Getting Ready for the Magnum Swap. (help?)
List of parts and estimated prices
1. Intake RPM Air Gap $350.00
2. Carburetor "Not sure what to buy on this one"
3. Oilpan "Not sure what is best/cost efficient on this as well.
4. Distributor "Not sure on this one either"
5. Headers "There are so many different opinions on this I'm lost"
Sorry I’m late to the thread but this is what I did on my B body. I’ll make adjustments for the A body.
1 & 2: I did the same intake. Your carb choice should be in the 600 - 650 cfm area. I used an AFB at first and then swapped to the Thunder AVS which was a tiny bit better for the secondary air door tuning BUT both worked excellent. Jet it, set it, forget about it. Clean the air bleeds once a year with carb cleaner at spring tune up time.
(But If a Holley is more of your style carb, a simple 4160/4150 - 600cfm carb will work just as well.)
Use the thick Edelbrock gasket under the carb to resist heat soaking and boiling the fuel in the carb.
A drop base air cleaner may have to be used. I went to Mancini Racing for a drop base for the ribbed MP filter.
While you could use a 750 carb, your stock engine, even if mildly cammed would be hard pressed to use it all. The smaller carb, I have found better for a driver/cruiser (even if some performance parts are sprinkled on the engine) because it retains a crisp throttle response and offers an edge in mileage due to the smaller primaries. Overall it gives up very little on the top end.
3: A standard oil pan will do the trick for a driver/cruiser.
4: A standard unit will do the trick or you can upgrade to a nicer unit like the one offered from Pace Performance. I use there “Ready to run” unit which is the same as MSD’s. But crazy cheaper.
Works excellent.
5: This is always a good question and a lot depends on the wallet. While standard headers of the normal style that have been in production half way to forever now, are cheap, I hate hate hate the issue of low ground clearance with 3 tubes going under the steering linkages.
Do yourself a huge favor and save for ether the Doug headers or the TTI headers. The nice thing about the TTI header company is they also have exhaust pipes from header to bumper that include Dyno Max Super Turbo’s. A very good muffler that is reasonable enough to cruise with and has a good sound when the power pedal is pushed.
I have the TTI headers and exhaust.
If the cheaper headers are used, fitting them could be a hammer denting fest or not. Quality control is low on the typical units. If cheap exhaust is also going to be done, AKA not a full exhaust, then a simple design and low cost option is just 2 lengths of 2-1/2 pipe @ 4 feet long cut down to size with 2 of your choice mufflers and hangers. I still suggest an “H” pipe to be used. There cheap at Summit or Jegs. EZ to install.
All parts listed are used and approved by the author.
