I am helping a friend out with his truck and he told me today that he would like to put an engine with more horsepower and I was thinking a 5.7l Hemi would give home more power and MPG can anyone help verify this and can you tell me if it would even fit one his truck he has the 5.2l v8 magnum '92 le Dakotaan and can anyone help on figuring out what would be best for him we are also trying to raise his truck 2"-6" any suggestions will be helpful any ideas are welcome I just don't want him to F' his truck up

 

Budget?
Intended use of truck?
Mechanical ability of you/friend?
Desired power?
Desired MPG?
Reason for desired power?
Reason for desired MPG?
Is the truck 2wd or 4wd, stick or auto?
Where do you live, do you have smog requirements?

You're describing spending anywhere from $2000-$15000 (or more). We need to know what you hope to gain and why. For the vast majority of people, there is a huge gulf between "want" and "need". If he has enough disposable coin to dump a Hemi into a '92 Dakota, then he has enough disposable coin to just buy a hemi powered Ram and be done with it (in the SF Bay, $7000 will get you a bunch of options).

 

Ben's right. And the other thing is how long is your friend willing to have his truck laid up? Cuz "Overhaulin" could probably do this in a week, but us mere mortals would probably run outa gas before it got done. I've seen Chip Foose on TV and you sir are no Chip Foose. (You may not be old enough to get the joke, either.)

First, I wouldn't start with a 92 Dakota. It totally isn't set up for a 5.7, wrong trannie, wrong wiring, wrong frame, and on and on. I'd start out with a 2010 with a 4.7. Might be doable then.

So getting real, how about a 5.9? It's moderately easy to tuck one in, the engine block is the same, you just transfer the 5.2 stuff over. And if you really have deep pockets, you build it out to a 400+cu.in. stroker engine, balance it, sooper charge it, cam, heads, 4.11 gears, exhaust, etc. Nice thing is you can find a good core 5.9 for a lot less than a grand, rebuild it to his needs (and pocket book) and install it in about a weekend.

 

My friends have tried to tell me I should do this and this is the exact thing I'd tell them. Just wouldn't be worth it when doing a 5.9l would be so much easier and cost efficient.

 

i have said this before, so iam sorry if you have seen this. a chrysler high performance or race car / truck is NOT a cam and carb. it is a system. every thing from trans to wire sizes to rear end sizes. is made by chrysler is a SYSTEM. if put a 440 in front of a 383 trans the trans WILL give up to soon. IT IS a SYSTEM.

 

Find a gm 5.3 or 6.0 vortec u can find em all day outta a work van in the bone yard smashed up if u don't mind going to a Chevy engine.. N u can make as much power as a 5.7 or 6.1 hemi all day with out having as deep pockets staying with a mopar engine

 

My suggestion, go with the 5.9, a heck of a lot easier to find and to swap in. You will be surprised at the extra power.

 

1 The trucks original purpose is to go off road in our minds but still be able to drive around on the road
2 I don't know what his desired power is
3 the best he gets right now is about 10 MPG so Im thinking 18 - 20 MPG or more
3 to get any where he wants
4 to do it cheaply
5 4wd auto but he wants it to be stick
6 no smog requirements at the moment

This will be a build as we get project there is no budget I got the chip joke and I know it will be
easier this isn't a need this is a want. Our ability is questionable there are others willing to help us do this the goal with his truck to me is to learn how so I can do it when/if I get a dokata

 

Also he is thinking about straight axling it