SAS Dakota Hemi swap build Thread

29533 Views 93 Replies 12 Participants Last post by Mad-Max, 2 mo ago

sasdakota

Discussion Starter · Oct 20, 2017

3

Well its Officially began and I'm going to try my best to post the most info I can and instructions as I can...... But hell, I'll be learning this too and I might as well help others who are going down this road. With that said, I will need help from you guys as we go but I know enough people here can help down this road less traveled with the Hemi.

So here we go!!!

Background: Starting off with my 01 4.7 Dakota that is my crawler and weekend cruiser. Had 4.7 and then I went supercharged for 2 years and it just wasn't enough. Sold the supercharger and now beginning the swap. Just picked up my donor motor which is a 2008 Dodge Charger ex police car with a Crate Hemi with only 25k on it with paperwork. Picked it up last night for 2 grand after almost a 1,000 mile round trip.

Step one will be to pull Hemi out and then Pull rest of 4.7 out of the Dakota to begin.

My question for this week is the motor mounts....... I know the kit offered online that people use for about 180 is what I want to go with but my question is. I heard that one side of the kit is based off the 4wd diff like factory but mine use frame mounts on both side being SAS. Anyone have info on this?

I will try and post pictures and video as we go. This will be my Dakota build thread. Let me know any questions.

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sasdakota

Discussion Starter · #21 · Jan 20, 2018

Well I got the motor prepped and ready to put in. New oil pump and rear mounted oil pick up tube with the Hemi flywheel and the clutch installed. Its ready to be put in! Only bummer is the motor mounts I ordered for the swap do not work. I guess I didn't realize that 2wd and the 4wd brackets are different. So now I will have to custom make my brackets. Planning on doing this and putting the motor in this Sunday and finishing it up on Monday. I will keep you guys posted.

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sasdakota

Discussion Starter · #22 · Jan 22, 2018

2

Well as of last night we have a Hemi mounted to the nv3500. Not many people have done a hemi swap to the manual so its kind of figuring things out as I go. Its bolted up and my buddy is going to tac in the new motor mounts tonight since he can weld way better than I can but the motor is now in the truck!!

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sasdakota

Discussion Starter · #23 · Jan 25, 2018

2

Engine Auto part Vehicle Car Scrap

Auto part Engine

I got the motor in but unfortunately the alternator wont fit because it is the 08 charger Hemi and the starter is on the lower side against the frame rail. So either I'm going to notch the frame or try and re locate the alternator

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RXT

· #24 · Jan 26, 2018

Have you looked at the accessory mount, for a Ram w/ Hemi? The alt location on those might be higher.

Ed

Vladek

· #25 · Jan 26, 2018

something else to look at. get the front cover off a ram hemi. more money on parts, but it should put the alt. on the top driver side of the motor... Hoping the picture comes thru.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/I...R3psDujcpBWQesU5jd7Gv0axbKk-CpNA=w741-h987-no

sasdakota

Discussion Starter · #26 · Jan 26, 2018

RXT said:
Have you looked at the accessory mount, for a Ram w/ Hemi? The alt location on those might be higher.

Ed

Because of the intake on the charger, it wont allow me to. Only one place makes what I need and its no joke $1900. I called them and everything and thats all they sell. Dang mopar! haha if this was a chevy then i would of had one at my house by now. The price you pay to have something different. I may try and see if I can make my own bracket setup tonight but it deff wont be easy

RXT

· #27 · Jan 26, 2018

sasdakota said:
Because of the intake on the charger, it won't allow me to.

Just to make sure I understand you. When you say "intake on the charger" I'm going to assume that what you're saying is, the intake design is different when used on the Charger than the Ram and you aren't talking about an intake for a Supercharger, correct?

Because I haven't done this type of swap and going by photos I've found of a 5.7 Hemi as used in a Ram vs a Charger. The alternator is located up high on the Ram and as far as I can see the only main difference in the intake is, the Ram version uses a 90 degree throttle body as opposed to the Charger's straight thru style. I don't know if there are other physical differences in the actual intake manifold. They could be the same or very similar and it might be possible to bolt a Ram throttle body to the Charger's intake manifold. If the manifolds are different and you can't install a Ram TB to the Charger's manifold, you might want to consider using the entire Ram manifold.

Only one place makes what I need and its no joke $1900. I called them and everything and thats all they sell. Dang mopar! haha if this was a chevy then i would of had one at my house by now. The price you pay to have something different. I may try and see if I can make my own bracket setup tonight but it deff won't be easy

Think of it this way. Mopar folk are smarter because they can do more with less. And Chevy doesn't make a Hemi. For all the benefits of an LS, they are really overrated. Give me a Hemi any day.

If it were me, I'd rather cut the frame, before I spent $1900. For a few bucks more, I would look into having a bracket fabricated to fit the original bracket, that would relocate the alternator a bit higher up, then find a serpentine belt to fit. Or fab up an entirely different bracket

Ed

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sasdakota

Discussion Starter · #28 · Jan 26, 2018

RXT said:
Just to make sure I understand you. When you say "intake on the charger" I'm going to assume that what you're saying is, the intake design is different when used on the Charger than the Ram and you aren't talking about an intake for a Supercharger, correct?

Because I haven't done this type of swap and going by photos I've found of a 5.7 Hemi as used in a Ram vs a Charger. The alternator is located up high on the Ram and as far as I can see the only main difference in the intake is, the Ram version uses a 90 degree throttle body as opposed to the Charger's straight thru style. I don't know if there are other physical differences in the actual intake manifold. They could be the same or very similar and it might be possible to bolt a Ram throttle body to the Charger's intake manifold. If the manifolds are different and you can't install a Ram TB to the Charger's manifold, you might want to consider using the entire Ram manifold.

Think of it this way. Mopar folk are smarter because they can do more with less. And Chevy doesn't make a Hemi. For all the benefits of an LS, they are really overrated. Give me a Hemi any day.

If it were me, I'd rather cut the frame, before I spent $1900. For a few bucks more, I would look into having a bracket fabricated to fit the original bracket, that would relocate the alternator a bit higher up, then find a serpentine belt to fit. Or fab up an entirely different bracket

Ed

Yeah, the newer charger hemis have a different intake so id have to change that and the cost of that is just too much. I think I'm going to just try and fab up my own alternator bracket. That way I can keep the AC and all of that. I'm going to try and just focus on getting the truck running tomorrow with all the lines and all that then worry about the alternator after that.

And I agree about the HEMI. So many people told me to put a ls in it and I said no way. Have to keep it mopar.

sasdakota

Discussion Starter · #29 · Feb 5, 2018

6

Well I got the alternator issue fixed. As well as got the new tires mounted. Keep getting behind but hopefully this week I could fire it up.

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Digglesby

· #30 · Feb 5, 2018

Looks good.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dakota J

· #31 · Feb 7, 2018

Looks good. Great job. The other option you could’ve done was switched to a Ram timing chain cover which would’ve put the alternator and A/C compressor up top, so you didn’t have to cut and weld the frame. 3rd Strike Performance sells the assembly including the 4 bracket you need to still run the LX intake manifold. Either way it’s done now, but if anyone reads your write up before they do theirs, they may choose to go this route.

http://3rdstrikeperformance.com/ind...d=9713&zenid=9c1b292c238973530f8bb15fcc4350d1

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sasdakota

Discussion Starter · #32 · Feb 12, 2018

I tried to fire over the truck yesterday and the stater engages but gets stuck and wont turn over the motor. Do you think that the starter and the 08 Hemi flywheels don't work together? Maybe I need the 08 starter? will that even work? Like I said tho...... it engages and then the Bendix stays in the flywheel. If you grab a screw driver, you can pop it back down. Any advice?

Mad-Max

· #33 · Feb 12, 2018

no idea about the starter clearance, but you're sure the clutch/trans are fully disengaged? IOW nothing else preventing the engine from rotating? No timing pins engaged somewhere etc? I've missed the simplest things more times than I can count...

sasdakota

Discussion Starter · #34 · Feb 12, 2018

Mad-Max said:
no idea about the starter clearance, but you're sure the clutch/trans are fully disengaged? IOW nothing else preventing the engine from rotating? No timing pins engaged somewhere etc? I've missed the simplest things more times than I can count...

I think its all free. Spun the motor a few weeks ago putting it in. Rolled it out of the garage a few times too. rolls just fine and then if you put it in gear and try to push it, it stops just like it would regularly. Just feel like something funking is going on with the starter. idk

RacerX

· #35 · Feb 12, 2018

Can you put a ratchet and socket on the crankshaft bolt and turn the engine over?
I'd try that before anything else.

Dakota J

· #36 · Feb 12, 2018

I assume you’re running the 45RFE transmission. If so, I recommend buying the 08 Ram Hemi starter, being there is a difference between the 04 and 08 Ram Hemi starters. I used my 04 Dakota starter on my 04 Hemi and had no issues, being the transmission were the same between the two trucks. Now the 08 still share the 45/545RFE so I’m not sure why the PN of the starters would change, unless maybe the flywheels were different. The other thing would be to switch the flywheels out. Maybe running a 04 flywheel would be the trick. More research would need to be done to determine the difference between the two flywheels before going that route. There are other HEMI swapped Dakotas running the LX 5.7 motors. I’ll see if I can get a hold of the and find out what they used.

sasdakota

Discussion Starter · #37 · Feb 12, 2018

Dakota J said:
I assume you’re running the 45RFE transmission. If so, I recommend buying the 08 Ram Hemi starter, being there is a difference between the 04 and 08 Ram Hemi starters. I used my 04 Dakota starter on my 04 Hemi and had no issues, being the transmission were the same between the two trucks. Now the 08 still share the 45/545RFE so I’m not sure why the PN of the starters would change, unless maybe the flywheels were different. The other thing would be to switch the flywheels out. Maybe running a 04 flywheel would be the trick. More research would need to be done to determine the difference between the two flywheels before going that route. There are other HEMI swapped Dakotas running the LX 5.7 motors. I’ll see if I can get a hold of the and find out what they used.

I'm running the nv3500 5 speed. Unfortunately not many people have done this so the information out there isn't that good if any

Vladek

· #38 · Feb 12, 2018

I've been trying not to say anything because I really don't know for sure. Mine not running yet, I'm still messing with the wiring. However. When I was putting the starter on, I noticed that the start that came with my hemi didn't go in far enough to get a good bite on the flywheel. But the bendix had more travel and would be able to catch the flywheel.

The hemi had a automatic trans where my dakota was already a manual trans. but, like I said. I haven't turned the key yet.

sasdakota

Discussion Starter · #39 · Feb 13, 2018

Vladek said:
I've been trying not to say anything because I really don't know for sure. Mine not running yet, I'm still messing with the wiring. However. When I was putting the starter on, I noticed that the start that came with my hemi didn't go in far enough to get a good bite on the flywheel. But the bendix had more travel and would be able to catch the flywheel.

The hemi had a automatic trans where my dakota was already a manual trans. but, like I said. I haven't turned the key yet.

Hemi came in an automatic and the truck was a 4.7 manual. When the motor was out, we did notice that the Hemi one did seem like it wasn't enough and the 4.7 one lined right up. Its like it works perfect but doesn't at the same time. It wont turn it over and then it get caught. Really the only thing holding me up right now.

Vladek

· #40 · Feb 13, 2018

if you can turn the motor over, then my best (guess) would be the 4.7 starter doesn't have enough ass to work on the hemi. So you might need to look at 08 ram starter. since dodge stop running manuals in the 1500 in 2009. Or the 4.7 starter my be a little weaker do to being how ever old ( normal wear and use). you could test to with multimeter to see if it pulling enough amps.

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