Magnum 360 Budget Rebuild Advice

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snowboundrmk

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Have a 200,000 mile 360 from a 2001 Ram I’m tearing down. My goal is a stock rebuild. I’m hoping I can reuse the stock pistons and just hone for new rings. I will have the heads rebuilt too.
Any recommendations for a Re-Ring kit or kit with pistons if I need them? Or am I better off piecing it together myself?
I’ll get new seals, bearings, oil pump, and timing set for sure. Would it be dumb to reuse the original cam and lifters if they look alright? Or how trustworthy are enginequest cams and lifters? They are pretty cheap, but a name brand cam will add on a good chunk of money to the rebuild.
Any other parts I must not cheap out on and replace or get certain brands for?

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If you are on a budget price it out I usually get that stuff from Summit but i would also check Rock Auto I think Hastings is a common replacement brand. Key is to know what size you are ordering is it standard bore etc. Gaskets a fel Pro set is what i always use. also really you should tear down inspect make a list then shop. a cam and oil pump timing gear set etc. is pretty usual items to replace. But the cam may still be good so have to check it It really depends on how much of a budget you have really.
 
I would just hot tank the block, hone and re-ring, throw in some new bearings (and probably cam bearings), and call it a day. Original cam and lifters should be fine to reuse if you disassemble the lifters and clean them all. Of course new oil pump and timing set.

Praying your heads aren’t cracked.
 
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Isnt as generic as that, its tear down clean inspect order parts reaasemble.. in fact once you measure then that determines the machine work I bought an engine in pieces once the machine work was already done imagine if I sent it to be bored again... :lol:
 
Ball hone and re ring that thang.

Gap the rings in case you decide to boost it!!!!

Don't worry about the heads beings cracked between the seats they all do that.
 
Mean416 said:
Ball hone and re ring that thang.

Gap the rings in case you decide to boost it!!!!

Don't worry about the heads beings cracked between the seats they all do that.
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This is the best advice on a budget it will run don't do any unnecessary machine work...if heads give issue in the future they can be pulled in the car etc.
 
As many people allready said, tear it down, CLEAN everything and measure. Then buy parts accordingly. Be aware those heads are probably junk, you can clearly see it was running with one dead cylinder. Yeah, they run with cracks, for a while anyway. Not worth the money to rebuild cracked magnum heads
 

I’ll see what the machinist says about the heads. I built a different 360 magnum a long time ago and went straight for aftermarket heads. This one I’m trying to just getting running dependably and then if I decide to do more in the future I can do another build.
I did a leak down on it when it was cold so not ideal but the results showed only 3 cylinders were still good.
 
Not many people in my corner of advice, but I still see the factory hone marks. I'd check the rod/crank bearings and if they look good, just replace the cam bearings (as they usually go bad on magnums) and timing set and motor on. I put a 200k mile 5.9 a few years ago in our '80 truck. No issues, holds great oil pressure, and we beat the tar out of it. In fact, I checked the oil pressure and it was good, so I didn't even pull the pan. I did put new cam bearings/freeze plugs and timing set in myself. I also got some odessa heads at about 50% off (they are just reman mag heads). But, that's me, and that's what I do LOL

P.S. - My '01 Ram 5.9 had 326K miles when I sold it, and it ran like a CHAMP !!!
 
Yep. I agree with that. I see crosshatch, and if the top of the bore doesn't have a notch, I'd run it. If it did have a dead cylinder obviously get to the bottom of that, and if the heads are trash then fix or replace. Otherwise I'd send it. You asked about a budget rebuild. That's how it gets done.
 
NC Engine Builder said:
As many people allready said, tear it down, CLEAN everything and measure. Then buy parts accordingly. Be aware those heads are probably junk, you can clearly see it was running with one dead cylinder. Yeah, they run with cracks, for a while anyway. Not worth the money to rebuild cracked magnum heads
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I have a 351M in the shop with a crack right between the cylinders that extends right into the intake and exhaust valve seats. They aren't burned YET, but both valves lost their seats right at the crack on both sides.
 
Mean416 said:
Yep. I agree with that. I see crosshatch, and if the top of the bore doesn't have a notch, I'd run it. If it did have a dead cylinder obviously get to the bottom of that, and if the heads are trash then fix or replace. Otherwise I'd send it. You asked about a budget rebuild. That's how it gets done.
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So are you guys are suggesting, that as long as there is no ridge and the factory crosshatching is present there is no need to hone the cylinders?
 
I have heard of Magnums that still have cross hatch...LA usually are always like mirror glaze i think its the difference between carbureted and injection injection is always running cleaner if everything is working right.
 
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Mojoe9955 said:
So are you guys are suggesting, that as long as there is no ridge and the factory crosshatching is present there is no need to hone the cylinders?
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I think the suggestion means you don't need to bore the cylinders, you still need to break the glaze by honing lightly.
 
Or cross hatch and lack of ridge suggests the cylinders may not need bored, with honing it wouldnt work if the cylinder is not true enough where the rings will seal
 
Mojoe9955 said:
So are you guys are suggesting, that as long as there is no ridge and the factory crosshatching is present there is no need to hone the cylinders?
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"need" ??? There is no NEED. It will not "blow up" or be "unreliable" because of those cylinders. If you "want" to hone and re-ring, it won't hurt it. If you "want" to, you can align bore it to true up cylindricity and make sure nothing is out of round, put new pistons in and the such. That would gain the most performance. It's all what "budget" means to you and your intended purpose of the vehicle.
 
318willrun said:
"need" ??? There is no NEED. It will not "blow up" or be "unreliable" because of those cylinders. If you "want" to hone and re-ring, it won't hurt it. If you "want" to, you can align bore it to true up cylindricity and make sure nothing is out of round, put new pistons in and the such. That would gain the most performance. It's all what "budget" means to you and your intended purpose of the vehicle.
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Sounds like i struck a nerve
 
New cam bearings, oil pump, clean lifters, cam and springs...... Send it :usflag:
 
If the bores are round and straight. Dingleball hone it. If you install new rings, you need new “surface finish” to seat the rings. Honing a cylinder is much more about surface finish than the geometry of the cylinder. Boring is geometry or gouge removal.
 
remytherat said:
I would just hot tank the block, hone and re-ring, throw in some new bearings (and probably cam bearings), and call it a day. Original cam and lifters should be fine to reuse if you disassemble the lifters and clean them all. Of course new oil pump and timing set.

Praying your heads aren’t cracked.
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They're magnum heads. They're all cracked between the valves but it don't matter
 
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