Swapping from LA to a magnum questions.

Hello everyone. I have an 85 Dodge D150 with a 318 and A833 O/D trans. The original/current engine is starting to get really tired and is blowing some smoke. I picked up a 5.2 Magnum for free that was in a running 96 Jeep that lost its trans. So I am thinking I will use this engine.

The only intake I can find is the Edelbrock 7577. I have a couple questions. Are there any other intakes available and if so, what is the most streetable? Other than the obvious, is there any surprises that I will find trying to switch all the fuel injected parts off for carbouration?

My truck has no A/C, but does have power steering. I am thinking I will use all the accessories off of the current engine, will there be any surprises?

I checked the crank, and it seems that it is drilled for a pilot shaft. Will my flywheel from the LA engine work? Do I just need to add the pilot bushing?

Will exhaust manifolds or headers from an LA block work?

Thanks for all the help

You have the start of a great project with that 5.2 Magnum.

You will need a timing cover with provision for a mechanical fuel pump or use an electric pump mounted down by the tank since you want to use a carburetor, but you can get that off your core along with the distributor and the balance of the ignition system. Intakes are out there, but I have not researched them for part numbers as I don't have anymore LA stuff and my new daily has a 5.9 Magnum and I am happy with it as is.

Crosswind makes an Edelbrock knock-off intake for a reasonable price that will work on either LA or Mag heads. You can use the LA flywheel and headers. I wouldn't waster my time with the LA exhaust manifolds which would probably leak anyway due to the AIR injection ports. Use the Mag serpentine belt/alternator/p/s pump setup. Can't run A/C with the crosswind intake anyway due to the old style thermostat housing location. You will have to trim off the A/C compressor mounting pad for clearance. However this will require an electric fuel pump mounted by the tank to supply fuel but makes for a much cleaner swap IMHO. I should also note that when using the 120 or 136 amp magnum style alternator a fused 10 ga. shunt wire should be added between the alternator and battery to prevent overload of the factory amp gauge and bulkhead wiring in your 85 truck.You will be amazed how much better the mag motor runs compared to the old tires LA.

The magnum is out of a jeep? Before doing anything else, make sure the starter is in the same place as your current engine... I want to say jeep put it somewhere else...

The magnum heads flow well enough to run just over 400 crank hp. It will be much more potent than your LA. my Dakota cane with a 5.2. Just an M1 intake, headers, mild cam, and a re-tune, it was pushingvmy 4000 lb truck to mid 14s at almost 100 mph with 2.2 second 60' times.

Indy still has a few Mopar 4bbl magnum carb intakes in stock but the EFI guys are buying them up and machining them for EFI because the stock for the EFI versions has been consumed. They're about $325 shipped. It's a single plane but don't let that scare you. Everyone says single plane kills low end torque but I have no lack of off idle torque.

All you REALLY need to swap the whole thing over is a carb, intake, distributor, and electric fuel pump. You can run the accessories as non-AC with a shorter belt, but not the factory non-AC belt unless you get a non AC alternator bracket. Google will tell you the correct belt. I don't remember off the top of my head. The alternator can be hooked up to an external VR even though the magnums were controlled by the computer.

If you do any mods, you can really wake up that magnum. They respond well to cam swaps. Something around 210-220 intake duration, and with the right springs and retainers, it's a bolt on swap.

Jeeps did commonly have the starter on the passenger side, but I think that's all in the trans. I may be wrong though, so definitely check that.

A carb intake is definitely the most costly option to the swap if you get a good one. The heads can be re drilled for the LA style intake. I think there is a jig available.

Leaving the timing cover, front accessories and everything alone and run an electric fuel pump is a good idea and easier.

I would use a mech fuel pump adaptor from hughes and run all the 85 318 stuff on the front of it.

the t-cover swaps and the adaptor lets you run a mech fuel pump.

all the pullys/belts/pumps/brackets will work. IIRC you do have to fiddle with the alt bracket some.

the edelbrock intake with magnum bolt pattern is the intake or the cross wind

you will also want to use the magnum pilot bearing, it larger and fits in the TC snout hub of the crank but will fit the 883/883OD.

I would pop for the 2 piece at hughes and install it.

for Ign. I like to by pass the stock harness and run a points dist with a pertronix points conversion. that will drop in the magnum block.

and make sure to use the magnum N balance flywheel. I scored mine at advance auto for 135$ IIRC the 5.9 was 165$

for headers I would go with the hedman 79170 which work on a 92-93 D or W series chassis with magnum/NV4500 5 speed. FYI** new style pilot bearing.

the starter pocket is on the trans bellhousing, engine itself is the same.
also for questions about the crank, the 318 Magnums used the same crank as every other 318 at least back to 1968.
some were drilled for a pilot bearing, some not. There is a needle bearing you can get to go in the torque converter pilot hole so no worries if your crank isn't finish-machined for the pilot bearing.

N balance? As in neutral balance? The 5.9 is still external balance on the magnum. It's just a different amount of weight as an LA 360, so you need the magnum flexplate and a neutral balance converter, or a 5.9 magnum flywheel.

The 5.2 is internal balance.

--for anyone playing with a 5.9...

I don't know if you found an intake or if this is something you want to try. Years ago one of the mopar magazines used a LA intake on a magnum motor. Maybe because a carbed one didn't exist at that time. To make it work they took a die grinder to the intake holes so that a bolt could be fit vertically into the magnum head. Then they took thick wall tubing and cut one side to match the surface angle of the intake and the other side was cut square. This adapter was used with the bolt to bolt on the LA intake.
The magnum heads don't have an exhaust cross provision so it may take longer for the intake to warm up in cool weather.
I believe as state above if you buy fuel pump eccentric parts from Hughes engines it will allow you to transfer your timing chain cover, fuel pump, water pump and accessories' to the magnum motor