2017 Durango engine swap to 2004 Hemi Ram

[Hemi Dodgeboy]

Hi looking to swap a 2017 Durango 5.7 into my 2004 Ram 5.7. I bought an entire engine,Tranny, and motor wiring harness for a song. I'd like to know what I'll need to complete this swap. I don't need to need the newer tranny if it's to complicated. I would like to use most of the complete long block if as possible. I know the MDS will need removed or disabled and I've read the crank reluctor rings may have a different count as well. I can use as many parts off my old motor as needed as it still runs but is tired. Some insight on how to and what is needed to complete this swap would be great.
Thanks Ricky

 

[Wild one]

Hi looking to swap a 2017 Durango 5.7 into my 2004 Ram 5.7. I bought an entire engine,Tranny, and motor wiring harness for a song. I'd like to know what I'll need to complete this swap. I don't need to need the newer tranny if it's to complicated. I would like to use most of the complete long block if as possible. I know the MDS will need removed or disabled and I've read the crank reluctor rings may have a different count as well. I can use as many parts off my old motor as needed as it still runs but is tired. Some insight on how to and what is needed to complete this swap would be great.
Thanks Ricky

You'll probably need to lock out the VVT (variable valve timing) and for some reason I think the timing covers are different,and i'm not sure they are interchangeable .I thought I read somewhere the timing cover got deeper to accomodate the VVT cam phasor,and I don't think your accessory drives will bolt up properly,but don't quote me on that,as I only remember reading something about them being different.

 

[Hemi Dodgeboy]

I wish someone would respond that has done this swap already. And yea I'm aware I'd have to delete the VVT which is pretty easy to delete. Thanks for the response.

 

[HemiLonestar]

Someone responded to you on another forum but didn't go into great detail. This is why it's not gonna happen unless you got a shop on speed dial and deep pockets. Pictures first:
This is what you have:



And this is what you want to replace it with:



Since you obviously haven't really researched this, lets talk about it. The eagle (and similar apache) hemi is a VERY different engine than the 3rd gen 5.7. Different block, different cylinder heads, different everything. The heads, intake manifold and exhaust manifolds are essentially the ONLY things that can be used on the previous block. The eagle not only has MDS, but VVT as well. The front cover and accessory drive were altered to accommodate this (in addition to the crank, block, etc). The above picture has the Durango accessory drive; note the distinct lack of similarities. Even if you tried to use a truck timing cover:



Your accessories still won't line up. So while it will quite easily bolt in to the truck and bolt to the existing transmission (trying to adapt the ZF trans the Durango uses to your truck is even more of a headache that you don't know). Yes, you could totally custom run wiring and A/C hoses to make it fit, also having to delete your clutch fan, add an electric fan, run wiring for it for power and temp sensor, custom air intake to filter, etc....

Now for the REAL fun part. You obviously want it to run. You can't use any of that wiring harness you're so proud of. That 2017 5.7 uses two CAN bus generations past your PCI bus. The two aren't compatible. You'd have much better luck keeping the MDS & VVT functions intact if you had an 06-08 CAN bus Ram. To allow this engine to be run using your existing PCM and harness, you have to pull the crankshaft, swap reluctor wheels and reinstall. Then you have to lock the VVT phaser. You'll need coil adapters to run the newer coils because your old valve covers will NOT fit that engine; eagle & apache valves are taller, hence the double humps on them for clearance (you can see them in the picture). Once you have that all sorted out, you'll need a custom tune to run it, because your stock PCM program won't do a particularly good job. Once it's all said and done, you'll have a mutant that literally makes about as much power as your stock 5.7 LMAO. This ain't the good old days, when you could just drop something in and make it work easy.

 

[IRSmart]

Someone responded to you on another forum but didn't go into great detail. This is why it's not gonna happen unless you got a shop on speed dial and deep pockets. Pictures first:
This is what you have:

View attachment 205643

And this is what you want to replace it with:

View attachment 205642

Since you obviously haven't really researched this, lets talk about it. The eagle (and similar apache) hemi is a VERY different engine than the 3rd gen 5.7. Different block, different cylinder heads, different everything. The heads, intake manifold and exhaust manifolds are essentially the ONLY things that can be used on the previous block. The eagle not only has MDS, but VVT as well. The front cover and accessory drive were altered to accommodate this (in addition to the crank, block, etc). The above picture has the Durango accessory drive; note the distinct lack of similarities. Even if you tried to use a truck timing cover:

View attachment 205644

Your accessories still won't line up. So while it will quite easily bolt in to the truck and bolt to the existing transmission (trying to adapt the ZF trans the Durango uses to your truck is even more of a headache that you don't know). Yes, you could totally custom run wiring and A/C hoses to make it fit, also having to delete your clutch fan, add an electric fan, run wiring for it for power and temp sensor, custom air intake to filter, etc....

Now for the REAL fun part. You obviously want it to run. You can't use any of that wiring harness you're so proud of. That 2017 5.7 uses two CAN bus generations past your PCI bus. The two aren't compatible. You'd have much better luck keeping the MDS & VVT functions intact if you had an 06-08 CAN bus Ram. To allow this engine to be run using your existing PCM and harness, you have to pull the crankshaft, swap reluctor wheels and reinstall. Then you have to lock the VVT phaser. You'll need coil adapters to run the newer coils because your old valve covers will NOT fit that engine; eagle & apache valves are taller, hence the double humps on them for clearance (you can see them in the picture). Once you have that all sorted out, you'll need a custom tune to run it, because your stock PCM program won't do a particularly good job. Once it's all said and done, you'll have a mutant that literally makes about as much power as your stock 5.7 LMAO. This ain't the good old days, when you could just drop something in and make it work easy.

Well since you put it that way, piece of cake lmao

 

[HemiLonestar]

Well since you put it that way, piece of cake lmao

LMAO....be different if he was trying to use say a 6.4, but by the time you neuter an eagle 5.7 trying to make it work in a 3rd gen you'd be ahead of the game just hopping up the 3rd gen engine itself. I could send my 03 harness out for conversion, cam and put eagle heads on and quite possibly retrofit an 8HP70 (btw this is the next mod list lol) for as much or less money than he'd spend trying to make this work and make a helluva lot more power.
@Hemi Dodgeboy, what was the whole point/driving force behind this swap? It's only 30hp more...