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Visual: 5.2 or 5.9?

Posted By: Cheeto

Visual: 5.2 or 5.9? - 11/12/09 05:33 PM

I checked the archives and did a search, found nothing. At the risk of sounding stupid, how can I visually tell the difference between a 5.2 Magnum and a 5.9 Magnum.
TIA
Posted By: patrick

Re: Visual: 5.2 or 5.9? - 11/12/09 06:00 PM

on an LA, you can tell by the width of the balancer. a 318 is ~ 3/4" thick, a 360 is more like 1 1/4" thick. there will be differences in the balancer on a mag, but not sure if they're as easy to spot.

also, if you can get under it, above the starter on the block there is either a "318" or "360" cast into the side
Posted By: HotRodDave

Re: Visual: 5.2 or 5.9? - 11/12/09 07:51 PM

The 360 magn balancer looks like a 318 balancer except a big bight taken out of the edge of it on one side.
Posted By: Cheeto

Re: Visual: 5.2 or 5.9? - 11/12/09 11:45 PM

A bite out of the front/rear or out of the round edge?

Also, maybe I should have asked this first, what is the issue with engine mounts? I seem to recall that 5.2 had odd mounts that prevented it from directly replacing an LA but the 5.9 had the odd and old mounts. My plan is to swap the 5.2/5.9 from a '93 truck into my '78 that currently has a 360/727 but use the original 727 trans.
Posted By: Jim_Lusk

Re: Visual: 5.2 or 5.9? - 11/12/09 11:47 PM

Nothing odd about the 5.2 mounts. We put a 96 5.2 inplace of an 84 318 and it fit fine on the original 318 mounts.
Posted By: The70RT

Re: Visual: 5.2 or 5.9? - 11/12/09 11:55 PM

On my 01 5.2 it has the old mounting ears there but the mounts now are back and lower than the previous spot.
Posted By: ARETEE

Re: Visual: 5.2 or 5.9? - 11/13/09 12:39 AM

In the vehicle still? If you can see behind the PS pump, it will be pin-stamped on the front top edge of the block next to the head surface. Z code in the VIN will be the 5.9 also..
Posted By: Reggie

Re: Visual: 5.2 or 5.9? - 11/13/09 03:49 AM

Quote:

A bite out of the front/rear or out of the round edge?

Also, maybe I should have asked this first, what is the issue with engine mounts? I seem to recall that 5.2 had odd mounts that prevented it from directly replacing an LA but the 5.9 had the odd and old mounts. My plan is to swap the 5.2/5.9 from a '93 truck into my '78 that currently has a 360/727 but use the original 727 trans.



A 93 Magnum 5.9 will have a visible groove in the front of the damper. The 5.9 and LA 360 driver's side block mount ears are closer together than the 5.2/318 mount ears. Regardless of whether your Magnum is a 5.9 or a 5.2, you can't use the LA 360 converter due to the different balance weight requirements. Your options are to use a 1995-down Magnum converter, use a B&M Magnum balanced flexplate with a neutral balanced converter, or get the Mopar balance P5249843 Magnum 360 balance weight kit and rebalance your LA 360 converter.
Posted By: Cheeto

Re: Visual: 5.2 or 5.9? - 11/13/09 04:00 AM

Quote:

A 93 Magnum 5.9 will have a visible groove in the front of the damper.


So the groove will be on the "face" of the damper facing the pulley?

Quote:

The 5.9 and LA 360 driver's side block mount ears are closer together than the 5.2/318 mount ears.


That's good info.

Quote:

use a 1995-down Magnum converter,


So the converter out of the donor truck would work?

All good info guys, thanks!
Posted By: HotRodDave

Re: Visual: 5.2 or 5.9? - 11/13/09 04:33 AM

All 318s and 5.2s can interchange flex plates if you are going carbed, they are all internally balanced.

360 LAs had the weight on the converter. Early 5.9s suposedly had the weight on the converter and it was smaller than the 360 LA weight, 120 grams for the 360 and 91 grams for the magnum. By at least 94 the 360 had the weight moved to the flex plate and the converter was neautrally balanced. The easiest way to put a 5.9 where a 318 came from is to use a 94+ 5.9 flex plate and then you can use your converter from the 318 without any other mods.
Posted By: Reggie

Re: Visual: 5.2 or 5.9? - 11/13/09 05:26 AM

Quote:

So the groove will be on the "face" of the damper facing the pulley?



Yes.

Quote:

So the converter out of the donor truck would work??



Before we know whether the converter will work or not, find out what engine/transmission you have in the donor truck. Depending on the engine, it could be an A-518 OD, an A-500 OD, a 727 or a 900 series. The donor converter is probably a lockup style which won't work if your 1978 727 is non-lockup. If the transmission in the donor truck is an A-500 or 904 series, it won't work with the 1978 727 either.
Posted By: Cheeto

Re: Visual: 5.2 or 5.9? - 11/13/09 07:38 AM

Dealer report based on VIN says donor came with 5.2/46RH but who knows what's in it now. That's what I'm trying to decipher.
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