Tech Q and A
I have a 2001 Ram 1500 2WD, 5.9L Magnum® V-8 w/automatic. I’ve decided to stroke the 5.9L (360) to a 408. Can 340 heads (any 340 head?) be used on this 5.9L block? I ask because I find Magnum parts much more expensive than L or LA block parts.
MM: The issue with putting an LA cylinder head on a Magnum block is LA heads have engine oil delivered through the rocker shafts, where Magnum heads receive engine oil through the pushrods. So the oiling holes required to supply oil to the rocker shafts are not machined in the cylinder head deck on the Magnum block. A ported Magnum R/T head will outflow any early LA head. If cost is a factor, we suggest having your Magnum heads ported (In the past, Magnum heads have been used on crate motors).
I recently purchased a 1987 Dakota Express and would like VIN decoding information and to find out how many were built that year. Is there a free source to decode the vehicle’s VIN? Thanks from one Mopar family to another (I have six Mopars)
MM: A great resource that Chrysler supports is the Chrysler Museum. They have information on how many vehicles were built for a particular year, what options were available and other pertinent build information. Visit www.chryslerheritage.com then click on the “Heritage” link, and then the “Archives” link, and submit your information.
Regarding a 2004 Ram with 4.7L, can you “drop” a 5.7L crate motor in it? I know you would have to get new mounts, but what else?
MM: We wish it were that easy. If you were to purchase the crate motor you would not be able to use the supplied intake or throttle body. Our 5.7L crate motors are set up to be used in a “standalone” application, which means it will not shift an electronic transmission, or operate gauges etc. In order to install a 5.7L HEMI® engine, you would have to visit your local salvage yard and get an engine, engine mounts, engine/transmission harness, electronic throttle pedal, powertrain control module, exhaust manifolds and exhaust system (basically the entire powertrain out of a 2004 5.7L Ram) in order to complete the swap.
I am building a 440 block and would like to make torque plates to bore it out. Can you help me with the bolt locations and center-of-bore locations for milling purposes? If you could help me find these specs for the block it would be greatly appreciated.
MM: Unfortunately, the bolt and center-of-bore locations have never been released by Chrysler to the public. If you would like to make your own torque plates, you can purchase a Mopar head gasket set (P/N P4286754) and attempt to make your own from the gaskets. If you would like to purchase torque plates visit www.bhjproducts.com. They have them in stock.
I would like to keep my 2009 Challenger R/T (5.7L HEMI) pretty much stock but perhaps with a small mod or two to increase horsepower. Please offer any suggestions besides Cat-Back™ exhaust or cold air intake—a chip maybe?
MM: Mopar Performance only offers the cold air intake, Cat Back exhaust, and headers (off-road racing) for the 2009 Challenger. There are many aftermarket tuners, i.e.: Diablo Sport and Superchips.® A good resource for comparing the tuners would be www.lxforums.com.
I own a 2005 Dodge SX (Canadian Neon) with a 2.0L. I would like to get more horsepower out of the engine. How much additional horsepower could the engine deliver with any available Mopar parts? Thank you for your help.
MM: Currently Mopar offers a camshaft (P/N P5007030 shown above) and a cold air intake system (P/N 77060022). The cam is worth around 6 hp, and the cold air intake is worth 7–10 hp. Another upgrade would be 7.5 mm ignition wires (P/N P4876510), for a hotter spark.
I have a 2000 Dodge Durango with 5.9L V-8 and 160,000 km. About four months ago the engine started spark knocking. Please let me know what could cause this problem. I live in Iraq and there is no fuel octane standard here.
MM: There could be many different factors contributing to spark knock. If there are no fuel octane standards there, you need to look into adding octane booster into your fuel. With the truck having 160,000 km, you should consider basic tune-up items, such as spark plugs, wires and cleaning your injectors. With that many kilometers, you should also take a look in the intake ports to see if there is any oil seeping past the intake gaskets. If so, replace them.
I recently purchased a 1988 Dodge Daytona Shelby Z with a 2.2L Turbo II engine and only 44,000 original miles on the vehicle. Please suggest ideas on how I could up the horsepower in the car economically (low budget). Any ideas would be greatly helpful, especially coming from you guys. Thanks for your time.
MM:With an ‘88 and such low mileage, we wouldn’t touch it. You have yourself a keeper. If you would like to give your car a little boost, visit www.forwardmotioninc.com. Forward Motion has many parts for your vehicle.
I would like to graft a higher differential ratio into my 1934 Plymouth with a flat-head 6. Can you advise which differential heads could be used, with the same axle splines and if Mopar has one?
MM: We would need to know what type of axle you currently have in your vehicle right now to figure out which way to go. The best guys in the business for Chrysler axle parts are www.drivetrainspecialists.com
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Reply #1 on : Tue July 13, 2010, 03:45:00