Hemi!

by rob , Friday, August 16, 2013, 23:31 (4121 days ago) @ Cherokee

It's impossible to do better than a pushrod overhead valve engine for rugged reliability. If I could have bought my JK with a hemi I wouldn't have thought twice. It's got a good push rod V-6 but the bigger the engine and more power, the less you work it...Jared is right about that. American OHC engines seem to have a lot of problems that most Japanese engines don't (Nissan excluded!)...variable valve timing issues and certain rocker arm failure on Ford 5.4's, timing chains (plural) on same and Dodge 3.7 & 4.7's, etc. I am not a fan. The new style Chevy engines (4.8, 5.3, 6.0, etc.) are push rod engines and I've had to replace a few cams (which requires pulling the heads to remove pushrods...ouch!) but its not nearly as common as the OHC engine troubles. Probably more than you wanted to know but that's my experience and my advice. As long as you can go old school I would before the EPA and fascist CAFE standards ruins everything.