hey guys. well. im lookin for a lil r/t parts for my sxt.... was thinkin of swappin the head... i heard a rt head would be a good way to go,,,,, but what else would i need to make it work. is it direct bolt on. .. would i have to change anything to make it fit or work... please help me out.... and if this is the wrong head.. what head would be best for my 2.o sohc l4 engine.... thanx...

here are the specs of the head listed on the site with the pic.... tell me what you guys think... i was also thinkin about. some crane 12's.. but i was told to go with the 14's.. but do i need to have some serious engine work done first. or can i drop in the crane 14's with some performance valve springs.. hope for some input.......


Mopar OEM Magnum cylinder head assembly as used on the 01-03' Neon ACR and R/T with the Magnum 2.0L SOHC engine. Utilizes the optimum porting pattern on the exhaust and intake sides. A nice upgrade for any SOHC with the stock cylinder head. This head does not include valves, springs, retainers, etc....



[IMG]local://upfiles/29306/C7BB67A79E9042B4B830547E672350AB.jpg[/IMG]

 

IF I COULD PLEASE GET SOME MORE HELP. AS TO WHAT SPECIFIC THINGS I SHOULD GET WITH THE HEAD.. I WAS TOLD A CRANE CAM 12....SOME CRANE PERFORMANCE VALVE SPRINGS...MAYBE A NEW CAM GEAR. BUT NOT A MUST (I CAN GET A LIL DOWN THE ROAD).....N E THING ELSE... I WAS THINKING THE TITANIUM RETAINER TO GO WITH THE VALVE SPRINGS OFCOURSE.... BUT N E ADVICE I CAN GET. PLEASE HELP...THANX ALOT GUYS.......

 

Is the head you are getting a bare casting? or is it a complete head from a used car with the stock cam and valvetrain?

The stock 2001 Magnum cam is equivalent to the Crane 0012. The stock 2002-up Magnum cam is equivalent to the Crane 0010. You can upgrade to the Crane 0014 or either of the Comp Cams offerings without having to upgrade the stock Magnum valve springs. They're cheaper and just as reliable as the Crane (or other) springs. You won't ever need titanium retainers...

If you look around, you can often find a complete Magnum engine for what you'd pay for a new bare casting. I've seen them go for under $400 (running) on www.car-parts.com (internet salvage yard database), and every now and then just a head will pop up for $150 or so. Then it's just a matter of shipping... If you add up the cost of a bare casting, rocker arms, valves, springs, retainers, cam, cam gear, and sensors (if needed), you'll be up over $1k pretty quick... You can use the valves and rockers from a regular SOHC if needed though.

Best of luck!

 

it a bare casting. (exactly like the pic... the 2.0 magnum cylinder head. brand spankin new.. it's on a site for about $350-400.. i def want the new magnum head to port-polish it.... and built up on... front what i learned now... a nice magnum head.. with magnum cams..(prefer the 01 r/t cam or crane 12)....magnum valve springs...stock reatainer i was told can handle it ....or did they mean the stock retainer from a mag...

You can upgrade to the Crane 0014 or either of the Comp Cams offerings without having to upgrade the stock Magnum valve springs??????????????? i was told only the crane 14's if i had a highly modified car..... but the crane 12's.... woul;d be sufficient. and can handle turbo..... please let me know?

You can use the valves and rockers from a regular SOHC if needed though.???? whick sohc.. my 2.0 on my 04 sxt.. or the mag ones......

 

The retainers are the same from '95 through '05, and they can definitely "handle it". Same with the rockers and lifters, there's no upgrade available* or needed. The Magnum valve springs are definitely beefier than the non-Magnums, which are all the same, even the '95 ones. And they have held up fine even with cams bigger than the Crane 0014. Either of the Magnum cams or the Crane 0012 will work fine with a turbo. The Crane 0014 can be used with a turbo as well, it's just a matter of heading to the dyno and dialing in the cam for the best power (not necessarily highest peak power). For a n/a car, the 0014 should have higher compression pistons since true compression (dynamic compression) is dependent on cam profile as well. I mean, it'll gain power on stock pistons, but a LOT more with higher compression...

*Technically, you can get upgraded lash adjusters from Rhoads, but it's a custom order deal and not a common upgrade by any stretch of the imagination...

 

thanx a whole lot... i have a much more understanding now.....but more into it.... i got the top end covered with the mag ca.s and etc... but what about the bottom end.... a whole new area for me their.. you say compression... i say compress who? lol.........nah but.. what would you recommend for a solid bottom end.. i know the stock compression i believe is 9.8.1 as to the older neon had 9.3.1 if im right..... what kinda piston am i lookin for...what's all the parts and specs of a stock bottom end...compared to what i need. to be able to handle boost either nos or turbo..i def dont want to have to deal with blown engine as far as raggin ou the car tryin to max boost and over load the engine or something.... but i wanna be abl;e to push it hard enough.. like the way i wanna go about it is.. let say i get a fullproof set up to handle 25psi boost with no problem...i'd runn 20 max and never even think about going hight to be safe at a strip or something...and the most. maybe 5psi daily driven...i think i heard something about you not being able to go to a certain low psi with a automatic. something about the boost always being on with a auto....not too sure... but yeah. sorry for the lil essay........im just a newbie with alot to learn u know... hope i can get most of my individual concerns comment on to the fullest.. dont worry guys. when it comes to cars.. i can sure read........ and write as u guys can see... thanx alot...

 

I was doing some research on the same one. It costs 390 right? I think we're looking at the same website.
The stock intake manifold will fit the magnum cylinder head but you'll just need to get a different header b/c the exhaust ports are larger. I'd port it if I were u.

 

Actually, the compression numbers are backwards. Yours (2003-up non-Magnum) has a 9.3:1 compression ratio compared to all other SOHC's at 9.8:1. You should really decide now whether you want to go turbo or nitrous. Turbo does not play well with high compression, where a high compression engine does very well with nitrous. You can do both, but most turbo guys using nitrous use it to spin up the turbo faster. Sounds like you've got your heart set on turbo though.

Ah, the turbo question comes up...

Get boost numbers out of your head. And don't hone in on CFM when it comes to turbos either. You need to consider both together. For example - I can make 225 HP with turbo "A" at 6 psi (OK, so it doesn't reach full boost until 4500 rpm...), and make the same 225 HP with turbo "B" that requires 14 psi to get there. It's how much flow that particular turbo makes at that particular pressure. Each one of the 4 fans on my computer case flows over 400 CFM. But aginst a 10 psi pressure, they're just going to burn up... Think instead about how much power you want to make. 225-250 is definitely doable on your car without having to swap out the pistons. You're already starting out with a lower compression ratio, and there are replacement gaskets that will drop you another half to a full point on top of that. Above that HP level, decent (forged) pistons and rods are in order, and 350+ HP becomes very attainable.

Tranny type has nothing to do with the power the engine is putting out or anything to do with the turbo. Auto trannies cost more power between the flywheel and the road (~15% MTX vs. ~30% ATX). And the neon's auto tranny may be capable of handling a good deal of power, but building it up properly is going to cost money, and it still isn't going to take it as well as the 5-speed. Auto trannies are fantastic for bracket racing, not that it's all that hard to shift a 5-speed properly. And the gearing of auto trannies is well suited for a turbo. Still, I'd be sticking with the 3.55 final drive 5-speed...

Here's what I recommend for homework:

1 - Head to amazon.com and pick up a used copy of Corky Bell's "Maximum Boost". Google turbo neons, there is a wealth of information out there.
2 - Read the book until you understand it. Be able to read a turbo map, calculate intercooler efficiency, and explain in nauseating detail the effects of advance ignition timing on a boosted system from memory.
3 - Decide how much power you want to make.
4 - Decide on a budget.
5 - Make a detailed parts list, keeping careful tabs of how much you are going to spend. Don't forget little things that pop up like $60/hr labor, $35/ft hoses/tubing/piping, and $20 fittings. Return to step 3 as needed.
6 - Be realistic, double the expected costs... Return to step 3...

You can definitely build a DIY turbo setup that makes over 350 HP for under $5k. Easily... if you've planned it out and know exactly what you are doing. Or, you can spend $5k on 2 or 3 different ebay/friend setups and replacement engines and still not have a running car. Or you can go with one of the bolt-on turbo kits from Hahn or Chill Factory to start with until you are ready to move up.