
The Chrysler Hemi engine, known by the trademark Hemi or HEMI, refers to a series of high-performance American
overhead valve V8 engine
A V8 engine is an eight- cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
Origins
The first known V8 was the Antoinette, designed by Léon Levavasseur, a ...
s built by
Chrysler
FCA US, LLC, Trade name, doing business as Stellantis North America and known historically as Chrysler ( ), is one of the "Big Three (automobile manufacturers), Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn H ...
with
hemispherical combustion chamber
A hemispherical combustion chamber is a combustion chamber in the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine with a domed "sphere, hemispheric" shape. An engine featuring this type of hemispherical chamber is known as a hemi engine. In pra ...
s. Three generations have been produced: the FirePower series (with displacements from to ) from 1951 to 1958; a famed race and street engine from 1964-1971; and family of advanced Hemis (displacing between since 2003.
Although Chrysler is most identified with the use of "Hemi" as a marketing term, many other auto manufacturers have incorporated similar cylinder head designs. The engine block and cylinder heads were cast and manufactured at
Indianapolis Foundry.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Chrysler also applied the term ''Hemi'' to their Australian-made
Hemi-6 Engine, and a 4-cylinder
Mitsubishi 2.6L engine installed in various North American market vehicles.
Design
The main advantage of a hemi head engine over other head designs is power. In return, hemi head engines tend to have complex valve trains, are expensive to build, and both larger and heavier than conventional designs.
A
hemispherical combustion chamber
A hemispherical combustion chamber is a combustion chamber in the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine with a domed "sphere, hemispheric" shape. An engine featuring this type of hemispherical chamber is known as a hemi engine. In pra ...
is an efficient shape, with an excellent surface-to-volume ratio, and room for two large
valves. However, it allows no more than two valves per cylinder, and these large valves are necessarily heavier than in a
multi-valve
A multi-valve or multivalve Four-stroke engine, four-stroke internal combustion engine is one where each Cylinder (engine), cylinder has ''more than two'' poppet valve, valves – more than the minimum required of one of each, for the purposes of ...
engine. The intake and exhaust valves lie on opposite sides of the chamber and necessitate a "
cross-flow" head design. As the combustion chamber is a partial hemisphere, a flat-topped piston would yield too low a
compression ratio
The compression ratio is the ratio between the maximum and minimum volume during the compression stage of the power cycle in a piston or Wankel engine.
A fundamental specification for such engines, it can be measured in two different ways. Th ...
unless a very long stroke is used, so to attain the desired compression ratio the piston crown is domed to protrude into the head at top dead center. The result is a combustion chamber in the shape of the space between where the domed piston stops and the dome shape in the head receiving it.
The hemi-head design places the
spark plug
A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...
at or near the center of the chamber to promote a strong flame front. However, if the hemi-head hemisphere is of equal diameter to the piston, there is minimal
squish for proper turbulence to mix fuel and air thoroughly. Thus, hemi-heads, because of their lack of squish, are more sensitive to fuel
octane rating
An octane rating, or octane number, is a standard measure of a liquid fuel, fuel's ability to withstand Compression ratio, compression in an internal combustion engine without causing engine knocking. The higher the octane number, the more compres ...
; a given compression ratio will require a higher octane rating to avoid detonation in a hemi engine than in some conventional engine designs such as the wedge and bathtub.
The hemi head always has intake and exhaust valve stems that point in different directions, requiring a large, wide cylinder head and complex
rocker arm
A rocker arm is a valvetrain component that typically transfers the motion of a pushrod in an overhead valve engine, overhead valve internal combustion engine to the corresponding intake/exhaust poppet valve, valve.
Rocker arms in automobiles are ...
geometry in both
cam-in-block A cam-in-block engine is where the camshaft is located in the engine block
In an internal combustion engine, the engine block is the structure that contains the cylinders and other components. The engine block in an early automotive engine con ...
and
single overhead cam engines (dual overhead cam engines may not have rocker arms). This adds to the overall width of the engine, limiting the vehicles in which it can be installed.
Significant challenges in the commercialization of engine designs using hemispherical chambers revolved around the valve actuation, specifically how to make it effective, efficient, and reliable at an acceptable cost.
This complexity was referenced early in Chrysler's development of their 1950s hemi engine: the head was referred to in company advertising as the ''Double Rocker Shaft'' head.
First generation: FirePower 1951–1958
Chrysler developed its first experimental hemi engine for the
Republic
A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...
P-47 Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
fighter aircraft. The
XIV-2220 was an inverted
overhead-valve (OHV)
V16 rated at . The P-47 was already in production with a
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies). Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation (especially ...
radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating engine, reciprocating type internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinder (engine), cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. ...
when the XIV-2220 flew successfully in trials in 1945 as a possible upgrade, but the war was winding down and it did not go into production. However, the exercise gave Chrysler engineers valuable research and development experience with two-valve hemi combustion chamber dynamics and parameters.
In addition to the aircraft engine, Chrysler and
Continental Motors Company
Continental Motors Company was an American manufacturer of internal combustion engines. The company produced engines as a supplier to many independent manufacturers of automobiles, tractors, trucks, and stationary equipment (such as pumps, gen ...
worked together to develop the air-cooled
AV-1790-5B V12 Hemi engine used in the
M47 Patton
The M47 Patton was an American medium tank, a development of the M46 Patton mounting an updated turret, and was in turn further developed as the M48 Patton. It was the second American tank to be named after General George S. Patton, commande ...
tank.
Chrysler applied their military experience with the hemispherical combustion chamber to its first automobile engine, an OHV
V8 engine
A V8 engine is an eight- cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
Origins
The first known V8 was the Antoinette, designed by Léon Levavasseur, a ...
released under the name FirePower, not "Hemi," in 1950 for the 1951 model year. The first version of the FirePower engine had a displacement of and produced . Eventually, three of the four Chrysler divisions had their own version of the FirePower engine, with different displacements and designations, and having almost no parts in common. This lack of commonality was due in part to the three engine versions using different bore spacings (the center-to-center distance between adjacent cylinders). Chrysler and
Imperial called their versions the ''FirePower''.
DeSoto called theirs the ''FireDome''. Dodge had a smaller version, known as the ''Red Ram''. Only
Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
did not have a version, but retained the Dodge
poly-head engines. There was no Plymouth Hemi engine until the 1964
426
__NOTOC__
Year 426 (Roman numerals, CDXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in Rome as the Year of the Consulship of Theodosius II, Theodosius and Valentinian III, Valentinianus (or, less ...
.
Briggs Cunningham
Briggs Swift Cunningham II (January 19, 1907 – July 2, 2003) was an American entrepreneur and sportsman. He is best known for skippering the yacht Columbia (1958 yacht), ''Columbia'' to victory in the 1958 America's Cup race, and for his effor ...
used the Chrysler version in some of his
race cars for international motorsports. A Chrysler-powered
Cunningham C-5R won its class in 1953. Cunningham switched away from these designs in 1959 when Chrysler temporarily abandoned the hemispherical concept in favor of the wedge-head
B engine until 1964.
Carl Kiekhaefer also used the Chrysler engines in his NASCAR cars from 1955 and 1956, winning the
Grand National Series championship both years.
Collectively, the 1951–1958 Hemi engines are now commonly retroactively referred to as first-generation Hemi engines, which can be identified by the rear-mounted
distributor
A distributor is an electric and mechanical device used in the ignition system of older spark-ignition engines. The distributor's main function is to route electricity from the ignition coil to each spark plug at the correct time.
Design
...
and the
spark plug
A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...
s in a row down the center of wide valve covers.
1951 Plymouth Hemi V6
There were plans in 1951 for a
Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
dual overhead cam Hemi V6 displacing designed by Chrysler's Powerplant Research and Engine Design division. Known internally as A173, it was meant to be a powerful, fuel-efficient alternative to
Ford's V8 and to replace
Plymouth's venerable flathead six. However, the plans were scrapped because of high build costs and the then-unusual design.
Chrysler and Imperial
All Chrysler FirePower engines are
oversquare; i.e. their
bore is larger than their
stroke
Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
.
331
This first FirePower engine, used from 1951 to 1955, has a bore of and a stroke of for a piston displacement of , and a deck height of ("low deck"). The bore spacing, shared by all Chrysler FirePower engines, was , the largest of any 1st generation Hemi engines. Most used a two-barrel
carburetor
A carburetor (also spelled carburettor or carburetter)
is a device used by a gasoline internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the Ventu ...
and produced , with the famous exception of the 1955
Chrysler C-300 equipped with dual Carter WCFB four-barrel carburetors and rated at .
The 331 engine was used in the following applications:
* 1951–1955
Chrysler New Yorker
The Chrysler New Yorker is an automobile model produced by Chrysler (division), Chrysler from 1940 until 1996, serving for several decades as either the brand's flagship model or as a junior sedan to the Chrysler Imperial, the latter during the y ...
* 1951–1954
Chrysler Imperial
The Chrysler Imperial, introduced in 1926, was Chrysler (division), Chrysler's top-of-the-line vehicle for much of its history. Models were produced under the Chrysler name until 1954, after which Imperial became Imperial (automobile), a standal ...
and 1955
Imperial
* 1951
Chrysler Saratoga
* 1952
Chrysler Saratoga Club Coupe
* 1952
Chrysler Imperial Parade Phaeton
* 1954
Dodge C Series
* 1955
Chrysler C-300
* 1956
Facel Vega FV2B
* 1958
Hongqi CA72
* The
Chrysler Air-Raid Siren. At 138
decibel
The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B). It expresses the ratio of two values of a Power, root-power, and field quantities, power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale. Two signals whos ...
s, it is reputed to be the loudest siren ever made.
354
The 354, released in 1956, had a bore of 3.9375 (100mm) in and stroke of 3.625 (92.1mm) in, and the same 10.385" (264mm) low deck height, for a displacement of . The 300B engine was rated at , while the New Yorker and Imperial 354 engine configuration produced . For the 300B, an optional version was available, making it the first American V8 to be rated at one horsepower per cubic inch. (Note that before 1972, horsepower was
SAE gross (equivalent to maximum output); thereafter, it was rated as
SAE net (power delivered to the transmission, less accessories, emission controls, exhaust system, and other power-sinks).) The 354 was also modified. The Hemi was optimized for heavy-duty truck service. These were available with one or two four-barrel carburetors, and were offered in Dodge's heaviest-duty models as the 'Power Giant V-8' from 1957 through 1959; they were the largest of four Hemi truck engines offered by Dodge in the 1950s. The 354 was also offered in certain models with
polyspheric
The Polyspheric engines were V8 engines produced by Chrysler from 1955 to 1958 as lower-cost alternatives to its ''Hemi'' engines. These engines were based on the ''Hemi'' engines, using the same blocks and crankshaft parts, but completely diffe ...
heads rather than hemi heads. The combustion chambers on these had similarities to both hemi and wedge heads, but were closer in weight to wedge heads. Thus, both 354 poly and 354 Hemi V8 engines were variously available in 1957.
The 354 engine was used in the following applications:
* 1956
Chrysler New Yorker
The Chrysler New Yorker is an automobile model produced by Chrysler (division), Chrysler from 1940 until 1996, serving for several decades as either the brand's flagship model or as a junior sedan to the Chrysler Imperial, the latter during the y ...
* 1956
Chrysler 300B
* 1956
Imperial Custom & Crown
* 1957
Dodge D-501
* 1957–1959
Dodge C Series Pickup
392
The 392 raised-deck engine released in 1957 had a bore and stroke. The actual displacement is . The deck height, at , was taller than that of the previous blocks. Because its deck was taller, the heads were cast with wider intake ports so that earlier manifolds could be used with the new heads on the new taller block. For 1958, Chrysler offered the 392 in two configurations: with 9.25:1
compression and with 10:1 compression, both with a single four-barrel carburetor. A dual four-barrel version of the 392 available in the 1957–58 Chrysler 300C and 300D cars was rated at ; the 300D, and some marine and industrial engines, used a (now rare) adjustable rocker.
[''Hot Rod'' Magazine online](_blank)
(retrieved March 9, 2018) An extremely rare option available on the 1958 300D was Bendix "Electrojector"
fuel injection
Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of a fuel injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines.
All c ...
, with which the 392 was rated at . Due to reliability problems with the primitive onboard computer which controlled the injection system; however, 15 of the 16 300D cars built with the fuel injection option were recalled and retrofitted with carburetors.
The 392 engine was used in the following applications:
* 1957–1958
Chrysler New Yorker
The Chrysler New Yorker is an automobile model produced by Chrysler (division), Chrysler from 1940 until 1996, serving for several decades as either the brand's flagship model or as a junior sedan to the Chrysler Imperial, the latter during the y ...
* 1957–1958
Imperial Custom, Crown, and LeBaron
* 1957
Chrysler 300C
* 1958
Chrysler 300D
* 1958
Facel Vega Excellence (EX)
In the late 1950s and early 1960s,
drag racers found the 392 to be a formidable engine and continued to run them competitively into the 1970s. Usual color of the block was silver.
DeSoto
DeSoto's Hemi engines were called FireDome and served as the naming convention for the
DeSoto Firedome sedan.
276
In 1952,
DeSoto introduced its version of the FirePower (FireDome),with a bore of and stroke of , for a displacement of . The bore spacing, shared by all DeSoto FirePower engines, was . Power output was . It was a hot seller, with 50,000 vehicles using the engine until it was replaced in 1954.
291
An increase in displacement to was made for 1955 by increasing the bore to .
330
The DeSoto engine was enlarged for 1956 to . Bore was the same as the 291 at , but stroke was increased to and a taller (raised-deck) block was used.
341
Displacement was increased again for 1956 (
DeSoto Adventurer only) and 1957 (Firedome and Fireflite models) to . Bore was increased to , but stroke remained at . The DeSoto Adventurer had a compression ratio of 9.5:1, using a special camshaft profile for hydraulic lifters, and produced using dual Carter WCFB four-barrel carburetors.
The 1956 Adventurer was the premiere named high-performance version—the DeSoto equivalent of the twin four-barrel Chrysler 300.
345
The largest DeSoto engine for 1957 was the DeSoto Adventurer offering with square bore and stroke dimensions of 3.80 inches. The DeSoto Adventurer used dual Carter WCFB four-barrel carburetors for a rating of , producing one horsepower per cubic inch (the first American car to do so as standard equipment) using a similar intake manifold to the 1956 341 Adventurer and a similar camshaft. The compression ratio remained at 9.5:1.
Dodge
Dodge's Hemi was introduced in 1953 as the Red Ram.
Dodge did not have a V8 engine until one was developed specifically for the line in 1953 based on the 1951
Chrysler
FCA US, LLC, Trade name, doing business as Stellantis North America and known historically as Chrysler ( ), is one of the "Big Three (automobile manufacturers), Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn H ...
hemi design, but downsized for these smaller cars. They have the smallest bore center spacing of any hemi engine at . They do not share any major dimensions or components with the larger Chrysler and DeSoto hemi engines, or the Plymouth A engines. From 1955 to 1958 (see 1956 D500 Dodge D-500 cars and packages: early performance cars) lower-performance Hemi-based alternatives to the Dodge hemi were introduced by substituting less complex poly (single rocker shaft) heads and valve train parts, including one variant only built as a poly (259"). These were used in low-line 1955-58 DeSotos and Dodges, and 1955-56 high-line Plymouths.
Dodge Trucks marketed their version of the Hemi under the name PowerDome.
241
Dodge introduced the engine in 1953.
Bore was and stroke was . With a low compression ratio of 7.0:1 (in 1953 and for the 1954
Meadowbrook), the 241 produced .
For 1954, the more senior Dodges received a higher 7.5:1 compression ratio version.
[ Lee, p. 270] This engine is not the same as the
Plymouth 241, which had polyspheric heads. The 241 Dodge Hemi only lasted two years, being replaced by the 270 for 1955.
[
]
270
The D553 1955/1956 Dodge Red Ram Hemi 270 displaced and was used in premium 1955 and 1956 Dodge vehicles. Bore was and stroke was . It was not the same as the 270 poly-head. In the Dodge Coronet, the 270 produced at a compression ratio
The compression ratio is the ratio between the maximum and minimum volume during the compression stage of the power cycle in a piston or Wankel engine.
A fundamental specification for such engines, it can be measured in two different ways. Th ...
of 7.6:1. In higher trims like the Dodge Royal, the "Super Red Ram" featured a four-barrel carburetor and produced at the same compression ratio.[ Lee, p. 271]
315
For 1956, Dodge increased the displacement to with a longer stroke and a taller raised-deck block, but used polyspheric rather than hemi heads on the base version. The optional high-performance D-500 version had a four-barrel carburetor and a larger-valved Dodge hemispherical combustion chambered head.
Also, a "race only" package called the D-500-1 or DASH 1 was available with a special aluminum dual four-barrel intake that sported a pair of Carter WCFB carburetors similar to the ones on the Chrysler 300B and DeSoto Adventurer. This engine used the same cylinder heads as the base D-500 model.
In 1957 the D-501 was the Chrysler 354 engine, not a Dodge-based engine.
325
Dodge released the "Super Red Ram" engine for 1957. It used a bore and stroke, and a polyspheric chambered head (referenced as 'KDS') in its base version. A higher performance 325 was offered with hemi heads as the 'KD-500'. The 'KD-500-1' came with dual four-barrel carburetors. Even though the hemi headed offerings sported "dimples" in the valve covers for mechanical adjuster clearance, all engines had hydraulic lifters.
Second generation: 426 1964–1971
The hemispherical
A sphere (from Ancient Greek, Greek , ) is a surface (mathematics), surface analogous to the circle, a curve. In solid geometry, a sphere is the Locus (mathematics), set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three ...
head design was revived in 1964 for the now-famed ''426 Hemi'', a big-block, overhead valve V8. The first engine called "Hemi" by Chrysler, the 426 was nicknamed the "elephant engine" at the time, a reference to its high power, heavy weight, and large physical dimensions. Its deck height and bore spacing made it the biggest engine in racing at the time.
The 426 Hemi was produced for use in NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
, as raced in a Plymouth Belvedere
The Plymouth Belvedere is a series of United States, American automobile models made by Plymouth (automobile), Plymouth from 1954 until 1970.
The Belvedere name was first used for a new hardtop body style in the Plymouth Cranbrook line for the ...
in 1964 by drivers such as Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937), nicknamed "the King", is an American former stock car racing driver who competed from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most nota ...
. It was not initially available to the general public. Complaints by Ford regarding its power led to the "Race Hemi" being banned from NASCAR's 1965 season due to its unavailability in production vehicles. However, several special homologated production versions of the Dodge Dart
The Dodge Dart is a line of passenger cars produced by Dodge from the 1959 to 1976 model years in North America, with production extended to later years in various other markets.
The production Dodge Dart was introduced as a lower-priced full-si ...
, the Plymouth Fury, and later, in 1965, the Dodge Coronet, were produced with aluminum fenders and bumpers for drag racing
Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, mos ...
and made available to the general public.
Chrysler introduced the "Street Hemi" in 1966 for its intermediate range of cars and sold the required number of Hemi engines to the public to homologate its use for stock car racing in NASCAR events in 1966. The "Street Hemi" was similar to the race Hemi but with dual inline four-barrel Carter AFB carburetors (with automatic choke), lower compression (10.25:1 from 12.5:1) and lower-lift camshaft
A camshaft is a shaft that contains a row of pointed cams in order to convert rotational motion to reciprocating motion. Camshafts are used in piston engines (to operate the intake and exhaust valves), mechanically controlled ignition syst ...
, with iron exhaust manifolds instead of lighter steel long tube headers.
The "Street Hemi" version was rated at at 5000 rpm SAE gross and at 4000 rpm of torque. In actual dynamometer
A dynamometer or "dyno" is a device for simultaneously measuring the torque and rotational speed ( RPM) of an engine, motor or other rotating prime mover so that its instantaneous power may be calculated, and usually displayed by the dyna ...
testing, it produced and of torque in purely stock form. Chrysler's sales literature published both the gross and net ratings for 1971.
There were many differences between the Hemi and the 426 Wedge, including the Hemi having cross-bolted steel main bearing caps["50 Years Of Hemi"]
''Hot Rod Magazine'', April 25, 2014 and a different head bolt pattern. Although all manufacturers were familiar with multi-valve
A multi-valve or multivalve Four-stroke engine, four-stroke internal combustion engine is one where each Cylinder (engine), cylinder has ''more than two'' poppet valve, valves – more than the minimum required of one of each, for the purposes of ...
engines and hemispherical combustion chamber
A hemispherical combustion chamber is a combustion chamber in the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine with a domed "sphere, hemispheric" shape. An engine featuring this type of hemispherical chamber is known as a hemi engine. In pra ...
s, adding more valves per cylinder and designing the complex valvetrain
A valvetrain is a mechanical system that controls the operation of the intake and exhaust valves in an internal combustion engine. The intake valves control the flow of air/fuel mixture (or air alone for direct-injected engines) into the combu ...
they require were expensive ways of improving the high–revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines.
One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 de ...
(rpm) breathing of production vehicles. By canting the angle of the NASCAR-mandated two valves per cylinder, significantly larger valves could be used. Both the Chrysler 426 Hemi and all Chrysler RB engines were oversquare, with the 426 Hemi and 426 Wedge sharing a bore and stroke
Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
. Blocks for the 426 Hemi were stress relieved at the factory, to prevent cracking under high RPM loads.[
The 426 Hemi, in "Street Hemi" form, was produced for use in limited Plymouth and Dodge automobiles from 1966 through 1971, which have become collector's items. For example, a 1971 Plymouth Barracuda Convertible equipped with the 426 Hemi engine sold at auction for US$3.5 million in 2014.
]
The street version of the second generation Hemi engine was used (optionally, in all but the last case) in the following vehicles:
* 1966–1970 Dodge Coronet/Plymouth Belvedere
The Plymouth Belvedere is a series of United States, American automobile models made by Plymouth (automobile), Plymouth from 1954 until 1970.
The Belvedere name was first used for a new hardtop body style in the Plymouth Cranbrook line for the ...
* 1966–1971 Plymouth Satellite
* 1966–1971 Dodge Charger
* 1966–1971 Jensen FF
* 1966–1971 Jensen Interceptor
* 1967–1971 Plymouth GTX
* 1968 Dodge Dart Super Stock
* 1968 Plymouth Barracuda
The Plymouth Barracuda is a two-door pony car that was manufactured by Chrysler Corporation from 1964 through 1974 model years.
The first-generation Barracuda was based on the Chrysler A platform, Chrysler A-body and was offered from 1964 unti ...
* 1968–1971 Dodge Super Bee
* 1968–1971 Plymouth Road Runner
*1969 Dodge Charger R/T
* 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona
* 1970 Plymouth Superbird
* 1970–1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda
* 1970–1971 Dodge Challenger
* 1970 Monteverdi Hai 450
The Monteverdi Hai 450 SS was a mid-engined prototype, an attempt to create a full sports car complementing the company's High Speed line. It was intended to be a direct competitor to the top of the list super sports cars of Lamborghini, Ferrari ...
In racing
There were many differences between the racing Hemis and the street version, including but not limited to compression ratio
The compression ratio is the ratio between the maximum and minimum volume during the compression stage of the power cycle in a piston or Wankel engine.
A fundamental specification for such engines, it can be measured in two different ways. Th ...
, camshaft, intake manifold
An inlet manifold or intake manifold (in American English) is the part of an internal combustion engine that supplies the fuel/air mixture to the cylinder (engine), cylinders. The word ''manifold (engineering), manifold'' comes from the Old Eng ...
, exhaust manifold. Some 1960s NASCAR and NHRA Hemi engines featured magnesium cross-ram intake manifolds and magnesium oil pan
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsatur ...
s in an attempt to reduce the massive weight of the overall engine, along with chain-driven internal dry sump
A dry sump system is a method to manage the lubricating motor oil in Four-stroke engine, four-stroke and large Two-stroke engine, two-stroke Reciprocating engine, reciprocating internal combustion engines. The dry sump system uses two or more o ...
oil systems. Today, aftermarket blocks, heads, intakes, rods, and piston
A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors, hydraulic cylinders and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder (engine), cylinder a ...
s are usually made of aluminum.
The 426 Hemi also was used in NHRA and AHRA drag racing. Its large casting
Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or ...
allowed the engine to be overbored and stroked to displacements unattainable in the other engines of the day.
Third generation: 2003–present
The current-production "HEMI" engine heads are flatter and more complex than the 1950s–'70s Hemi V8 chamber. The combustion chambers are no longer truly hemispherical. It uses a coil-on-plug (distributor-less) ignition system and two spark plugs per cylinder to shorten flame travel leading to more consistent combustion and reduced emissions. Like most of Chrysler's past-model Hemi-head engines, the 5.7 version is rated at approximately one horsepower per cubic inch (the current engines are SAE net, whereas the old Hemi engines were rated SAE gross). For the 2009 model year power was increased to 357-395 horsepower (266-291 kW) and 389-410 lb·ft (527-556 N·m) depending on application. It also achieved 4% better fuel economy. Variable valve timing (VVT) was also introduced.
A new variable displacement technology called Multi-Displacement System (MDS) is used in some versions which can shut off two cylinders on each bank under light load to improve fuel economy.
5.7
The 5.7 L HEMI was released for model year 2003 on the Dodge Ram pickup truck
A pickup truck or pickup is a Truck_classification#Table_of_US_GVWR_classifications, light or medium duty truck that has an enclosed cabin (truck), cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (th ...
s to supplant the Magnum 5.9 engine. From 2004 to 2013, it was the only available gasoline engine in the Ram Heavy Duty. Chrysler later made the 5.7 L Hemi available in all models of the 2004 Dodge Ram, Dodge Durango, the 2005 Chrysler 300C, Dodge Magnum R/T, Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a range of mid-sized sport utility vehicles produced by American manufacturer Jeep. At its introduction, while most SUVs were still manufactured with body-on-frame construction, the Grand Cherokee has used a unibody ...
, the 2006 Dodge Charger R/T, Jeep Commander, the 2007 Chrysler Aspen, the 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T, and the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer. For manual transmission applications (Challenger and 3/4- and 1-ton Ram pickups), cylinder deactivation is not included.
The Hemi in the Ram delivered and , but and for the 300C and Magnum R/T, which is exactly more than the old 5.9 engine. It is a 90-degree V8, 2-valve pushrod design like the past Magnum series engines, displacing , with a bore of and a stroke of .
The 5.7 L Hemi is made at Chrysler's Saltillo Engine plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.
The Hemi was on the Ward's 10 Best Engines list for 2003 through 2007, and again in 2009.
This engine has been used in the following vehicles:
* 2003–present Ram 1500
* 2004–2009, 2011–present Dodge Durango
* 2005–2008 Dodge Magnum ''R/T''
* 2005–2023 Chrysler 300C,
* 2010, 2012–2023 Chrysler 300S V8
* 2005–2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a range of mid-sized sport utility vehicles produced by American manufacturer Jeep. At its introduction, while most SUVs were still manufactured with body-on-frame construction, the Grand Cherokee has used a unibody ...
* 2006–2023 Dodge Charger ''R/T''
* 2006–2010 Jeep Commander
* 2007–2009 Chrysler Aspen
* 2009–2023 Dodge Challenger ''R/T''
* 2022–2023 Jeep Wagoneer
2009 5.7 revisions
Chrysler made various revisions to the 5.7 L for the 2009 model year. The first for all applications was what Chrysler called Variable Camshaft Timing or VCT. VCT (which is essentially variable valve timing
Variable valve timing (VVT) is the process of altering the timing of a Poppet valve, valve lift event in an internal combustion engine, and is often used to improve performance, fuel economy or emissions. It is increasingly being used in combina ...
) uses an oil control valve that controls oil flow to a unique camshaft sprocket that contains a phasing device, which depending on the operation of the oil control valve, either advances or retards camshaft timing.
Cylinder heads were revised to increase flow. Though the intake manifold was also changed on all applications, it was still model-specific. The Dodge Ram, non-Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Chrysler Aspens, and non-HEV Dodge Durango utilized an active intake manifold with a short runner valve to optimize torque and horsepower. At lower engine speeds, the valve was closed, resulting in improved low-end torque from the longer runners. At higher engine speeds, the valve was opened, diverting the incoming air into the center of the manifold. The shorter runners resulted in improved horsepower. Passenger cars, Jeep vehicles, as well as HEV Chrysler Aspen and HEV Dodge Durango did not use this manifold; instead, these vehicles utilized a passive intake manifold, which did not have a short runner valve. Also, the new cylinder head came with different spark plug seats: tapered seats were replaced with gasket seats. This change made it impossible to use the old OE Champion RE14MCC4, so the new spark plugs that came with 5.7 HEMI became NGK LZFR5C-11. Besides different seats, the spark plug gap grew from .039" (1.0 mm) to .043" (1.1 mm).
Engines mated to the six-speed manual transmission or used in the Ram Heavy Duty did not feature the Multi-Displacement System (MDS). The new version of the 5.7 L had five different camshaft profiles, all with VCT:
* Active intake without MDS
* Active intake with MDS
* Passive intake without MDS
* Passive intake with MDS
* HEV application (modified version of passive intake with MDS)
Power numbers:
* 300C/300S V8: ,
* Charger R/T: ,
* Challenger R/T automatic: ,
* Challenger R/T 6-speed manual: ,
* 2009–2012 Ram 1500 truck: ,
* 2013+ Ram 1500 truck: ,
* Ram 2500/3500 truck: ,
* Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Commander: ,
* 2011+ Dodge Durango: ,
* 2009 Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango non-HEV: ,
* 2009 Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango HEV: ,
* 2022 Jeep Wagoneer: ,
6.1
The Hemi was also available in a version that was developed in 2004 for the 2005 Model Year Chrysler 300C SRT8. The engine's bore × stroke
Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
was , and many other changes were made to allow it to produce at 6,200 rpm and of torque at 4,800 rpm. The engine block differed from the 5.7, with revised coolant channels and oil jets to cool the pistons. A forged crankshaft
A crankshaft is a mechanical component used in a reciprocating engine, piston engine to convert the reciprocating motion into rotational motion. The crankshaft is a rotating Shaft (mechanical engineering), shaft containing one or more crankpins, ...
, lighter pistons, and strengthened connecting rod
A connecting rod, also called a 'con rod', is the part of a reciprocating engine, piston engine which connects the piston to the crankshaft. Together with the crank (mechanism), crank, the connecting rod converts the reciprocating motion of the p ...
s improved durability. A cast aluminium intake manifold
An inlet manifold or intake manifold (in American English) is the part of an internal combustion engine that supplies the fuel/air mixture to the cylinder (engine), cylinders. The word ''manifold (engineering), manifold'' comes from the Old Eng ...
was tuned for high-rpm power and did not include variable-length technology. Chrysler
FCA US, LLC, Trade name, doing business as Stellantis North America and known historically as Chrysler ( ), is one of the "Big Three (automobile manufacturers), Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn H ...
's Multi-Displacement System was not used on the 6.1.
Applications:
* 2005–2010 Chrysler 300C ''SRT-8''
* 2006–2008 Dodge Magnum ''SRT-8''
* 2006–2010 Dodge Charger ''SRT-8''
* 2006–2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a range of mid-sized sport utility vehicles produced by American manufacturer Jeep. At its introduction, while most SUVs were still manufactured with body-on-frame construction, the Grand Cherokee has used a unibody ...
''SRT-8''
* 2008–2010 Dodge Challenger ''SRT-8''
6.2 Hellcat
For 2015, Chrysler introduced an all-new high performance supercharged
In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement. It is a form of forced induction that is mechanically powered (usually by ...
variant of the Hemi engine, called the Hellcat (named after the Grumman F6F Hellcat
The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier Grumman F4F Wildcat, F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United St ...
). It features the same bore as the 6.4 L Hemi and the same stroke as the 5.7 L, giving it a total displacement of . The supercharger is a twin-screw IHI unit with integrated charge coolers, capable of producing of boost. This engine is rated at at 6,000 rpm and at 4,000 rpm of torque and has a compression ratio
The compression ratio is the ratio between the maximum and minimum volume during the compression stage of the power cycle in a piston or Wankel engine.
A fundamental specification for such engines, it can be measured in two different ways. Th ...
of 9.5:1. This engine was the most powerful engine produced by Chrysler
FCA US, LLC, Trade name, doing business as Stellantis North America and known historically as Chrysler ( ), is one of the "Big Three (automobile manufacturers), Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn H ...
as well as the most powerful production engine ever in a muscle car
A muscle car is an American-made two-door sports coupe with a powerful engine, marketed for its performance.
In 1949, General Motors introduced its 88 with the company's OHV Rocket V8 engine, which was previously available only in its lux ...
until the Dodge Demon was introduced. This engine is not equipped with Chrysler's Multi-Displacement System. In 2017, Mopar announced that it would sell it as a crate engine under the name Hellcrate. A Redeye version with debuted in the Dodge Challenger in 2019, followed by the Dodge Charger in 2021.
Applications:
* 2015–2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat/Hellcat Redeye
* 2015–2023 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat/Hellcat Redeye
* 2018–2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
* 2021 and 2023–present Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
* 2021–2024 Ram 1500 TRX
6.2 Demon
The Demon version of the Hemi V8 features a number of improvements over the Hellcat variant. It is fitted with a larger, 2.7 L twin-screw supercharger, as well as reinforced reciprocating components, a new camshaft, and several other valvetrain upgrades. With these improvements, the Challenger SRT Demon is rated at 808 horsepower on 91-octane pump gasoline, and 840 horsepower when running on 100-octane unleaded racing gasoline. Cooling is aided by a functional Air-Grabber hood scoop, as well as a unique charge cooling system that makes use of the air-conditioning coolant to lower the intake charge air temperature.
Applications:
* 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon
6.4
Chrysler displayed a larger and more powerful 392-cubic-inch (6.4 L) HEMI in 2005 with a factory-rated output of and torque. It is equipped with high-strength forged aluminum alloy pistons. This engine has been available since 2007, as a crate engine under the name 392 HEMI.[
The production version of the 392 HEMI was developed in 2010, launched in the 2011 model year Dodge Challenger SRT8 with variable camshaft timing as well as MDS in cars with automatic transmissions. The new 392 HEMI, codenamed "Apache," is based on the third-generation 5.7 L HEMI, codenamed "Eagle," and shares few parts with the 392 crate engine.
Special-edition Chargers and Challengers equipped with this engine, and the engines themselves, featured "392 HEMI" badging in commemorative reference to the first-generation engine of the same displacement. In other applications, the engine is badged as "6.4L HEMI." Output is and ;]
For the 2015 model year, horsepower was increased to and torque to in the Charger and Challenger ''SRT 392'' (2015–2018) and ''R/T Scat Pack'' (2015–2023) models; the Grand Cherokee SRT only saw a 5 bhp increase. Export models of the Chrysler 300 SRT retained the and output.
Applications:
* 2023 Chrysler 300C
* 2012–2014 Chrysler 300 SRT-8
* 2015–2021 Chrysler 300 SRT (Overseas)
* 2011–2023 Dodge Challenger SRT-8/SRT 392/Scat Pack
* 2012–2023 Dodge Charger SRT-8/SRT 392/Scat Pack
* 2018–2024 Dodge Durango SRT
* 2012–2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8/SRT
* 2022–2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer
* 2021–2024 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 392
Ram Heavy Duty truck and chassis-cab version
Starting in model year 2014, the Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks, and Ram 3500, 4500, and 5500 chassis-cabs offered a revised version of the 6.4 L, being re-tuned for better fuel economy and a power band more suitable for hauling and towing than the all-out power of the SRT version. In 2016, it replaced the 5.7 L as the standard gasoline engine in the chassis-cab models.
Power numbers:
* Ram 2500/3500 pickup and 3500 SRW chassis-cab with RFE transmission: ,
* Ram 3500 Mega Cab and 3500 DRW chassis-cab with RFE transmission, 3500 SRW/DRW with Aisin transmission: ,
* Ram 4500 and 5500 chassis-cab: ,
Mopar 426 HEMI (2012–2014)
At the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Dodge debuted a Mopar Customized Dodge Charger "Redline" that featured a modern HEMI V8 engine rated at .
Mopar 426 HEMI 'Hellephant' (2018–present )
The Hellephant name is a spin on the nickname of the original HEMI, Elephant, and the modern Supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat HEMIs. It is a crate engine, supercharged as standard, producing and of torque.
Marketing
From February to April 2005, DaimlerChrysler hosted a "What Can You HEMI?" contest promoting alternative uses of the HEMI engines. The top five finalists include HEMI Snowblower, HEMI-Go-Round carousel, "HEMI on Ice" ice resurfacer, HEMI-Shredder, and HEMI Big Wheel (i.e., the child's tricycle of the 1970s). The winner was the HEMI Big Wheel, which had a 5.7 L Hemi in the back that was installed backwards; thus, reverse became the only forward gear. Plate steel was the predominant material, while a rolled tube of steel had to be utilized for the front tire as there were no such tires in diameter that were as narrow as needed for this project.
Notes
References
External links
How a hemi engine works
A Body Hemi engine swaps
Mopar HEMI Gen II page
Mopar HEMI Gen III page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chrysler Hemi Engine
Hemi
V8 engines