If he wants to do a custom build though, then whats the fun of doing those?

 

he didn't ask for a custom build from what i read. he wanted a bolt in 5.9 which wont happen without some work. messing with a different pcm, etc> midas well go all out!

 

Actually I do plan on doing most of the work with a buddy of mine he has been a mechanic for years. what i plan on doing is get a 360 and stroking it to 408 i plan on doing quite a bit of mods to the motor befor hand and thier is nothing wrong with my 4.7 now its at 103xxx miles and still running strong just want to build up a beast to throw in when i do start having problems with my motor. basically what i wanted to know is what all i would need to get it to run if i get a 5.9l gas should i grab the wireing harness and computer with it as well as which year motor and harness would best work. and the engine mounts can i use the same or do i have or get diffrent ones and if so which ones. I know it may sound easier to get a diffrent truck all together but i like my ram just want it to be a bit diffrent from the others on the road.

 

Your best bet would probably be to get an '02-'03 donor vehicle. That way you'll have a second Gen that came with the 5.9. Just take the engine, trans, comp, wiring harness and motor mounts from that.

 

No, they're not in the same family. I had a 400 in an old Road Runner. It was called a Magnum. It's just a name. Pound for pound, mod for mod, a 360 small block, be it magnum or LA series, will never equal the 5.7 or 6.1 in power potential simply because of the heads. A stroked 360 built into a 408 is a mean engine and torquer, but a similarly built hemi will always make more power due to better breathing.

 

You know what hemi means right? hemispherical? Now, please, tell me of an engine that has been made in the last 30 years that hasnt had hemispherical heads? Hemi is just a name, dodge had the rights to the name, so they used it. Doesn't really mean anything... Dodge just made a better more powerful engine and named it hemi so that it brought fans of the hemi.

 

Look, I am not trying to say that the 5.9 is a better engine than the hemi, but I will say that the 5.9 is a very good motor, and with the right things done to it is a very competitive very fast strong motor. Yeah, you have to do more to get there, but it doesnt mean an all out built hemi is for sure going to be better than an all out built 360

 

hi iam a new member i have a 2000 durango with a 4.7 over heated now the moter needs rebuilt wich is expensive i was wandering about changing it to 318 wandering about wireing harnes and computer

 

First of all, from both stock 5.9 and 5.7, the 5.7 has more power. Dont quote me on it but if i remember correctly the 5.7 has about 100 more HP than the 5.9. The 5.9 and the 4.7 had about the same power if Im not mistaken. But I might be wrong. its been forever since Ive looked at specs but Im sure google can clear any of that up.

@ Greg Cummings - there are some 4.7 parts (and heads) in the classifieds section right now for sale.

 

It amazes me why people will take a modern truck and put a motor thats obsolete in it. It will be many times cheaper to sell your truck. Buy one with a 5.7 hemi and have at it. And why in the world would you put a carb on it? Yeah it's simple, but just about everything is controlled by a computer on the 3rd gens and just throwing something in there wont work.