Got a 360 with a bad vibration. Pulled pan, has stock 360 cast crank. Has external balancer. Has no weights on converter. Flexplate looks like earlier LA has no weights. Is this supposed to have a weighted flexplate?

Factory stuff would have weights on the converter.

Yes, the 360 converter has a big weight on it.

Ok. This is where my confusion comes in. This appears to be a Magnum, magnum heads and roller cam, do I still need a weighted converter? And how do they index? Thanks

yes 5.9 (mag) balance is different than a LA 360 (not sure the details). If it is an LA it would either need an OE TC with the 2 weights on either side of the drain plug with the regular plate or an aftermarket B&M flexplate which lets you use any neutral TC (904 TC or 727 TC). the # is 10239 for a B&M 904 plate & not sure what the # is for a 727. Pics are on eBay. EDIT yes find out if it is a mag & the roller cam leans me toward yes. I'm sure block numbers would tell ('92 maybe 93 up iirc) cuz the 5.2 was a '92 intro & the 5.9 was a '93 intro.

Ok. I've found a Magnum flexplate. Would like to replace chrome POS oil pan. When I look up oil pan for Magnum they all say 1 piece rear main. Mine is two piece. Now what is this Frankenstein engine?

there was a prior thread on this but I did not remember all of the details that were posted. I'm thinking that a 1 piece pan gasket is available & 5.2/5.9/360 LA engines can all use the same oil pan but use the mag gasket with the 5.2/5.9 pan and an LA gasket with the 360 LA pan. EDIT Do check further to see if the 1 piece pan gasket is a better deal (I'm assuming that it is) but I vaguely remember some issue regarding that) but I cant swear to it. MORE EDIT to quell some confusion the 1 piece they are referring to is the pan gasket not the rear main seal which (it) needs the 2 halves to go on either side of the knurled journal.

No idea what rear main seal style has to do with pan selection. Unless you think you might have a 273/318/340 block, the rear main cap and corresponding rear pan cut out is the same for 360 and 5.9 and also 5.2. If my memory serves me correctly.

BUT...The one piece magnum style oil pan gaskets are not meant for use on older LA style oil pans. So you have to use a 4 peice kit or modify the pan itself. There are two slight kick outs on the the front of LA pans where it meets the circular part of the timing chain cover. The magnum pans didn't have this and using the one piece magnum gasket will leave those spaces open and you'll slosh oil out the front every time you come to a stop. There was a prior thread on this two that showed the differences in the oil pan edges there.

Probably obvious, but make sure to get a pan with the right sump location.

magnums have a normal 2-piece rear main. heck might even be the same part number as the LA motors, I've not tried to cross reference because I always just buy a full gasket kit when rebuilding one, and because of the oil pan, stock intake with plenum plate, etc, it's a magnum specific gasket kit for sure (since gasket kits assume stock engine rebuild)

did you confuse "rear main" with "oil pan"? cause the magnum oil pan gasket is one rubber piece all the way around.

all 360s were external balance, all 318s were internal balance. As mentioned, the LA is a different external balance factor than the Magnum, but they're still external.