RIP 340 Onto Magnum swap

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plumkrazee70

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If you e been following my other thread in the SB forum, my 340 is toast. Really disappointed, but it doesn't make financial sense to dump money into resurrecting it (at least to me).

So I've been pondering the idea of a 5.9L swap. I found a van on CL here. Complete Dodge Van 3500 Newly Rebuilt Transmission - auto parts - by...

It's been smoged and registered. He has receipts for a trans rebuild(2 years ago). After he reuilt it he said it just bogged down on the free way (like he was running out of gas) and he had to limp it home. He took it back to the trans place and they said it most likely needs an ecm. Which I've read is common. Currently it will turn over and fire but will sputter and die.

So he suggested parting it out. He doesn't have the means and I do. I'm thinking if I can trade my labor for the motor and he can at least sell the trans and scrap the rest, we'd both win.

Mileage is unknown because the odometer doesn't work, but he is thinking 160k. Good sign is it passed smog.

What does it take to remove a motor like this from a van?
 
Lots of thought and patience. And a good set of gloves! When I removed a 318 from a 77 van, I took it out from where the doghouse cover would go but I was scrapping the van anyways so I could afford to be clumsy (and at 21 years I was!). Having a sawzall at hand helps! (I didn't have one though).
 
For $800 it is your duty to pull that engine and transmission and put it in your car!! With the factory EFI included!

Yeah, making the 46re fit in the trans tunnel will take some work, and converting your car to EFI will require some money for a proper EFI tank, fuel pump, etc (unless you're a fabricator and want to adapt the van fuel pump to your tank), driveshaft, but it's worth it in the end. As a bonus you'll be able to use the B van power steering bracket, which is required to fit in the A body.

What does it take to remove a motor like this from a van?

Um... yeah, not fun. My 5.9 came from a 1994 B350, we had to cut the lower front cross member and use a forklift to pull it straight out.

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For $800 it is your duty to pull that engine and transmission and put it in your car!! With the factory EFI included!

Yeah, making the 46re fit in the trans tunnel will take some work, and converting your car to EFI will require some money for a proper EFI tank, fuel pump, etc (unless you're a fabricator and want to adapt the van fuel pump to your tank), driveshaft, but it's worth it in the end. As a bonus you'll be able to use the B van power steering bracket, which is required to fit in the A body.



Um... yeah, not fun. My 5.9 came from a 1994 B350, we had to cut the lower front cross member and use a forklift to pull it straight out.

View attachment 1715982601 View attachment 1715982602

I am already setup for EFI from the 340 and I have a fresh rebuilt 4 speed with OD. Ive already been down the 42RH route. Lol. If he is going to scrap the car, I can cut up the front and use my picker to pull it out as an assembly. Based on your pics.
 
Could just be a blown plenum gasket- not uncommon. Haven't pulled a motor from a van, but I pulled one from a motorhome- not the most pleasant experience, but I taught myself a lot of new words.
 
I am already setup for EFI from the 340 and I have a fresh rebuilt 4 speed with OD. Ive already been down the 42RH route. Lol. If he is going to scrap the car, I can cut up the front and use my picker to pull it out as an assembly. Based on your pics.

Sounds like you're half way there already :)

The crank sensor is part of the flexplate, but it's possible to adapt the A833 flywheel to the Magnum EFI flexplate. Have a look at 5:33, if you don't want to watch the whole video:
 
Pulled my 360 from a van he was scrapin the body so I cut with sazall till it came out the front
 
Sounds like you're half way there already :)

The crank sensor is part of the flexplate, but it's possible to adapt the A833 flywheel to the Magnum EFI flexplate. Have a look at 5:33, if you don't want to watch the whole video:


I've never looked, but I've come across people stating this several times and never actually seen it work, and a flywheel isn't something I want to work some half-assery on.
There are (or at least, used to be) Magnum-EFI-Ready flywheels on the market that were competitively priced. American Powertrain was one but I don't see it on their site any more.
 
I've never looked, but I've come across people stating this several times and never actually seen it work, and a flywheel isn't something I want to work some half-assery on.
There are (or at least, used to be) Magnum-EFI-Ready flywheels on the market that were competitively priced. American Powertrain was one but I don't see it on their site any more.

I believe Brewers has a flywheel for the magnum
 
There are (or at least, used to be) Magnum-EFI-Ready flywheels on the market that were competitively priced. American Powertrain was one but I don't see it on their site any more.

Last time I looked into it I had to call and ask. It was available, but not on the website.

Drawing blank if it was American Powertrain or Modern Driveline. Will see if I can find the info, pretty sure I posted it in the last couple of months.

Edit - It is American Powertrain, PN FWCH-10004CS. I didn't post it like I was thinking though.
 
FYI, that is the one without the notches to run EFI. Add "CS" to the end of the part number to get the one with the notches.
I had ordered and gotten the EFI version about 2 years ago- like a dummy, I must have saved the wrong link...
 
Sorry everyone, I am running Fitech efi so no sensor is required. I would just need the external balance flywheel
 
Sorry everyone, I am running Fitech efi so no sensor is required. I would just need the external balance flywheel

Wrong. Multiport is what you need. I'd put multiport EFI on my Tesla if I could.

Please note, the gentleman above (not me) did provide the correct part for that application, completely by accident.

Just make sure to verify that you have the correct balance for a 5.9 vs. 360. They're different.
 
Wrong. Multiport is what you need. I'd put multiport EFI on my Tesla if I could.

Please note, the gentleman above (not me) did provide the correct part for that application, completely by accident.

Just make sure to verify that you have the correct balance for a 5.9 vs. 360. They're different.

LOL. well Fitech is already in hand, so that is what is happening.
 
That is way preferable to cutting on factory wheel and sandwiching a plate underneath and all that stuff.

It is an interesting solution to the problem though. I kind of toyed with the idea of sandwiching the two when there were no aftermarket solutions, but was thinking of turning the flange of the flexplate down instead of his solution.

But now that there is an option I would go aftermarket in a heartbeat.
 
Previous to getting my flywheel, I also toyed with the idea of transferring the balance weight from the 5.9 flexplate onto a neutral balance flywheel. But, I went with the AP flywheel just so I could retain the factory EFI.
I still may try swapping the weight for my run stand flywheel- bare flywheel for 273/318/340, screw the weight on for 5.9s...
 
If you e been following my other thread in the SB forum, my 340 is toast. Really disappointed, but it doesn't make financial sense to dump money into resurrecting it (at least to me).

So I've been pondering the idea of a 5.9L swap. I found a van on CL here. Complete Dodge Van 3500 Newly Rebuilt Transmission - auto parts - by...

It's been smoged and registered. He has receipts for a trans rebuild(2 years ago). After he reuilt it he said it just bogged down on the free way (like he was running out of gas) and he had to limp it home. He took it back to the trans place and they said it most likely needs an ecm. Which I've read is common. Currently it will turn over and fire but will sputter and die.

So he suggested parting it out. He doesn't have the means and I do. I'm thinking if I can trade my labor for the motor and he can at least sell the trans and scrap the rest, we'd both win.

Mileage is unknown because the odometer doesn't work, but he is thinking 160k. Good sign is it passed smog.

What does it take to remove a motor like this from a van?
IMO you are opening up a can of worms and alot of trouble for a used 360.
If the 340 block is not trash I would rebuild it.
I was following your other 340 thread I did not see the end result. What happened? Last I saw you were about ready to pull the pistons and crank.
 
IMO you are opening up a can of worms and alot of trouble for a used 360.
If the 340 block is not trash I would rebuild it.
I was following your other 340 thread I did not see the end result. What happened? Last I saw you were about ready to pull the pistons and crank.

Its updated. Check out the cylinders...
 
If you e been following my other thread in the SB forum, my 340 is toast. Really disappointed, but it doesn't make financial sense to dump money into resurrecting it (at least to me).

So I've been pondering the idea of a 5.9L swap. I found a van on CL here. Complete Dodge Van 3500 Newly Rebuilt Transmission - auto parts - by...

It's been smoged and registered. He has receipts for a trans rebuild(2 years ago). After he reuilt it he said it just bogged down on the free way (like he was running out of gas) and he had to limp it home. He took it back to the trans place and they said it most likely needs an ecm. Which I've read is common. Currently it will turn over and fire but will sputter and die.

So he suggested parting it out. He doesn't have the means and I do. I'm thinking if I can trade my labor for the motor and he can at least sell the trans and scrap the rest, we'd both win.

Mileage is unknown because the odometer doesn't work, but he is thinking 160k. Good sign is it passed smog.

What does it take to remove a motor like this from a van?


I have a 2002 Ram Van that I rebuilt and replaced the motor. It can come out the front with a cherry picker but it is tight. Grille, cooling, upper tie bar, and kegger manifold all came off for clearance. Rather than try to move the cherry picker in such tight quarters, I put the van back down on four wheels and rolled it back away from the picker.

Bonus if you choose to use the magnum serpentine stuff is you have the van ps bracket already.
 
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