Well its coming down to the wire and it appears im going to have the money to do my swap in the next week. Ive got everything figured out (besides the oil pan, some say need a different one, others say the 5.9 will work. Idk just wait and see) except the fan. Will i be able to use the mechanical fan from the 360 in my 96 dodge dakota or will i need to purchase an aftermarket electric fan? If the latter is necessary could one be so kind to point me in the direction of what fan i would need?

 

Yes, you can use the 5.9L mechanical fan in your truck, but you will need a 5.2L fan shroud, overflow bottle, and radiator from a factory v8 Dakota. You can also use an electric fan if you so choose for performance. There is not a direct fit kit that I know of, you just need to get a fan that moves a whole lot of air and covers the radiator and make it work. But keep in mind that the factory mechanical fan can rob the engine of up to 15 horsepower while engaged, whereas an electric fan uses less than half a horsepower while running.

Keep this in mind if you have a question about fit... the 5.2L came as a factory option in the '91+ Dakotas. The 5.9L is externally identical to the 5.2L... only the internals are different to make the two different displacements. So anything that goes for the 5.2L also goes for the 5.9L.

 

Ok so i was i told, by crazy on here i believe, that my 3.9 radiator with two rails would be able to handle the 360 and i was planning on using it based off of that. The fan shroud i knew i would need. Cant i use my radiator with the 5.2 fan shroud and the 5.9 mechanical fan? As far as the overflow bottle im assuming thats what the bottle i put water in for my radiator?

Or if the 5.2 fan shroud and the 3.9 arent interchangeable with the 3.9 radiator couldnt i just do away with the fan shroud entirely if need be to keep my radiator?

 

Yeah, I suppose as long as the shroud fit it your v6 radiator should work just fine. And like I said before, the 5.2 and 5.9 are externally identical engines and they share a lot of common parts... one of which is the fan.

The overflow bottle is the one that is clipped onto the shroud.

 

I’ve done the swap form a 318 to 360, with crazy 4x4’s help. I suspect he knows more than anyone on this site about this swap. I notice you have a v6. This is going to make the swap more difficult for you. Did you end up putting a A518/46rh in you truck when the tranny went out?
My truck had a problem with the radiator even with my 318. It could barely keep up. When I put the 360 in I put an electric fan from a Mark v111 Lincoln in. I had to trim the fan shroud and the fit has about ¼ from the electric motor to the water pump, but it works great. I’ve also heard other people have used other fans with good luck.
I think you’ll need:
1) A complete intake manifold assembly with throttle body, electronics (including the wiring harness), etc, from a 318 or 360. It will have to be a setup that will work in your 96 but I’m not sure up to what year you could go for the engine or parts. I know if you strip the engine to a long block you can use one up to 2003, but you’ll need some of the other things I’ve mentioned. You’ll also need the distributor and a computer for a v8. You might also want to make sure your engine mounts are the same as for a V6.
2) Use the fuel injectors that come with the engine and make sure you have the correct flex plate for the engine.
3) Make sure you have the correct torque converter. 1996 and up had no weight (it’s on the flywheel), 1995 and down had a weight (no weight on flywheel).
Try and get an engine from a year that will have a wiring harness that will plug into your new V8 computer, correct intake manifold and electronic, etc. Your only problem might be finding one with low miles.
Good Luck. It’s worth it, the 360 in my Dakota goes like a bat out of hell, compared to the stock 318 it had. Coming from a V6 it should feel great.

 

Actually, ALL Magnum 5.9L v8s are weighted on the flex plate for an automatic transmission and on the flywheel for a manual transmission.

The weighted torque converters were an issue back in the LA small block days.

 

I suspect they would be for a manual transmission. I'll check tomorrow but I'm pretty sure that a 360 has the weight on the converter 1995 and down, magnum or LA.

 

If I remember right the TC has weights but just to keep it balanced. It is not for the balance of the engine. Everything above is correct from all posters.

It is worth it. Take your time and it is an easy swap. Get everything before, even all the small stuff like oil+filter. Air filter, plugs wires, cap and rotor. Why use old. Start everything new. Check motor mounts, transmission fluid ect. Now is the time to change/ replace it all.

 

I checked out this whole weight deal for automatics it looks like all 318 converters have no engine balancing weights (they may have very small converter balancing weights though), nor does the flex plate. The 360 had its engine balancing weight on the converter up to 1995. In 1996 Chrysler moved the weight from the converter to the flex plate and they also changed the converter bolt pattern from 2 degree offset to 90 degree. The converters for the 318 and 360 will interchange from 1996 and up (although the 360 converter is a little more heavy duty) since neither have balancing weights but they won’t from 1995 and down because of the weights.

 

Thats true about the 318... it is an internally balanced engine, so it needs no extra counter weights outside the motor.

The reason the 360 needs counterweights outside the crankcase is because the design of the crankshaft and the longer stroke of the 360 makes it off-balance to the point where they can't fit counterweights on the crankshaft big enough to balance the engine and still have everything fit inside the crankscase... it is a small block after all! So the extra weights are added outside the crankcase.

I'm still not convinced that the converter weights have anything to do with the engine's balance though... at least not on the 360 magnums ('93+ for the 360). I know the LA 360s ('92 down) used a neutral flexplate and had the weights on the converter. However, if you are right, CentralTexas, that means you should be able to remedy the situation by using a balanced flexplate from a later 360 and a neutral flex plate... the 360 magnums should all be balanced the same.

I've done a lot of research on this topic since I have a 360 that I'm building into a 408 stroker.

Not trying to call you wrong here CentralTexas, but I'm going to need more than just your word before I believe that that is true. I've never heard that in all the time I've spent researching this.