How difficult is a cam swap?

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I appreciate all the detailed input, and the humor, It’s awesome.

The 5.9 Magnum engine is currently on a stand, has 70k, garage kept, synthetic oil on time, no leaks! The 318, is still in the dart, runs good for 135k.
The dart weighs 3205 with ac, but the compressor is off and staying off.

I’m not married to the cam swap, maybe I was, but if 12.5 - 13.5 is achievable without, I’ll be happy. The Magnum came with Hedman shortys on it, I figure run them until I find a deal on long tubes.

I’ll do the full gasket kit no matter what(need center sump pan still). Maybe I go with thinner head gaskets and have a little fun with a dremel on the heads (nothing fancy)? Back face valves? None of that, and save the head gaskets? View attachment 1716388676
It'll run your wanted numbers stone stock with a good intake, four barrel and headers.
 
So unlikely that they will not.
i mean, if you invite a torch and hammer to the party then pretty much anything will fit.

however in this exercise, for the sake of uhhh.... i dunno, being sane? let's say OP doesn't wanna go hackasaurus on it; then, no. they will not fit.
 
i mean, if you invite a torch and hammer to the party then pretty much anything will fit.

however in this exercise, for the sake of uhhh.... i dunno, being sane? let's say OP doesn't wanna go hackasaurus on it; then, no. they will not fit.
Those are Dakota/Truck headers. They ain't even close.
 
I will look for long tubes. I thought the Dakota headers may fit since they were short.
I’m surprised the 360 can pull that hard without a cam increase. Sounds like I can maybe skip the cam swap, and still be impressed.
While the engine is on a stand, should I advance the cam, look for thin head gaskets, and clean up any chunks or lips in the heads? With care, I know there can be nice gains from port and polish work, but I never did that either.
 
I will look for long tubes. I thought the Dakota headers may fit since they were short.
I’m surprised the 360 can pull that hard without a cam increase. Sounds like I can maybe skip the cam swap, and still be impressed.
While the engine is on a stand, should I advance the cam, look for thin head gaskets, and clean up any chunks or lips in the heads? With care, I know there can be nice gains from port and polish work, but I never did that either.
i'd call up oregon cams and talk to ken. ask his advice and let him regrind your cam (or get a reground and send yours as a core). you'll need new push rods, but can run your lifters again-- just clean and inspect them.

cometic makes a gaskets that's .027 compressed, or just grab some felpros that are in the 30's

get the hughes spring & retainer/lock kit (PN 1199), throw a good true double roller timing chain at it, a melling HV pump, and top it with a dual plane and a 650. done.

if you're feeling saucy, pocket port the heads.

if you want to run the LA style timing cover with a mechanical pump, hughes sells the cam snout extender dongle thing to do so.

get a hot curve in the distributor

doug's or TTI headers if you're bucks up, summit cheapies if you're not.

bang. done.
 
I’m getting a little frustrated. A cam install sounds like it’s above my pay grade, and now so does advancing the cam. 2 things I hoped for, out of reach. Recurve the distributer? Probably also pro level. Sending my cam to WA from NJ sounds like it will require lots of patience I don’t have. I haven’t even figured out the cam snout/fuel pump situation yet (cheapest without sacrifice solution). I’ll have to look into pocket porting, and whatever can be done to the heads without being a rocket scientist with a machine shop.
 
I'm sure of it. If you caint get an A body in the 13s with a stock 5.9 Magnum, something's wrong and it ain't with the car. LMAO
Probably not high 12’s though, right? And by stock you mean internally?
 
I can do a cj7 clutch in the street, a vw rabbit trans swap in the street, a 440 swap, but not a cam swap or cam advance. Doesn’t sound right but, obviously I have no clue.
 

Sounds advanced, like adjusting springs. I really suck apparently.
Depends on how deep you want to get into it, and if you think you'd enjoy that type of work. While the engine is on the stand the tools needed would be checking springs, dial indicator and stand, and a degree wheel. Good time to check compression height/deck clearance and top dead center/vibration damper timing mark while everything is apart. Lots of helpful videos out there too.
 
The new plan is reseal only. Cams always sounded easy, until now. With the condition of the engine I didn’t plan on measuring a bunch of stuff, because even if I could confirm something was off by thousandth's like a spring, I don’t have the capacity to resolve it.
I have to also expedite the process as the garage space is not mine. Is advancing the cam without checking valve clearance a bad idea? I watched a few videos about it, and they don’t mention it. Apparently magnum 5.9 cam is 10° retarded from the factory.
Right now I am at a stand still over the timing cover,balancer set up. I won’t take it apart until I know for sure what parts I need to mix, match, and buy to reassemble it la style, the cheapest way….and then of course advancing the cam would make sense if I wasn’t a tard.
Thank you all for the replies guys, I really appreciate the insight.
 
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