 used the skinny rear sump, rams earlier vans and jeeps used the one that wants to sit on the frame and steering... If you use that pan you can use the good one piece magnum gasket. Do not swap the rear main cap, it wil eat up your engine quickly unless you line bore and hone the block. You will also need the oil pick up tube.

The TBI ran great on the original 318 but would not run right on the magnum, Idle was about the only good thing it did. This was with the eddy intake and adapter on and big single exhaust and the 92 93 ex manifolds. I think the 318 TBI engine had 180 HP and the magnum was 235 so it just is not right. We eventually swapped in a 93 intake/harness/computer/fuel pimp and it ran awesome and yes there were a few wires to swap but no biggie.

I have done this swap and am telling you the way to do it with as little headache as possible.

The eddy intake bolted on with no issues whatsoever, hopefully the knock off you got is better, check the port line up also as it was way small on the cheap intake.

A carb swap with the correct intake is a breeze also and you can use the TBI fuel pump and return system with a cheap regulator and a 650 is no where near too big for this motor. Again I have done exactly that. I have done quite a few very similar swaps to this but I gues I should stay off your post. Sorry I tried to help.

Interesting, I would have thought it would have been close enough to run and drive ok, even if it wouldn't have made best power. I wonder if it would have done any better with a more restrictive stock TBI intake manifold?

I would run a 600-650 cfm carb on a 318 no worries. I'm not a fan of TBI at all but to each their own.
Good info on MoParts, not always perfect but nothing really is?