1979 Dodge Demon - The EBay Hemi

There are two different coil packs on the 5.7. The '03 to '05 engine has a coil wire to the plugs and the '06 to '07 does not. We have the later design, so we would need engine harness PN 88864 to get the MSD to work. The harness is sold separately.

There are two different coil packs on the 5.7. The '03 to '05 engine has a coil wire to th

FAST Crate/Transplant Engine Management Kit

The guys from FAST told us the company's installation kit is so complete that you need only an engine, a fuel system, and a battery to get things running. The kit includes the XFI system, the XIM ignition module, a 92mm cable-driven throttle-body that uses a standard Lokar LS cable, and the correct wiring harnesses. There is also a tech line if you get lost.

The system itself goes way beyond the base maps that are provided. It has several high-tech features, such as 5 bar MAP capability (for boost applications), either bank-to-bank or sequential fuel-injector control, boost control, A/C, the XIM ignition controller with adjustable timing curves, and a rev limiter.

The MSD has about every timing option there is. You can map any timing curve you want, use two different rev limits, set a total timing limit, and even use a step retard that pulls timing out when the nitrous comes on or the boost hits. It can also vary timing to smooth out the idle and use waste spark to fire the coils every 360 degrees. Killer!

The MSD has about every timing option there is. You can map any timing curve you want, use

The kit works with both the 5.7L and 6.1L, and even the 6.4L. The total cost for the system—plus a recommended dyno day to tune it—is more than 4 grand, but you can expand the system indefinitely, including adding traction control, a 16-injector option for huge power output while maintaining finite control, and internal data logging with 24 inputs. You pay a little more for stupid-easy.

We are going to use a 727 transmission from Performance Automatic and a Transmission Specialties converter. Look for the buildup in a future issue.

We are going to use a 727 transmission from Performance Automatic and a Transmission Speci

Mopar Performance Controller

Mopar also has a system to get a 5.7L/6.1L running. It is the most expensive of the stand-alone kits, but the AEM controller gives you complete control of everything and comes with start-up calibrations for 5.7L truck and car engines. Using a laptop serial port or USB interface, the software allows access to all the fuel and spark tables, wide-band 02, and everything else that comes on a factory vehicle. The average dyno guy will be able to tune this on a laptop. It can also run non-Chrysler transmissions, like a 4L60E GM trans, that will fit your B-Body via a bellhousing adapter.

The company sells the controller and harness together, and while it works with any '03-and-up truck or car, it is designed for '06-and-up coil setups, so you will need to know the year of the engine you are working with. If you want to run an older engine (pre-'06), you need to have the factory connectors for the coils and splice them into the new harness. The controller does not come with a throttle-body or cable, so you will need to buy the yet-to-be-released setup from BBK.

To get the TorqueFlite to work with the Hemi, we are going to use an adapter plate from Street and Performance.

To get the TorqueFlite to work with the Hemi, we are going to use an adapter plate from St

Carburetor and Intake

We've been told it's not the cost of EFI that turns people away but rather the complexity of installing it. For those guys who like it simple, there is a carb and intake option. The single-plane manifold is offered from Mopar, and it will bolt to either the truck or passenger-car 5.7L Hemi. According to our sources, it will not work on the 6.1L. To run the coils, MSD offers its 6-Hemi controller for both early and late coil packs (late packs have no plug wires), but you have to buy a specific wiring harness to make it work. The MSD has the standard goods, like a two-step rev limit and custom timing curves. For an ultra-low-tech option, Arrington Engines sells the ChipKillr (see www.shophemi.com). It is a custom timing cover with a mount for a distributor, so you can run the Hemi with no electronics at all. It retails for $2,099. The manifold is expensive at around $800 MSRP, but you don't have to buy a gnarly fuel pump to run it, and if you add heads, cam, and a blower, you don't have to buy expensive injectors and retune on a dyno. You can find a good carburetor-tuning book just about anywhere if you've never done it before and need some guidance.

Our plan is to use a carburetor and the 6-Hemi to get the engine running, then add a custom blow-through twin-turbo setup. Next up is getting the engine placed in the car and building the headers.

Our plan is to use a carburetor and the 6-Hemi to get the engine running, then add a custo