When it debuted in the early 2000s, Chrysler’s 5.7L Hemi was a stomper. Rated at 345 horsepower in trucks and 340 horsepower in the cars early on, it was a good volley into the horsepower wars. Since then, however, the power figures have climbed exponentially and the 5.7’s figures just aren’t as impressive as they used to be…especially when the current halo engine is packing a horsepower rating that rivals super cars and the competition has V6 engines that are making even better power. Automatically, thoughts turn to some basic work…heads, cam, exhaust…but those gains only go so far. What if you are inclined to try to crank Hellcat power out of your 2003-08 5.7 block? Can it be done?
In this episode of Engine Masters, Freiburger and Dulcich give it a go with a slightly worked over block. The bottom end is stock, but the heads have seen a little bit of porting work and the intake setup is all aftermarket. Out of the box, the 5.7 blasts out 475 horsepower and 400 ft/lbs of torque. Not bad numbers, but that’s where a Paxton Novi 1500 blower setup comes in. It’s a stout system, but in reality pistons and rods need to be upgraded for any real abuse. But this is a dyno mule, and if all goes horribly wrong Dulcich has a stroker kit in waiting, so let’s get right to it and see if the lump that sits under Angry Grandpa’s hood is any good!
interesting combination
This show beats anything on the Power Block!
A great article, thanks!