Well, I think I've stumbled upon a standard issue for those of us doing V8 swaps into our V6 trucks. I remember in the FAQ reading Siggie's build thread and he had the exact same problem, but at that the time noone really knew why. I know why, unfortunately. The 360 magnum carb motors (same one he used) come with an LA timing cover and water pump setup in order to have the mechanical fuel pump setup. The LA timing cover/pump sets the front Pulley much further forward than a V8 magnum from a Ram/Dakota which uses the Magnum timing cover/water pump. So, any radiator that sits in the original slot, even a thinner one, won't work. You can see from the attached pic (I have the core support leaning forward just to fit the radiator in for a picture).

So.....I think my only option is to recess a radiator in the opening. My concern with that is fitting the pusher fan in there too. Swapping the front end isn't an option, and I really don't want to change out the whole pump/timing setup, which changes the belts too because the magnum pump runs opposite direction. I'm going sans AC so I should gain a little space in the core losing the condenser, but I just don't know if it will be enough.

Any suggestions?

 

I wonder....would an electric water pump work here?

Edit: Nope....None of them have provisions to run the heater core

 

I also wonder, what did the Shelby motor use?

It fit in there.

Alas, the exploded parts diagrams I find show the same belts for 3.9/5.2 for 1989 and 1990, but NOT the same water pump pulley!

Yes. Checking the pictures at RockAuto, they show a shorter shaft on the Shelby V8; you'd also have to find the right pulley to fit, but that may be a much easier job than massaging the front end.

Of course, you could put a 1991+ core support / grill /front bumper / hood on the truck ...

RwP

 

Funny you should mention the Shelby, Ralph...Cause I found this, and was trying to determine from the pics if the neck was shorter.

http://www.dakota-durango.com/forum/...t=18437&page=2

 

Well, according to this, the shelby pump was the same, but it fit because the motor mounts were set back in the frame...not the same place.

http://www.turbododge.com/forums/f1/...questions.html

What's also interesting in that thread is that it says that pre-1969 pumps were shorter than 70 and on...hmmm

 

I checked Rock Auto and crossed the Cardone part # on Cardone's website....It's the same water pump as the 3.9L 90 and everything else, so I don't think the shaft is shorter.

Also, if you pull up 90 3.9L the pumps listed are the exact same for the 89 5.2L

 

Huh.

PICS are different, look at what a 1989 3.9 water pump looks like:




And then the Shelby water pump:




Different part numbers, different appearance, all in the shaft.

It might be the same for the 1990 3.9, but RockAuto's cross has the 5533111 for a 1990 3.9, same as my 1988; not the 5533134 that they list for the Shelby. Both Cardone numbers.

And I just checked, Cardone.com ( https://www.cardone.com/find-parts/v...kota&year=1990 ) lists different pumps for the 5.2 and the 3.9, for the reman'ed and the new.

For 89 they do list the same; there may be a difference in the mounting, too.

But the 1990 Shelby pump does have a shorter shaft, which would take care of part of it; are you sure that the water pump you have is reverse pump? That normally goes with the serpentine belt; the V-belt is forward pump (like the old LA pump), since the belt goes the same direction around as around the crank pulley (the serp belt is sometimes, like on my Cougar, run the other way to make the belt work.)

RwP

 

No I wasn't saying my pump is reversed...I was saying that magnum pumps are reversed if I went that route. But that would involve changing out belts brackets and timing cover and removing the mechanical pump arm.

Weird...when I looked at 89 5.2 on rock auto I did not see that pump you show. Are you looking under dakota 5.2? That pumps mounts don't look the same. Maybe just the angle but I don't see mounting holes after the intake bypass inlet.

Anyway thanks for the research...I'll look into it more.

Edit: I see one problem I was making. I was looking at 89s. The pump you showed is a 90. Odd they swapped pumps from 89 to 90. Now to find a pulley.

Edit: found this....wonder the chances of it lining up with crank pulley. I also have seen shim kits for pulleys so maybe.....

http://www.carid.com/powermaster/engine-pulley-mpn-174.html

 

Finding a pulley might be an issue.....From what I can tell it was only used in 90 and 91 on the 5.2L Dak's. Part # 53006295

 

I bet there's a Ford or GM part that'll fit right up; which one, I do not know.

Biggest problem with that Powermaster pulley is that you DO need some dish to it, just not as much as your current pulley has.

I'm going to bet that it turned out to be more economic to use a different water pump and pulley than to redo the motor mounts, the rear transmission mount, and the driveshaft, is why they used a different one for 1990. And that they had some left over for them to use in 1991.

Heh. The South Shreveport site for the local U-Pull-It chain ( uapi.biz ) has a 1991 5.2; their Alexandria chain has a 1991 5.2 also. I may stick my head in tomorrow afternoon if I can get someone to take the wife to her doctor's appointment Monday and see if they have the pulley. (I wouldn't use the old water pump off either; new ones are still too cheap for something that's as critical as the water pump is.)

RwP