Chrysler's future does not come with a Hemi powertrain
It looks like the Hemi engine, an icon for the Chrysler Corporation, won't be included in forthcoming applications due to changing fuel economy standards. Rising gas prices have already hurt sales of vehicles featuring these engines, causing Chrysler to cut back production. Now co-president Jim Press has declared, "The Hemi is not the powertrain of the future." Similar to the direction taken by GM, Chrysler is banking on newly developed V6 powerplants to take the reigns from current V8 options. These Phoenix engines are scheduled to hit production in 2009.
The Hemi engine's downfall is its inability to adapt to features proven to increase efficiency. The large combustion chamber design and dual valve structure leads to blow-by of unburned fuel, thus producing large levels of undesired emissions. The use of dual spark plugs has improved burn in the hemispherical combustion chamber, however, it's a solution that increased cost and complexity. More modern and efficient chamber structures, unlike the Hemi, can fit four valves and utilize dual overhead camshafts. Chrysler plans to implement these features into their future V6 engines, along with cylinder deactivation and variable valve timing.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Bink 9:13PM (1/23/2008)
Meh, Dodge could ditch the hemi chamber, keep the canted valve layout and put a nice fast burn chamber in there and solve alot of hemi related problems.
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ronnie schreiber 1:19PM (1/24/2008)
jg waxed sccialistic:
"Yes thank you. It ain't like auto companies would spend billions improving their products on thier own."
You're completely clueless. Almost all the technological wonders you enjoy in your life are the result of capitalist corporations investing money in R&D.
"They can afford some discomfort and frankly I'm more concerned with the long term health of this country than whether GM stays in business forever or not."
If GM folds it will drastically damage the long term health of this country. GM is the largest payer of pensions in the country. If GM folds are you willing to pay more in taxes to support all those GM pensioneers who will have to rely on public assistance?
"Corporate friendly government is fascism. Just ask Mussolini."
Actually, a fascist system is a centrally planned economy where the government tells businesses what to do, so fascism is hardly "corporate friendly". It's also not as efficient as letting the market work. For example, during WWII, the US gov't had companies compete for military contracts and Chrysler ended up building something like 75,000 Sherman tanks. The Nazis, on the other hand, assigned tank production to traditional heavy equipment mfgs (who were used to making relative handfuls of machines) and produced about 25,000 Tiger and Panther tanks.
BTW, it's not the "right wingers" who are ideologically and philosophically in bed with fascists, it's self proclaimed progressives like yourself. Contemporary "liberalism" (in contradistinction to classical liberalism e.g. Hayek) is based on the same antecedents as fascism. Just ask Jonah Goldberg:http://liberalfascism.nationalreview.com/
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howard 2:08PM (1/25/2008)
Now let an old HEMI owner clue you in to how to make the HEMI emissions acceptable! I was having trouble getting rid of burned fuel! My uncle who owned an automotive machine shop suggested I use the same method he used on some engines he did for Ford (he was a consultant to Ford on the old 59AB flat hesd V-8)! I pulled the heads and took them to him and he cut a small grove 3/32 wide X 1/64 (I'm not up on METRIC so I use the old SAE measurements)deep in each combustion chamber starting about half way from the center of the outer diameter of the intake valve and had it circling 300 degrees of the exhaust valve! In theory this grove would set up a "tornado" in the combustion chamber pulling unburned gasses to the exhust valve and out the tail pipe! It worked, we put the carbon monoxide probe from an Allen Engine Analyzer (which was all we had in those days unless you went to a dealer with the big systems) and got an increase in unburned fuel! My uncle also installed something he had developed for Ford, a one way valve that pulled any blowby back into the engine and reburned it! today we call it a PCV (POSITIVE CRANKCASE VENTILATION) i'M SURE THE ENGINEERS AT CHRYSLER ARE AWARE OF THIS METHOD OF "EVACUATING" A COMBUSTION CHAMBER! I KNOW A POSITIVE DESPLACEMENT SUPER CHARGER DOES THE SAME THING BUT I COULDN'T AFFORD THE COST OF THAT AT THE TIME! MY COST TO DO THE GROVE WAS THE COST OF A VALVE GRIND GASKET SET, OIL, AND 4 BEERS!
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Stew 9:52PM (1/28/2008)
Fords 4.6 is not that great. I had a 97 4.6 Crown Vic and a 96 Caprice with the 350 LT1. Surprisingly I averaged 24 MPG with the LT1, but only 20 with the Crown Vic. If you are talking MPG, you realize the Accord gets 28 MPG with it's high tech 3.5 V6, but the Hemi Charger is only 2 MPG behind (current 5.7 hemi, 09 Hemi is supposed to get 5% better fuel economy) (this is highway, revised 2008 standards). Odly enough, GMs new high tech OHC V6 in the Malibu is only rated 26 MPG highway. Please give me the option to give up 2 MPG for a car I will enjoy! LS series Vettes and F-Bodies have been getting MPGs in the high 20s, low 30s for years and even my ancient LT1 averaged 24 MPG (same motor with steeper gears in my 96 Roadmaster averaged 26). I am sorry, i just don't get this whole OHC thing, yes i think it works better for some V6s, but please give OHV in my V8!
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Frank B Gabry 11:00PM (1/29/2008)
HEMI? SEVERAL OTHER COMPANY'S HAVE BEEN BUILDING HEMI-CHAMBERS OVER THE YRS & DEVELOPED THEM SUCCESSFULLY BMW,MERC,FERRARI, LETS JUST SPEAK THE TRUTH CHRYSLER JUST CAN'T BUILD COMPLETE CARS, THE MOTORS GOOD, INSIDE'S FIT & FINISH IS POOR THE TRANNY IS POOR, I'VE OWNED CHYRSLER HEMI PAID $38 K FOR A MOTOR W/ NICE BODY TO GET EATEN ALIVE BY A WRX WHAT I AFTER TRADED IN FOR, NOW TO PULL MY 40'BOAT W/MY F-350 7.3 DUALLY BURNS McD VEG OIL
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Jeremy B 4:12AM (1/30/2008)
I agree wit him above me. Somehow a turbo V6 may be just as poverful as a V8, but its just not the same. With the way things are going, pontiac is going to be the only non luxury brand with a V8 in a sedan in the next few years...
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Rick Saffery 2:17PM (3/03/2008)
Ditto!
Desiree Schepen 10:16AM (3/04/2008)
I'd like to hear more of your thoughts on this subject. Is there any other way of contacting you?
Desiree Schepen 10:35AM (3/04/2008)
I'd like to hear what more you have to say on the subject. Is there any other way to contact you?
tbss_in_the_D 9:14AM (1/22/2008)
Thanks US government!
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Tyo 10:09AM (1/22/2008)
Dont forget about the awesome hemi 4.3L V6 from Australia in the valiant charger.
302hp 320 lb-ft in the 70's from a V6.
JN 11:03AM (1/22/2008)
Tyo, the Australian Valiant used a straight-6. Get your facts straight.
jg 11:27AM (1/22/2008)
Yes thank you. It ain't like auto companies would spend billions improving their products on thier own. They'd wait until a massive PR hit was about to land before they took any action. And even then they'd probably take their profits and fold up shop. Then all you little right wingers would be looking to government to help you out. God forbid government tries to get in front of the issue though. The rich can't have that. They pay millions to put Rush on the air so he can convince you that government regulation is a bad thing. Not always. Sometimes it actually is in the best interests of this country and its citizens. Not all citizens of course. A handful of rich folks will not appreciate the effort but so what? They can afford some discomfort and frankly I'm more concerned with the long term health of this country than whether GM stays in business forever or not. Corporate friendly government is fascism. Just ask Mussolini.
tbss_in_the_D 11:53AM (1/22/2008)
I was being sarcastic btw.
I have said it before and will say it again. CAFE will not change our oil use one bit. It will also not change the emissions that are put out ONE BIT. Go back and read John's McElroy's article on CAFE. He is dead on. There will be more cars by 2020 and the emissions output will be the same. They need to spend the governments time and money on helping the companies find alternative energy sources and not telling them to use less gas.
Mike 12:02PM (1/22/2008)
JG: ask gore about the $100m plus he has made of his global warming...oops... climate change since 2000. Not to mention all those carbon trading schemes set up now.... yep, oil for food on a global scale and the uneducated masses lap it up.
Just keep convincing yourself that you are morally superior, and that your socialism is better than our free markets.
naggs 12:37PM (1/22/2008)
so GM will be the only place to get a proper pushrod v8 soon
well that sure simplifies my car shopping
BLS 9:15AM (1/22/2008)
Happy doom day to you to.
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Avinash machado 9:15AM (1/22/2008)
Sigh. The passing of an era.
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tanooki2003 9:16AM (1/22/2008)
It's about time
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ryan 9:24AM (1/22/2008)
Come an' get your Challenger with a HEMI while ya still can!
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