Any Info on the Hemi 6

JohnTMcD348

Well-known member
So I've read a small bit about the Chrysler Hemi 6 that was produced over in Australia. I'm hoping some of you folks down under will see this and provide first hand input on them. I read it was a 7 main bearing engine, very similar in the bottom end to my beloved 300-6(4.9L). Does it have as much of a reliability reputation a teh Ford 6 does or did they have any major flaws/issues since they seem to be more of a performance engine than a power/work motor.

What was their power band, RPM range, etc.

Thanks
 
It's a typical over engineered Chrysler engine, with practically no stuff ups. It's much,much stronger than a even a forged crank 225 Slant 6, and is a far better basic engine than the 200/250 Fords as its got big block bore spacings with huge ports and a short stroke design that loves to rev. Its 5.75" rods are used in 270 Falcon 250 strokers, and Chev 383 small block strokers, and they are stronger than any other factory rod, better than Chev X-rods or the best Holden Group A 304 rods (based on Nascar 350 rods). Chrysler had to make 200 Weber carbed Charger R/T's to qualify as a series production race car for the 500 and 621 mile Mt Panarama Bathurst car race, so they homologated an E38 with 280 degree cam and 280 hp in 1971, and a 302 hp E49 for the 1972 1000 km race. Each used Aston Martin DB6 Vantage triple Weber DCOE's. The E49 made only 12 hp less than the fabled 314 hp 4 liter twincam alloy six, and made the 1972 Charger E49 the worlds quickest production six cylinder car for a few months before the 492 odd Ferarri 246GT engined Lancia Stratos did 14.2's with 190 hp in a 2200 pound pacakge. Asside from some Porsche 911 Carrea 2.7's, it wasn't until the 1981 BMW M1 and E12/E28 Aphina BMW B9 that a quicker non turbo six cylinder car was made in regular production. Although Triple Weber E49's were made in less than 185 variants,there were a lot of milder triple carb Pacer sedans, and Charger R/T's with the 248 and 280 hp versions. The stock blue printed 302 HP Charger E49's dynoed in a 295 hp net at 5300 rpm for sedan race events like Bathurst and Benson and Hedges. The factory rev limit was just 5500 rpm, even with a 306 degree cam and 133 mph top speed with 3.23:1 diff. But it could go to 6500 rpm with ease. Quarter mile for a 3000 pound 105" wheelbase Charger was 14.4 sec two up with half a tank of gas. The Aussie Phase II and III engines ran a M/Q code hotchpotch engine, a 351 4V GT HO spec engine with 3500 pounds could only do 14.4 with a 310 degree cammed 1970 Falcon, and 14.7 secs in 300 degree 1971 Falcon GTHO. It was only above 120 mph that Chryslers hotest e49 Hemi 265 noticed the lack of 86 cubic inches and two extra cylinders. Both cars ran ER70H14 tires, similar diff ratio, but there was only another 11 mph at the top end with a 350 hp net at 5800 rpm 351. 55 hp was the difference. The net figures above were from Aussie Mick Webb and NZer Leo Leonard, sedan racers who built and blue printed Ford and Mopar engines.

It's based on the D-series US Dodge truck engine which was shelved before production back in 1965. Chrysler Corp in the US couldn't see an market for a Dodge Inline six bigger than the slant when there were LA and RB engines galore. As such, the Hemi 6 is an American design with Australian input via Chrysler Australia Prty Ltd. Engineer for the 215/245/365 engine was Mike Stacey. He went to America, did the lab work there, then arrived back in Australia to productionise it. Local Chrysler francise funding and guidance was via David Brown, not the David Brown tractor magnete from DB2-3-4-5-6/DBS , but an Aussie director.

The result was a canted valve I6 with huge valves, non crossflow head, 2.2 sq in of intake port area at the gasket face, and a short stroke , poor rod ratio, shallow six with 9.37" of deck height, a one size fits all 3.68" stroke crank and small journal Chev style 5.75" rods, crank and wrist pins. And a close to Chev L6 4.4" bore spacing, just 80 thou down on the 4.48" of the 240/300 Ford I6. It started as a 245 in late 1969 VFX Valiants, then came out as a rare 250 in track pack Valiant VG Pacers, and a 215 and 265 were added in the 1971 Valiant VH.

Only two problems with the engine. One is timing chain rattle, (and a remedial service up grade which put a Hilman 1725 chain tensior on the wrong side of the chain). The other is crank life due to the small journals and high specifc output and rev range of the bigger 265 six. Crank bolts are constantly loose on an engine that could rev to over 6500 rpm in triple Weber E38 and E49 spec. That's it. Pluses are Gross power started at 145 hp for a 1-bbl 215, then crept up to 160 hp for the 2-bbl 245, 205 hp for a stock 265 2-bbl, then 216, 248, 280 and then 302 hp for the 2-bbl Pacer, 6 bbl E37, E38/E48 and E49. A stock2-bbl 265 would eclipse a stock 318 2-bbl,and used its carb. The 1970 4-bbl 60 thou over trackpack 250 E36 would do well over 195 hp,and used a Carter AVS 4-bbl carb to good effect.

Early fuel consumption problems were easily offset by the Hemis high performance. In 1977, and Electronic Lean Burn variant came out, and like the US ELB 318/360's, it was a good performer with good fuel economy. It ended up as a 155 hp net 2-bbl 4.3 in the 1982 CM Valiant.

Like the Magnum V8 rework of the last Chrysler 5.2/5.9 engines blended AMC technology into a Mopar engine, the 1987 on Xj Jeep 4.0 infuses a lot of Chrysler Valiant Hemi architecture..short stroke, large bore, small journals, good valve and port areas.
 
Thank you Very Much for that info. It's much more than I have found on the net about it.


I really appreciate it.
 
Hi
late 1980 they stopped making Valiants here and sent all the
engine casting plant to Austria and by 1990 the 245 hemis
came back to Australia in Jeeps
known as the 4 litre high output
Ive looked at them and to my eye they are just
hemi engines with fuel injection
The Jeep Im talking about is the small station wagon type
not the old style 4 wheel drives
more up market than those ones
hope this helps a bit
John
 
hemi 6 pleantyfull in OZ go for the 245 or preferabley the 265, pleanty of power in stock form , I know of a 265 , I can put you onto owner in perth Australia
Leon
 
lastfairlane":3iwsc2o1 said:
Hi
late 1980 they stopped making Valiants here and sent all the
engine casting plant to Austria and by 1990 the 245 hemis
came back to Australia in Jeeps
known as the 4 litre high output
Ive looked at them and to my eye they are just
hemi engines with fuel injection
The Jeep Im talking about is the small station wagon type
not the old style 4 wheel drives
more up market than those ones
hope this helps a bit
John
Not true I'm sorry.
The JEEP 4.0 is based on an old AMC design
 
LOL

I came on here just now to see if there was any info on Chrysler Hemi six and its the first thread I find.

How hard would it be to get a Hemi six into a location formerly occupied by a slant six?

84 Dodge B150 van, 225 /6, 4spd.
 
Easy, but engine length and clearance at front of radiator exceeds the LA and RB engines. Front engine mounts are further forward, as the D-series Hemi 6 is a 4.4" bore centre engine, not 3.97/3.98" like the slanter, so it's a bit longer. Starter is high mount on driver side, and gearboxes are 1962-1971 AMC 6 Borg Warner 35, though you can fit a 902 or 727 if you use an adaptor. If you have the Mopar O/D four speed, you just use a stock 3 or 4-speed Single Rail Borg Warner gearbox bellhousing with an adaptor plate from the bell to the gearbox, aka Advance Adaptors Ford 2.77/3.03 to T5 or SROD/SR4, but the RUC/Toploader fits really easily.

2-bbl carb is 318 spec pattern, sump copies LA V8, and a 265 2-bbl has got more power and torque than a 300 Ford right out of the box. It's a lot rougher than a slanter, and really likes to rev. Compring a 155 hp net 265 Hemi to a 105 hp net 225 slant is like comparing a 300 hp 351 C 4-bbl to a 200 hp 302w 2-bbl, or an early 275 hp 340 4-bbl to a 318 2-bbl. You've gone from some kind of reliable low compression plodder base to a verile addition of brio from brilliant breathing, and the engine sings to a usable readline which is over 1000 rpm higher. A Slanter, stock 302 or 318 doesn't like 4500 rpm, but a good 265, (like a 4-v 351c or 340) really, really does like 5600 or more.

We put a 424 cfm 390 FE 2100 Autolite 1.33 2-BBL on my friends formerly 3-speed BW 35 Auto Chrysler Valiant, and dropped in a set of Borg Warner 7.875" 3.7:1 gears from a Cortina (stock was 7.625" 2.92:1) and a close ratio Toploader from a 351C, and just a set of headers. The Hemi just sat up an begged after that. Stock, it did 16.7 second quarters.With the four mods to carb, gearing, box and exhast mods, it felt almost as quick as my mates 375hp Falcon 351 4v. The stock 2-bbl carb is too small, the stock auto is often on its last legs, and the exhast system likes low restriction since there are six 1.96" intakes, 2.2 sq in of port area, and everything hauls @$$ after removing the stock encomburences.

Back in the 90's our local A-body Valiants suffered rust from an enclosed Right hand drive conversion stuff up on every 1962-1982 Valiant...a k -member to steering gusset which would scoop up water and road film, and then rot. As a result, we'd pick unroadworthy Valiant sedans up for 150 bucks, axe it up with a 10 pounder in 1.5 hrs, and then drop the 265 into a stock low mile Charger, and have enough parts for any breakage.
 
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