My 6.1 hemi swap

I've been dying to update progress on my swap from a Big block to a 3G Hemi.

I had a perfectly fine running 69 HP 383 with 915HP heads, a DP4B/650DP, HP Manfiolds and a 4 speed with 3.23's. I drove it like that for about 1000 miles and it bored me. The combo that I thought I wanted and I'd always dreamed about. I didn't like it for the type of driving that I do.

So, I pulled the 383 and parted all my big block stuff on Craigslist and on here. Sold all of it for a fair price and decided that it was time for a new hemi. I was just upset with bent pullies, leaky valve covers and general old car quirks.

I worked from 2006-10 for a shop that worked on and modified the LX Hemi cars, so I know my way around them quite well. I fell in love with the powerplant in a 4700lb station wagon, so my 3600 lb B-body would be ridiculous fast with just a simple head and cam 6.1. I started with just a bare 6.1 block. Literally nothing else at first. I knew about what I wanted, and I had really big dreams at first. I was looking to build a motor that would compliment all the handling stuff that I've done to the car.

-1.24" T bars
-Koni Red Shocks
-AndyF's LCA plates
-Tubular UCA's (Coming off now...)
-New bushings and Poly where I could
-Firm Feel Firmer than stage 3 box from Dick
-11.75" with Firm Feel Carbon Metallic Pads


I ran without sway bars, so a set of fresh leaf springs and F&R Hotchkis or Hellwig sway bars are about all I need to complete the suspension to where it needs to be. All of the above made the car feel amazing, even in it's incomplete state.

I started my motor build parts gathering a few years ago and it all started with a $300 6.1 block that I was going to build a 426 or forged 6.1 out of. I quickly realized that I didn't need that much motor, so after some horsetrading with my friend uhcoog1 (wade) I ended up with a stock bore 6.1 in great shape. I picked up a stock set of 6.1 rods and pistons and started my process of building up a mostly stock 6.1 shortblock. Nothing fancy except for a set of stock rings opened up a little bit to keep the pistons from breaking the ring lands (a common 6.1 issue). Otherwise, the whole motor is stock spec with no after market parts aside from the valve springs (PAC) and the Comp Camshaft.

Here is the motor buid

4.055x3.580 6.1
Stock pistons/new rings
Stock Powdered metal rods with new Chrysler rod bolts (Same as 8.4 viper)
King Bearings
Stock 6.1 Timing set and tensioner
Melling Oil pump
Jeep SRT8 Oil Filter Adapter
Frank Racing 219/231 .585/.585 112LSA
GTP ported 5.7 2009+ Eagle Cylinder heads with PAC 1220 Springs. These are a closed chamber heads and will net 11:1 CR with my stock shortblock. More than do-able with 93 octane all day long
Stock 6.1 Intake Manifold with BBK 80mm tb
SRT4 Stage 1 43lb injectors
Stock 6.1 fuel rail
TTI 1 3/4 Headers to a 2.5" H pipe system with turbo mufflers
Lakewood Bellhousing from a SB
MP/Mcleod Hemi 10.5 Conversion Flywheel
Sachs Diaphragm 10.5 stock clutch
TTI Motor mount brackets with a solid and rubber mount on either side
Mildon Oil Convesion oil pan

It's a bit scary to me how stock and simple this motor is. Nothing fancy at all.

I've just purchased the Megasquirt MS3X kit from Mike @ www.efisource.com as of yesterday and I'm really looking forward to running his system. It is the first kit to come out for a 3g hemi that is a refined harness that is based on megasquirt.

The electronics portion of this build will be a copy of the fuel system that uhcoog1 has on his road race duster. So simple yet it more than makes up for the fact that I'm still running a stock fuel tank. If he can't run out of fuel on a roadcourse, then anyone on here will be fine.

My fuel system will be the following
Carter 4601HP pump (ran both my 383 and 440 with a carb previously)
BCBroncos Accumulator to act as a resivour/surge tank.
Walbro GSL392 Inline pump
Corvette Fuel/Filter Regulator by Wix.

The car already had 1/2" feed and return lines in stainless with a 1/2" stock style pick up that I added a 1/2" return to, so my fuel system is ready for whatever I can throw at it with just a pump change.

Over the next few weeks I'm going to detail my engine build and install for everyone to see.

I'd like to eventually do up a website to help inform people about the process of putting this new style of motor into a classic mopar. I had a cardomain website a long time ago, and I'd like to do it one better.

http://www.cardomain.com/member/themoparkid/

The goal for me is to have a fair weather daily driver that I can hop in and knock out 300 mile day trip while maintaining above average fuel mileage, not smelling like fuel (its a real problem), being able smile from the speed and being able to have a road course worthy classic Mopar.

Here are some already shown pics of my car...






So far, I'm most of the way there. :beer:

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The fuel injection made it in yesterday. It would have been here faster, but USPS tried to deliver to a business on Saturday. No big deal.

My initial impressions are very good. The build quality of this box is almost on par with an XFI box. Great connectors that give a rewarding pop from vacuum when you disconnect them, heavy gauge wiring with good insulation and quality connectors.

For $1300 this kit far exceeds my expectations. The simple fact that something as capable as MS3 is housed in this box, makes it an unbeatable deal.

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chargerrt340 said:

How are you dealing with the motor mounts? Did you purchase an aftermarket K member, an aftermarket front end or build custom mounts?

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451Mopar said:

Looks nice. I have plans for a 6.1 swap in the future, just not sure about the NAG1 electronics.

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Darius said:

Just drove my 70 GTX for the first time with the stuff that makes it all work. Stand alone computer for BOTH the engine and the Transmission. ( I swapped a 5.7 and NAG 1 from an o7 Charger) The only way a NAG 1 will work is with stand alone controllers. This car HAULS ***!!!!! Tomorrow we will be refining the shift points and such.
My point is, I found NO, NONE, NADA, ZIP info on a gen3 hemi with a NAG behind it swap and I learned some very expensive lessons. It is an easy swap physically but a pain in the *** electronically. I'm thinking it is going to be very worth the hassle and I am absolutely willing to pass on my lessons learned!

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