My 03 5.7 auto has 183k miles. the valve seals are shot. Engine holds good oil pressure too. Engine doesn't leak a drop but im putting in a quart every 1500 miles or so. Oil change done every 3k-5k miles since ive had it.

My trans has been shifting a little rough sometimes,and slips when towing. When Not in OD the trans clunks when gas is applied. If im doing the motor,im going to replace the trans too.

I paid alotta money for the truck 5 years ago so im going to keep it. Anyone have any idea on the cost of a crate motor or maybe the average cost of a rebuild on the engine and trans? Im leaning on buying a new crate,and having the trans built for towing and a little fun. I talked with a guy a few months ago who is a reputable trans shop and he quoted about $1900-$2300 for the trans with the improvised upgrades. Sounds about right to me?

For the motor i may just drop in a stock factory setup,a mild cam would be nice,but money is a issue. I would think the Truck would need a good tune if i put any cam in it. Ive got it if i need it,but im wanting to pinch pennies unless its worth it.

Ive also got a few ball joints and the steering links that need attention. I did the struts,brakes,inner sway bar bushings etc a few months ago, my leaf springs are flat,so thats a junkyard find for sure that needs to be addressed.

Opinions needed. I dont have the time or tools to build the engine so the crate would be in mind if its not much more then a rebuild. I can do the other small stuff. thanks

 

Before you throw in the towel. you might consider doing a compression check to see if a replacement is REALLY called for. I have just under 174K on mine now, and it still runs factory original MPG, with no notable compression loss or oil smoke. You may just need some minor head work, which would also most likely eliminate the Hemi tick, and a good tranny rebuild. Just some simple checks before you make the BIG leap.

 

Damn. I only have 84k on my 04

Anyway, check out Sharadon for some beefed up transmissions

 

X2 on the checks, you probably don't need to replace the short block. In this case though a fresh set of heads might not be a good idea, especially if you throw in a cam. Those nice tight heads and your 183,000 mile rings might not play well together after a while. If it was me in your position(and in 60,000 miles it will be), I might look for some lower mileage heads to put on it. I've already had to replace my trans once, and by the time another 80,000-100,000 miles rolls up I'll have another one on standby. Just as a precaution I would replace the oil pump (stock 6.1 is an upgrade). Good luck and let us know.

 

My thinking on head work really went more towards guides ad/or seals, if he compression check looks good, the seats should be fine, if its just seals, the heads don't have to be removed, but I also agree about the rings, a performance upgrade isn't a good idea unless a rebuild is done, just depends on what the OP really is looking for.

 

Wow totally forgot about this thread,works been kicking my tail.

How much trouble is it on these hemi heads is it to replace the valve seals? Ive done em on my old chevy 350's etc.

Im almost tempted on buying a low mileage engine from the junk yard. I did some calling around and found one with 58k miles for 900.00.

I will check the compression later when i get to those plugs behind the brake booster. pita.