HEMI 6.1L in Dodge Ram 1500 Truck....

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caprihorse
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Detox;37918 wrote:Right, so I am starting to toy with the idea of dropping a 6.1L HEMI in my truck...
It has been done before so I know it fits the truck and existing transmission...

This would essentially make the Dodge a 4x4 SRT8!!!!

Is that wise or crazy!!!!
Maybe it will work on road only. Did you check also if your drive train will hold all this power?
Once you get stuck in a ditch, maybe all your differentials and transfer case will turn into a box with no teeth wheels, just pieces of scrap metal...

With higher toque engine you'll bring whole your car out of balance and some parts in your truck will act like a fuse in el. circuit. You may start an endless carousel of changing parts, which you didn't realize before, that they exist in your truck. But if this is the fun you want, to permanently change the parts, just do it. :thumbsup:
Detox
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[quote=Defragmantor;37951]@Detox Have you considered adding something else to your current engine rather than an engine swap ? maybe turbocharge or supercharge the engine ???[/quote]

I started with that but soon realised that there arent many upgrade parts out there for the 4.7L engine.....
Also if i go for a custom supercharger, the price would be eztremely close to fitting a new engine....
Detox
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caprihorse;37952 wrote:Maybe it will work on road only. Did you check also if your drive train will hold all this power?
Once you get stuck in a ditch, maybe all your differentials and transfer case will turn into a box with no teeth wheels, just pieces of scrap metal...

With higher toque engine you'll bring whole your car out of balance and some parts in your truck will act like a fuse in el. circuit. You may start an endless carousel of changing parts, which you didn't realize before, that they exist in your truck. But if this is the fun you want, to permanently change the parts, just do it. :thumbsup:
That is the biggest worry especially offoad...... I looked into it and the tranny in the dodge is called 545RFE which is very popular in Mopar vehicles.... It has been tested with the 6.1 hemi with no problems.....will it hold off road? ..... Being investigated....
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caprihorse
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Detox;37954 wrote:That is the biggest worry especially offoad...... I looked into it and the tranny in the dodge is called 545RFE which is very popular in Mopar vehicles.... It has been tested with the 6.1 hemi with no problems.....will it hold off road? ..... Being investigated....
You are free to test it on your own
:killzonesmiley:
Detox
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caprihorse;37961 wrote:You are free to test it on your own
:killzonesmiley:
Certainly, testing is critical and getting other people experience who have done it.... I am talking to AEV in the US and BPE......will keep u posted....
Detox
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Detox;37964 wrote:Certainly, testing is critical and getting other people experience who have done it.... I am talking to AEV in the US and BPE......will keep u posted....

Some research and links about mating the HEMI 6.1 to the 545 RFE.... looking reliable and proven so far...

http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/engin ... mi-part-1/
http://www.bpeusa.com/DodgeRamSRT8/

To make sure its bullet proof there are several kits that strengthen the transmission by adding better clutches and an addition clutch, these increase the power handling capabilities by 50% and sorts out the common faults of the transmission..

Check this out:

http://www.transmissioncenter.com/45RFE ... _Parts.htm

To make sure I have a solid truck, I will add this to the plan..
Yoghybear
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[MENTION=7860]Detox[/MENTION], I will not tell you what to do or what not to do, it's your money and you can do whatever you want, as [MENTION=8472]Dave[/MENTION] said, if your decision makes you happy and puts a smile on your face, go ahead, but be careful because the happiness can become sadness very soon and smile can be replaced by tears.
1) transmission: good on road, bad off road, not able to withstand heavy job, if you are thinking to do off road at a certain level, get ready to spend money.
2) rear differential: same as point 1 ..... get ready
3) front axle: same as point 1 & 2
4) front and rear driveshaft: ...guess what?
5) ....do you want me really to continue???

I am a Dodge RAM owner and fan, but believe me, this is the first and the LAST Dodge in my life, never seen something like that.....
It might be possible that I've been unlucky, but:
- 3 engines* (first last 92K, second 46K, third .... will tell you)
- 3 transmission (first last 110K, second 35K, thrid .... hope more....)
- 4 front axle
- 3 front driveshaft
- 1 rear driveshaft
- 1 transfercase
- 1 rear differential

*All engine were HEMI 5.7 and just to be clear, the car was/is serviced more and better than Dodge recommendations.
[MENTION=2336]yasir[/MENTION]
yasir;37945 wrote:Best engine upgrade for RAM is to go for SRT10, as the 8.3-Liter Viper V-10 engine under the hood churns out over 500 horsepower and 525 lb.-ft. of torque. The Ram SRT10 dashes from 0-60 in just under five seconds.
http://www.drivesrt.com/heritage/ram-srt10/
sorry man, if you want really to upgrade a Dodge, the best solution is the 440 HEMI, 630HP and 813Nm, but again you have to change everything, just keep the Dodge badge.....

In any case guys, do not forget that power is important, BUT IT IS NOT the key point.....if you are not able to transfer to the ground your pile of horses, what you have under the hood is simply useless.

Said that, and with max respect for everyone, I think that nobody has better experience than me on Dodge RAM heavily used for off road, but again, it's your money, do whatever drives you happy.....I did follow such philosofy and, despite I am lighter of some tens of thousands of Dirhams.....I am still happy!
Cheers
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So many replacements @Yoghybear! I think the next replacement should be the driver!! That car is just plain unlucky for you! I saw a nice 4x4 at Mebar last week that may suit you better and prove a little more reliable. Believe you have a little history with it......! It was king of the rally circuit late 1990's and early 2000. May need a little suspension lift for the dunes and higher profile tires. It would be fun to watch you rally it over the sand dunes!! :thumbsup:
Maddie
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I remember reading about a guy who went into Advanced territory without a front shaft, and Made it out in one piece.

Thats what I would define as skill.
[MENTION=1633]Yoghybear[/MENTION] - i have a good right arm and a better right leg as well as a run down Jeep if you are thinking of parting with that beast you ride every time i see you
momo
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This thread is rich in mechanical posts... I would say, as a Newbie and observer, the majority of drivers including me are enjoying all the drives with a V6 engine 3.5 to 4 liter or a bit more... If we consider this majority as a convoy, do you think you will need more power than the average car power?
By the way, I met a tourist safari car driver, he has a Land Cruiser V6, he always carry a lot of passengers daily. He told me, it has not a huge power but it is more than enough for what they do, you just need to know how to play with momentum. So again it is the driver skills not the car.
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