ok, so just to let yall know, i'm a pretty crazy guy, with some crazy ideas! So I had a few questions for anyone who might know this stuff since i've never done an ENGINE SWAP before.

OK, So my original idea was to drop a GIANT dual-turbo cummins in my dakota in the next 5 years or so. Yyyyeah after seeing how far the firewall got pushed back in the Banks Sidewinder Dakota, I decided I'll keep my interior room and go to something smaller.

Soooo I've downgraded my idea to a Hemi 5.7 or 6.1. Now my question is this, the older Dakota R/Ts had 5.9l magnums in them. But I don't know what could fit in the new Dakotas. Before yall say I should just get a Ram 2500 and off-roadify it I want to keep my dakota, and I want to make it unique with a bigger engine in it (plus, it's cheaper than selling my dakota and buying a 2500 Laramie). But if anyone would happen to know if it would be possible to fit a 5.7 Hemi in the Dakota that'd be cool. And does anyone know how much of a dimensional size difference there is between the 5.7 and 6.1l hemis? THANKS!

 

I know in the last gen Of dakota, you could fit a 5.7L hemi in there cause it HAS been done. On person that did the swap even went so far as to turbo the engine also. Check it out. he had a turbo on his 4.7, but he blew the engine...

Im sure you could fit a 5.7 in the new daks but it would take a little work.

oh and Heres the link to the thread about his engine swap.

 

The small V8 they put in the 05 ram 1500 is the same as the one they put in the 05 Dakota rite? I don't see why dodge would make the same truck have two different motor mount arangments, its not econmicaly justified. So I think the 3.7 and 4.7 would fit in any Dakota. So that may mean the 5.7 hemi and the 4.7 mag would fit the same.

I hope someone can verfiy this but I would love to put a variable 5.7 Hemi in my dakota in the next 3-5 years myself.

 

yeah, i wonder if it's a motor mounted program or something that would have to be modified on my truck to make it do that turn 4cyl off at cruise to save gas, that'd sure help me a lot sinc ei do about 70-75% highway driving. And you put on a good point there, that the 4.7 and 5.7 should have the same mounts since they are the 2 engines for the RAM...if a tech who's looked at this before reads it and has an answer that'd be great.

I saw the one where the guy put a hemi in his older dakota, and he had no problems fitting it in there, just had to find a new transmission to handle the power.

 

Yea I would asume finding and installing a new trany would be harder than fitting a different engine. With any luck the 1500 ram trany will fit with minor adjustments.

Who knows maybe they will make a 08 dakota with a hemi....

 

I know this thread is uber old but I just wanted to say Dodge will never put a Hemi in the Dakota. As much as we beg and pry for one Dodge won't do it because it is the whole selling point behind the Ram. More people might start buying Dakotas which would have to be less expensive than a Ram.

 

You know whats kinda cool the kid with the turbo hemi lives 45 mins from my hometown

 

jimbo do the cummings, I saw it done on a gen 2 it was so NICE. I t was even thrown in i think it was 4wheeler mag or petersons 4x4 i have the article. he also gets 25-27 mpg highway or so he says... if i save enough money i think i might do it. along with a SAS.

 

The cummins would be nice, if only for the fuel economy and the extra torque....for towing, I'd just love it...and I think the $4.20/gallon diesel fuel would even out with the increased economy.

It would probably have to be the V-8 cummins, when it's developed...I doubt the I-6 would fit...