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5.7l hemi swap

66K views 77 replies 38 participants last post by  5 speed 
#1 ·
As some of you know, I became a salesman at a jeep dodge Chrysler dealership and that I'm looking to get a wrangler, whether on this site or not I've been doing a ton of research on wranglers and am really interested in the 5.7l hemi swap. Has anybody done it? Is it worth it? Obviously I know gas will be even worse but what are the pros and cons of this? Remember that this wrangler will be mainly a daily driver.
 
#2 ·
I am subscribing. i wanna see where this goes..

BUT ! don't be sp quick to assume the BIG gas mileage drop. My wife has a 2011 Grand Cherokee Limited with the HEMI (yeah its pretty sweet) and she gets about the same mileage as my JK 2 Door. That thing is about 16-17mpg in the city and +/- 20 on the highway.. I've seen 21.5 mpg doing 65 with the cruise on on a easy stretch of highway..
We have driven down to the FL Keys and back twice, about 1,300 mile trip, with her and i Lugage and My hulk of a Bull Terrier in a crate in the back, and we averaged about 20 mpg..running between 70-80 MPH.
IF you can get the full computer to swap with it (i would imagine you'd have to) you will get the ECO mode, which not like on our JKs, actaully means something...when your foot isn't in it, it shuts down 4 cyl and gets real efficient...
Of corse if you OVERLY ENJOY your HEMI, you can forget about mileage....but it's like that with every motor. Guys pontificate about gears, and tire wieght, and lockers, and LSD and on and on..the truth is, the best fuel miser is your right foot.
 
#4 ·
Get the RIPP supercharger.

Hemi swap is in the neighborhood of $10k unless you can get a motor and trans from wrecker and do the labor yourself.
Wrangler will not get as good of mileage as other Hemi equipped vehicles die mostly to aerodynamics. It is said the the only time the MDS kicks in is down hills.

Do some more research and you'll find that the cost for this conversion for a DD is not worth it.
 
#5 ·
Pros:

1. 400 hp
2. sounds awesome
3. power on demand


Cons:

1. kiss your entire warranty goodbye
2. may need to upgrade drivetrain /components if off roading
3. expensive

If you do a 2011 and under you need to include a new transmission + more than double the install time compared to a 2012 which doesn't require a transmission.

Odd question actually.

Jeep Wrangler JK Hemi 5.7 Liter - YouTube
 
#6 ·
Well, since I work at the dealership, I get an employee discount. Idk what the price would be for parts and labor but I heard its in the neighborhood of 10-15k. I heard about the supercharger but it voids warrantys. I'd rather have the motor installed by the factory and still get all the warrantys.
 
#9 ·
Well, since I work at the dealership, I get an employee discount. Idk what the price would be for parts and labor but I heard its in the neighborhood of 10-15k. I heard about the supercharger but it voids warrantys. I'd rather have the motor installed by the factory and still get all the warrantys.
Really ? ? ? Chrysler is going to warranty pulling the 3.6 out of a brand new (and i assume it'll be brand new since your talking about warranty) Wrangler..and putting in a "Crate" 5.7 HEMI ? ? I 'd be shocked if this is true. I'm not trying to doubt you but really... why? Why would Chrysler warranty this?
At best i could see them giving a warranty on the motor, if it's a "crate" but i can't see them backing an axle if you waste it, or your tranny if it goes south.
And you also said "I'd rather have the motor installed by the factory".. are you saying you are working on a plan to have this thing roll off the line with the HEMI in it? You must be one HELL of a salesman to have that kinda pull with Chrysler.....
 
#7 ·
Interesting. If you can get them to install it (in fact maybe sponsor it with dealer stickers etc.), the price of the engine has dropped dramatically on the 5.7 crate. If you do a 2012 its the swap kit @ 7000 + brand new 5.7 (truck) 3000 + 30 hours labor install +/-everything of course -- you should be able to get the whole sale price through the dealer and a discount on the install rate?

You couldn't be setup better working there and if they are game to assist you.

edit: forgot the take out, deduct 2000-3000 for your engine taken out of course.
 
#8 ·
Pay Back

I can understand the swap if you want it to sound great, more power, etc. but if you do it for better mileage, the cost of the swap will never make up for mileage. Even if you get 3-4 extra mpg, do the math. You'll never recoup the cost of the Hemi.
 
#11 ·
Wow. I've just been bombed with questions. It's not set in stone about anything I've said. I'd like the hemi because quite honestly, the 3.6 doesn't cut it. If I do buy a wrangler, I don't want the engine to shit out. Getting hemi even if the gas is worse is still more worth it for me because at least it should last longer. When I said I wanted it factory installed, I meant that I wanted to swap the engine at my dealerships shop before I take it off the lot. Yeah I know it will be expensive but it will be worth it in many ways, and since I wok here and they can do that work, I'd be getting a real nice chunk of change taken off the price for being an employee.
 
#14 ·
Interesting thread surprised more hemi conversions aren't done. I understand money is issue but hell most mods on here don't make financial sence either. I looked at both hemi kits and supercharger wanting little more power myself. If power is close to same I'm not sure then I would go supercharged but something about hemi powered jeep just seem so much cooler
 
#17 ·
I've done a swap before with a Cummins turbo diesel. Lot of work. If you're going to put a 5.7 in a JK - buy an older JK/JKU for 15K. You can get a donor vehicle with mated engine/trans. You'll need lots of little mods, perhaps a radiator, driveshafts, mounts for tranny and engine, perhaps a fuel tank - computer reflash, etc.
 
#19 ·
The only place I know of that claims to offer a full three year 36000 mile warranty on the whole vehicle after a Hemi swap is AEV. From what I know, Chrysler warrants their part, and AEV warrants their part.

I ordered a 2013 JKUR on 3/21/13, and had it drop shipped to AEV, straight from the assembly line. AEV just called me yesterday, and told me the Jeep is there, and they're going to get started on the work I want them to do. They will be installing a 6.4 Hemi / trans, 3.5" lift, 35" tires, and their heat reduction hood.

I'm a realist. I'll be surprised if Chrysler ever pays one penny for warranty work on this Jeep.

Nobody ever does a Hemi swap because it makes financial sense, or because of better gas mileage, so the people bringing up those arguments are missing the point. The point is: Why spend $37K on a new Jeep, when for twice that price you can have one that is a whole lot better, and has nearly 500 horsepower. :)
 
#23 ·
They will be installing a 6.4 Hemi / trans, 3.5" lift, 35" tires, and their heat reduction hood.
QUOTE]


That's the way to do it! Go big!

I'm always curious on Hemi swaps what people do for auto insurance. How do you get adequate coverage? I have USAA, and they would stoke out if I told them, "By the way I just dropped a $25K / 500hp engine in the vehicle, will this increase my premium?"

If the Jeep is $30K (low) + $10K AEV ift/goodies + $25K Hemi = $65K. Where do you get insurance for this beast? How much more than the same driver / record / location / coverage over a 3.6?
 
#20 ·
...am really interested in the 5.7l hemi swap. Has anybody done it? Is it worth it? Obviously I know gas will be even worse but what are the pros and cons of this? Remember that this wrangler will be mainly a daily driver.
What do you want to gain by doing it?

PROS: more power (Tim Allen grunt), arguably more longevity and more serviceable engine compared to the Pentastar. This gives more capability for adding lots of weight and huge wheels/tires for off road duty in the future

CONS: more weight, especially up front, affects handling dynamics. More wear & tear on the chassis drivetrain from the extra torque. Fuel economy is only marginally affected overall, the largest impact in the city cycle (start&stop more weight). But, mpg is a moot point since the cost to do the conversion is monumental in comparison.

SUMMARY: For a daily driver it probably isn't worth the cost that runs $10,000-$20,000+ depending on how much work you do yourself and how you source out your parts. Doing this entails a lot of work and don't let someone fool you that it isn't.:angel:
 
#25 ·
Well if you follow AEV on Face Book you will see that they have many partner Chrysler/Jeep dealerships that use their conversion kits and other AEV components.
AEV also makes the steel bumpers for CoD MW3 as well as the heat reduction hood.

One would have to contact one of these partnered dealerships to see what the price and warranty would be.
 
#28 ·
Alright, I asked a service advisor at my dealership a bunch of questions. I was under the impression that since I wouldn't drive it off the lot and have the conversion done at the dealership that the warrantys would hold up. I was wrong. All warrantys are voided. The wrangler is designed specifically with all of its parts to handle each other. Looks like if I do get a wrangler ill just enjoy it the way it is.
 
#30 ·
Because what a Jeep does has never been about horsepower, its about gearing. The Pentastar already has more power than anything they've ever offered in the CJ/YJ/TJ/Wrangler platform.

Its a horrible vehicle for 400+ horsepower... Short wheelbase, high center of gravity and mushy suspension. The fact the OP is trying to have a swap like this "make sense" tells me he's doing it for all the wrong reasons. The Hemi swap is something you do for the pure crazyness of it.

I'm sure AEV does it right, but the V8 brings other potential issues... My buddies Chevy 350 YJ overheats on the really slow trails, even with a 4 core radiator and electric fan.
 
#34 ·
I dunno man . . . maybe if they just made a few. Maybe 10% or less of the production line.

Just think about it. We here are the MINORITY. Most folks that buy Wranglers are going to be perfectly happy with the mpg ratings, power ratings, and lower price tag offered by a 3.6 powered Jeep. Big powered V8s--especially those that aren't work trucks--don't exactly fly off the shelves anymore.

No doubt they'd sell some, but the vast majority of folks interested in them would be those who are looking toward big mods . . . the type of people that frequent forums like this one. Most new wranglers just go to suburbanites looking for a slightly "edgy" SUV.
 
#36 ·
I looked at a picture of the BOR Hemi upgrade and from what I saw the the right bank exhaust was run directly under the transmission pan. Maybe they all do or the pic was old but to me, it would seem the heat from the exhaust pipe would certainly raise the temp of the tranny fluid quite a bit, plus reduce ground clearance at that point.

Just a thought.
 
#49 ·
There are plenty of hemi engines. Toyota has had hemi engines in various displacements for years, even 4 cylinders. They never made a big deal out of it. Its not just the hemispherical combustion chamber that makes it powerful, you need the displacement too. Dodge just grabbed onto the hemi name and used it as a marketing tool.

I'm with the other guys saying a Diesel is the superior option for a Jeep. They make as much torque as the 5.7 with half the displacement, half the RPM. Perfect for offroad. The better MPG is a nice perk.

The only downside is cost... The Diesel in the new Grand Cherokee ends up being about a $4500 option. The hurts compared to the Pentastar price, but still sounds like a bargain compared to the cost and aggravation of a V8 swap. Hope they do it in the next couple years!
 
#43 ·
I think the 6.4 Hemi would be the way to go, if you had to do it. The more I think about it, the worse it sounds though. Rather than being more reliable and durable, I think the overall vehicle reliability would sink.
 
#45 ·
If it were done by Chrysler- possibly me too. Not if done by BOR or anyone else.
 
#47 ·
I'm with Sgt93 -

If you want me to pay a premium for a better engine in my Wrangler it's diesel or nothing. Why on earth would I want to cope with the cost and weight of a large Hemi V-8 when a smaller displacement diesel will stomp that gas engine in any performance category that matters to me.
 
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