To magnum or not to magnum?

I'm at a crossroads, my engine and transmission both need the whole shebang, I was hoping to baby them for a while and save and get it done but no luck...

I was talking to a few well known local engine builders and rebuid will range up to about 1500 depending on upgrades. Transmission work will be more like 600.-800 range

A local builde recommends I buy a 360 magnum engine that he built for $2200 and a 4 speed overdrive non computerized non lockup transmission for $1300. Reasoning that I might as well spend a little more for a more efficiant and stronger setup There would be other costs like radiator and such I'm sure. But he said it would be a fair amount more efficient etc.

But what are some opinions on best route to take?
I want to do some serious traveling and originally just wanted to rock it all original and take it easy, but this has me thinking....

Perhaps the local builder will give you a package deal including installation and a few bucks for your rebuildable cores (engine and trans.). Then again, are you set up to remove and replace the drivetrain yourself? Saves R & R charges if you get the originals rebuilt.

Places like Jasper offer good deals, too. Suggest you keep shopping 'till you feel comfortable with the deal.

It will not be a plug and play swap. The 360 magnum will require one engine bracket modification, different rubber isolators, if the engine is set up for serpentine belt you will need all of that plus an electric fuel pump and possibly a different radiator or just convert magnum timing cover to LA style which will allow LA water and fuel pump. It is really not that much, I just did a 360 magnum in my van and did the LA conversion to the front.

I am assuming the transmission he is offering is a 46RH (518), you will need to fabricate a hanger bracket and have a new drive shaft made, the 46RH is longer than a 727, if your van is a 100 wheelbase the drive shaft will be quite short, if your van is a 108 then you have the room. You can use your old transmission, will only need 360 mag flex plate and new torque converter.

Thanks Hastings man, Ive let everyone know I'm comfortable removing engine and transmission and evenn cleaning them. Some builders are into it and some not.
I'll put it out there about selling my cores etc.

Thanks busman78- I didn't get the details on the engine yet- Im even factoring in maybe a wiring harness? I have a friend who can fab up transmission mount and driveshaft. I have a 108 van- so it has some room...

Keep bringing em in- I love the input.

the 4 speed with the overdrive is where you save a lot of money

Dix- do you that would save more than a $500 trans rebuild and changing the gear to a higher gear something around 2.9 or low 3's to cruise the freeway easier?

Tough decisions....
I'm hoping to have face to face with 2 other machine shops this weekend.
Off topic, has anyone done diesel?

Scratch diesel- stupid idea....😱

Im with Dix! Your 1o8 will house the 4 speed auto nicely. A new transmission mount is easy to make. A drive shaft is easy to fab if you have a good lathe and welding skills. It's cheap to have a shop make one. Last drive shaft I had made for me cost under a hundred dollars. They balanced it too! The o/d tranny you can keep your 3:55s or 3:91s you still have the initial pep off the line, like a stop light, with say 2:73s would be a turd off the line, but the final highway rpm will be the same. that extra gear makes a diffrence. The old la block will bolt up to those o/d's too! Just remember 318 uses a diffrent torque converter than a 360. Id stay away of the magnum engine due to Im told a carburated intake manifold is over 400$ new! And you can find late model la engines cheap.(late 80s early 90s)

Edlebrock Air gap, under $350 at Jegs or Summit, includes shipping. Professional Products makes a decent knock off for around $180.

Old 318 LA also uses a different flex plate than the 360. 318 were internal balance and 360 were external, make sure whichever direction you go that the parts are compatible to the engines balance and transmission or you will feel the vibrations and they will not be good.

Thanks for the input.
Looking around as much as I can,

Near me there is a build 318 with 360 heads for 900(I put in a call to find details about build)
Or a bunch of other pulls, including a 75 360 out of an rv for 300, I'm just afraid of I go this route I'll run into more problems without detailed history. Just trying to keep the old lady happy budget wise and get me something to tide me over for a while or just say screw and drop bucks😵💸💸💸💸

Right 360 torque converter and flex plate are different than 318. I usually keep them bolted together and mark them with a paint marker what they are to avoid future headache. There are also several versions of 727. 61-66 have rear pump and 19 spline shaft for torque converter. 1967 they had 24 splines. 1978 has 23 splines with lock up converters.

Listining to an engine run tells a story. Smell Hear See. I steer for virgin engines. Trucks that have say got rear ended frame bent. low millage, or auctions. Anything under 120,000. A 318 with 360 heads are nice if done right. get documentation of the build, or run away! I keep clear of rebuilds by the krylon king!

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/pts/5469978216.html

What do you guys think of this deal?
I just left a note to him about what else it needs besides the computer.
Cheers,
Toby

Don't ya just love a pig in a poke? Great deal IF it really is and an expensive hunk of scrap if not. Been roasted on a couple LA engines that the owners swore on the bible, their mothers grave were "perfect runners", well as is was exactly that and they were both toast. Now being a 95 year it should have a 46RH transmission which is a good thing.

Do you plan on trying to install and run with the MPI (fuel injection)? Getting the control box will be the easy part, fuel delivery and wiring will be the fun part.

Originally I was was thinking of staying fuel injected, deciding getting a new tank and dabbing fuel system is a p.i.t.a. I don't need.

Now my idea is really simplifying it and putting an edelbrock or performance product intake and going carborated. I might do the front end swap down the road. I'm putting in a call today,

I hear ya- slight gamble, and without the computer to hear it run....

Should still have the starter so bring a battery, crank that puppy over a few times with the plugs in which will indicate compression, then pull a few of the plugs to check for any oil saturation, if it has oil check the condition of it same with the trans, feel it and smell it, tasting it is a personal choice (just kidding).

Even with the computer it would be almost impossible to hear it run once out of the vehicle.

Magnum had the water pump inlet to the left, LA's it was to the right, your lower radiator hose is on the right. One of the drawbacks to the later serpentine belt set ups, the pump rotates CCW, LA is CW. Plus the serpentine set up does not accommodate a non power steering vehicle. Now the cool thing is your old timing cover will bolt on the magnum, you can use the old LA water pump, if you want to use the fuel pump you will need a cam snout extension from Hughes your old 318 has the eccentric. Your harmonic balancer & pulley will work, you will have to play around with mounting the alternator, magnum changed where the bolt hole is at on the head. Front is now converted.

Thanks for the diagnostic advice busman! My van does have Power steering, current pump was leeking so it is disconnected.

I wonder if the pump from the magnum would work..?.. Mysteries and excitement.

Well, I'm checking out the engine tomorrow- guy will pull things off and crank it for inspection.
I'll keep you updated

Well picked up the engine and tranny,
Now I'm starting to remove everything, labeling, picking up parts I will need(electric fuel pump, Intake, rebuilding carb etc).

My next question is has anyone installed an engine/transmission combo from the bottom? Measuring right now-seems almost possible....

I have not done it but that is the way it was done at the factory when the van was built, dealers back in the day dropped from the bottom, if I had a side lift it is the way I would do it, notice how the frame brackets are bolted up, they can drop from the bottom. Sliding a V8 through the front door is a bitch.

busman78 wrote:I have not done it but that is the way it was done at the factory when the van was built, dealers back in the day dropped from the bottom, if I had a side lift it is the way I would do it, notice how the frame brackets are bolted up, they can drop from the bottom. Sliding a V8 through the front door is a bitch.

I installed my V8 through the passenger front door. Was not that big of a problem. Although I did have to remove the right front tire , so the cherry picker would have enough room to move around.

Yep, same dance for me, that was after building a longer arm and changing the hydraulic cylinder from 2 tons to 8 tons due to the extended length, lesson learned, always buy the bigger engine hoist the first time around.

Yeh, I should have drilled the lift arm about 6"-9" for more length. It sure would have helped. I had no problems lifting with my 2.5 ton cherry picker. In fact I lifted both the engine and trans as one unit.

Update.
I ended up jacking the van up and good tall jacks- put a bunch of extra jacks as catches.

Dropped engine and trans combo onto a motorcycle jack and rolled it out behind the wheel wells.

This was slightly sketchy😱... So for the re-install I'm going to find someone with a lift that I could use- ten pull it up Into place with a cherry picker.