OA- 4M engine question

[Hoggardhigh]

In Joe Baugher's entry on the OA- 4M (TA-4F retrofitted to A-4M standards), it states the following about the OA-4M's power plant:

"Some consideration was given to fitting the 11,200 lb.s.t Pratt & Whitney J52-P-408 of the A-4M, but this turned out to be impractical, and the OA-4M retained the J52-P-8 of the TA-4F."

Can anyone here explain more about the above quote?

 

[XBe02Drvr]

In Joe Baugher's entry on the OA- 4M (TA-4F retrofitted to A-4M standards), it states the following about the OA-4M's power plant:

"Some consideration was given to fitting the 11,200 lb.s.t Pratt & Whitney J52-P-408 of the A-4M, but this turned out to be impractical, and the OA-4M retained the J52-P-8 of the TA-4F."

Can anyone here explain more about the above quote?

The OA-4M was a two-seater A-4 converted from the TA-4F trainer by the addition of combat gear similar to a "warfighter" A-4 for use as a "fast FAC" in Vietnam after the attrition rate of low and slow O-1s and O-2s became unsustainable.
The A-4M was the "hotrod" A-4 single seater attack plane procured for the Marines after the Navy had withdrawn their A-4s from frontline attack squadrons. The OA-4M (Observation Attack) was supposed to be a two seat equivalent of the A-4M, but retrofitting the "hotrod" version J52 turned out to be impractical for reasons unknown. I have heard "through the grapevine" that intake ducts of the lower powered TA-4F airfame couldn't feed the airflow demands of the P408 engine and the tailpipe duct was too tight a fit and overheated.
Apparently the development took too long and the war was over before the aircraft were delivered. I did see the Blue Angels perform in their Ms in 1974, and they were awesome! No afterburner, but it performed like it had one, and its crisp handling allowed a tighter, more impressive show than the F-4s the Angels had before.
Cheers,
Wes