Last of the LA 360s is it worth it?

[Jack Meoff]

I still love my carburetors.

 

[slant6billy]

I still love my carburetors.

On a budget, you can put several carbs on an engine and still stay under the fuel injection deep cost. Since this a project vehicle, it does not have to go in seconds on a cold winter morning. Plus, the fun in planning the cam, timing, carb is a fun challenge.

 

[Jack Meoff]

On a budget, you can put several carbs on an engine and still stay under the fuel injection deep cost. Since this a project vehicle, it does not have to go in seconds on a cold winter morning. Plus, the fun in planning the cam, timing, carb is a fun challenge.

Plus for me.....I actually like the warm up ritual.
I'm pretty sure my engines do too.
It's like waking my cars up nicely as opposed to turning the key and saying "Get moving beotch"

 

[super-p]

I found a 1992 Non Magnum 360. Without looking too close I know this; it is a throttle body injection engine with a smog pump. It has the bigger exhaust manifolds, again, non magnum type.

So, obviously this is out of a truck, so it will need a car oil pan and oil pickup tube. The throttle body has to hit the trash, so a decent intake manifold and carb is needed. I'm thinking a Weiand action plus and Edelbrock thunder carb.

Is the distributor on a late LA with throttle body injection a vacuum advance type or do I need to ad a decent MP dizzy to the shopping list?

I've been wanting one of these pre magnum roller cam LA 360s for years. From what I've read, they were at the peak of perfection, then Dodge went to the magnum line. the 318 went magnum by 92 and then the 360 by 94. The 3.9 V6 was already a magnum by 91/92View attachment 11689

Any thoughts on this per magnum 360/ roller cam motor?

good motors have one in my car now if you go with carb you have to change the cam you need one for carb motor you can use flex plate if it doesn't have the tine wheel on it you need a weighted convertor also you should enlarge the push rod holes

 

[80 Lebaron Coupe]

You can use the flex plate that came with that engine, only the Magnum had a different one.
Any SB La Vac adv distributor and 4BBL intake will work.
The only problem is that the cam on that engine is too short to run the eccentric for a mechanical fuel pump.
89 or 90 was the last year for the cam to be long enough to run an eccentric, they didnt even cut out where the Mech pump went after 90.
older 88-90 FI engines just had a block off plate where the FP went.
They make a cam snout extention though, or run a electric pump with a regulator.
I have done what your doing many times, in older Dodge Truck pre FI setups.
Nice thing too is that your 360 is a roller engine and has the 308 heads that flow nicely.
This swap wont be hard to do at all.
It might even be the industrial version with a factory windage tray under the crank.
The 360 I took out of a 90 3/4 ton has one and is now in my 88 SWB D150.
Like mentioned before, The 360 has a weight on the converter,
the 318 does not. and there is a difference in lockup and non lock up converters.
If the 518 is a non lockup, then that converter can go into a non lockup 727.
same if it is a lockup then the converter can go into a lockup 727.

I always go with a rebuilt converter with a fresh pump seal anyway, much less time consuming labor if the stock one goes out later.
Well worth the 100.00 or so.

IMO the butchering it takes to put a 518 into a F-M or J isnt worth it.
Just go with a 727 and be done with it.