Then just to inject steroids into this plan, the Chrysler clan added a production supercharger to the 6.2L engine, creating first the Hellcat, which was quickly followed by Demon and Redeye variants that have singlehandedly established the high water mark for production engine horsepower.įor engine geeks, it’s the details that make the difference, so we’ll attempt to deliver as many of the important internal engine specs as possible. There are multiple production versions as we’ll see but increased cylinder head flow, complemented by the Hemi’s large valves and revised, twin-plug combustion chamber have all contributed to making this engine a serious contender with an awesome punch. The key to the Gen III Hemi’s powerful image is tied directly to the cylinder heads. As we’ll see once we dive into the engine’s details, the 5.7L engine continues to this day and has been accompanied by larger 6.1L, 6.2L, and 6.4L cousins. There are, of course, multiple aftermarket aluminum blocks available through Mopar Performance should minimizing weight be worthwhile.ĭespite the inherent width requirement of the Hemi’s opposing valve orientation (just look at the expansive Gen II valve covers), the Gen III is not excessively wide which makes engine swapping much more attractive. Chrysler engineers experimented with a production aluminum block to shave over 100 pounds but studies concluded that the potential loss of cylinder head seal quality with larger bore engines combined with a four-bolt head pattern wasn’t worth the risk versus the weight reduction. These first 5.7L engines immediately enhanced the Hemi brand with a cast iron block and aluminum heads. The Hemi re-emerged as the 5.7L Gen III in 2003 in trucks followed quickly in passenger cars. The Gen II version appeared in 1964 with Tom Hoover and Keith Black among many others making the "Elephant" notorious as a Race Hemi, quickly followed by the 426ci Street Hemi with its expansive chrome valve covers. It later grew into the 392ci variant made famous by every early Top Fuel drag car in the country. Dubbed the FirePower, it displaced a mere 331ci. The original hemispherical chamber concept evolved from an experimental aircraft engine designed by Chrysler at the end of WWII.įor the sake of an acknowledging nod to history, the first Chrysler hemi V8 appeared in 1951 in Chrysler full-size cars. The original appeared in 1951 as a 331ci Chrysler FirePower engine that eventually evolved (amid radical changes) into the Gen II and now the Gen III version. This is a Chrysler drawing of the engine that really put the Hemi name on the map – the 1966 Street Hemi.
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February 2023
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