Mopar (Chrysler, Dodge Plymouth, Jeep, etc.) Engines

Current engines

• “New Hemi” - powerful, economical, cheap to build
• Phoenix - Pentastar Engine - V6 power for the post-Daimler years
• 2.0, 2.4, and 1.8 liter World Engines - to find new life
• 1.4 liter Fiat engine - high-tech 100 / 150 hp powerplant
• Cummins diesel engines - sturdy diesels that don't need urea
• (Also see 3.3, 3.5, 3.7, 4.7 liter engines below)

Vintage or past engines

• eight to ten cylinders
• six cylinders
• four cylinders
• diesel and two-stroke
• repairs
• transmissions
• Nash engines

Eight or Ten Cylinders

Also see the Lean Burn System, and Rick Ehrenberg’s tips.

Hemi

• History of the Hemi - from research to racing
• The 426 Hemi - the famous Elephant Engine! Info and dyno tests.
• The first Hemis
• 300C 392 "old Hemi"
• A311 racing Hemi engine (331) — 426 Hemi predecessor
• 392 Hemi crate engine - Over 500 hp

B and RB (large V8s)

• B series V8 engines: 350, 361, 383, and 400
• RB series V8 engines: 383, 426, and 400
• The Sonoramic Commando (1960-61) - an unusually detailed history of this powerful engine series that took the place of the early Hemi.
• The Max Wedge - lots of well-presented information and factory dyno tests.
• The 440 Six-Pack - ultimate street mill and near-match for the Hemi

A and LA ("small" V8s and derivative V6 and V10)

• A series V8 engines (277, 301, 303, 313, 318 poly, 326)
• Polyspherical Head V8 engines (single rocker)
• LA and A engines (277, 318/5.2, 340, 360/5.9, 3.9 V-6, 8.0 V-10)
• Upgrading your LA series engine (273, 318, 340, 360)
• The amazing 340 V-8
• 318-powered Celica
• V10 truck engine

Others

• AMC engines - a comprehensive history of Nash, Hudson, and AMC V8s
• Nash engines - a comprehensive history of all Nash engines, 1924-1966
• Straightening out the 1960s V8s
• Canadian engines
• 4.7 Liter V-8 (1990s-2000s)

Six Cylinders (in rough chronological order)

Modern (fuel injected)

• 2.7 and 3.2 - little sixes for the Cloud Cars, LH, and base 300
• 3.0 - made by Mitsubishi, used through the 1980s and 1990s
• 2.5 made by Mitsubishi, used in the 1990s
• 3.3, 3.5, and 3.8 liter Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge V6 engines; 1990-2011
• 3.8 and 4.0 - the big-engine standard for 2007 through 2012
• 3.7 liter V6 - the 4.7-based V6 for trucks starting in 2002
• 3.9 truck engine, derived from the 318/360 and replaced by the 3.7
• 4.0 I-6 - the Jeep engine, ancient but beloved

Vintage (carbureted)

• Flat-head engines (pre-1960s)
  • 1950s L6 (230 cid) specifications
• Slant Six (170/198/225) - legendary for its durability
  • Get more power | Adjust the valves | Hyper-Pak
• Hemi Sixes - V-8 power in a straight-six package that set records for 20 years.
• 3.9 V6 truck engine, derived from the 318/360
• Canadian engines

Four Cylinders

• 2.2 and 2.5 liter engines
  • AMC/Jeep 2.5 engine
  • Get (a little) more power
  • Turbo versions (also see turbocharger issues)
  • 2.5 liter specs
  • Repairs
• LA-based four cylinder racing engine!
• The 1.6 liter and 1.7 liter four-cylinder engines used in the Omni and Horizon
• The Mitsubishi 2.6 used on many 1980s models; page includes key repairs
• Two-stroke engines
• SOHC 2.0 (Neon) - a moderately extensive page.
• DOHC 2.0 (first-generation Neon, Avenger-Sebring, Breeze) - specifications and tech details. See the SOHC page for more information and a "better read."
• 2.0 performance modifications
• 1.8 liter (export Neon)
• 1.4 and 1.6 liter - Rover/ Chrysler joint venture; used in the first-generation BMW Mini
• 2.4 liter (Cirrus/Stratus/Breeze, Caravan/Voyager, PT Cruiser)

Alternative engines and fuels

• Two-stroke engines
• The turbine engine program - a fascinating and comprehensive history
• Chrysler's diesel engines (Europe, late 1990s); diesel engine editorial; biodiesel fuel for the Cummins turbodiesel
• Levon Spradlin wrote that Chrysler sold single-cylinder engines after they bought Humber.
• The 30-cylinder tank engines
• Perkins diesel engines

Repairs

• The full repair list is on our repairs page.
• Computer codes and how to get them without a mechanic
• Electronically controlled carbureted engines - troubleshooting and fixing
• Leakdown tests for car engine cylinder compression problems
• Diagnosing electronic ignition systems
• Optical distributors - troubleshooting and repair
• Idling and stalling
• Driving vintage cars on unleaded gas
• Shift kits and manual valve bodies (transmissions)
• Other repairs: see the FAQ and the repairs page

General Engine Information

• Interviews: engine designer Willem Weertman and engineer/tuner Pete Hagenbuch
• Complete engine list and which engines went into which cars
• Plymouth engines, 1928-1966
• Explanations of emissions controls on classic and modern engines
• Find your engine type from the VIN code.
• VIN decoder (works on 1982-2005 cars, trucks, minivans)
• Why you need a clutch shield for racing
• Cam choices: the tradeoffs of SOHC vs DOHC (and pushrods)
• Upgrading to a manual transmission (from an automatic - front wheel drive)
• Biodiesel fuel - tested on the Cummins turbodiesel in Dodge pickups
• Opinions/editorials page.

Books

• Chrysler Engines, 1922-1998, by Willem Weertman: the last word in Mopar engines.
• Ultimate Guide to American V8 Engines : 1949-1974 - good photos
• The Haynes Chrysler Engine Overhaul Manual.
• LA V-8 Engines
  • How to Hot Rod Small Block Mopar Engines (318, 273, 340, 360, 1965 - 1989)
  • How to Rebuild Your Small Block Mopar ~ $14.36
• B and RB V-8 Engines
  • How to Rebuild Big-Block Mopar Engines - covers all years (B and RB) engines
  • Big-Block Mopar Performance: Street and racing mods, B/RB series (1999)