5.9 Magnum opportunity

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autopar3000

autopar3000

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Hey guys,

I have an opportunity to buy a 5.9 from a 1994 B350 van. The van was originally an ambulance. It's still running and driving with 150k miles on the clock. It doesn't smoke one bit, no blow-by, and runs smooth. The seller tells me I can have EVERYTHING related to the engine, including the computer, harness, serpentine setup, accessories, etc. Unfortunately he's keeping the A518 and the 4.10 sure grip Dana 60. I'm looking for advice on what this engine might be worth?

I was thinking I could drop this engine in my 70 Dart just how it sits, with the OE EFI and maybe even the Magnum AC compressor and power steering pump. It should bolt right up to my existing 904 trans, right? And I'm sure my Doug's headers would be fine. Can anyone tell me what else I would need to make that happen? Here's my list of things and some questions:
- Certainly an electric fuel pump, but would I need a return system back to the tank?
- 360 mounts in place of the 318 mounts I have right now.
- ?? Could that really be it?

Any information or advice would be much appreciated!
 
The 518, and even the smaller A500 used in some Dakotas will not fit without crossmember / floor rework. The A518 you have to cut up the floor to clear the OD
 
Well, if your going to pirate the whole FI system, computer included, then make sure you get the flywheel/flexplate with it for a neutral balanced converter. But yea, that’s about it.

It will bolt up to the 904, the headers are fine and the engine mount on the drivers side needs to be a 340/360
The P/S Jose connected to my ‘79 Dodge Magnum’s box.
You may need to change the fan on the water pump as I’m not exactly sure what is there now. The 5.9 I got from a ‘99 Durango wasn’t like the old time viscous fan but I had one laying around, I dismantled it and reversed the fan where the ‘99 was. It fit excellent and still works excellent. But do remember
It is reverse rotation.
 
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I don't know about van, but pickups had different oil pan arrangement that won't fit A-body. May need LA style pan and oil pickup. Also I believe radiator hose connections are different.
 
Ah yes, I forgot about the oil pan.
Also the P/S pump fit maybe an issue. May!
 
You could also just swap on an entire LA front.
 
magnumswap.com it's the bible on the subject! And I wouldn't give more then $500 for it cheaper if you can get it.
 
67Dart273 said:
The 518, and even the smaller A500 used in some Dakotas will not fit without crossmember / floor rework. The A518 you have to cut up the floor to clear the OD
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Thanks, but unfortunately he's keeping the 518, so I don't have to worry about that. Going with my 904.
 
You would reuse your 318 904 converter as it should be neutral balanced. The 1994 5.9 engines used a neutral balance flexplate and weighted converter. So, you will need a 5.9 flexplate with the weight, typically found on 1996-ish and up 5.9 magnums. I got a new one from the parts store for less than $50. You will need to cut a hole in the bellhousing for the crank sensor if your keeping the EFI. Your headers will work fine. You will need A 360 driver side engine mount or modify your 318 mount. The van will have the correct power steering pump for an A body swap. It fits perfect without having to modify the battery tray like required with a truck pump. A stock 1970 dart steering hose fits without modification. I use a cheap summit fuel pump on mine with a cheap regulator and no return line on a street demon carb setup. If you want to keep the EFI you will need a high pressure pump. I've used an MSD external pump and a corvette regulator/filter to fuel an EFI magnum. Worked great for thousands of miles and is a pretty cheap EFI fuel supply.
 
Of course, the oil pan! Forgot about that.

Thanks wanta68cuda, $500 sounds reasonable to me too. I read the entire magnumswap.com website today, and you're right - it's just like a bible. All kinds of good information, but missing a huge section that's important for me. Magnumswap.com basically casts off the idea of running the OEM fuel injection. I know I can very easily pick up a Magnum intake manifold and put my LA timing set on this 5.9, but I really want to run the OEM EFI. I know that limits the performance potential, but I can always go carbureted or aftermarket EFI later on.

I checked out some other threads where members were installing the EFI, so maybe I'll ask some questions in those threads. Right now I need to figure out what kind of electric fuel pump I would need, either with a return system or without a return system. Does anyone know?
 
1994redram said:
You would reuse your 318 904 converter as it should be neutral balanced. The 1994 5.9 engines used a neutral balance flexplate and weighted converter. So, you will need a 5.9 flexplate with the weight, typically found on 1996-ish and up 5.9 magnums. I got a new one from the parts store for less than $50. You will need to cut a hole in the bellhousing for the crank sensor if your keeping the EFI. Your headers will work fine. You will need A 360 driver side engine mount or modify your 318 mount. The van will have the correct power steering pump for an A body swap. It fits perfect without having to modify the battery tray like required with a truck pump. A stock 1970 dart steering hose fits without modification. I use a cheap summit fuel pump on mine with a cheap regulator and no return line on a street demon carb setup. If you want to keep the EFI you will need a high pressure pump. I've used an MSD external pump and a corvette regulator/filter to fuel an EFI magnum. Worked great for thousands of miles and is a pretty cheap EFI fuel supply.
Click to expand...

This is great info, thanks!
 
Return, or return less will depend on the fuel rail on your donor engine. I just put a EFI 5.9 in my shop truck, out of a 97 van, it was return less. The factory EFI is pretty straight forward, not hard to wire up.
 
What's your budget?
On a tight budget, any EFI rated fuel pump that supplies the required 40 psi, I think it is, will work just fine. As others stated, if that fuel rail has a return line and regulator, you just run the return line back to your tank. If your rail has no return line provision, you can use the Corvette fuel filter that has a built-in regulator and return line provision.
Some do get away without a return line, but I have not done it that way. The trucks with no return line had a regulator and return system inside the fuel tank.
If budget allows, some companies offer new fuel tanks with in-tank electric pump system, so you just plumb it to your rail and add a regulator and return line.
 
If your budget is tight, run it the way it is. If the budget allows, I would actually suggest trying to get the engine cheaper without the single connector OBD1 PCM and harness. Then get an intake, fuel rail, harness, and three connector PCM from an OBD2 truck. That will allow reprogramming with an SCT tuner later on, if you choose to add upgrades.
A 1994 OBD1 setup may still be running an egr too. No big deal, just more things to consider before jumping in.
No matter what you choose, you'll enjoy it when it's done.
 
The best thing about that motor would be it was probably meticulously maintained as the county or some office had to pay for it rather than a Joe blow.
 
replicaracer43 said:
Return, or return less will depend on the fuel rail on your donor engine. I just put a EFI 5.9 in my shop truck, out of a 97 van, it was return less. The factory EFI is pretty straight forward, not hard to wire up.
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Ok, thanks. Looks like I'll have to check it out more closely.
 
Bobzilla said:
What's your budget?
On a tight budget, any EFI rated fuel pump that supplies the required 40 psi, I think it is, will work just fine. As others stated, if that fuel rail has a return line and regulator, you just run the return line back to your tank. If your rail has no return line provision, you can use the Corvette fuel filter that has a built-in regulator and return line provision.
Some do get away without a return line, but I have not done it that way. The trucks with no return line had a regulator and return system inside the fuel tank.
If budget allows, some companies offer new fuel tanks with in-tank electric pump system, so you just plumb it to your rail and add a regulator and return line.
Click to expand...
Thanks for all this info! Budgets are always tight, but I'm not yet sure what I have to spend on this. Been some doing research, and I think I'm going to create a list of all the parts I need and some different options for each. Like for the fuel pump I can go cheap, or I can go Tanks Inc and have the ideal setup for the long term. Then I can make some choices on what makes sense for me and my budget.
 
Peter Bates said:
The best thing about that motor would be it was probably meticulously maintained as the county or some office had to pay for it rather than a Joe blow.
Click to expand...
Yeeeeessss! I was thinking the exact same thing. It was later converted to a camper and the owner was using it for hunting trips etc, but definitely for the first 100k miles I'm sure it was maintained perfectly. It runs like a perfectly maintained engine, that's for sure.

Owner wants $600 for it, so I have some decisions to make. I can get a 5.9 cheaper somewhere else, but those are not in a running vehicle and not within 20 miles of my house. Decisions decisions!!
 
As for the fuel pump. When I do either a magnum or Hemi swap, I’m gonna have rings like these machined and buy a new $100+\- tank and weld the bottom ring in place and be able to use the factory fuel pump module from whatever vehicle I get the engine from.

C8956148-F8F5-4861-9C23-4BCBC67BA132.png


9AD0D93E-B08E-42B3-9169-712B085C57B2.jpeg
 
75slant6 said:
As for the fuel pump. When I do either a magnum or Hemi swap, I’m gonna have rings like these machined and buy a new $100+\- tank and weld the bottom ring in place and be able to use the factory fuel pump module from whatever vehicle I get the engine from.

View attachment 1715220744

View attachment 1715220745
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Niiiiice! That's a great idea. Are those available for sale anywhere?
 
If I pull the trigger on this deal I'll be sure to get a bunch of pictures of the ambulance before we pull the motor and post them here (I'm going to help pull it out so I can have a visual and pictorial record of how it went together.) It has some different features you would expect on an ambulance, like a different alternator - probably high output. A rear heater with a valve on the heater hose that looks like it came from Home Depot, a tank for the medical oxygen...

I've never done an engine swap in my garage before so it sure would be an adventure.
 
autopar3000 said:
Yeeeeessss! I was thinking the exact same thing. It was later converted to a camper and the owner was using it for hunting trips etc, but definitely for the first 100k miles I'm sure it was maintained perfectly. It runs like a perfectly maintained engine, that's for sure.

Owner wants $600 for it, so I have some decisions to make. I can get a 5.9 cheaper somewhere else, but those are not in a running vehicle and not within 20 miles of my house. Decisions decisions!!
Click to expand...

You really can't beat that for everything, but I would still tell him all I could do was 5 and see what he says.:D
I paid 6 for just the motor from a 96 with about 98k miles delivered to my house.
FYI, figure new heads into your equation, even if they are EQ Magnums.
A 150k 5.9 is going to have some head and valve issue's.

(oh, you probably saw that on Magnumswap.)
 
autopar3000 said:
Thanks for all this info! Budgets are always tight, but I'm not yet sure what I have to spend on this. Been some doing research, and I think I'm going to create a list of all the parts I need and some different options for each. Like for the fuel pump I can go cheap, or I can go Tanks Inc and have the ideal setup for the long term. Then I can make some choices on what makes sense for me and my budget.
Click to expand...
Based on what others have done you could; modify your existing tank and use the donor pump, put a fuel cell in trunk with donor pump in it, purchase a tank inc. (or other brand) tank, regulator, and add return line if applicable. There would be benefits, sacrifices. Using the stock fuel pump simplifies the process but brings challenges like properly venting fumes from trunk with a cell or having a cut out in trunk to allow for top of donor pump on stock tank needing clearance. Costs would vary based on approach. I'm no expert but hope I was able to help in consolidating some of the great info I received from others.
 
Alright, we pulled the motor last weekend and it's now in my garage. I might start a thread for the swap, but to close out this thread I've posted a couple pics below.

Can anyone tell me where I can find the best value in an oil pan? I don't need a super high performance piece, just a stock capacity will be fine.

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