So Frustrated!
What are your opinions on remans from a company like that link above. If I do a reman I see there are also 5.9's some are LA, some are magnum. The magnums seem to be long blocks. With that being said will that change my drive shaft length? Or is the engine moved forward to make up that difference. Really how much longer are they?
Looks like my engine option is open now, Im not stuck with the 318 only. So what would you guys do? Money is still a issue so dont go hog wild. The GF is already looking at me like I've spent enough on this car! Would you just pick something up off of craigslist and throw it in or still have it rebuilt and gone thru? Do a reman from a company? What size engine? Please I do need help with this because I get to many thoughts in my head and then get indecisive! LOL
The terminology of a "long" or "short" block is widely misunderstood in layman's term. I think it's stupid, because it has absolutely nothing to do with the dimensions of the engine, while BB and RB do.
The idea of a "short" block, is an engine, short two cylinder heads and intake. This means that the term "long" block is the opposite given, because of the "short". It's an engine with both cylinder heads and intake. Why not use "complete" or "incomplete"? I have no idea.
The reason that they are selling Magnum engines complete, with cylinder heads and intake are because the Magnum engines utilize special cylinder heads that have oiling given to them through the pushrods and are pedistal mount rocker arms. They also have a unique intake manifold bolt pattern, so you need to run them together. You can use Magnum heads on an LA engine. You just need to order the right pushrods for your oiling and buy a magnum or dual pattern intake.
Something else I thought about. Can I still bolt my TTI headers from my LA heads onto a Magnum head? I dont want to have to buy new headers also.
Yes. In fact, a lot of people use Magnum exhaust manifolds on LA engines, due to their availability over a factory 340 exhaust manifold, for an increase in exhaust flow.
Now, after answering your questions, this is what I would do, if I were you;
Call a few machine shops and ask if they stock engines. Most of them do. If they do, ask them if they have a complete 360 "short" block assembly that they will sell you. Aside from numbers, a 360 can be designated by it's extra eccentric balancer at the front of the crank, behind the main pulley. A 318, 340 and 360 have the same basic external dimensions, with the exception of the oil pain front and rear seal area on a 360, the front crank balancer on a 360 and the additional weights they use on a 360 torque converter for the transmission. This is because the 360 is externally balanced, due to it's stroke. You can continue using your existing, self balanced torque converter if you use a 360 balanced flexplate. B&M makes a reasonable one that can be bought at Summitracing.com that isn't too costly.
Cylinder heads are typically referred to by the last three digits of the casting number on them. During the late 1980s, Chrysler did some good things to the LA engines, just before the magnum engine took it's place.
There is a cylinder head that is a closed chamber, higher compression head that works on pump gas and has hardened exhaust valve seats in it, that without any serious neglect, can usually take lapping compound to the valves and seats (youtube valve lapping for a demo, you can do it in your garage with a cheap wood plunger tool and cheap compound) and a cheap set of valve stem seals put on the factory stuff.
The head you want to find is a "...308" casting number. Again, it's an '80's vintage head that came on pre-magnum engines.
You can do the same thing with a 318 engine and utilize the '80's vintage "...302" casting number, closed chamber head.
These heads will bolt up to an LA engine, utilizing the same rocker shafts, oiling, pushrods, valve covers, etc.
The reason I suggest finding a short block is so you can inspect it. It would be best if it was in pieces, so you could mic the cylinders at the ends of the piston throw and do the same with the crank journals, before buying it, but at least measuring how much wear the bore has at the piston top dead center of it's throw, versus where it doesn't go to the top of the block will give you an idea, in thousandths of an inch, as to how much wear it has.
If you get the factory bore numbers and crank journal numbers for a 318 and a 360, that can give you an idea of what to look for with a good dial.
You can even re-ring a stock engine with it's stock pistons if the cylinders show less than .007" in difference between the top and bottom of the cylinder diameter when mic'd.
If you are just looking for a good driver, consider looking at some short blocks that measure up right for a re-ring job and leave it be.
If you were to spend your money on a good, 1980's vintage 360 with 308 heads, you could get some good performance out of it, even with that 340 spec cam and lifters put in it. Any LA 360 will accept 308 casting heads and any LA 318 will accept 302 casting heads.
If you use the late model heads, it will keep you from having to spend a lot of money, reworking the cylinder heads to accept unleadded fuel, especially for a driver and the quench as well as the flow is fantastic on them.
