I just bought a used 5.9 Magnum out of 2000 Dakota with 90K miles on it. Runs great and I initially want to run it in a mild configuration. I want to run it carbureted with Edelbrock Air Gap manifold, Holley Avenger 670 carb, MSD ignition, cam and headers. I will leave the long block other than cam alone for now. I would like to get about 300HP and as close to 400TQ as I can with this setup. My question is actually not as much as about power, please give an estimate if you can, than it is in the fact that I want to run a mechanical fuel pump. I also want to run the serpentine belt system of the magnum as I have all the accessories that came with this engine including A/C. I think that the LA motor water pump housing will fit a magnum block. I also know the magnum water pump runs in reverse rotation to the LA setup. My questions are:

1. Does the LA front pump housing bolt onto the magnum block for me to run a mechanical fuel pump

2. Does the magnum pump fit into the housing to keep the serpentine system working properly

3. Are there any issues here I should know about

4. Is there an alternative solution to accomplishing this that could be suggested

Thanks in advance. Ron

first question- yes. I ain't up on the rest of em

Your cam does not have provisions for a mechanical fuel pump. Add to that your best bang for your buck is to reuse your stock cam, or have your cam reground. I would just run an electric fuel pump. No good reason not to. With the rest of the goodies you're running, the stock 5.9 cam should hit your hp/torque goals. I would just run the stock magnum timing cover/wp housing. In fact, I wouldn't even crack the engine open other than to do your intake manifold and headers, unless you want to get into it to do a timing chain set.

You do not even need to swap the cam to reach your power goals, the factory cam is bigger than the 300 HP crate motor cam.

You can not run a magnum serpantine set up and the mechanical fuel pump, one or the other but not both. I would get the cheap electric fuel pump from autozone and run that with the mag serp belt.

You will not accomplish all your goals.

The magnum pump and timing cover are a different depth than the LA stuff, which will make the pulley spacing all off if you swap to an LA cover and pump. You can't swap Magnum pump to LA cover, or vice versa due by design.

As said, the magnum cam doesn't have the longer snout to bolt a fuel pump eccentric to, but Hughes makes an adapter.

Easiest way to accomplish your goals is an electric fuel pump.

http://www.hughesengines.com/TechArticles/7junkyardjewelmakeminea59.php

Many guys have easily got around this by adding a low psi elec pump. What Supercuda said, if you wanna keep the front serp layout then the elec pump is needed. to go with an LA front then include an LA timing cover & the Hughes cam extension for adding the mech pump is dirt cheap

so a couple of issues using the serpentine setup.

the ps pump will be under your battery tray if you use the pump that came with that motor.

the van pump and bracket tuck it in so you can actually get to the cap and fill it.
BUT that changes the belt size and routing.
you can get it back to the stock routing if you change the idler pulley to the 5.7 hemi pulley instead, which will reduce the diameter of the pulley.

finally, the hose for the upper rad has to go to the passenger side due to how the a/c and belts line up.
I found a gm truck hose cut a bit worked better.
I think I can look up the part numbers if you need them.

The serpentine set-up will work just fine if you use a narrower battery, and cut and weld your battery tray like I did. It saved me the headache of locating the harder to find van stuff and all the other things that go with that route.