I have an 03 1500 with a 4.7 that overheated on me and blowed the head gasket. I'm going to do an engine swap and was wondering about a couple things. I had read some older post but but never really got a clear answer. I know if I drop in a 5.7 Hemi I can still use my tranny but they are hard to find right now in the salvage yards. I have been able to find the 5.9 with no problem so I was wondering what all I would need to go from the 4.7 to the 5.9? I know I will need the engine harness and ECM just like would if I go to the 5.7 but would I need to change the tranny and engine mounts or will mine work and is there anything else I would need to change out?

 

Yes you would, as well as the accessory drive, exhaust. The 4.7 to 5.7 is an easier swap because they share the same family of electronics. The 360 does NOT, it would not only be a step backwards; you DO realize a stock 03 4.7 (240hp/300ft-lbs) makes just about as much power as a stock 5.9/360 (245hp/335ft-lbs), right.....? It would be ALOT of work (and expense) to go backwards (engine, trans, mounting, accessory drive, exhaust, all associated wiring and elex) and gain.............................................. ..........5hp & 35ft-lbs.

 

I understand the 4.7 and 5.9 are close to the same but I'm having a hard time finding anything good other then the 5.9 in the salvage yard. I have found a lot of 4.7's and they have all been junk and everything that has a 5.7 in it has either been taken or the motor has been half stripped. I use my truck on the farm a lot and to me the 4.7 just don't cut it for what I use it for. My last truck had a 5.9 in it and I never had a problem doing anything around the farm but with this truck and the 4.7 it struggled a lot of time. I know I need to go diesel but I have to buy what I can afford. We have a local salvage yard that has been closed all month cause of the virus but they have been buying autos and they are reopening tomorrow so I hope they have a good 5.7 setting there with my name on it.

We are a Dodge family and this makes the 2 vehicles with a 4.7 in it that has went down. We have a Jeep that had the oil pump go out on it while driving down the interstate and locked the engine up in a heartbeat before my sister even had a chance to shut it down so it's going to get a 5.7 swap also if I can find two of them but my truck comes 1st. I just don't want to go back to a 4.7 as I have heard and read to many problems with them.

 

Problem with the 4.7 for the most part is no one bothers to properly care for them. Good luck with your swap.

 

Typically the 4.7 has issues when not taken care of correctly, whether it be not doing oil changes enough or something else. I've seen 2 of them last over 100,000 and still run perfect.

 

Only 100,000? Mine is currently over 313,000 with no rebuilds. It finally spit a rocker a month ago because a lifter seized up. I replaced all the lifters and I'm back on the road.

 

LOL not too bad

 

5.9 all the way. Way more reliable than a 4.7....my 95 Ram had the 5.9 and I beat the snot out of it...bad...off roading all the time, hammering on it. Truck still ran mint at 240+k when I traded it. And I only traded cuz of rust on body. Rest was mint.

when I bought my 02, I bought because it had the 5.9 and I know how much abuse they can take. I didn’t want a 4.7 at all because of the numerous top end problems I’ve seen, and I wouldn’t settle for the 5.7 because I’ve seen many 03 to 05 hemis loose oil pump and trash engine....5.9 is easy as hell to work on, I could rebuild the whole engine in a day. They may suck on gas (my 02 quad cab long bed gets 11.7mpgs) but the reliability is there....

 

Loose oil pumps lol
My 160,000+ mile 03 hemi begs to differ lol

 

Typically 4.7s go bad when not taken care of lol. Clearly you have taken care of yours Magnoom