My 5.9 into '68 Dart swap

-
M

MileHighDart

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2004
Messages
4,748
Reaction score
6,017
Location
Lakeview, OR
Ok, so I figured I'd start my own 318 to 5.9 swap thread, just so anyone interested could follow along.
Or if I run into problems I'll post them here and you guys can help me along.

Engine is a '99 5.9 magnum out of a Ram 2500 Pickup.
I'm going carbureted, so first business was to get rid of all the injection stuff, and the partial harness that was on it. And start doing some inspection to see how she looks inside. This is suppose to be a 74K mile engine.
Here's a few pics to get us going. This when I first got it in the garage, and started tearing it down.

IMG_20170222_103524918.jpg


IMG_20170222_103513245.jpg


IMG_20170223_120757402.jpg
 
And know, first problem. Got a good look at the cam and found some bad looking wear on about 4 lobes. Take a look at the pics and let me know what you think. Is this usable or am I looking at a new cam
Was really hoping to just swap the intake to carb, clean it up, new gaskets, etc. and drop it in.
I'll be pulling the heads in a few minutes to see how the cylinders look.

IMG_20170226_122940046.jpg


IMG_20170226_123109594.jpg


IMG_20170226_123237716.jpg
 
subscribed :popcorn:

Looks like a clean 360. I bet she's ready to rip snort right now..... :D
 
Usable yes... But again this far into it I would install a new cam... IMO... Subscribed:thumbsup:
 
dgully said:
Usable yes... But again this far into it I would install a new cam... IMO... Subscribed:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

That's kind of what I'm thinking, was just hoping to keep the cost down. Anyway, I pulled the corresponding lifters, and don't see any abnormal wear on them.
 
Ok heads are off. Cylinders look great, crosshatch pattern clearly visible on all cylinder walls. You can see from the gasket remnants that the gaskets were really well sealed to both the block and the heads.
So basically, I could have left the heads on it, but who knew, I had to look.

IMG_20170226_132031214.jpg


IMG_20170226_132137828.jpg


IMG_20170226_132546069.jpg


IMG_20170226_132633588.jpg
 
MileHighDart said:
Ok heads are off. Cylinders look great, crosshatch pattern clearly visible on all cylinder walls. You can see from the gasket remnants that the gaskets were really well sealed to both the block and the heads.
So basically, I could have left the heads on it, but who knew, I had to look.

View attachment 1715022091

View attachment 1715022100

View attachment 1715022102

View attachment 1715022103
Click to expand...
Very nice. typical of small block mopar. Many have the cross hatch pattern at 200k miles :)
 
About 150 for a regrind cam from Oregon Cam Grinders.
Hope that thing gets better oil in the future, and I really think at least popping off a cap or two on the mains and rods would be a really good idea from the looks of the rest of the inside of that motor.
Not trying to shoot it down or anything, just better now than find out later.

Of course this is all just personal opinion except the cam info, and that's fact. :D
 
the hard face on the cam is coming apart and it is junk, it will need to be replaced or it will self destruct and take rest of engine with it . I would check heads for cracks with valves removed, get them magna fluxed. Replace springs, seals and visual crack check at minimum.
 
Ok, made a little more progress this morning. Finally got the thing on the engine stand so I could get the bottom end apart.
Only had to pull one rod cap before I decided to put a set of rod bearings in it. The cap bearing didn't look too bad, but the upper half of the bearing shows pretty bad wear. But the crank looks great, nice and smooth, no ridges or wear there.
Ran out of time so didn't have a chance to pull a main cap, get to it this weekend.

IMG_20170303_112933801.jpg


IMG_20170303_113541086.jpg


IMG_20170303_113921991.jpg


IMG_20170303_114612744.jpg


IMG_20170303_114616835.jpg


IMG_20170303_114714775.jpg
 
there is a code stamped on the crank that if you look it up in the FSM, will tell you if they used any +1 or -1 bearings on either rod or mains which will make a big diff upon reassembly.
 
Ok, Big Trouble in 5.9 land.

Got this thing cleaned up a little better and got some better light on the cylinders.
Found some very strange looking stains, or wear marks on cylinders 6 and 8. I'll post pics so you can see. The marks are completely smooth, you cant feel it with your fingers.

Also cylinder 4 looks like a small pebble or piece of metal or something made its way through the cylinder at some point, there is a small dent in the edge of the piston, and a corresponding light scratch on the cylinder wall, but right next to it is a much worse scratch that you can easily catch you fingernail on.

Any idea whats with the weird marks in 6 and 8? Never seen anything like it.
Could this be honed out? or am I looking at a bore job and pistons.
Another option is, the guy I bought it from said if I get into it and its junk, he would make it right. Not sure if that means he'd take it back, or what.

First two pics are cylinders 6 and 8, the last two are the scratch in cylinder #4

cylinder#6.jpg


cylinder#8-1.jpg


cylinder#4-1.jpg


cylinder#4-2.jpg
 
Last edited:
That piston ding and corresponding scratch could have been most anything from intake casting flash to a dropped and lost carb part.
The stain on the cylinder wall is the ghost from that part in the other cylinder that's restlessly wandering around.
You my friend have a haunted block. :D
(only thing I have ever seen make a mark like that was a hotspot) but who knows why until it gets checked out and refreshed.

Here's where you decide if you are going to stay within the budget or not.

I have seen people run a lot worse.
 
Well things are moving right along. I've got her stripped down to the bare block now. Working on getting the piston ring grooves cleaned out.
Have a bunch of fun stuff ordered and should be here by the weekend. From Summit I got my oil pan, piston ring set, and a dingleball hone headed my way. Nobody around here rents them so I bought one. From Advance auto parts I ordered a new stock replacement 5.2 camshaft, and a complete gasket set.
Went with the stock 5.2 cam because of the budget. Just couldn't swing a regrind cam, and a core charge cause my original was toast, and springs, and retainers and locks, and probably longer pushrods, etc.etc. With the 5.2 cam I can use my stock springs, retainers, etc.

Been selling off some extra parts that I had bought for a previous engine and never used to raise the funds to finish off the 5.9
Its a pretty much a budget build, hone-re-ring, rod bearings, new cam, timing chain set, gaskets, seals, and top it off with an Edelbrock magnum airgap and a carb.

update: parts have arrived.

IMG_20170316_112204069.jpg
 
Last edited:
magnummopar said:
there is a code stamped on the crank that if you look it up in the FSM, will tell you if they used any +1 or -1 bearings on either rod or mains which will make a big diff upon reassembly.
Click to expand...
Ok, checked this out, and it appears my main and rod bearings are all standard, so I'll be picking up a set of bearings tomorrow.

Thanks to member 1969383S for posting the info I needed about markings on the crank.
 
Last edited:
Well I gave the new dingleball hone and my dewalt drill a good workout today. Got all the cylinders honed and they look great. Even #4 that had the scratched looks better than expected. Still a few light visible scratch's on the cyl but very smooth. And whatever those stains were that I had in #6 and #8, are totally gone.

But I made a hell of a mess on the front of my garage door that I better clean up before wife see's it. But just glad I decided to do this outside instead in the garage with the car sitting right next to it.

IMG_20170318_125536739.jpg


IMG_20170318_125559748.jpg
 
On a side note: The guy I bought it from said if anything was wrong with it to let him know and he would make it right. He didn't want to stick me with a crappy engine that needed tons of work. He didn't really know the condition because he had never opened it up.
I'm not the kind of guy to buy something and then start whining and want my money back, but the wife made me call him since he made the offer.
So on account of the cam being trashed, and not even good enough for a core on a regrind.
He basically offered to refund me $150, which is about what I spent on a stock replacement 5.2 cam.
That makes me feel a little better. I paid $600 for the motor, but getting $150 back so I'm pretty happy.
 
I'm diggin', it.... You will, be shocked at the difference....
 
Lelo Dart said:
Is that hone the right finish for the stock moly rings for a magnum engine?
Click to expand...
I believe it is, I did some internet searching on it. I bought a 320 grit hone, which should be fine with moly rings. I know in the picture it looks a little rougher than that, but I think its just the way the sun was hitting it. It's very smooth.
And I did buy a stock type moly ring set, so hopefully I got it right.
 
MileHighDart said:
I believe it is, I did some internet searching on it. I bought a 320 grit hone, which should be fine with moly rings. I know in the picture it looks a little rougher than that, but I think its just the way the sun was hitting it. It's very smooth.
And I did buy a stock type moly ring set, so hopefully I got it right.
Click to expand...
It looks like you did a good job!
 
Made a little progress before work today.
Got the block all cleaned up real nice last weekend.

Today I installed a new rear mail seal, coated all my mains with Permatex superslick engine assembly lube. Set the crank in place and got the mains on, all torqued to 85 ft lbs.
If I can do a little bit every day, it'll be done before you know it.

IMG_20170323_110550433.jpg


IMG_20170323_112039876.jpg


IMG_20170323_113011973.jpg


IMG_20170323_121735715.jpg
 
MileHighDart said:
Ok, checked this out, and it appears my main and rod bearings are all standard, so I'll be picking up a set of bearings tomorrow.

Thanks to member 1969383S for posting the info I needed about markings on the crank.
Click to expand...


Care to share more about this? Just got a Mangum tore down myself. Looks like it's coming along! Good job man.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top