OK, lets try this again . . . anyone out there have opinions on the 2002 5.9 engine and how to get more grunt out of it? Would headers be the first choice? Cat back next? What about the problem with dual exhausts and the spare tire that sits in the way. Thanks for any feedback

 

Don't know about the spare tire issue, but if I had the money...full exhaust system, cold air intake, and superchips. That would be my first choices. And you can never go wrong with a supercharger!!!

 

Programmer (pref Superchips). Good ignition (decent coil, MSD or Accel). Good exhaust (incl headers). P/P intake and heads. Better roller cam. Better gears. Stroker crank plus 360 = 392 or so small block. Pretty much after the stroker is when stuff gets more radical (blower or turbo, nitrous, radical computer, injector, cam changes). The first 6 will definitely wake your truck up. The 360 magnum is a slight update of an OLD design. The heads have good potential, not as much as a hemi head, but they do well. I had a 360 in an old beater Charger that was making around 400hp. Keep in mind this is old car, headers w/duals, good carb, hot cam, good ignition and intake. This car also got **** for mileage (and that was a 4000 lb vehicle, as compared to the 5000 lb or so late model Dodge Ram). I have seen people take an old (or new race block replacement) 340 block and build that under a newer Magnum top end. 360 has a 4" bore with a 3.58" stroke. The old 340 has a 4.04" bore and 3.31" stroke. Definite revver, but not awesome for torque. Add stroker crank to this package and you will have a big bore 400+ci small block. LOTSA potential in that package. Keep in mind that this is not a straight bolt together. 340's were not designed with hydraulic rollers in mind. There is not a spot in the oil gallery for the spider plate. To bolt magnum heads to this block you will have to get aftermarket hyd roller lifters (which are made) or convert it to regular hydraulic lifter, which means you have to use the old style AMC lifters (Magnum head valvetrain is oiled from the pushrods, which are hollow. AMC engines were also oiled this way, the lifters are setup for it and have the same .904" diameter as the sm blk mopar). I guess it all depends on how much time/$$$ you want to put into it.