This will affect air to fuel ratios and the engines ability to generate power. When the intake manifold leaks, the engine looses vacuum, or its ability to suck air into the cylinders from the manifold. The end result is an air leak / vacuum leak that can lead to some significant performance problems and other engine problems. The plenum/belly pan gasket deteriorates and wears down more quickly than most gaskets should. A plenum gasket, also referred to as a belly pan gasket, connects the plate and the manifold together. The intake manifold on the Magnum engines is built in two pieces, a stamped steel plate is connected to the cast aluminum manifold. Just like its 5.9L big brother, the most common problem on the 318 Magnum is a leaking plenum gasket. Exhaust Manifold Bolts & Gasket (ticking noise).Plenum Gasket Leak (also called belly pan gasket).Producing less power and less torque while consuming more gasoline hasn’t given it the best reputation, despite being solid from a reliability perspective.ĭespite being a very similar engine mechanically and design-wise, the 5.2 Magnum actually tends to be more reliable and have less common problems than the 5.9 Magnum. Known to guzzle gas, the 5.2 and the 5.9 have both received poor reviews against the competing 5.4 Triton and 5.3 Vortec engines. of torque and was featured as an upgraded engine option to the 5.2 Magnum for many of its vehicle applications. It’s bigger brother, the 5.9 Magnum, produced 250hp and 350 lb-ft. The 5.2 Magnum produced 230hp and 295 lb-ft. The 318 Magnum is an upgraded version of the LA 318 and was given the Magnum name by the marketing department. The LA 318 was produced from 1967 until 1991. However, the 318 Magnum is not to be confused with its predecessor engine, the Chrysler LA 318. The 5.2 Magnum is also commonly referred to as the 318 Magnum due to its 318 cubic inches of displacement. The engine was predominantly used in Dodge trucks and Jeep Grand Cherokee’s from 1992 until 2003 when it was replaced by the Hemi.
Launched in 1992, the 5.2 Magnum is a naturally aspirated 5.2L V8 engine produced by Chrysler.