LA heads on magnum block

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wildbill

wildbill

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Has anybody successfully used LA heads on a magnum block using only oil through lifters/pushrods and stock LA valve gear?

I know this is not the best way of doing things but I bought a rebuilt 360 magnum short block (not drilled for shaft oiling) on craigslist a while ago and I have a nice set of LA heads that are ready to use sitting on a shelf.

Thanks

Wildbill
 
You will have to ether;

Drill the block for head oiling or

Sort out a way to oil the rocker arms without the through block oiling method.
I do not know how that is done.

FWIW, what Inwould do is;

Sell the "LA" heads and roll the money over into Magnum style heads. RHS heads. Hughes engines sells such heads. Member, Ou812 sells these heads. Or the more expensive Edelbrock heads.
 
I have seen others T off the oil pressure hole next to the dist and run lines to the back of the heads. You can drill thru the back of the head to last rocker shaft pedastool and just modify the hole and the shaft. EASY!
 
Try and get a picture of that for us.
 
There is a picture of that mofidication on here somewhere. Will search tonight.
 
Thanks for the replies. I'm thinking I might try putting a tee on the oil pressure sending hole and run lines from there, through the valve covers and to the end of each rocker shaft. I'm a little worried about sealing where the lines go through the valve covers.
 
Why not sell the LA heads and buy some Magnums? Seems the simplest thing to do.
 
Certainly would be the best thing to do. Just not a huge market for mopar stuff in this area and cast iron heads are so heavy to ship!
 
I remember seeing a big block rigged like you are talking about. Someone had installed the cam bearings wrong and it got no oil to the top. They ran a tee off the oil sender with copper lines going to the valve covers. On the inside they had made pretty elaborate squirters that soaked the valve train. It worked, but it didn't last a long time. It had a valve seize up in a guide and a piston came up and hit it. Game over.
 
That is exactly what I am worried will happen. I'm thinking I will just bite the bullet and buy some magnum heads. I will be better off in the long run.
 
Some argue Magnums are better. Smaller chambers, bigger valves, supposedly better ports, 1.6 rockers. I don't have a flow bench and am no expert. I know both styles of heads certainly have their proponents. It's gotten ugly in the past as to which is better. lol

I will say this. Usually, over time things are improved. I'll leave it right there.
 
Be very weary of buying used magnum heads. They had a real bad problem cracking between the valves. The aftermarket EQ head is fairly cheap and it has improved flow. If your not building anything crazy the small valve versions will work real well. If you want something more serious get the 2.02's... I have them on a 408 and it runs like a scalded dog
 
If and this is a big IF, you can do the LA heads on the magnum block, again IF, you buy rocker arms that use a female style adjuster, so you can run a ball and ball pushrod, just like the junk Chevy. Then us the lifters that have the oil in them, just like the junk Chevy.

The point is, the oil has no idea which way it's going. That being, does it go through the block, through the head, into the shaft, out of the shaft into the rocker, from the rocker to the hole in the rocker that feeds the adjuster and out to the pushrod?

Or can it go the other way? As in, from the lifter, up the pushrod, into the adjuster, through the adjuster into the rocker, from the rocker into the shaft?

The Chrysler shaft oiling system is very simple, mercurial and efficient. It naturally restricts oil to the rockers as the RPM's go up (which may or may not be good) and when done correctly, will oil the pushrods at engine speeds to 9k plus.

I'd either buy magnum heads or an LA block. I'd vote for the latter.

Been a while since I had magnum heads on a bench, but I wasn't impressed.

Newer does not guarantee better. The magnum valve train is certainly not better.
 
All I can say is that is a long drill distance to keep straight; wandering off would be my concern. If you get off even a bit, the holes in the cam bearings will not line up with the rocker oiling hole and also with the cam oiling hole from the mains. Even worse, you could bust out of the web before you got to the cam bearing.

If I was to do this, I would drill a small distance into the block below where the head oiling passage enters the block, and then drill an intersecting passage from the valley. Then tap this hole and plumb with oil control restrictions of some sort to tapped holes drilled in the passenger side oil gallery.
 
yellow rose said:
You'd need a very rigid fixture and the drawings to know exactly where the hole goes.

You could cowboy it up but you can junk a block.
Click to expand...
Roger the rigid drilling setup, and junking-the-block! I'd probably try it just for the heck of it.... IF I had some extra blocks.
 
nm9stheham said:
Roger the rigid drilling setup, and junking-the-block! I'd probably try it just for the heck of it.... IF I had some extra blocks.
Click to expand...
My suggestion would be to drill horizontally into the rear bolt boss on the side of the LA heads then drill in the center of the holddown bolt then sideways thru the bolt at the right height to feed the shaft(s). the block deck drilling would be as said tricky (I wouldn't) and same on the valve cover as it would need a flex line (I would think) inside for the connect & I would rather drill the head.
 
Thank you for the suggestions and replies regarding drilling the Magnum block for LA head feeding.
I have decided it is too much additional work, when there are easier options.

Back to trying to decide on a stroker 318/392 or 360 LA block.
Strokers are getting cheaper.
 
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