Any experience with newer Magnum motors?

The various Mopar old-guy-argument-time boards are failing me on this one: I'm prepping a 96 Magnum 5.2 to go into my 67 Coronet wagon. Sites like magnumswap.com claim you must grind down a center mount pad area in order to fit standard-style (non-$$$) headers on the engine. Here's a photo of the area: http://www.magnumswap.com/home/img_0706/

Before I got ahold of my motor, I remember reading somewhere that guys were able to just use thicker gaskets at the head side to get clearance. I've searched around my usual Mopar haunts and can't find the post I'm thinking of. Does anyone have any experience putting usual cheapie headers on these motors? I don't mind grinding but I'd rather not if I don't have to (no, I didn't have much fun at dances in school either)

edit: I apologize for my terrible subject line, jeez. Was supposed to say "headers on newer Magnum motors"

I can tell you that the two end header bolts thread into water and you have to use sealant on the threads if you use slotted header gaskets.

BT. DT. In a B2500 van, and headers do NOT fit the van chassis.

Was that a Magnum or just an LA roller block? I thought only LA heads had wet header bolts on the ends.

I remember reading about this somewhere, but I've never actuallyhad to any. All the headers ive used fit fin, both magnum and la.

Oh, and my indy la heads dint need the sealants.

Knurled wrote: I can tell you that the two end header bolts thread into water and you have to use sealant on the threads if you use slotted header gaskets.

It must be a real surprise for people who don't know this to undo a header bolt and have coolant come pouring out!

Secret_Chimp wrote: Was that a Magnum or just an LA roller block? I thought only LA heads had wet header bolts on the ends.

I'm 99% sure that it was a Magnum - it had the big barrel intake manifold and pedestal rockers.

It was... significantly larger than 360ci. I would like to say 410ci. The intake still limited power to a bit over 300 but it made 300hp just about everywhere.

Yea that'd be a Magnum then, thanks for the heads up in that case. I'm going to run the Caddy Quadrajet off of my current engine with a knockoff air gap dual plane intake instead of trying to run fuel injection, so I expect the motor to do a bit better than the factory FI.

Yah, the engine was rather limited due to that intake manifold. But there's only so much you can do with the space limitations of a van chassis. And given that it was a three quarter ton FRIGGIN' VAN, peak HP was not necessarily the rabbit to chase.

I will allow that it was frightfully easy to spin the tires from a roll at highway speeds. Like "Oops, I didn't mean to do that" easy.

The intake youre talking about is complete crap. Only positive thing I can say about the one on my car is at least the ports were lined up with the heads pretty well.

If theres room in the engine bay just add a second set of flanges between two gaskets. use the gasket to trace out on some 1/8 - 3/16 plate

Dusterbd13 wrote: The intake youre talking about is complete crap. Only positive thing I can say about the one on my car is at least the ports were lined up with the heads pretty well.

I was happy with a spread-bore Performer before, I'm not exactly going for the CFM championship.