Just tossing this around in my head this morning...looking for your thoughts and opinions here.
So I have to say it; I find the Magnum 5.9L to be pretty uninspiring in stock form. I'm not expecting a big block killer/hot rod motor or anything but it seems to be lacking a "spark" that makes an engine fun and engaging. Yes, it makes decent power down low but it feels like it's all done midway through the 4k rev range, after which it's just noise...it feels like a very good "truck engine" (which it is)...in all of the good and bad ways that this implies. It just sort of does it's thing and sounds ok (not great despite headers, flow-through mufflers) doing it.
My old stock 318, despite making much less power and being even less happy to rev, was just more smooth,responsive and rewarding. That was one of the first engines that I ever loved...I know this is totally subjective but the Magnum 5.9L isn't winning my heart the same way.
I'm not really interested in the usual stroker mod path. I know it's a great way to make more power but I suspect that it would accentuate the things about the motor that are already there, low end grunt, reluctance to rev... Please disagree if I have that wrong.
Has anyone ever built one of these motors to make power above 6k? How about 7k? Has anybody built one to have a personality more like the LA 340?
IIRC, the heads are the biggest bottleneck to breathing at high RPM....does that still apply with the new Trickflow heads?
How did you go about matching a cam/intake manifold?
What lighter weight pistons have you guys had good luck with?
Any thoughts an opinions are welcome. For the record, outside of this forum, I'd never speak ill of a Mopar V8...let's keep this between us. :D
