97 ram 360 project questions
#1
05-05-2013, 11:11 PM
97 ram 360 project questions
Hello all!
I just received a free motor today from a buddy of mine who has a 99 with a 360, I am going to rebuild it as my first ever rebuild but I have a few questions that I would like to iron out before I start the replacement / aftermarket parts ordering...
1) we both have trucks with the Z vin so I am assuming that even though his is a 99 our motors are the same 360? is that correct?
2) I am wanting to stay with a fairly stock config but would like to install some aftermarket items that will boost both my HP and torque... What items specifically would be good to use that will work with my mainly stock engine? I have looked at some cams etc but get a bit confused when it starts talking numbers in the descriptions, what do I look for in these parts and how to I tell if they will be compatable? such as computer, sensors etc working with the part.
3) I will be replacing the piston and rings and possibly the rods, is there anything in particular that would work best? and is it required to have the cylinders honed?
4) I have thought about replacing the valves, rockers, lifters etc, is there a specific type or? to look for? also, with the valve replacement, is it required to have the heads worked for the new valves?
I know these may seem like silly questions, but I am not familiure when it comes to motors, unless its a dirtbike :-)
thank you for your patience! I appreciate all comments.
I just received a free motor today from a buddy of mine who has a 99 with a 360, I am going to rebuild it as my first ever rebuild but I have a few questions that I would like to iron out before I start the replacement / aftermarket parts ordering...
1) we both have trucks with the Z vin so I am assuming that even though his is a 99 our motors are the same 360? is that correct?
2) I am wanting to stay with a fairly stock config but would like to install some aftermarket items that will boost both my HP and torque... What items specifically would be good to use that will work with my mainly stock engine? I have looked at some cams etc but get a bit confused when it starts talking numbers in the descriptions, what do I look for in these parts and how to I tell if they will be compatable? such as computer, sensors etc working with the part.
3) I will be replacing the piston and rings and possibly the rods, is there anything in particular that would work best? and is it required to have the cylinders honed?
4) I have thought about replacing the valves, rockers, lifters etc, is there a specific type or? to look for? also, with the valve replacement, is it required to have the heads worked for the new valves?
I know these may seem like silly questions, but I am not familiure when it comes to motors, unless its a dirtbike :-)
thank you for your patience! I appreciate all comments.
#2
05-05-2013, 11:40 PM
#3
05-06-2013, 12:38 AM
Record Breaker
Rebuilding your 360 is just 8 cylinders instead of the 1 your use to with a dirt bike.
The book gdstock linked you to is a good book and goes step by step. I am using the same book while I am rebuilding my 360.
Yes the engines between 97 & 99 are the same.
Since your talking about replacing your pistons then you might want to think about upping the compression ratio to 10:1 or close to it.
The came you want to look for should have it's usable power going from 1,000RPM's -5,500RPM's or close to that. For a DD you don't want to get a cam that doesn't come in until 2,000RPM's. There are some very knowledgeable people on here for things like cam selection.
Now as far as your valves and things go I would just replace your heads. The 5.2 & 5.9 stock heads have a reputation for cracking around the valve seats. There are aftermarket heads now that have taken care of this issue. You can get some EQ heads from Odessa Cylinder Heads for under $1,000.
Replacing your rocker arms with Roller Rockers of either the stock ratio or a higher ratio helps make your engine think it has a bigger cam. Plus with the Roller Rockers you gain HP because of less friction.
Here are a few other books to look at that you can get from Amazon.
I am in the middle of rebuilding my 360 as I said before and am replacing the cylinder heads with EQ Monster heads. They have the 2.02 intake and 1.62 exhaust. The intake valve is larger than stock. I am also replacing the stock keg style intake manifold with the Hughes Engine Air Gap intake manifold. I am also using a bored throttle body which is a 52mm. And for rocker arms I am using Harland Sharp 1.7:1 ratio Roller Rockers. All this stuff should add 50-100 HP to my other wise stock engine. I got lucky with mine and the cylinders were all good and didn't need to be bored over size.
When you take your engine apart your going to want to take the block, crankshaft, rods & pistons & cylinder heads to a machine shop to have them checked out and speced. Once they measure everything they will be able to tell you if your block can run a stock size piston or if it needs to be bored due to wear. They will do the same with your crankshaft. If you do need to bore your block they will also check your rods to make sure they are straight. If you had to bore the block they will also install the new pistons onto your rods. And then for your cylinder heads they can check them out too for cracks and do any machine work needed if you choose to reuse your stock heads. But as I said I highly recommend that you replace your heads with some aftermarket ones. RHS now makes some as does EQ or you can go high tech and get aluminum heads from Edelbrock.
I know I just threw a lot at you. Do a search about rebuilding a 360 and your sure to find a few threads. Do some reading and even think about buying one or all of the books linked for you. Then come back and ask away with all your questions.
The book gdstock linked you to is a good book and goes step by step. I am using the same book while I am rebuilding my 360.
Yes the engines between 97 & 99 are the same.
Since your talking about replacing your pistons then you might want to think about upping the compression ratio to 10:1 or close to it.
The came you want to look for should have it's usable power going from 1,000RPM's -5,500RPM's or close to that. For a DD you don't want to get a cam that doesn't come in until 2,000RPM's. There are some very knowledgeable people on here for things like cam selection.
Now as far as your valves and things go I would just replace your heads. The 5.2 & 5.9 stock heads have a reputation for cracking around the valve seats. There are aftermarket heads now that have taken care of this issue. You can get some EQ heads from Odessa Cylinder Heads for under $1,000.
Replacing your rocker arms with Roller Rockers of either the stock ratio or a higher ratio helps make your engine think it has a bigger cam. Plus with the Roller Rockers you gain HP because of less friction.
Here are a few other books to look at that you can get from Amazon.
I am in the middle of rebuilding my 360 as I said before and am replacing the cylinder heads with EQ Monster heads. They have the 2.02 intake and 1.62 exhaust. The intake valve is larger than stock. I am also replacing the stock keg style intake manifold with the Hughes Engine Air Gap intake manifold. I am also using a bored throttle body which is a 52mm. And for rocker arms I am using Harland Sharp 1.7:1 ratio Roller Rockers. All this stuff should add 50-100 HP to my other wise stock engine. I got lucky with mine and the cylinders were all good and didn't need to be bored over size.
When you take your engine apart your going to want to take the block, crankshaft, rods & pistons & cylinder heads to a machine shop to have them checked out and speced. Once they measure everything they will be able to tell you if your block can run a stock size piston or if it needs to be bored due to wear. They will do the same with your crankshaft. If you do need to bore your block they will also check your rods to make sure they are straight. If you had to bore the block they will also install the new pistons onto your rods. And then for your cylinder heads they can check them out too for cracks and do any machine work needed if you choose to reuse your stock heads. But as I said I highly recommend that you replace your heads with some aftermarket ones. RHS now makes some as does EQ or you can go high tech and get aluminum heads from Edelbrock.
I know I just threw a lot at you. Do a search about rebuilding a 360 and your sure to find a few threads. Do some reading and even think about buying one or all of the books linked for you. Then come back and ask away with all your questions.