[LoveMyTrep]

Title says it all....I am DONE with this poor little 2.7 motor and am gonna buy a CPO Charger....won't get sh*t for trade in but I don't care...

I don't have enough money to buy NEW, but have enough to buy Certified Pre-Owned and can afford pretty much any of the 3 motors in all years.

SOOOO....the question is 3.5, 3.6 or 5.7???? Please list pros and cons! AND if you are just gonna say GET THE HEMI CUZ IT HAS BALLS...then either #1 tell me WHY to get the HEMI (beside the balls!) or #2 Don't reply!

I want info on service ease, durability, etc etc in comparison to my 2.7....She has been a complete lover to me for almost TEN YEARS!!! But now that she is breaking down, just to change the water pump, Thermo, bearings, head gaskets, etc etc is a total PAIN and I understand why there are so many posts about that motor....

Granted, there are almost 2 MILLION of those motors made! They are GREAT engines and failure is inside the 2%'tile range....very good if you ask me! TAKE THAT BOW TIE garbage! (So stop bitching everyone and saying these motors are garbage!) But it IS time to upgrade....

I LOVE Dodge, I LOVE Mopar, I love my Trep, but today it is time for an upgrade....Bought my Trep NEW off the lot in 2002 and she has been a doll until last week and if I am gonna spend upwards of 3K to put it back together, I say F it and I am upgrading to a Charger.....

Someday I WILL OWN THE VIPER before I die.....

Out,
Bryan

[DrDodge]

if theres anyway wait till you can get the 3.6, its peppy,, good on fuel,, seems to be a very sound engine,
I rented one a few months back for a trip to NC,, I loved it,,

and,, the water pump is driven by a belt,,,

[zerokool]

are you kidding???? how is this even a question ?? ...
SRT-8 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LoveMyTrep]

I am really sorry to sound stupid in my post, but your reply shows EXACTLY what I asked NOT to have to read.....I am not a mech, just a LOVER of my Trep....

Sorry man, NO I am NOT kidding....but then again, I ASKED you to tell my WHY I need the SRT-8, not just in your words (ARE YOU KIDDING?) tell me I am an idiot and to buy the SRT-8....

Apparently, even some Dodge owners CANNOT read a FULL post, COMPREHEND it and make a LOGICAL SENSIBLE reply.....BECAUSE I DIDN"T EVEN LIST THE SRT-8 6.1 AS AN OPTION!!!!!! I Can't quite AFFORD that model.....Ugh...

So now, tell me WHY I need to find a way to raise another 8K or so to get the 6.1???? In other words, nevermind dude....

I guess I should go back to my original post and say I have about 18K and my dead Trep to work with.....Thus why I cannot buy NEW....cuz even though I have a CR of over 750, I hae been unemployed for over 2 years, an no one is gonna give me a loan for the balance without a F'ing JOB......

[beeblebrox82]

Dont worry about that guy... he's... that guy. 3.5L is tried and true and has lots of room in that engine bay. Timing belt not chain, much easier to change. The 3.6L appears to be a great motor, but not much real world age on it yet. Its design is actually similar to the 2.7L The 5.7/6.1/6.4 is also a solid engine, tried and true. I've not worked on one so I can't tell you how packed in there it is.

[DrDodge]

SRT8 is a expensive thing to feed,,,

[Squilliam]

A HEMI Charger has cylinder deactivation, so under normal highway load 4 cylinders are cut out, giving you better fuel economy, and when you want power, they seamlessly cut back in. My father has an 08 300C and he gets great mileage on the highway. The 5.7 is a sound motor and he hasnt had a problem with it in the 4 years of owning it. However, if you do get the HEMI, make sure the dealer does a full tuneup before you take delivery. Changing 16 spark plugs isnt fun on the wallet

[LoveMyTrep]

THX Squill.....wow 16 plugs in the HEMI....didn't know that! Between you and the 2 posts above you, now that is what I want to hear! Thanks for the info guys!

I don't know why, with having about 18K to play with, why I must stick with a Dodge....I could buy pretty much anything, any make CPO....I just LOVE THE THINGS!!!! MOPAR!!

[LoveMyTrep]

My son who lives in STL traded his old trep last year for a 2011 Challenger right off the lot, and he LOVES it....and easy enough to be said, I LOVE IT TOO....he has the 3.6 in it.....still in break in mode though at just over 16K miles in just over a year....

He bought a Trep cuz he loved Dad's that he (I) bought new off the lot in 2002....

Needless to say at just barely 22 years old, making bank as a Regional Manager at an upscale sports bar/restaurant chain, his good looks and the Badass Black beast is banking some serious box...if you gentlemen know what I mean....

The old man, at almost 50...well I just want another Dodge! hahaha....

[beeblebrox82]

True dat. There's just sumptin bout a Dodge.

So it sounds like this is more of a DD right? With that in mind seems like a 5.7L with deactivation, or a 3.6L would be the best choice for something actually streetable day in and day out.

If it were me, and I needed a new DD, I'd go 3.6L all day every day. Good power, great economy and the cars look gorgeous too! Dont know much about maintenance though. Probably gonna be a bitch to do the chains 150,000 miles from now heh.

[joe_]

Most timing chains last the life of the engine. I mean, they do develop play, and it's not a bad idea to change them after a while, but they're not a regular maintenance item like a timing belt. I guess the 2.7L is an exception to that rule though, mainly because the chain drives the water pump.

[peva]

Seems that is done a lot these days, and on interference engines - engineering malpractice at its finest (as is timing *belt* driving water pump - actually that's worse because timing belts are more prone to fail on their own). But nobody ever checks into those things when buying a new vehicle, so the manufacturers get a free ride at the public's expense. Ignorance is bliss as they say.

[gn300]

I like the look of the "new" charger much more than the last gen.

3.6 sounds like a good engine power wise and mpg.

Drive a v-6 before a hemi and relize just how good the v-6 works.

suspension, brakes can all be upgraded to r/t specks quite easily.

[Adpros]

You 3.6L lovers ain't gonna like this so give me a moment, and I'll listen to all you have as well...

1. I don't like the 2.7L. I know just about every inch of one and do not like how under-engineered this boat anchor is. With that said, yes the 3.6L reminds me of the 2.7L and having done major engine work on a few already, It seems to be on the same track.

2. If you think changing the chains, guides and water pump on a 2.7L is rough on the pocketbook, you're gonna need to remortgage the house to do it on a 3.6L when it gets all sludged up! they have added this feature called variable cam timing which has an extra, (Oil controlled), unit on the front of each cam. These "Phaser" devices are already subject to numerous issues and require special tools to service. I don't think the average joe will be servicing these on a sunday under the shade-tree.

3. To date, we have had valve + head seat issues on Jeep and minivan 3.6L engines, (Longitudinal and horizontal mountings.) Can't say the LD / LX bodies have had any yet but, their day is a-comin'.

4. If you do end up buying one with a 3.6L then you'd better sell it as soon as soon as the warranty or service contract period ends. IMHO!

5. You will at least like to change the oil on a 3.6L. No more fumbling around looking for the oil filter.

EDIT: Why not sell the Trep beforehand and have a bit more for a down payment?

[Duds]

Depends..... looking for more MPG?
Like Muscle???

If you are looking for more HP and if its between the 5.7 and the 6.1 pick the 5.7 because there are more aftermarker mods available for the 5.7 engine.