Good morning folks....

I have an 87 Ramcharger 5.2 (roller motor) 4x4 that needs a motor rebuild (low oil pressure) for a reliable road trip from OKC to Tacoma WA as I am relocating.

I need to do this on a super tight budget (about $1500) but it needs to be done right. I'll lay out all the facts before I present my questions...I intended not to have to rush this build but life happens.I want to make this a mild performance rebuild and I have a few options to help with that. The Ramcharger will be used as a nice driver with mild trail usage and occasional trailer pulling. 31 inch tires with 3.55 gears.

I have 2 360 short blocks, 1972 an early 80's short block sitting on the shelf (both truck motors). The current 318 is a roller motor with swirl port heads.

My initial thoughts are build a 360 if I can find a way to bump up the compression to 9:1 on the cheap, 274 summit racing cam and I have a used air gap intake. The only set of heads I have are the stock 308 heads which I would rebuild with matching valve springs.

Thought number 2 is just build the 318 as it already is a higher compression motor, same cam and intake and be happy.

Are there any budget bottom end kits that can bump up the compression of the 360 some? Will the 318 heads work well enough on the 360?

Thoughts? ideas? solutions?

If you could find a 5.9 magnum shortblock, that would be your best bet. The 5.2 and 5.9 heads are the same. The problem is that they are prone to cracking. You could use the same computer, but you will probably need 5.9 injectors. I don't remember if your motor was throttle body or port injection. Unless you are putting a carb and normal distributor in it, then it doesn't matter. Shortie headers help throttle response, but I have found that most crack at the collector welds. Head ports are so sloppy, that I'm sure a gasket match on the heads and intake would help a bunch.

Though this idea is one I was kicking around, I intend to use the motors I currently have laying around rather than spending both time and money locating a magnum motor which will still need a rebuild anyway. Everything out here has over 200k on it
so if I'm going to rebuild something, it will be something I have in my shop. Thanks

Since you don't need a lot of rpm, I would find an adjustable timing chain kit and install the cam slightly early (3-4 degrees) to increase bottom end torgue. A 5.9 cam has more lift and duration than the 5.2, but I don't know if that would help you or not. Don't know if anyone did that kind of swap with good results. Gasket match, shortie headers, high flow exhaust, and a tune would be your best bet for power on the cheap.

Low oil pressure does not warrant a rebuild unless new rings and higher compression is the priority, assuming it has good compression, low blow-by, and doesn't smoke or use oil.

Drop the pan and replace the oil pump, rod bearings, main bearings, and pick-up screen. May as well do the rear main seal while the rear main cap is off.

If the screen had plastic bits in it then pull the timing cover while the pan is off and put a timing chain and gear in it.

$300-$400 total.

It has 160k on it... though it runs good aside from low oil pressure and a loud lifter tick, my thoughts were it would be time for fresh set of rings given the mileage. I then thought we'll if I'm gonna go that far might as well rebuild the thing the way I want to. Mild/moderate cam intake and headers with a fresh set of heads. Since I have 2 360 motors collecting dust I'd rebuild one of those short blocks that way I can keep the Ramcharger mobile if I need to move it while I am building the new motor.

$1500 won't do a decent rebuild considering what a machine shop bill might be. No sense in bolting worn out, leaky heads on a fresh short block. If your core engine has decent bores and crank journals, you might get away with berryball honing the cylinders, hand polishing the crank and throwing rings, bearings, chain kit and oil pump in it. Spend the rest on the heads. I've done that in the past and gone 100,000+ with it.

The loud lifter ticking may be a round cam lobe
I hope not

87 is still carb.

I would grab a 5.9 magnum from a JY and an airgap intake, should be able to get all that for under $1500

OK: relocating an appreciable distance, budget of $1500, and a time constraint. Low oil psi (how low & when?), unknown health otherwise.

I'd want to know if the original 318/5.2 is actually wounded and unable to reliably make the drive. Then I'd think about the cost to move the 2 spare & apparently needy 360/5.9 motors, (about 10 cents per pound bottom line last mover I checked for a similar situation.) Then the time element comesinto play.

Maybe sell off all 3 engines, get a decent used one installed, do the move, and build an engine later. Might even look at a Jasper or whatever. Note the balancing if you swap for 360.

My point is to look at the Big Picture, take a good look at your wallet, moving expenses, and income after the move. Avoid the rabbit hole that the scenario seems to present.