Good morning, this is my first post but I've been doing research and thread searching for months. 97 ram 1500 automatic 232k on engine and trans all original. My baby is just getting old and I want to freshen it up. It feels sluggish after driving my buddies 2004 ram. Here is what I've come up with so far and I'm trying to decide the best route to go.

1- eBay short block from Mabco motors $760 plus shipping. Heads redone, 1.7 rr, stock cam, ca intake, headers, the summit high flow 3 way cat, m1 intake, and 46re rebuild w transgo shift kit.

2-same as above except 1.6 and a cam that's computer friendly

What is the difference in the 1.6 w a hotter cam and just doing the 1.7s with associated springs pushrods etc. gas mileage performance? Any advice is helpful. I def want to go with a short block to minimize downtime. I have access to a full auto hobby shop with every tool imaginable.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91464150@N03/8303964614/

 

depending on what the lift and duration of the cam you decide to go with along with the ratio of the rocker arms will change valve lift. I'd recommend knowing exactly what you want out of your engine before you begin ordering parts and putting everything together.

 

This is going to be a daily driver that I occasionally tow about 6000 lbs with my horse trailer and horses. Not trying to get a lot of power, just a reliable engine I can put another 200k worry free miles

 

 

Don't bother rebuilding the stock heads. Waste of money. Replace them with something better. Clearwater or Odessa Cylinder head has stock replacements with thicker decks. (better castings than stock) that are not as prone to cracking as the originals.

Decide where you want your power band, and buy parts accordingly. Tire size and gears will play a role here as well.

Don't neglect your trans on the rebuild either. On page six of MonteC's transmission corner (in the FAQ section) is a list of parts suggested for a member that regularly towed a 7K pound trailer. That would give you a nice, dependable trans.

 

Thanks for the info on the heads.

 

Also, if the engine is rebuilt right, and mantained well, you can get over 200K on it.

The Odessa/clearwater heads are THE way to go, remember though, they sell a normal duty and a Heavy duty head. You want the heavy duty head. It has bigger ports on it allowing better airflow.

 

The larger valve heads are more for engines that you want to build power further up in the RPM range. For a tow/haul/off-roader (mud aside), the 1.92 intake valves are where ya wanna be.

 

Valves vs. ports are different things, but do the HD heads have the bigger valves?