A long time ago, a friend of mine once said that building a high horsepower 3.9l V6 is like dressing up a pig, that the costs outweighed the gains. Back then I kinda laughed, but now not only do I see his point, I agree with it. Yes, you can build up a high horsepower 3.9l V6, but I can’t see how it would be worth it compared to just swapping it out with a V8. But as reluctant as I am to say this, I’ve seen this first hand.

Back in May 2011 when I was just about to wrap up the 340 project, everything went to hell when we found out that the mother#ucker that built the engine used the wrong rod bearings (and later we found out the main bearings were wrong too), I had to make a decision….. send the engine back and hope it came back right a few months later, or just find something to throw in there for the time being and come back to the 340 another day. The same night I found out the 340 wasn’t in running order, I was on car-part.com looking for a 5.2l V8, the next morning my ass was in the 05 picking one up, and that evening I had it in my garage for an all-night wire wheel & spraybomb session. It actually turned out better than I had expected, both in looks and performance.

The lesson came later when I drove it… here was a BONE STOCK 5.2l V8 block, heads and cam, with just a M1 intake and headers, just out-performing my old 3.9l V6. It had plenty of torque and HP, and I had under $1000 into it. Way less than taking a 3.9 and building it up with V8 rods & pistons, custom grind cam, re-ground crank, ported heads & intake. Plus I was at stock level with the 5.2… I could add more like heads, cam, stroker crank, whatever I wanted….. and get even MORE horsepower. Not saying it’s a bad idea, but building up a V6 just sounds dumb now…. when a 5.2 was just so friggin easy.

And it’s gonna get more interesting when Denny at Sharadon gets the 340 back in order!

Ok, file this under the “why the hell would you do that” section.. but suppose you found a nice 340 engine (GUILTY AS CHARGED!), and you wanted to replace your Magnum engine with it. Well, you can… and it’s pretty easy if you know what you’re dealing with.

Let’s start with the block. While these look like they’re the same, there’s a few differences you need to know about. First, LA blocks used a flat-tappet hydraulic cam and you can swap it out with a roller cam, but your lifter bosses are different, so you can’t swap those out with stock magnum lifters. So you’ll need to either run a hydraulic cam and lifters, or a roller cam with retrofit lifters.

Second big difference is the engine mounts. The LA Engines used a mount that ran bolts through a set of ears on the block, but the Magnum engines had bolt holes tapped into the block. While there are kits out there for 92-96 Dakotas, we got the “tough shit” treatment when we called about a kit for the 98. But a few minutes welding the mount-to-engine bracket to the stock mount solved that problem.

The other difference has to do with the crank trigger. Magnums have two tapped holes in the rear of the block to mount the stock crank trigger, but the LA blocks don’t. You can either drill & tap your own holes, or make a bracket to bolt to the back of the block.

As far as the LA heads, intake, timing cover, water pump… just shitcan them and use your stock Magnum parts. The hot thing to do nowadays is to swap the LA heads with the better-designed Magnum heads. The Magnum rockers will work, but you’ll need pushrods and lifters that have oiling provisions since the Magnum heads don’t oil through the block. The stock Magnum timing cover will work, but check the clearance between it and the cam. After that, just bolt your water pump pulleys, and accessories on and you’re set.

If you’re looking to build up a 3.9 Magnum engine, theres a few things you should know about what’s really inside the engine. Because in reality, building a stout 3.9 is not that hard! To begin, the first thing you should know is Chrysler never really changed much over the years when it came to engines, only in 2000 they really started to make significant changes when the new 4.7l V8 replaced the 5.2l V8. And the 5.2l magnum is really just a updated version of the legendary 318. So back in 1987 when Chrysler needed to add a V6 to their truck lineup, they just took the 318 and just lopped off two cylinders, and presto, the 239ci (3.9l) V6 was born. It shared a number of the same components, and served it’s job well. It was in use till about 1993 when agian, they took the block, updated the heads, cam and intake, and introduced it as the new 3.9l Magnum engine. The term new really just applied to the name, but it launched Dodge’s truck line to the next level. But in reality it was just new packaging of a really old engine.

So to wrap it up nicely, the 3.9l shares a LOT of parts with the 5.2l engine. The pistons, piston rings, and rods are the same, with the only exception being that the 3.9l ‘s mains are a little bit narrower than the 5.2l’s. So you can buy a set of 318 pistons, rods, rings and bearings, have your machine shop narrow the mains, and install everything very easily. The oil pump, timing chain, cam bearings, and all the little parts are the same. So building up the short block is the easy part!

Where things get a little complicated is on the top end with the heads, cam, and intake. Since there’s very little after-market parts in this department, you’re best bet is going to someone like KRC Performance and ordering a cam, or sending a core cam in to Comp Cams or Crower for a regrind. After that, you’re lifters, pushrods, and rockers are the same as the 5.2′s so that’s an easy order. When it comes to heads, the only option is to port the stock heads. Since the heads are the same design, you can use a 318 porting template, then add the Mopar Performance valves, springs, locks, seals, and retainers. The intake manifold is another item that all you can do is port the stocker, just some simple port matching and shortening of the runners.

Stroker cranks are available for the 3.9, but at $2000.00 for just the crank alone. And really, $2000.00 can build you a nice 5.2 or 5.9, which would give you even more horsepower and a wider variety of parts to choose from. And an engine swap is not that hard with Dodge’s trucks!

Probably the most frequently asked questions is how to get more performance out of a Magnum 3.9l V6 engine. While there’s a lot of people that go to extremes to get a few extra ponies, there’s a lot of basic things you can do to get the most out of your V6 when it comes to horsepower and fuel economy.

• The best bang for your buck mod isn’t really an engine mod, but it goes a long way when it comes to performance. And that’s the gears in your rear end. Typically they’re 3.55, which is ok for a daily driver, but for performance, a 3.92 or 4.10 is ideal. There’s not a huge difference between the two, except 4.10′s are usually cheaper than the 3.92′s (just because the 3.92′s are more popular). But either one will give you enough to make sure you’re putting all the power you can to the wheels. Anything over 4.10′s is just too much, unless you have some extreme mods to back it up.
• Second on the list is another mod that’s not so much an engine mod, but frees up a lot of ponies. That’s installing an electric fan. The stock mechanical fan is heavy and clunky, and makes for a longer time for the engine to get up to normal operating temp (180 degrees is ideal). An electric fan frees up about 5-10 horsepower simply by not having the big heavy fan to spin, but since it only comes on after the engine hits 180 degrees, you’ll be able to create more power at the ideal operating temperature.
• Next is the thermostat. Since the real sweet spot for these engines is 180 degrees, you’ll need to replace the 195 degree thermostat with a 180 degree. Ma Mopar installed a 195 for “emission purposes”, but having the 180 in keeps it in that sweet spot. Anything below 180 is going to trigger your check engine light, plus doesn’t do a lot more.
• Now we get to the nitty-gritty engine stuff. Probably the cheapest mod is changing the spark plug to an Autolite 3922 or NGK 2262. These plugs run a bit cooler than the stock, and helps keep temperatures in that 180 degree sweet spot. Don’t waste your money on platnums or milti-fire plugs, they’re really just marketing ploys that don’t do squat on the dyno.
• After the plugs, time to change the wires, cap, and rotors. The wires, pretty much anything over a 8mm wire will do. Accel, MSD, JBA’s are good, but the NAPA gold 8mm wires are perfect for the job, and won’t break the bank. As far as the cap and rotor, anything with brass contacts is ideal, so the NAPA gold caps & rotors are great. Accel has them too, but they’re exactly the same as the NAPA gold, just different box and higher price.
• Air intakes… well, where do I start. There’s a lot of air intakes out there, the K&N, AEM, Airaids, etc are ok for just bolt ons. But a lot of guys build their own, have different methods and theories, but theres a few common specs that everyone agree on. First is your actual tube should be at least 3″ diameter. Anything smaller is just too small, anything bigger is un-needed. The actual filter, well the bigger the better. I use a S&B 9″ cone filter with the open end placed right between the passenger side radiator support and radiator. By removing the rubber cover on the radiator support, cold air from outside has a perfect path to the filter. So if you use PVC, or an exhaust bend that’s ceramic coated like mine, the tubing is up to you.
• Throttle body is ovbiously the next part of the equation. You’ll need something bigger than the stock throttle body. 48mm is ideal for most V6′s, 50mm only if you have a lot of serious mods like heads or a cam. Anything bigger will actually cause you to loose power. Both F&B and the Fastman make great throttle bodies, I would highly recommend either one. Anyone else… I just don’t trust.
• And last but not least, exhaust system is probably the most important. You got good flow coming in with your air intake and throttle body, you need good flow going out. A good cat-back from Magnaflow, Gibson, or JBA is just what the doctor ordered, but for people on a budget, just changing out the stock muffler is just as good. Agian, a 2 1/2 in Magnaflow or Gibson fits the bill nicely. Anything bigger will not give you enough back pressure and will cause you to loose horsepower.

I know I never mentioned tuners, and there’s a reason why. While they do gain you a lot on a stock vehicle, they’ll gain you more on a vehicle that has the above mods done to them. Tuners are really the one mod that puts everything together nicely to give you the best performance. Simply put, a better base will give you better results. As far as brands, I highly recommend Superchips…. they’re just on the ball. They’re the only ones I’d use for an off-the-shelf tuner.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a ton of other mods out there But these are the basics you’ll need when you get into the more involved mods like heads, cams, headers, superchargers, etc… more on that to come!

Some of you are wondering what makes a show car a show car. Really it’s about one thing in my book, thats cleanliness! And the one thing that can make or break you are the tires and wheels because those are the one thing that see the most dirt, dust and grime. So having clean wheels and tires can give you the look you need. And there’s just a few things to do in order to get them really clean.

1. Start by removing the wheel. It’s no joke because the majority of the dirt and brake dust are inside the wheel. So take them off and clean them off with a good wheel cleaner like Meguiar’s Gold Class wheel cleaner. You may need to make two passes on the inside, but once their clean you’ll notice a huge difference. Nothing too harsh is needed, just the wheel cleaner and a few paper towels.
2. After you’ve cleaned the wheel, you want to apply some wax to keep them looking good. Just like the paint, you want to protect the finish. All you really need is your favorite wax, but I use Nanowax just because it doesn’t turn white as it dries. And when the inside of the wheel isn’t perfectly smooth, the spray waxes really beat out anything else.
3. Tire shine is next. But what people don’t know is how to apply it properly. When you just spray it on and drive off, that’s when you get the “sling” and all the little spots all over the side of the vehicle. Use an applicator, or spray it on a rag and wipe it on. Since you have the wheel off, tilt it against a wall or something so you can reach the whole side and not have any dry spots. Be generous, but not have it dripping. Let it sit for a few minutes. If you like the glossy look let it sit till it dries, but if you like the fresh and clean look go over it with a dry rag till you get the luster you want.
4. While we’re on the subject… TIRE FOAM IS EVIL. It really doesn’t clean anything, just covers it in so much tire shine the dirt becomes less visible. Plus it looks like crap when you get it on the wheel itself. So just don’t use it and take the time to clean them so you’re not that asshole that has overspray hitting other vehicles at the shows.
5. Since you have your vehicle jacked up with the wheels off, now is a good time to clean off your suspension, frame, and the other stuff a car wash won’t get. Just some spray detailer and a rag goes a long way.
6. When you install the tire, make sure you check to see if your studs are free of rust. If you see some, remove it with a small wire brush. After you’ve cleaned them, apply a little anti seize to the studs. A lot of people think this will cause the lug nuts to loosen, but don’t be mistaken. Anti seize is used for suspension parts and engine parts all the time, but they don’t come loose because they are properly torqued. So unless you’re an idiot that doesn’t use a torque wrench to get the lugs to the proper torque, your lugs will be perfectly fine (and easier to remove when you do need to remove them! ) Plus you check them every month, right??

So that covers it. Just a little extra effort on your part will have your vehicle looking better, and turning heads at the shows. It may sound like some extreme detailing, but it’s the little details that make up a lot of points at the shows!

A word of caution on using combustion chamber cleaners…

On some engines that have an EGR Valve (older 3.9, 5.2, or 5.9 or newer 3.7 and 4.7 engines) you may want to think twice about using a combustion chamber cleaner like SeaFoam or Mopar’s Combustion Chamber Cleaner. If you don’t know what these products do, they do a GOOD job of cleaning out the combustion chamber, forcing the carbon deposits out to the exhaust system. But if your engine has an EGR valve, the carbon being exported may clog up your EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) valve. This will probably cause a check engine light and taking out the valve and either cleaning it or replacing it.

Unfortunately, I confirmed this on my 05, but luckally NAPA had them in stock!

I get asked this question all the time…. How do you keep all that chrome clean?? Simple answer, car wax!

As absurd as it sounds, I learned this from the shop that does all my chroming, so from the source it’s a damn good piece of advice. But I’ve got my own little procedure for doing this that doesn’t make a mess. What I do is when I wax the outside, I use a microfiber towel to apply the wax. Then after I’ve applied wax to the whole vehicle, I use the wax-soaked towel to attack the chrome. I usually give it a good rubdown, leaving some residue. Then when I remove the wax from the outside, I remove the residue from the chrome. The result… a very deep shine that will have you smiling for days! Plus the wax keeps a lot of the dust off.

So there you have it. No need for any fancy chrome cleaners or polishes… just use your favorite wax!