Hemi Not a Hemi

Automobile Magazine's Don Sherman is finally bold enough to write the
truth: Chrysler's much-vaunted new "Hemi" really isn't anything more than
marketing hype:

http://www.automobilemag.com/news/0407_hemi/

 

Regardless, the performance is exceptional and that is what matters.

 

Recent tests of pickups suggest that the Ford's 150 non-hemi outperformed
the Chrysler pickup. In other, a good motor is a good motor and hemi in
itself is pure hype.

Richard.

 

That's okay, the Ford truck V8 isn't actually a mythical sea-god,
and the outgoing Magnum engine ran on gas, not champagne or gunpowder.

 

Depending on how anal-retentive you want to be, the 60s 426 Hemi wasn't
a "Hemi" either. The combustion chamber was tilted relative to the axis
of the cylinder, and the valve angles were not equal.

BIG DEAL. Despite minor modifications to improve flame propagation and
emissions, its still a hemi-head engine.

 

Unfortunately, the Ford Modular v8 is NOT a "good motor" by any stretch
of the imagination. It has been whipped and beaten into an engine that
is reasonably serviceable- a process that has taken 10+ years and more
revisions than anyone can keep track of, but that is hardly the record
of a "good" engine.

Here's an article, written by admitted Chevy fans, that describes the
engineering advantages of the Chrysler 5.7L "Hemi" v8 in great detail.
It comes out better than the GM LS-6 Very much worth the read:

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/tech/0403phr_hemi


And by the way, in the 4th picture from the top on the left hand side,
you can clearly see the "deviation" from a true Hemi head that the idiot
in the first article is so worked up about. Again I say, BIG DEAL. A
little filling-in was done on the sides making the chamber more
elliptical- its still much more nearly a Hemi than either a wedge or a
pent-roof chamber.

 

Hmm,

I don't know about the Modular V8 but I sure wish someone at Ford would take
care of that ()*&T(^$ piston slap that I had on my '00 and now on my '03
Expedition.

Ken

 

It's pretty obvious what the purpose of calling it a "hemi" is. Isn't it?
How many times does the word "hemi" occur in that series of Durango
commercials? Are you naturally mesmerized by commercials?

You've insulted the intelligence of the whole group. Here's a news flash:
"Ram" is also just marketing type. It's not really a ram. It's more of a
pickup truck.

 

I guess that "semi hemi" just wouldn't have worked in the ads...

Matt

 

That's a Modular v8 (5.4, and 4.6L). Piston slap is an issue all of the
makers are having to deal with as they go to short-skirt "slipper type"
hypereutectic pistons in order to get a tight seal with lower losses
(although you might note from that article that the Chrysler v8
addresses it at the outset with coated-skirt pistons). But NOT all the
makers have had massive oil consumption issues, head castings that erode
through the water jacket, lower ends breaking out of the block under
heavy use, and all the other myriad things that Ford has had happen with
the modular v8. It was originally designed as a *very* light-duty v8 for
light cars, and at some point some bean-counter decided "hey, we could
use this to replace the (more expensive to build but much stronger)
Windsor small-block and use it to drag 2.5-ton Expeditions around!"

 

It IS a Hemi engine in one very key regard- the valve heads move AWAY
from the cylinder walls as the valve lifts off the seat. This, not the
actual shape of the chamber, is the most important characteristic of a
"hemi" head anyway.

 

Nor would the "quadrant". 8^)

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

Wow. You got one shoddy Ford, so you went and bought another shoddy Ford?

I think there's a bigger problem with you than there is with your Fords,
and that's really saying something.

 

UGH!

You mean to tell me that even GM and Chrysler have them as well?

The service manager Ford/Toyota had stated that some Toyota SUVs have them
too.

Does this mean the engine won't last as long?

Ken

 

What? One vehicle and your through with the company for life? I happen to
have enjoyed the '00 Expy up until it reached 50K. When I questioned the
dealer about the situation, he stated that there were problems from '97 -
'99 and that the new ones should not have this problem. They also said that
this is normal and I sold the vehicle. Later I'm learning that this is
normal and happens in other vehicles.

In addition, there was nothing that Chrysler, GM or Toyota offered that was
better for that year, IMO. That's not to say that the Expy was a great
choice but that the others had fell short on my list of options.

Ken

 

I've been bitten hard enough by enough different Fords to say "NEVER
again". Same goes for VW.

 

LOL!

Aren't you the guy who said, "Wow. You got one shoddy Ford, so you went and
bought another shoddy Ford?"

So, how many did YOU buy before you realized "there's a bigger problem with
you than there is with your Fords." Not to mention the VWs, LOL!

 

I'm the very same guy.

None. The futility of trying to keep others' foolishly-purchased Fords
(and VWs) on the road clearly demonstrated to me what pieces of crap both
makes are without having to waste any of my own money.


-Stern

 

Okay. Apparently, you work on others' vehicles for free. That explains the
futility. Maybe if you charged them, you'd welcome their "foolishness."
Cars that don't need repairs must not be very welcome to auto technicians,
unless they're either incompetent or lazy. Not that either applies to you,
of course.

So, how there could be a "NEVER again" if there wasn't a first time?

 

Well, they say that a smart man learns from his mistakes, but a really
wise man learns from the mistakes of others.

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")