I'm a Mopar lover/drag racer and bought a 2011 DP Challenger in August 2011. Having had a 65 Race Hemi Dodge and a 68 Race Hemi Dart it had a lot to live up to. What a package! Roll cage, wheels, tires, all aluminum motor, harness, fuel system, good graphics, light weight package, totally race ready. Legal and can run under the Super Stock index off the showroom floor. WOW! Is this a great country or what! Being a 426 Hemi guy I didn't like the Viper engine, but I came to find out there's nothing wrong with it. The things I thought it lacked really turned out to be nice. Lots of wonderful features. I'm old school, I hate EFI but when you are at the track there is nothing to do but enjoy yourself. Can't adjust the idle, timing, mixture, jets, nothing. Just enjoy a day of racing. It ran 6.15 in the 1/8th on the first day.

Then on about the 30th pass the o-ring blew out of the oil filter at about 100 mph. Side to side I went, almost saved it, but hit the wall and crashed. Sadness. But I took it to the body shop and he made it look good as new.

Finally got it back but it just didn't run as good. After about 6 passes the engine locked up. Sadness again. If I would have dropped the pan and looked at the bearings like a buddy told me to do after running a few seconds wide open without oil pressure during the crash this probably wouldn't have happened.

So today we tore it down and it had a stacked rod bearing. Which brings us to the reason for this post. If you haven't worked on one of these Gen 4 Viper engines they are pretty neat. Most everything is o-ringed. No gaskets to scrape. No paint, it's all aluminum. Soon as you tear it down you are ready to clean it up and put it back together. Huge cam. No cam bearings. Really soft valve springs but it has a .670 lift hydraulic roller cam. Non-adjustable roller rockers, nothing to adjust. It's not bad. I will order a new crank and rods next week and will be at the track soon.

I'm sure it will be back better than ever, and probably a little faster as well

I'd like to see the intake ports on those heads. NHRA lists the port volume at 268cc, bigger than the 426 Hemi ports. I'm guessing they are longer than the other heads, so more volume. Quite a dome on the pistons according to the specs, .980" tall. Again, taller than a Race Hemi, but somehow only 8.75cc? It must have some deep valve notches in those pistons. 8" x 10" color, glossy photos with circles and arrows and a paragraph for each, please!

Sounds like a fun car. I'm sure it will be good as new or hopefully better once you get it done again.

But I think I would have more fun with that Avenger of yours Sure you dont wanna trade it for a small tire all motor heads up Mopar It has a Hemi too

I bought a 2004 Viper this past spring!!

LOVE that car.

I could buy the Gen IV head package and pick up 140hp. BUT not sure I want to. It's a bit of a handful at 500hp on the street.

As you said, get in and go. For me to wherever I like!!

Would be nice to see some of the Innards of these things!!

Rick , its funny as I was eying a V-10 stocker up at Bartons shop yesterday. Very neat engine and very powerful. I would love to see one built as a Super Stocker... And I'm a dyed in the wool Hemi guy, but you have to love modern technology and the conveniences and power it brings! Good luck with your project, and when you have it apart there is always room for improvement, LOL! Thats how it starts!

intake ports

piston

Rick,
Thanks for the updates, keep us posted on your adventures.
Bill