I have a 98 Magnum 5.9, and I know whether the larger componants (heads, pistons, front cover, gaskets) can be swapped, but I am unsure on the smaller parts. Specifically:

1. bearings (main, rod, and cam)?

2. timing gears and chain?

3. distributor shaft?

4. freeze plugs?

5. pushrods (the length)?

6. lifters (I am going to use hydraulic, but can I use LA hydraulic lifters or should I use Magnum haydraulic lifters)?

Rod and main bearings are all the same. You can use LA cam bearings in a magnum but not the other way, some don't have the holes to oil the rocker shaft. If you are putting magnum heads on an LA then you can use the magnum cam bearings also.

Timing gears and chains are completly interchangeable, even the poly 318. When I put a timing chain in either one I always tell the parts guys I am building a 340 and they give me a double roller chain for pretty cheap.

On the distributer shaft if you are talking about the intermediate shaft between the cam and oil pump, they are all the same, even the old poly 318.

Freeze plugs are all the same size in the block. Some locations are in slightly different places but the sizes are all the same. I think the heads use slightly different size plugs.

Pushrods are 3 different lengths. LAs used one length for flat tappet cams, another for the later 80s roller motors and the magnums used a 3rd length that was also hollow. If you want to put magnum heads on an LA block with a factory roller cam set up, just use the magnum PRs. If you want to put the magnum heads on a motor with flat tappet cam you need to put custom PRs 7.625 inches in it, mopar performance sells some specifically for this. In either case, roller or flat tappet you need to make sure the lifters have a hole in the center of the cup to oil the rockers through the pushrods and the pushrods need to be hollow also.

thanks for the replies. I will most likely be using lifters for a Magnum and Edelbrock or stock Magnum heads, so I'll just go with Magnum pushrods.

As for the cam bearings, would they normally come with the cam itself? So if I bought my Comp XE268H, would they come with the bearings, or would I purchase those extra?

Cam bearings do not come with a cam. You have to get them seperate or get a overhaul kit that comes with them.

As for the XE268H it is a very good cam but it is a flat tappet cam and will need the mopar conversion 7.625 pushrods and not the stock magnum ones. Mancini is the cheapest place to get them that I have found.

or return the comp XE268 and buy a comp XR265HR roller cam for the magnum, and reuse the stock magnum lifters.

I haven't bought a cam yet. In fact, I am so unsure of what I'm buying that I've only bought new freeze plugs and a new timing gear/chain set for now.

I had a set of the conversion pushrods on a crane 284 cam and with just a square decking of the block they were almost botteming out all the lifters, it actually ran fine but the plungers were pretty far down.

You have a roller block. Use a roller cam. You can have your stock roller cam reground for a reasonable price.
R.