I've been researching what's needed to do this sort of swap and so far I know the following:


The 2001 PCM won't run a Hemi, I need an '03 PCM and harness or newer, maybe even use the stuff from the donor vehicle.

I need an engine from between 2004 and 2007 before they came out with VVT and MDS

The transmission in my Durango is a 45RFE and it should bolt right up (I already plan on doing the 2002 Grand Cherokee TCM swap)




The questions I still have are:


What do I need to know about the electronics, sensors and wiring? I want to do the minimum amount of custom wiring and splicing possible since I have almost no experience with that, and I'm looking to do this mostly by myself. Is it possible to put this together in such a way that my mechanic's diagnostic machine should still be able to hook up to the car and tell me if there's anything wrong with it if I use the Hemi PCM? I guess I'd just have to tell the machine that I'm plugging into the vehicle I got the engine from? I'd also like to be able to use a Diablo Sport tuner on this thing.

Exhaust system? Can I use the manifolds from the Hemi and a 2.5" or 3" stainless exhaust system for the Durango? If not what do I need to do?

Air conditioning system? I know I have to use the compressor off the Hemi but what else is required?

Is it possible to use one of the newer engines that has VVT and/or MDS in the interest of better gas mileage? Or is it more trouble than its really worth?

What do I do about engine mounts? I've seen someone making them for these swaps into Dakotas, could I use those (or modify them slightly) for a Durango? Or would I have to fabricate my own? (Don't want to do that, since I haven't done it before).

Is there a particular year, make and model vehicle I should try to get the Hemi and other components from?



Would appreciate any help you all can give me, especially from someone who's done this sort of thing

A 4.7 NGC computer will run a 5.7. Tone wheels are the same tooth count. Injectors and coils fire the same way. Try to match the transmission, or get a computer from a stick truck to use on a torqueflite.

Doing engine swaps on new stuff is a nightmare. The best thing to do is have a complete doaner vehicle to have all the stuff. the days of engine swaps like days of old are over. Just my opinion. you want a hemi Durango? buy a hemi Durango. just not worth the effort, kinda like peel and eat shrimp, not enough reward for all the effort. Most likely a 03 engine harness wont work with an 01 body harness and an 04 engine wont work with an 03 harness. I repair lots of newer cars and trucks for a living and it never ceases to amaze me that there is some thing different every model year. That said if you are really into it well have at it. tell us how it turns out.

A 03 and up NGC computer runs the trans as well as the engine. You will have to splice the hemi harness to the Durango. It's no picnic but it can be done. Do some google searches there were several who have done this swap on dakota and Durango forums. There was a guy on one of those forums who would do the wiring harness work just have do some internet digging.

My transmission is a 45RFE and I'm told it should bolt right up. What do you mean by NGC?

Can't afford to just buy a Hemi Durango, plus I don't really like how the newer ones look. Plus I thought this could be a cool and fun project

in 2002 dodge started changing the computer from a JTEC to NGC. Which changed the tooth count on the crankshaft tone wheel from 16 to 32 and on a 4.7 the right side camshaft has a tone wheel on the end that changed count too. Also the TCM was moved from a separate computer to being controlled with the engine computer. Easy way to tell us if the computer has 3 plug ins it's JTEC, 4 plugs means NGC. The computer has to match the tone wheel or it won't fire. To change the tone wheel you have to pull the crankshaft. The transmissions are the same 4.7 or hemi. I do believe the extra gear that comes with the jeep TCM is already programmed into the NGC computer.
Isn't this computer controlled stuff fun!!

There are times I'm grateful for it (cold starting, gas mileage, easy malfunction diagnosis) and other times I'm cursing it. So I have to get an NGC computer and harness from the Hemi vehicle, and I may have to do some cutting and splicing. What parts from the Hemi harness would I have to splice into the current system? Or, what parts from the current system would I have to splice onto the Hemi harness? I mean I could always buy a pre-made harness but it's about $1000 and I'd like to avoid that if possible.

I'm not sure what all has to spliced but from what I have read it's pretty much the whole underwood harness. Service manuals were used the few times I read of it being done on one of the forums. It's not a easy job by an means. Probably a lot easier to get a reman 4.7 if your needing an engine. This is the forum I have seen where a few people have done this swap http://www.dakota-durango.com/forum/#/?_k=n4wbkf join there and ask I'm sure someone can point you in the right direction.
This page has several hemi swaps on it. http://www.dakota-durango.com/forum/#/forums/49?_k=493zkm

I've done several wiring jobs, modified several harnesses to fit other cars, and built a few wire harnesses from scratch.

My son installed a magnum 5.9 in a 57 Dodge wagon. I spent several hours over 6 months time, crosschecking what wires needed to be powered and how to do it. I thought maybe I could have done it, and it might have worked out OK, but my concern was that if I messed something up, we wouldn't have any idea where to start looking. We bought the Hot Wire harness.

Connect 4 wires, + there are feed wires for the fuel pump, cruise, AC, horn relay and gauge feeds. The 5.9 Hot Wire harness comes with a fuse box, a set of wired relays, and a detailed map of what wires connect to which sensor on the motor. We sent them our motor harness (they used a few of the plug in terminals), and they sent us back something that worked, out of the box. Best $1,000 we ever spent. Gene

Hmm...in that case maybe I'd be better off saving my pennies for a little while longer, it would certainly simplify things