I've got Another V8 Project!

[Grenade]

I'm off to work this morning but when I get home this afternoon, there will be a lovely THIRD Dodge Durango with a Hemi engine in the drive. I had been working on this deal for a week or so.
As some of you know, the wife and I drive these things:



They are a full frame, 4x4 or AWD rather, with a 4 LO and a 4 Lock setting on the transfer case. They are powered by this:


In theory, I could take the body off of this truck- (I call it a truck, but it's classified as an SUV) and put the body of something else on top of it, creating a 4x4 monster. The new garage isn't big enough for something like that though. Maybe some other time. The reason I bought it was because of my number 1 rule. It was cheap.

I bought it for the parts. There are lots of good parts on this donor truck. It's black, just like mine and has the same interior as hers. Mostly, I bought it for the engine, dash cluster, ECU, drive by wire pedal and all the sensors. I have ordered a shop manual for the truck and that will be here in a couple days.

There is a fair amount of support for these engines here and the base, factory equipped power ratings start with these numbers:
It produces 345 horsepower (5,600 rpm) and 375 lb-ft of torque (4,400 rpm) from 5.7 liters

There are headers, intakes, all sorts of goodies to make more grunt. I will get some pics when I get home, it was dark last night when I bought it. It is a complete, running Hemi donor vehicle. The only issue is, the engine has a bottom end noise. I haven't started it yet, I'll do that today. I'll be pulling the engine and sticking it on a stand to take it apart and see what has happened inside the engine. They started it one morning and it made a terrible knocking sound, they shut it off and that's where it sat until I bought it last night. I couldn't pass it up.

Expect many picture filled posts and let's enjoy a Hemi V8 build while we try to come up with something to stick it in!

[Paul Woods]

Awesome and subscribed.

[Goldy]

Great news, looking forward to this one... V8s rock!

[Grenade]

I will be using this entire vehicle for all of the parts and as long as the block isn't damaged, I'll rebuild it. As I said- I have a manual on the way. That was a lesson that I always knew, but had to have it driven home, pounded into my skull with the last thing I built. I have an entire chassis on my hands here, that's only done 73,250 miles. I know why the engine makes the noise. Would you like to see when I started it?

[Grenade]

Now the big question is, if the block isn't destroyed and it's likely that it is, I'll do a rebuilt exchange. If the block is good, I'll rebuild it myself. Lots of support available, I've been looking around. Either way, I'm ending up with a Hemi powered something.
Now, do I (and it can be done at this garage) take another vehicle like an old Plymouth Trail Duster like this one:


And roll my chassis under it, even though I will have to shorten my frame because the 70's Trailduster wheelbase is 106" and the Durango's wheelbase measurement is 119.2" No matter, that doesn't scare me one bit.
Do I make a modern version of an old truck, like the Trail duster, with my complete Durango Chassis or do I get one of these, which are extremely sought after lately:

A 1970's Duster and put modern suspension front and rear and my Hemi drivetrain in it- All the suspension kits are available, no incessant calculating or fabricating. The "Resto-Mod" movement is huge right now. It would be a bit of an investment but at the end, a muscle car with modern parts underneath it, has big value. Low end 25K, high end? Depends on the quality of the build.



The 04-06 Durango's have this problem where water pours on top of the engine from the windscreen wiper drain holes and the intake gaskets soften and leak. They suck water in and KABOOM. There goes your engine. Mine don't like running in the rain, but if they were going to blow up, they probably would have gone already. I will block those rain holes though, just for safety's sake.

[snowtigger]

Duster for the win and supercharge that sucker.

[Grenade]

Yep, I've been emailing this guy for a week:
https://sandusky.craigslist.org/cto/5288785737.html


$2700 ONO

[sketchy]

given the noise on the video, Id be more likely to say its pulled the crown off a piston....

place your bets now.....

[Jiff Lemon]

Sounds like there's a dirty great big hole in the side of the block....

[Grenade]

I am betting a tenner that the con rod is broken just underneath one of the pistons. ie; wrist pin. It will also be in one of the driver side pistons and nearest the front of the engine.
That's my bet, I'm a bit biased because I got to stand next to it and hear it killing itself, you guys just get to hear it in video.

Place your bets on what makes the noise! I'm taking either the body off of it on Sunday or just pulling the engine. I think for ease of use, I'll just cut the body off so I have a rolling chassis. It will be easier to work on.