I got a truck with a 5.2 mag with 37s and 3.55 gears and is very fast compared to my 2.5l with 5.13 gears and 35s. I hear the harness should work with all my gauges and sensors for drivetrain stuff besides speedo. I also have read that the mags bolt up to ax15. What kinda stuff would I need to swap one in. Besides trans and engine. I know ls are popular but mags are so much cheaper and I don’t need 300 hp if my truck is as good as it is without me regarding yet. The extra hp is just extra braking stuff power which I don’t need. Any input would be good but I would like to see what anyone who did this swap would have to say.
Questions about 5.2 Magnum swap
- Thread starter Max hennessy
- Start date
You’ll find lots of good results here. Several members here have done them. @RangerRick, @Wildman, @Whitetrash, and @TreverStevens have all done this swap with the 5.2/5.9 (same block and almost I’d ethical wiring).
You need a bell housing from a mid-90s Dodge Dakota with a 3.6 and manual transmission if you want to reuse your AX15.
You need a bell housing from a mid-90s Dodge Dakota with a 3.6 and manual transmission if you want to reuse your AX15.
One of the best threads on swappin a Dodge Magnum V-8 into your TJ is this thread over on JeepForum.
https://tinyurl.com/ybcekogv
Do a search on here for other threads about swapping the Magnum V-8 into a TJ. Yes with some manipulation of the wiring harness you can blend the Dodge & Jeep harnesses together. It isn't plug and play but it isn't rocket science either.
As Jamison said to use your AX15 you need a Dodge Dakota bell housing from a 94-99 V-6.
https://tinyurl.com/ybcekogv
Do a search on here for other threads about swapping the Magnum V-8 into a TJ. Yes with some manipulation of the wiring harness you can blend the Dodge & Jeep harnesses together. It isn't plug and play but it isn't rocket science either.
As Jamison said to use your AX15 you need a Dodge Dakota bell housing from a 94-99 V-6.
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
I was going to do this swap but 86'd going mopar.
The info I gathered was...
Not all small chrysler have the pilot bushing hole in place. Some do and some don't in lieu of it being in front of a manual or auto.
The info I gathered was...
Not all small chrysler have the pilot bushing hole in place. Some do and some don't in lieu of it being in front of a manual or auto.
Whitetrash
TJ Enthusiast
Agree with above, all of our build threads lay out everything needed to do pretty well, check em out!
it’s an easy swap, just takes a little creativity in a few places.This is something I am starting to prep for and gathering materials and knowledge for. Giving myself 6-7 months to source and then start the process. Want to tackle of of the maintenance, upgrades and repairs prior to getting the motor sourced and swapped
Why did you 86 going Mopar? Are you still doing a engine swap but just with a different brand of engine?
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
At the time....
I'm a manual tranny guy. So in researching the swap (I've done other mfg into Jeep before) I found out small chrysler (318&360)...not all have the pilot bushing hole bored out. Obviously all manual engines do but that's a pita in my area to track down. The automatics...some have the hole bored out and some don't. The only to know is physically looking. A lot of the boneyard engines around here still have these attached to a tranny and they won't break the pair on a maybe.
The other thing I came across was the wiring issue. Apparently it's a nightmare to get a Mopar Automatic engine to work with a manual. Not even worth the hassle was what I was told. Nobody went into detail which pisses me off...
The skim...I don't know enough about the skim and years that skim was used. That's another issue.
Lastly...trannies. the ONLY tranny I use in a conversion to a v8 are the heavy duty 4 speeds. NP435, T18, Sm465, Sm420
Those things can only be broken by retards. Super low gearing.
Again the Dodge NP435 (different than the Ford NP435) isn't super plentiful around here especially finding one with a hydraulic bellhousing.
The last few I've done have been small block Ford's.
Much simpler to obtain used components, trannies, hydraulic bells, and I can get a lot of power from the SBF. I buy everything wholesale so the cost difference between it and a chevy is negligible.
I really wanted to do a mopar and perhaps someday I will. Some times components have a way of finding me...so you never know.
I'm not sure about what you were told but I do know there has been many people who have installed a manual transmission behind a 5.2/5.9 engine so how they are doing this I am not sure.
As for the wiring using a manual transmission is even easier than using an automatic so I'm not sure why anyone told you it was so hard. Since your Jeep is a 2004 you are faced with some different issues than older TJ's. Dodge stopped using the magnum V-8 engines in 2003 with 2002 really being the last year that they were offered. There are a few 2003's with them in a rig. But you have a PCI dash and Dodge didn't make any manual transmission vehicles with a PCI PCM. You can get the PCM flashed from a auto to manual by B&G from what I understand.
Since you have a 2004 you legally are required to use the same year or newer model year engine to swap it into your Jeep. Yes you might live some place that require smog inspections or other types of inspections but Federal law says you need to so if you use a older engine it could cause issues later on.
For your Jeep you should be looking at a Hemi instead of the magnum V-8's. And you can use a manual transmission behind the Hemi.
As for the wiring using a manual transmission is even easier than using an automatic so I'm not sure why anyone told you it was so hard. Since your Jeep is a 2004 you are faced with some different issues than older TJ's. Dodge stopped using the magnum V-8 engines in 2003 with 2002 really being the last year that they were offered. There are a few 2003's with them in a rig. But you have a PCI dash and Dodge didn't make any manual transmission vehicles with a PCI PCM. You can get the PCM flashed from a auto to manual by B&G from what I understand.
Since you have a 2004 you legally are required to use the same year or newer model year engine to swap it into your Jeep. Yes you might live some place that require smog inspections or other types of inspections but Federal law says you need to so if you use a older engine it could cause issues later on.
For your Jeep you should be looking at a Hemi instead of the magnum V-8's. And you can use a manual transmission behind the Hemi.
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
This wasn't for the 04...a different project. I'll see if it was in an email I have.
Please note...I didn't say it can't be done. People do swap them but I can tell you that not all small chryslers have the pilot bore in the crank. Obviously all manual versions do but not all automatics. There us absolutely nothing to tell you if it does unless you get a visual. No build sheet nor vin or eng code.
I'll look into that wiring info I have.
Moreover it was a combination of all things. All my conversions have been led by the transmission.
I've no interest in a small chrysker with a 3500 or 4500. Or to retain an AX-15 or the like.. NP435 only. That tranny was only used for 3-4 years with a hydraulic bell. 88-91...adding more challenge. Maybe 89-91...either way it's not plentiful.
If you've ever had the good fortune of being on a trail with a 6.69:1 first gear...it's really wheeling bliss.
I'll see what I can dig up from my files
I'd say I could look at my crank for you but I don't have a stock crank for the engine I'm building as I'm building a stroker engine. I just know that over on JF a lot of guys who have done the magnum swap have gone with a manual transmission. Maybe the info you got on the small block Chrysler engines was in reference to the LA engine family? Just a thought.
Yes I've wheeled with gearing down in the NP435 range before. Had a T18 in a CJ I owned for a while.
Yes I've wheeled with gearing down in the NP435 range before. Had a T18 in a CJ I owned for a while.
Interesting. One thing I like about the 318 versus the slightly bigger motor, is that it is internally balanced. One less thing to worry about.
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
If you scroll down through jersey bud had two different pilot situations in a 2001 360 and a 1999 360.
https://ramchargercentral.com/vehicle-help/pilot-bushingbearing-to-use-with-360-magnum-and-np435/I know I've seen this other places as well but that was saved in a file.
I'll keep looking on that wiring issue.
And...here is another post in that thread...
"The bearing fits in the recess where the torque converter snub fits. Every crankshaft has one, so it's a done deal. However, the cranks get drilled in odd ways and not all are drilled to size for a pilot bushing and some are not even drilled deep enough for clearance for the tip of the manual transmission input shaft. Since the Magnum pilot bearing rides on a spot on the input shaft closer to the splines, the very end where it would normally ride in the LA series pilot bushing, is not used and can be cut if necessary. Again, I would test fit everything to see how it works out and see if you need to cut or drill the crank."
I dont have time to piss around with that.
Being externally balanced just means that the weights are on the outside instead of being part of the crankshaft. The harmonic balancer & flexplate or flywheel are weighted to balance the engine. You just have to make sure you don't try putting 5.2 parts on a 5.9 & the same the other way. You can't knock the weights off as they are part of those parts.
That is interesting. I wonder if the NV3550/NV3500/AX15 don't protrude as far out on the snout area?
Yes I'm curious about what the wiring issues could be? If you were going to remove the F.I. to run a carb it might be harder? I'd just build a stand-alone harness if I was going to run a carb. Not that I would want to as I like the F.I. over a carb for wheelin.
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
I'll tell you a thought I have on that. I worked in a mfg facility one time makimg blue prints going out to cnc machines.
I literally can see a foreman saying to his upper management if you want these done quicker just tell us if these are automatic or manual cranks.
The machinist then knowing what it's going in can quickly just poke a rough hole in there at least (xyz) diameter and depth but not really a final finish. The process could shave 10 minutes off each crank by not finishing said hole if it's going in front of an auto.
10 minutes x 200,000 units is 2 million minutes. Thats 32,000 hours saved...and let's say at $50 per hour cost that's 2 million dollars savings.
That's my guess why some are done in an odd way.
There us machining a hole with a tolerance of +/- .010 ... which would be the autos..
And then there is machining a hole +/- .002 (the manuals)
That's a hypothetical example but you get the idea. They could just quickly poke a rough hole in there
good enough for _____
And save a ton of time over the duration of the entire order of cranks.
I can see what you are saying and yes as we all know when a item is mass produced they look to save money as much as possible. So your hypothetical example could be. As I said I really have no idea other than the folks who have done a manual swap when they were installing a magnum engine into their TJ & not remembering anyone having issues installing a bushing or bearing. But I will ask just to see.
For your reading enjoyment: https://www.hotrod.com/articles/bui...C879GIhn9RpUroFmWORkMdSPHS81lrgNzHpoP9gwoGMAs
Now something else to throw out here. If you have a 5.2 and are planning to do a rebuild you can get a stroker crankshaft kit for it also that take your 318 and makes it a 390. So if you are having the block machined for .030 over pistons going with a stroker kit isn't that much more expensive.
Now something else to throw out here. If you have a 5.2 and are planning to do a rebuild you can get a stroker crankshaft kit for it also that take your 318 and makes it a 390. So if you are having the block machined for .030 over pistons going with a stroker kit isn't that much more expensive.