I recently bought a '99 Ram 2500, LWB, 5.9L that I plan to use to tow my 8,000 lb Toy Hauler. With 150k miles, the engine is okay but I'm thinking about either building or buying a stroker (406 ci) motor.
Have any of you got experience with that kind of work ? I also would appreciate any advice on what I should do to the truck to make it a better tow vehicle. My daily-driver is an '05 Dakota so the Ram will be towing 90% if the time it's running.
Thanks.

 

As for the storker kit there is a few good sites up that gives good info. And I belive it makes a 408 not a 406. its a simple mistake. http://www.moparstyle.net/technical/408stroker.htmAlso fast man has done it if you email him he can give you good adive http://www.thefastman.com/. For Better towing you might want to install an extra tranny cooler and engine oil cooler. You could change the gears to give you better low end torque.

 

...good articles on the 408 stroker. Since I am interested in torque at lower RMPs, I guess the cam selection will be a challange and I hoped to be able to run 87 octane gasoline. The compression needs to be in the 9:1 range. I also plan on keeping the fuel injection and spark control electronic, maybe change injectors and maybe add a Jet module.

 

Can't help you on the power part, but don't forget about yout tranny. You might consider building it up abit, especially if your adding a bunch more hp/torque. At a minimum consider switching to synthetic fluid, also in the rear end. Trans cooling if you don't already have a cooler is a must, but you probably already know that. Good luck.

Regards, Glenn

 

Got the tranny covered - addditional cooler, shift improver kit, syntheyic fluid. The truck already has the towing package so all of what I do is probably over-kill but that's what I do.