Chryslers updated HEMI V8 makes more power using less fuel. How's that work? Pritch asks the engineering team for a closer look.
The 2009 Ram is nearing launch, and a recent powertrain update sees its 5.7-liter HEMI V8 more powerful and efficient than ever before. Horsepower is rated at 380, a ten percent increase, while torque peaks at over 400 lb.-ft.
It's also less thirsty than the outgoing model. Truly, it's probably never been more environmentally friendly to run a truck with enough torque to pull a tree out of the earth's crust. But how do engineers create more power with less fuel? And how much better on fuel could the HEMI actually be made, anyhow?
According to Chrysler, making more power with less gas has a lot to do with breathing. Imagine an engine as being similar to an Olympic runner. For either to achieve top performance, a huge volume of air needs to make its way in and out easily- and any restrictions can have a negative effect. Imagine the runner trying to race while breathing only through their nose, for instance.
The air intake system of an athlete is less physically complicated than that of a HEMI V8, but it remains that opening things up in the name of airflow can bring positive benefits. Additional power for the new HEMI was achieved primarily through three areas: reduced air flow restriction, an active intake manifold, and Variable Valve Timing (VVT).
Head ports, the engines equivalent of a windpipe, were redesigned using a sophisticated computer which helps engineers determine their optimal shape and size. They've even gone so far as to use a finer grain of sand in the casting process, which improves the surface finish inside of the head ports themselves. The valves have been made larger too- all in the name of allowing the air-fuel mixture in and out of the engine more easily.
The variable intake manifold is able to switch between different 'runners', which are passageways that air is drawn through on its way into the engine. A flap-valve directs air into the powerplant from one of two runners- depending on the situation. Longer runners aid low-RPM torque, while shorter runners rush air into the engine for high-RPM horsepower. A single manifold represents a compromise- but the variable unit allows for a performance-oriented manifold and a more economical manifold to occupy the same physical space.
The 2009 Ram is nearing launch, and a recent powertrain update sees its 5.7-liter HEMI V8 more powerful and efficient than ever before. Horsepower is rated at 380, a ten percent increase, while torque peaks at over 400 lb.-ft.
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| 2009 Dodge Ram |
It's also less thirsty than the outgoing model. Truly, it's probably never been more environmentally friendly to run a truck with enough torque to pull a tree out of the earth's crust. But how do engineers create more power with less fuel? And how much better on fuel could the HEMI actually be made, anyhow?
According to Chrysler, making more power with less gas has a lot to do with breathing. Imagine an engine as being similar to an Olympic runner. For either to achieve top performance, a huge volume of air needs to make its way in and out easily- and any restrictions can have a negative effect. Imagine the runner trying to race while breathing only through their nose, for instance.
The air intake system of an athlete is less physically complicated than that of a HEMI V8, but it remains that opening things up in the name of airflow can bring positive benefits. Additional power for the new HEMI was achieved primarily through three areas: reduced air flow restriction, an active intake manifold, and Variable Valve Timing (VVT).
Head ports, the engines equivalent of a windpipe, were redesigned using a sophisticated computer which helps engineers determine their optimal shape and size. They've even gone so far as to use a finer grain of sand in the casting process, which improves the surface finish inside of the head ports themselves. The valves have been made larger too- all in the name of allowing the air-fuel mixture in and out of the engine more easily.
The variable intake manifold is able to switch between different 'runners', which are passageways that air is drawn through on its way into the engine. A flap-valve directs air into the powerplant from one of two runners- depending on the situation. Longer runners aid low-RPM torque, while shorter runners rush air into the engine for high-RPM horsepower. A single manifold represents a compromise- but the variable unit allows for a performance-oriented manifold and a more economical manifold to occupy the same physical space.
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