i absolutely agree that gm has WAY more aftermerket technology considering the 5.7 or 350 has been around so long. and the 5.3 is a modern engine with modern technology but the 360 will beat it. Why is the 4.7 a disaster, it puts oout more power than the 318 and weighs less all while getting better gas mileage. My cousin is a Chrysler mechanic and he says there are never any reliablility issues with this engine and regularly see them past 200k. I was thinking my next truck will probably be a 4.7

 

The 5.3 is a OHV, 2 valves per cylinder pushrod engine, it is not anything out of the ordinary, havin said that is is one very well laid out OHV,2v pushrod engine. The 4.7's don't seem to do anything much better then either the 5.2 or 5.9, that goes for fuel economy, seat of pants power or reliability for sure. I sell used auto parts and rarely do I ever get a call on a blown up 5.2/5.9, I do however get calls on a weekly basis on 4.7 engines (most popped under 100k). They are not lasting like the magnum motors did. I'm not sure of the area of failure, but I am guessing they are like most OHC engines and maker their power higher up in the rpm band then their predecessors did. Our big heavy *** trucks need tq down low. Too many people get caught up in the peak hp figures and don't look at where it makes it or the tq figures. A smaller revvy motor is fine in a light vehicle, but they won't last in a heavy vehicle. Stock on stock and all things bein equal (cab/chasis config, trans and gears) the 5.3 will come out over the 5.9 magnum motor. Again I'm not saying I like the Chevy truck better, but facts don't lie. Now lets hear all the stroies of 5.9 powered trucks havin whipped 5.3 trucks lol You guys that are into the drag racing performance side of our Rams should start to take interest over at perftrucks.net, lots of good folks over there, like there is here.

 

i haven't heard of the 4.7's blowin up, but i appreciate your input and will keep that in mind in the future. However, i dont believe that the 5.3 will come out on top. My story is that my 95 318 5-speed with 3:55 anti-spin will consistently beat 5.3's and 5.7's (as long as their near stock)

 

I'm assuming you mean 5.7 Chevrolet, and not the 5.7 Dodge HEMI?

The 5.7 Chevy engine was a good engine, I agree. It had more HP than our 360, but towards the end our 5.9 had slightly more torque. I've rode with a friend or two in the past with the 5.7, and I have to say though, that my personal experience has been that the 5.9 is a better performer.

The 5.3, from what I've seen, actually does about the same as our 5.9, maybe even a tad better off the line. I love it when people complain about that (that hasn't happened in this thread, but it has in others). You're comparing a less than 10 year old engine design with an engine design that has its origins in the 1950s/1960s. Of course the brand new design will be more fuel efficient and quicker off the line. OK, end rant.

I am really interested to see the new redesigned HEMI in the 2009 trucks compete with the 6.2 Vortec. Less HP from the HEMI, but supposedly quicker.

 

yes, i did mean the chevy 5.7. and i am also interested to see what the hemi does against the 6.2 even though it is half a liter bigger in displacement. Here's a video that i found interesting, they are all optional v8's although the chevy is the 6.0 Liter Vortec MAX not the 6.2
http://www.dodge.com/en/2009/ram_150...s_competition/

 

I think that 300-350 rwhp is very attainable from a 360. Like someone already said in this thread, I would start out with another block, get it bored 030 over, a little higher compression pistons, stroke it a little, then you could save some money and get yourself a set of stock R/T heads and then pick up a copy of hotrod magazine and learn how to port and polish the heads yourself (kinda scary the first time but its a pretty straightforward procedure). Then a good intake and fairly free flowing exhaust, plus a reflash or a B&G computer tune. I dont know if that would make 300HP but it would certainly get you started on the right track...
I think some guys on here are somewhat negative for no apparent reason, but dont let them discourage you. I am positive it is a very attainable goal, but you will have to spend a lil cash.

 

"Stroke it a little"? I hope to hell your talkin about the engine lol Which stroker kit makes up "a little"? You probably just listed about $10k-15k+ worth of mods also. Exactly how many heads have you ported yourself? It has been proven on these Ram forums over and over again, the stock pcm even after a B&G flash or SCT tune doesn't lend itself to work with wild cam, ported heads and stroker combos. I don't know of one case where the tuning was in the finished stage and the stroker engine was/is runnin right.


95 318/5 speed ram with 3.55's against the same cab and chassis setup chevy 4.8/5spd 3.42's. In that race my money would be on the chevy hands down, mod for mod or stock for stock. First off is the weight, our rams are 600+ lbs heavier then the chebbies in the same chassis/cab setup. Being that for every 100 lbs you shave off you will gain about 1/10th of a second in the 1/4 mile. right there puts us at a 6/10th's of a second handicap.


I will just drop it, as I don't want to make any personal attacks on anyone, but it would be hard not to if I continue this discussion. There are people on these Dodge forums who don't have the foggiest friggin clue what the hell they are talkin about, who are givin suggestions to others on how to make unrealistic hp goals. I am on other forums that are geared towards other makes and models of vehicles, but it saddens me when the Dodge Ram forums seem to have the majority of of these self appointed no-experience experts. I am far from a expert but have had a 300+ at the wheel hp turbo 86 Omni (ran low 12's at 115 mph on radials) and also a low 13 second at 101 mph V8/5spd 95 Dakota sport. I have had other and faster street driven rides, but those 2 are the only later model Mopar rides.

 

If you are serious, you can have this amount of hp. But like many others on here have already stated, it WILL take a generous amount of funding. This type of power from a stock 360 block rated at 245 hp at the crank does not come without a big investment. I think what CaptCameltoe is trying to say is not to be lulled into thinking that you are going to go drop a few hundred bucks and be pushing 300+ to the ground. Check out the website I recommended earlier: www.krcperformance.com. This company is very knowledgeable on these engines and can get you on track to your goal. Just keep in mind that it WILL cost you thousands of dollars. Good luck and keep us informed if you go forward with this...I would like to see the vids

Also: If you want to see some of their work...go to youtube and search for the KRC performance Ram 1500. Sweet...

 

I would put more faith into hearing personal reports from guys on here who have actually spent the money and invested the time into the radical engine combos. Hear what they have to say and base decisions on that. I personally know 4 people who have used KRC for their engine buildups, none of them had anything good to say about their ordeal. Any report or info I get from a tuner shop is taken with a grain of salt, remember they want your money.

 

I have neverbuilt a mopar engine to this day.I have built several chevys and the formula is always the same.Open the top end for cheap easy power. Punch and stroke for the best power.
I have no doubts in my mind that you could make 300hp with a complete top end rebuild on a 360.If you couldnt then these are the crappiest power plants ever designed.
hell you could bump your hp by 50 by pulling that POS cam thats in there and running something like a .570".
I am no expert but I did build an 6.0l LSX that was pushing well over 500hp with above mentioned mods.

And I am in full agreeance that the 5.3 is a very stout workhorse that will whip the tar outa these magnum engines.
The entire LSX family engines are remarkable and the best powerplants to ever sit under a hood.