Dodge 4.7 Turbo Kit – Worth The Money And Time?

If you own a good car, you will always want to make it even better. That's why the quote "turbo kit" grows in popularity and is now very competitive in the US. People want to make their big naturally aspirated engines even more capable and fun to drive. This is not that easy to achieve and sometimes this idea is completely insane. But if you are ready to spend a lot of money and time, then why not try!

Today, we'll be speaking mainly about the Dodge 4.7 engine that was usually found under the hoods of RAM trucks. The legendary engine is very reliable, so today you will get to know how to make it a little less reliable but a lot more interesting in terms of power and torque. Please remember that installing a turbocharger on your engine is not a very simple task.

Here's what we'll discuss today:

1. Initial specs - do you actually need a turbo for your 4.7?
2. What will a turbocharger give you for the Dodge 4.7?
3. Will the turbo change the longevity of your engine?
4. How much will it cost to turbocharge your engine?

Let's get started!

Dodge 4.7 - is it a good engine?

This engine is known as the Chrysler PowerTech unit. It's a V8 engine with 4.7 liters of displacement. The first appearance of the engine was in 1999 on the Grand Cherokee. Then it was also used in Dodge Dakota, Dodge Durango, RAM trucks (1500), Jeep Commander, and some other vehicles.

This is the classic engine with an iron block that is extremely reliable. The heads are made of aluminum, only two valves per cylinder are given. Each head is driven by a chain. The initial power is 235 horsepower and the torque is around 295 lb-ft.

Here's what you can notice about this engine:

• the iron block can live much longer than any other part in this engine, also you can repair and bore the iron block to prolong its life;
• the 2-valve-per-cylinder head construction is not very efficient in terms of performance, but it's extremely reliable and long-lasting;
• the power is too low for the 4.7 liters of displacement, it can be much higher if you tune the engine and use a turbocharger;
• this engine was included in the World's Top 10 Engines list in 1999, and it was produced up to 2013;
• in 2002, Chrysler offered a new version called 4.7 HO and it offered 265 horsepower with minor changes in the construction.

Well, we now see the main problem with this engine. It has a big displacement, but it still has low power. It means that you will use a lot of fuel but you will not be able to drive actively and to accelerate fast enough to love your driving.

That's why a lot of owners think about tuning this engine. Especially, if they have a Jeep or a Dodge SUV equipped with a 4.7-liter engine. And sometimes it actually makes sense because you will gain a lot of additional power with a turbocharger and you will not lose a part of the lifespan of the big and reliable engine.

Turbocharging a Dodge 4.7 - what do you need?

For turbocharging an engine, you will need a lot of things. First of all, you will need a vehicle with this engine and with relatively low mileage. If the mileage on your car is around 200 000 miles or more, any tuning actions will not be recommended. Turbocharging such an engine will only make things worse and will probably destroy the equipment completely.

Then, you will need some guys who will help you with this. Unfortunately, turbocharging an engine without any experience is a very bad idea. You will make some mistakes that will just kill the turbocharger or even the engine.

Also, you will need the following:

1. The turbo kit. The modern market offers a lot of kits for installing into your Dodge 4.7 engine. But be careful and only buy the most suitable and high-quality kit.
2. Oil lines. Sometimes, you will also need to buy some parts to connect the turbocharger to the oil supply. Otherwise, the turbocharger may live a couple of hours only.
3. Air and oil filtration systems. The stock filters will not be able to deliver the needed quality of air and oil. The turbocharger is a very sensitive part that needs ideal conditions of work.
4. Pipes and connectors. Sometimes the kit will not contain some pipes like the downpipe. You will need to buy them because your turbo will not work without them.
5. Tuned ECU. Your engine will not work if you don't tune your ECU. The computer will just cut the power or even go to a limp mode noticing something is wrong with the engine.
6. Transmission update. If you are about to gain another 150 horsepower and 100 lb-ft of torque, you will certainly need to tune the transmission.

By the way, transmission is one of the problems. This engine was usually equipped with a 4-speed or 5-speed automatic transmission. They are pretty good and reliable, but they are only meant to transfer relatively small torque. If you tune your engine and install a turbocharger, you are going to have a much higher torque. So, these transmissions will not assist you in delivering your new torque to the wheels.

Every tuning idea has to be real and rational. We know guys who have squeezed over 450 horsepower out of the 4.7 Dodge engine. And they couldn't drive it and get some fun because the transmission kept failing all the time. Unfortunately, we don't see any replacement options for the Chrysler transmission.

What will you get after installing a turbocharger?

We don't recommend any deep Stage 3 tuning for this engine. We've already told you that transmission will be your obstacle in this situation. Yes, the engine block and heads can easily handle up to 500 horsepower and 400 lb-ft. But the transmission will be OK with 300-320 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. This is achievable with a slight tuning of the ECU and the turbocharger.

Here's what you can get in the end:

1. Plus 100 horsepower easily. You will not need to buy a lot of additional parts or to change the intake and exhaust much. But you will need to replace the injectors.
2. Plus 50-60 lb-ft of torque. You can get even more but it doesn't make sense because of the old automatic transmission that will start causing problems.
3. Better acceleration. Your truck or SUV will accelerate much better if you do everything in accordance with requirements.
4. Wonderful towing thanks to better torque. You will be able to tow more without many risks for your engine.
5. Higher top speed. This engine is capable of giving you much more than you expect. The stock speedometer will not be enough to measure the new top speed.

Of course, these are wonderful results. But you should also think about the possible downsides. The longevity of your engine will drop. Originally, this engine can go 250 000 miles with only minor problems. But with a turbocharger, the expected mileage will drop to 150 000 - 180 000 miles. You will have to pay for the chance to drive the vehicle with a lot of fun.

Also, some other parts will wear much faster. The transmission will not survive for a long time, it will need repair or replacement soon. Also, the brakes will wear faster. Thanks to a better towing capacity and a higher payload, the rear suspension will suffer. All of these factors add to your expenses.

What is the price of turbocharging the Dodge 4.7?

The turbocharger with everything you will need to install will cost around $4500, in our opinion. This is a good turbocharger with downpipes, connections, and all other parts you will have to have during installation. But you will also need to add around $1000 for labor.

Then, you will need to add another $300 for tuning and testing. Your mechanic will spend a day making all these parts work together. Eventually, you will spend around $6000 for turbocharging your 4.7 Dodge engine. We think it's too much. This engine is not that slow and not that bad to turbocharge it for gaining power and torque. Unless you have a spare $6000 and you don't know how to spend this money.

Final words

We know that this is one of the most reliable Chrysler engines. A 4.7-liter engine is a legendary unit that is still very popular in America amongst buyers of used vehicles. This is a durable engine that shows great power and torque. The only bad thing is the gas mileage. But you can make this engine even better just by installing a turbocharger and completing some tuning.

Be careful with turbocharging this engine because you may reduce the longevity of the unit and end up spending thousands to just maintain this engine and keep driving your vehicle.