Recommendations on 3gen 5.7 hemi rebuild

[Dennis Flannery]

I have a stock 06 Dodge Ram. 5.7 hemi with 328k on it and it’s been an awesome truck. I’ve decided to make it my project truck for hunting/fishing. Since it for sure needs a rebuild, I’m looking for suggestions on improvements in durability and performance. I want to be able to get where I’m going in the mountains and not get stranded. I’ve read that hp/torque can be increased without sacrificing durability through modest mods. I want to be able to turn 37s, modest suspension lift, Dana Ltd slips front and rear,. I’m thinking of adding a performance cam, maybe have it bored out (local shop says 40 over is modest) and beefing up internals; forged pistons, crank, rods; performance heads. Do I need to upgrade the ignition and injection system as well? Should I upgrade parts in the oil pan; performance with better pick up? Should I have the tranny rebuilt or swap for a stronger one? Anything else I need to consider? Appreciate any feedback.

 

[HemiLonestar]

You'll want a torque cam then, like a 260 or something similar. If you're looking for a displacement increase, that amount of boring isn't going to do much. Clean up bore if it's necessary (remember, you have to pay for pistons, rings and head gaskets to fit). If you're worried about turning big tires, gear swap might be in order. Just a budget FYI, 6.1 cranks are the same stroke as 5.7's and are interchangeable but they're forged. Add some rods and pistons and your short block is done. Unless you want to do some major top end changes, your selection of performance heads is literally stock style P&P and/or big valves installed. Get a good exhaust front to back to go with. 6.1 oil pump used to be the cam install upgrade, but OEM versions are becoming harder to find and vastly more expensive. Melling will have what you need. Your stock ignition is just fine, especially since the only real "upgrade" you could do is aftermarket coils that aren't really gonna do you any good on a non-boosted stock style engine. Fresh injectors are always a good idea for fresh engine. With a cam you're gonna need tuning. If you freshen the engine, even without a power increase you'll need to do the same to the trans (especially if it's the original to the engine).