Free Web Site - Free Web Space and Site Hosting - Web Hosting - Internet Store and Ecommerce Solution Provider - High Speed Internet
Search the Web

THE Dodge Dynasty Website


Rebuilding the 3.3

 

You can do a lot with the 3.3 to get more power. Not unlike most pushrod engines, you can do a lot for a N/A setup.

Here's some stuff to consider.

The crank from a 3.5 is forged and can be made to operate inside the 3.3 during a rebuild. A stronger crank will be helpful both in reliabilty and the later implementation of other mods.

The lower intake manifold and heads can both be ported quite well, any machine shop should be able to tackle it without issue.

Pistons: There are a few things that one can do here. If you plan on going boost, I'd stick with the stock ~9:1 compression ratio, if you want to stay N/A, you could pull off 11:1 without issue. Few, if any, companies sell pistons specifically marketed for the 3.3- however you can take the measurements of an OEM 3.3 piston to a performance parts deal that carries pistons and get something else of the same demintions that can work or be made to work. J&E made and sold forged pistons for the 3.3 and were used by Shelby in the Can-Ams.

Any retailer that carries parts for engine rebuilds should have the rods, valves and what not that you'd want.

Here are some specs on the 3.3 and 3.8 that I have gathered from varrious sources, hopefully this will help people seeking information. Note this is 1st Generation 3.3/3.8 (1990-1993), things may have and prolly did change progressively after 1993.


3.3

3.8

Displacement

201 cubic inches (3.3L)

231 cubic inches (3.8L)

Bore

3.66" or 92.9mm

3.78" or 96mm

Stroke

3.19" or 81mm

3.43" or 87.1mm

Compression Ratio

8.9:1

8.9:1

Piston Clearance

.0009-.0022" or .023-.056 mm

.0009-.0022" or .023-.056 mm

Piston Diameter

3.6594-4.6601" or 92.949-92.969mm

3.7776-3.7783" or 95.951-95.969

Pin Diameter

.9007-.9009" or 22.878-22.883mm

.9007-.9009" or 22.878-22.883mm

Cylinder Bore Diameter

3.6610-3.6617" or 92.989-93.007mm

3.7792-3.7800" or 95.992-96.012mm

Crank End Play

.003-.009" or .08-.23mm

.003-.009" or .08-.23mm

Connecting Rod Side Play

.005-.015" or .13-.38mm

.005-.015" or .13-.38mm

Intake valve face angle

45 degrees

45 degrees

Intake valve head diameter

1.79" or 45.5mm

1.79" or 45.5mm

Intake valve margin (min)

.031" or .79mm

.031" or .79mm

Exhaust valve face angle

45 degrees

45 degrees

Exhaust valve head diameter

1.476" or 37.49mm

1.476" or 37.49mm

Exhaust valve margin (min)

.047" or 1.19mm

.047" or 1.19mm

Cyl Head Max Warp

.00075" per 1 or .0191mm per25

.00075" per 1 or .0191mm per25

Intake valve seat width

.069-.088" or 1.75-2.24mm

.069-.088" or 1.75-2.24mm

Exhaust valve seat width

.059-0.79" or 1.50-2.01mm

.059-0.79" or 1.50-2.01mm

Cam End Play

.005-.012" or .05-.30mm

.005-.012" or .05-.30mm

Valve lifter bore diameter

.9051-.9059" or 22.990-23.010mm

.9051-.9059" or 22.990-23.010mm

Lifter diameter

.9035-.9040" or 22.949-22.962mm

.9035-.9040" or 22.949-22.962mm

Connecting rods (center to center)

6.18" or 157mm

6.18" or 157mm

Notes: The connecting rods are forged steel, cam is noduar iron (3.3 and 3.8 cams are interchangiable), crank is iron. The 3.8 rods are shorter than the 3.3 rods to make up for the larger stroke with the 3.8 (with the same deckhieght as the 3.3). The heads are interchangiable between the 3.3 and 3.8.

Aso worth noting: "The 3.3 and 3.8 use roller hydraulic lifters. They originally came with the same unmetered lifter used in the early 318/360 roller motors. The pushrod socket in the rocker is blind and gets lubricated by oil coming up through the pushrod from the lifter. The oil dead-ends in the rocker socket so it doesn't have to be metered, but you can use the metered lifters from the Magnum motors if you prefer because they will provide more than enough oil for the pushrod socket."


3.5L V6 engine specs

Here is all the info I have so far on the 3.5, some 3.5 parts besides the crank MIGHT be good parts to beef up the 3.3. I do not know enough 3.5 specs to say for sure on anything other than the crank. Here are the specs on the crank (as found on DI.net):


3.5L V6

3.3L V6

Crank Endplay

.004-.012"

.003-.009"

Main Bearing Journal Diameter

2.519-2.520"

2.5192-2.5201"

Main Bearing Journal Taper limit

.00025"

.001" (?)

Main Bearing Journal out-of-round limit

.00012"

.001" (?)

Connecting Rod Journal Diameter

2.283-2.284"

2.2829-2.2840"

Connecting Rod Journal Taper limit

.0001"

.001" (?)

Connecting Rod Journal out-of-round limit

.0001"

.001" (?)

Main bearing oil clearace

.0007-.0030"

.007-.0030"

Connecting rod bearing oil clearance

.00075-.0034"

.0007-.0030"

Connecting rod endplay (side clearance)

.005-.015"

.005-.015"

Intake Valve Diameter

1.378"

1.79"

Exhaust Valve Diameter

1.142"

1.476"


As you can see in the above chart, the forged 3.5 crank is VERY similar to the OEM 3.3 crank, and it should be possible to be able to machine the 3.5L crank to work in the 3.3.

The 3.5 and 3.8 use the same bore size, it might be possible to use the 3.5 crank and pistons in a 3.8 build up to get a stronger bottom end. Would sacrifice the stroked-out property of th 3.8 and would sacrifice some torque.