Well he sold the Dakota but I know a few ppl with one I could buy. Is it a pretty straight forward swap or is it difficult
Now who would be dumb enough to try that?
Ok seriously.
I just got done with a mild magnum and the OD automatic swap on my Dart, and it was worth every single bit of the work it took.
I'll cover a few of the basics for you, and if you have questions you can contact me any time if you would like.
First let me say that there are people around that don't like that standard trans very much, because they feel it's not strong enough.
They also say that the 42RH isn't strong enough, but it's just a 904 with overdrive and converter lockup, AND the trucks they come out of are a whole lot heavier than our cars are.
I felt it was worth the go.
There are choices of going with everything from the OE magnum (EFI, serpentine belt system, AC and computer to control it.)
OR you can swap all the front stuff (timing cover, water pump, fuel pump and such) from an LA small block over to the magnum as they are a direct fit and run a carbureted 5.9 like I did.
As far as an intake for carbureted there is a Magnum Air Gap (Expensive little mother) or magum heads can be drilled and tapped so that any small block intake will then work on it just as any LA motor intake does.
Even if you send the heads off to have it drilled and tapped you would probably be in the neighborhood of the cost of the Magnum Air Gap cost (but then you could use any LA style intake you like after that.
Magnum heads crack between the intake and exhaust valves (common as can be) but on some motors it makes zero difference and the truck still runs and drives fine.
Problem is, when they crack in that spot there is a chance of the seat falling out and into the cylinder.
You can picture what happens to your Magnum then.
An Australian company named EQ has some really nice replacement heads for these motors and a pair of them set up nicely for a mild 5.9 is really inexpensive as new heads go, and their casting were improved so that they don't have the problems OE mag heads do.
Plus by all accounts they flow better than some performance heads without even being ported because the new castings were improved in the ports areas.
Cams for Magnums ain't cheap, as a matter of fact most of the very few performance cams for the magnums are almost 400 bucks.
Oregon Cam grinders did a custom grind for my engine for right at 150 shipped plus tax.
Let me know if you want more, as I have to start getting ready for an apt this morning.
It's a pretty straight forward swap as far as the engine goes, but depending on what trans you use (auto or manual) it can get a bit a pain in the butt, but still pretty easy to manage.
Also know if you don't already that 5.9's are balanced different and require external balancing via the damper and flywheel/flexplate.
