How hard to swap in a pre-magnum throttle body LA motor?

[Montclaire]

At this point they are probably considered dinosaurs, but I was in the JY last week and came across a dodge pickup with a throttle bodied LA motor. I would really like to swap one of these into an older chassis (1973 B) with a non-lockup 727. Has anyone come up with a simple management computer to run one of these? I want to say they need to interface with the dash cluster but I could be thinking magnum series. I want to use the stock throttle body and all that, I don't need to change performance levels or have it be adjustable. Just looking for cheap factory TBI. I know I'll have to figure out an electric fuel pump and return line.
Thanks

 

[mopwrd340]

Theres a website called magnum swap,com has all kinds of info for the swap.

 

[Montclaire]

Thanks for response but I am asking about the LA motors with TBI, which are not the magnum motors.

 

[mopwrd340]

Iwould grab all the wiring harness and engine computer and anything that you would need to swap it over its been awhile since i worked on one .

 

[Meep-Meep]

I think MoPar Action mag did one of these swaps into an early B body. 62 Savoy maybe?? SMPI? Do some searching with those key words.

 

[Montclaire]

Yes, they did, but SMPI is totally different from TBI

 

[Meep-Meep]

I just remembered that article but I'm not up on this modern fuel injection stuff. And I like your thoughts on this. Cheap, functional and hopefully and easy swap.

 

[Montclaire]

This system was short lived from what I am reading, and when the magnum motors came out they stole the spotlight since they had a genuinely better system with the SMPI and the mechanical improvements. However, the TBI system was adapted to what we would be used to, the LA series, and as far as I can tell can be operated as a standalone system. You don't need a generic controller that has to be programmed or a cluster interface or any of that, AFAIK. That being said, you can't easily modify the system to accept changes to the motor, so you are stuck with stock performance, and it will not out perform your results with a razor tuned carb. But if all you are after is stock, reliable performance and a fuel system that self adjusts to cold and hot conditions, then it is probably a good option.

There is a member on FABO who will sell you whole systems or components, who will modify a stock harness for you so that it really is a plug and play deal on other models, and this system is very affordable. Or you can hit the junkyards and DIY.