Engine swap on 2006 1500 mega cab from 5.7 hemi

joshuaedmister · Jul 6, 2019

madtrucker2016 said:
your truck will never run good to much to change and lots of cash better off with the 5.7 and call it a day like you said your at work and its in the parking lot 80 hours a week save your self a headache

My current plan is swap everything but axles, body panels, and cab/bed so it's Chevy guts, wiring harness, etc. Etc. 2 grand for the truck roughly, figure 40-70 hours in the project and something I'll keep for life or until I crash it B-)

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HemiLonestar · Jul 7, 2019

Believe it when I see it. Seen too many people "oh I'm gonna do this or that swap, yadda yadda"
More likely outcome will be like the others, really start getting into it and figure it isn't worth it, can't finish it, can't make it work, etc etc

madtrucker2016 · Jul 7, 2019

joshuaedmister said:
My current plan is swap everything but axles, body panels, and cab/bed so it's Chevy guts, wiring harness, etc. Etc. 2 grand for the truck roughly, figure 40-70 hours in the project and something I'll keep for life or until I crash it B-)

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joshuaedmister said:

My current plan is swap everything but axles, body panels, and cab/bed so it's Chevy guts, wiring harness, etc. Etc. 2 grand for the truck roughly, figure 40-70 hours in the project and something I'll keep for life or until I crash it B-)

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5.7 and enjoy your time off with your family more important then pulling your hair out with this.

joshuaedmister · Jul 27, 2019

HemiLonestar said:
Believe it when I see it. Seen too many people "oh I'm gonna do this or that swap, yadda yadda"
More likely outcome will be like the others, really start getting into it and figure it isn't worth it, can't finish it, can't make it work, etc etc

Okay you've got me convinced, going to make a toy with the Duramax and put a jku stretched body on the 1 ton frame, a 6.1 is basically a better 5.7 isn't it? And where would be best place to get one reliably

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HemiLonestar · Jul 27, 2019

joshuaedmister said:
Okay you've got me convinced, going to make a toy with the Duramax and put a jku stretched body on the 1 ton frame, a 6.1 is basically a better 5.7 isn't it? And where would be best place to get one reliably

Surprising lol
Yes and no. They are in the same family, but the 6.1 was designed from the outset to be a performance engine, forged crank, better heads with bigger ports and valves, better intake manifold, much more compression and cam, piston oil squirters, etc (the 5.7 was not). Can you put the 6.1 in your truck? Absolutely. What you need to decide is how much of the engine you actually wanna use. There's cheapest/easiest, more involved, then much more PITA & expensive.
Cheapest/easiest: 6.1 short block with 5.7 heads. Everything bolts back in like factory and you just need to pick a cam and get it custom tuned.
More involved: 6.1 long block. Now you have D shaped exhaust ports to contend with as well as larger intake ports to adapt to. Have to either find headers or alter manifolds to work on the exhaust side. Need adapters to use your stock intake manifold on the 6.1 heads. Stock intake becomes the choke point on the engine.
Much more PITA & expensive: 6.1 long block and intake (or some version of car intake manifold). Requires altering the accessory drive to fit front facing throttle body and requires conversion to electric cooling fan to get rid of clutch fan. 6.1 intake will then bolt right on; 09+ plastic intakes are shorter and won't clear the temp sensor without spacers (but are superior to every pre-09 plastic intake and in most cases match or supercede the 6.1 intake).

Used 6.1's run about $4000-7000 on average depending on mileage and who is trying to gouge the price; they're also getting harder to find and people want more for them.

Easiest method for more power while keeping stock packaging but will probably eventually blow up your RFE: take stock 5.7 block, have stroked to 392 (this gives you forged internals). Have stock heads opened up P&P and big valve. Have cam made for boost application. Buy 04-08 Ram Procharger tuner kit. Get it tuned. Have fun with it while trying to decide where to get your next trans or if you're gonna try the ZF retrofit.

joshuaedmister · Jul 27, 2019

HemiLonestar said:
Surprising lol
Yes and no. They are in the same family, but the 6.1 was designed from the outset to be a performance engine, forged crank, better heads with bigger ports and valves, better intake manifold, much more compression and cam, piston oil squirters, etc (the 5.7 was not). Can you put the 6.1 in your truck? Absolutely. What you need to decide is how much of the engine you actually wanna use. There's cheapest/easiest, more involved, then much more PITA & expensive.
Cheapest/easiest: 6.1 short block with 5.7 heads. Everything bolts back in like factory and you just need to pick a cam and get it custom tuned.
More involved: 6.1 long block. Now you have D shaped exhaust ports to contend with as well as larger intake ports to adapt to. Have to either find headers or alter manifolds to work on the exhaust side. Need adapters to use your stock intake manifold on the 6.1 heads. Stock intake becomes the choke point on the engine.
Much more PITA & expensive: 6.1 long block and intake (or some version of car intake manifold). Requires altering the accessory drive to fit front facing throttle body and requires conversion to electric cooling fan to get rid of clutch fan. 6.1 intake will then bolt right on; 09+ plastic intakes are shorter and won't clear the temp sensor without spacers (but are superior to every pre-09 plastic intake and in most cases match or supercede the 6.1 intake).

Used 6.1's run about $4000-7000 on average depending on mileage and who is trying to gouge the price; they're also getting harder to find and people want more for them.

Easiest method for more power while keeping stock packaging but will probably eventually blow up your RFE: take stock 5.7 block, have stroked to 392 (this gives you forged internals). Have stock heads opened up P&P and big valve. Have cam made for boost application. Buy 04-08 Ram Procharger tuner kit. Get it tuned. Have fun with it while trying to decide where to get your next trans or if you're gonna try the ZF retrofit.

Okay, I have experience on vehicles with everything except internals of engines I understand tight tolerances and how to look for bad wear etc. Looking for more power definitely and have mbrp dual 45° exit exhaust on it (not installed by my but previous owner) but it's only up to cats new exhaust, I'd like a 6.1 but if it's easier to do my 5.7 built if it's not too far gone that'd be great, my heat clutch in my fan failed so I'd rather go electrical anyways, my temp sensor failed also so it never shut of safely in time so possibly even putting fan on a secondary switch to absolute power when I might be risking it

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joshuaedmister · Jul 27, 2019

HemiLonestar said:
Surprising lol
Yes and no. They are in the same family, but the 6.1 was designed from the outset to be a performance engine, forged crank, better heads with bigger ports and valves, better intake manifold, much more compression and cam, piston oil squirters, etc (the 5.7 was not). Can you put the 6.1 in your truck? Absolutely. What you need to decide is how much of the engine you actually wanna use. There's cheapest/easiest, more involved, then much more PITA & expensive.
Cheapest/easiest: 6.1 short block with 5.7 heads. Everything bolts back in like factory and you just need to pick a cam and get it custom tuned.
More involved: 6.1 long block. Now you have D shaped exhaust ports to contend with as well as larger intake ports to adapt to. Have to either find headers or alter manifolds to work on the exhaust side. Need adapters to use your stock intake manifold on the 6.1 heads. Stock intake becomes the choke point on the engine.
Much more PITA & expensive: 6.1 long block and intake (or some version of car intake manifold). Requires altering the accessory drive to fit front facing throttle body and requires conversion to electric cooling fan to get rid of clutch fan. 6.1 intake will then bolt right on; 09+ plastic intakes are shorter and won't clear the temp sensor without spacers (but are superior to every pre-09 plastic intake and in most cases match or supercede the 6.1 intake).

Used 6.1's run about $4000-7000 on average depending on mileage and who is trying to gouge the price; they're also getting harder to find and people want more for them.

Easiest method for more power while keeping stock packaging but will probably eventually blow up your RFE: take stock 5.7 block, have stroked to 392 (this gives you forged internals). Have stock heads opened up P&P and big valve. Have cam made for boost application. Buy 04-08 Ram Procharger tuner kit. Get it tuned. Have fun with it while trying to decide where to get your next trans or if you're gonna try the ZF retrofit.

Also yeah, from everything on the Chrysler/dodge I'm thinking to save from having to get an electrical degree just to get it to work with chev

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ric3xrt · Jul 28, 2019

Unless you can get a good deal on a 6.1....avoid it, Like Lone star said go 392CI based 5.7, Where we differ is I'd go with the 09+eagle heads and An Edelbrock Intake or a 6.1 intake manifold. both of those intakes have WAY more mid range power and TQ then the OEM truck intake manifold.

HemiLonestar · Jul 28, 2019

ric3xrt said:
Unless you can get a good deal on a 6.1....avoid it, Like Lone star said go 392CI based 5.7, Where we differ is I'd go with the 09+eagle heads and An Edelbrock Intake or a 6.1 intake manifold. both of those intakes have WAY more mid range power and TQ then the OEM truck intake manifold.

Agreed, but I was keeping packaging/simplicity/accessory drive in mind. Anything beyond the factory manifold (which is why I mentioned using it with FI) will require altering the accessory drive to fit the TB.

joshuaedmister · Aug 27, 2019

HemiLonestar said:
Agreed, but I was keeping packaging/simplicity/accessory drive in mind. Anything beyond the factory manifold (which is why I mentioned using it with FI) will require altering the accessory drive to fit the TB.

Right now, just picked up a 5.7 from an 07 Durango (170k miles but seems clean), going to carry over intake/exhaust manifolds, do some redundancies what failed on my truck (heat clutch, water pump, temp sensor, etc.) And pull my engine and see what the damage is and if it salvageable I'll build it bad, also got a MOVE full front bumper to weld and throw on just for extra protection

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joshuaedmister · Aug 27, 2019

joshuaedmister said:
Right now, just picked up a 5.7 from an 07 Durango (170k miles but seems clean), going to carry over intake/exhaust manifolds, do some redundancies what failed on my truck (heat clutch, water pump, temp sensor, etc.) And pull my engine and see what the damage is and if it salvageable I'll build it bad, also got a MOVE full front bumper to weld and throw on just for extra protection

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I nabbed the engine for only $600 too btw

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joshuaedmister · Aug 27, 2019

joshuaedmister said:
I nabbed the engine for only $600 too btw

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Looking good so far (other than flywheel cover- per guy I bought it off of didn't see a bolt), I'm guessing it's under 170k on the engine [emoji16], replaced at some point, paint still on alot of the engine just a little flakey

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joshuaedmister · Sep 2, 2019

HemiLonestar said:
Agreed, but I was keeping packaging/simplicity/accessory drive in mind. Anything beyond the factory manifold (which is why I mentioned using it with FI) will require altering the accessory drive to fit the TB.

Question- is there anything different between the 2 engines, (2006 Dodge ram 1500 mega cab so basically everything 2500 and the 2007 dodge Durango engine) I've found mixed answers but i figured you would know

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HemiLonestar · Sep 2, 2019

joshuaedmister said:
Question- is there anything different between the 2 engines, (2006 Dodge ram 1500 mega cab so basically everything 2500 and the 2007 dodge Durango engine) I've found mixed answers but i figured you would know

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Durango engine will have both EGR & MDS, Megacab engine won't have either.

joshuaedmister · Sep 2, 2019

HemiLonestar said:
Durango engine will have both EGR & MDS, Megacab engine won't have either.

Okay, how would one go about bypassing those?

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HemiLonestar · Sep 2, 2019

joshuaedmister said:
Okay, how would one go about bypassing those?

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Plug EGR port, MDS nothing. Default position for MDS is off, so with no harness to actuate the solenoids it stays off. You can leave everything in place, just don't remove the solenoids unless you're willing to pull the heads and replace the lifters.

joshuaedmister · Sep 2, 2019

HemiLonestar said:
Plug EGR port, MDS nothing. Default position for MDS is off, so with no harness to actuate the solenoids it stays off. You can leave everything in place, just don't remove the solenoids unless you're willing to pull the heads and replace the lifters.

Okay cool, so are exhaust manifold and air intake the same then?

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HemiLonestar · Sep 2, 2019

Yes, other than the EGR port on the intake manifold. Can swap manifolds to solve that.

joshuaedmister · Sep 2, 2019

HemiLonestar said:
Yes, other than the EGR port on the intake manifold. Can swap manifolds to solve that.

Okay cool, and probably a more important question, what's the best way to pull the engine? I was thinking engine and transmission together but not really sure on the picking point other than motor mounts, got plugs unhooked and labeled for redundancies and calling it a night now, Durango engine is in great shape, only a little oil sludge/buildup but I've seen much worse lol, only took few minutes to clean it out, I've got it doctored up and seals done, new cooling system, temp sensor etc etc so I'll swap intake over and plug egr might look at MDS aftermarket systems maybe that I could put on a switch but not sure on that yet, more research I suppose is my next step

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HemiLonestar · Sep 2, 2019

Do you need the trans too? My experience it's easier to pull the engine separately just because of the height needed and angles involved. I haven't heard of any aftermarket MDS systems, but there's a reason Mopar didn't fit that year 2500 with MDS lol.

Engine swap on 2006 1500 mega cab from 5.7 hemi

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