I have the oppurtunity to buy a 97 Dak with blown 5.2mag and just finished welding the broken frame on my 94 Dak 5.2mag so I can drive it to the scrapyard as its too far gone in too many places to haul firewood anymore. Can I put my good old motor in the newer truck? Someone cast doubt saying it would fail emmisions but we don't test emissions here. All we care is that CEL is off. All my searching has lead me to believe it is a simple swap. So my ??? to those that know is will this work out well or take some doin'? Am i missing a curveball here? I can get the 97 for scrap price as thats where it's headed if i don't buy it. Sure would hate to see a good engine and trans in a bad truck as well as a good truck that needs them both get scrapped when i could combine both to save one.
Thx for the advice
Ridler

 

Can be done yes, but the trans wont work from old to new, your going from OBDI in your 94 to OBDII in the 97. the motor will work fine if you switch a few parts over and change all the sensors to the newer motor style. Trans wont though, old is the RH hydrualic type and the 97 is an RE electronic type. Far as what parts on th motor check the FAQII and look up magnum swaps, its basically whatever parts you need to go backwards to obdI is what you have to go up to on the old motor.

 

THX I'm looking that faq up now

 

if they are both 5.2 they should be swappable as long as you swap the new elctronics onto the old motor. the only concern should be the egr (iirc some of the newer 5.2's didnt have them)

 

only partially right; the long block is the same, 92-03; put the engine from the 94 in the 97 (done this exact swap before) but retain the 97 sensors and computer and tranny. you will also have to swap the flexplate from the 97 motor to the 94 motor because they changed from one bolt home to the converter being offset to them all being spaced the same in 96... still only bolts to the crank "one way" you will NOT have to go backwards to OBD-1
You will need to swap intakes as the 94 motor has EGR the 97 does not but you wanted to replace the plenum gasket anyway while the motor's out, right?

Direct bolt-in, any bolt on parts that you have a question about compatibility of just use off the orig 97 motor, problems solved.

 

Replace EVERY gasket while the engine is out of the truck. And change out the plenum valley pan. Hughes pan is very nice. (or you can use the pan gasket as a template and cut your own from 1/4 in. aluminum plate.)