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Why not go Hemi 6.1L???

K

KJurasek

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Lafayette, LA
Ok, I am kicking around an idea here. I plan on building (or buying) a 4.7 Stroker. There is a lot of discussion on here about if you go over a 4.7 to say 505 Performance's 5.0 stroker, then you might just as well go for the LS1.

Ok, I know all about the benefits of the LS series engines. They are great no doubt about it. Especially the LS9, but this is a moot point. Why go with GM when a Jeep / Chrysler could stay Chrysler? Mopar performance has come up with 6.1 L Hemi aluminum block? I don't hear many people doing this swap. Sure the GM LS 1 & LS 3 have a lot of support for aftermarket products, but why not go with a Hemi in the XJ? They are swapping this engine into the JK.

Now the 6.1L is basically a 426 BB so maybe there is some sizing issues?

It don't know.

I just thought I would throw this bone out to see who is brave enough to chew on it.

This would be a very interesting swap.

Let me know what you think.

KJ
:flame:
 
Why ask what we think? No one has done it.


Just do it! :D
 
As far as I know, the 5.7 has been done once in an XJ. The motor is very wide, so they cut and reinforced the frame rails to accommodate it. The 6.1 block is different internally, but IIRC shares identical dimensions with the 5.7. If you hunt down the 5.9 MJ thread in this forum, there is some information there.
 
With the amount of the 5.7 swaps it has brought the price down a lot on them. I thought about doing a LS1, but I would rather keep it simple. Since the xj I am building is an eletric nightmare I might as well rip it out and start over. I will have to check out that sight.
 
KJurasek said:
Why go with GM when a Jeep / Chrysler could stay Chrysler?
Click to expand...

Historically speeking, why not put a 258 in it and stay AMC? Or a 318 or a 360?

Or you could get nostalgic and install an F-head four and stay "Jeep".

The reason it's not done is because it costs money. If there's a better price option out there that fits the package better, who cares who's name is on the side?

An XJ is a cobbled up bunch of parts from 75 different manufacturers anyway. It's the reason you're carrying metric and standard tools in your box.
 
RedHeep said:
Historically speeking, why not put a 258 in it and stay AMC? Or a 318 or a 360?

Or you could get nostalgic and install an F-head four and stay "Jeep".

The reason it's not done is because it costs money. If there's a better price option out there that fits the package better, who cares who's name is on the side?

An XJ is a cobbled up bunch of parts from 75 different manufacturers anyway. It's the reason you're carrying metric and standard tools in your box.
Click to expand...


Funny.


The XJ is a "world" car. :)
 
When I get around to swapping engines I will probably be trying to go diesel.

At least that's what I tell myself now (though a month ago I did almost pick up an LS1).
 
Goatman said:
Funny.


The XJ is a "world" car. :)
Click to expand...

Funny like you laughed or funny like you're not my friend anymore? :looney:

The only thing that really bugs me is the propensity to put chevy small blocks into everything classic ford. But the flip side of the coin is that the early hot rodders did it because they were cheaper and available.

It just seems like an awful lot of extra work to put something into a vehicle just because the box it came in said "chrysler" on the side. Even though I'm sure it's not a chrysler designed or manufactured engine and not really a hemi in the 60's sense of the word.

If I had the cash to put a v8 in the heep, I'd look for the "best" option, not the politically correct one.
 
Yeah, that is right. There is a Jeep Grand with a Hemi. Like I said, I understand about the LS1 being a great option. There is so much aftermarket support for the engine. So what about the Grand Cherokee SRT-8?? I wonder when we are going to start finding these in the junk yards. As for the diesel path...what would be a favorable swap?

I am not saying do any of these things, I am just exploring the "what if".
 
Why not? Because the world can't handle the awesomeness. :D

But seriously, I've always wanted to do a Hemi with the 545RFE in my XJ. But I don't have that kind of money. With the 5 speed auto, it ought to get in the vicinity of 25 mpg highway (by my guess and seeing what kind of gains TJs were seeing from the same swap). A 6.1 should be about a 372.
 
Yeah, I hate to think about how much money I have sunk in my XJ so far. As far as I added it up, I could have bought a relatively new TJ and a Harley to boot. Ouch.

The LS1 is a less expensive route than the 6.1 Hemi. What about the XJ frame? Could it handle the torque?

This is all hypothetical anyway.

I don't have the cash for a Hemi conversion either.
 
My father used to have a Denali with the vortec 6000 but that has been passed down to my brother (lucky SOB). My bro got it because he got rear ended by a mac truck and his expedition was totaled. He needed a new vehicle asap and my father just happened to be in the process of car shopping for something smaller...

Anyway, I am still thinking that if somehow that thing gets totaled in the future I will have to buy it back from insurance and steal the engine. Yeah its an LQ platform rather than LS so it lacks the aluminum block (adds about 100 lbs).. but looking at the numbers it puts out about 30 ft/lbs more torque than the LS1.. so oh well. I could deal with it if I got the engine for cheap/free. somewhere around 330HP and 365 ft/lbs torque sounds nice :)

Edit: Or I can shop around auctions for a totaled vette with salvageable engine/electronics and use that engine. Maybe even get lucky with an LS2.
 
themangeraaad said:
My father used to have a Denali with the vortec 6000 but that has been passed down to my brother (lucky SOB). My bro got it because he got rear ended by a mac truck and his expedition was totaled. He needed a new vehicle asap and my father just happened to be in the process of car shopping for something smaller...

Anyway, I am still thinking that if somehow that thing gets totaled in the future I will have to buy it back from insurance and steal the engine. Yeah its an LQ platform rather than LS so it lacks the aluminum block (adds about 100 lbs).. but looking at the numbers it puts out about 30 ft/lbs more torque than the LS1.. so oh well. I could deal with it if I got the engine for cheap/free. somewhere around 330HP and 365 ft/lbs torque sounds nice :)

Edit: Or I can shop around auctions for a totaled vette with salvageable engine/electronics and use that engine. Maybe even get lucky with an LS2.
Click to expand...
You could deal with it? I suppose it would be tough...:rolleyes:

:D
 
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