3.6 Pentastar for vintage swaps?

Last year my parents bought a lightly used camper van based on the Ram Promaster chassis, with the Chrysler 3.6 V6. Earlier this year, while driving it through Virginia mountains on I77 with a small but full enclosed trailer, I was really impressed with the engine's responsiveness, power and efficiency. It also has a decent intake noise imo, at least for a V6, and sounds much smoother than the 4.0 in my Frontier. Also, if it fits in the nose of the Promaster, it must be fairly compact. 
All that got me thinking that this could be a cool engine swap option for older cars, especially non-performance applications -  just cruisers where the original engine is either in bad shape, very inefficient or just undesirable. Chrysler probably made a million of them, and because of the 300 there would be rwd options with existing transmissions, though as far as I know the only manual offered with the 3.6 was probably in a Wrangler. Just an idle thought I guess, I know the more common engine swaps are common for a reason, but I like variety..

In to read about your experience swapping one into something. They do seem to make good power.

I don't find the one in my Jeep particularly powerful, but it is smooth and way more efficient than I expected. Not sure about all generations but the JL/JT ones have single exhaust ports which make exhaust routing or turbocharging very easy.

Here's a guy who's built one and he's active on a few forums too. https://www.youtube.com/@davetrojahn1596
His built thread https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/threads/72-dart-swinger-3-6l-pentastar-t5.361683/

14.37@99mph makes it faster than my E36!

I agree that in some platforms the 3.6 is astonishing for an engine of that size.  However, even with 4.10 gears, a manual trans turns it into a dog in a Jeep Wrangler platform.  I've heard that the 8 speed auto in the JL Wrangler wakes it up significantly and if the way I was left for dead at a traffic light recently is any indication, it does.

A 401 CJ said:

A manual trans turns it into a dog in a Jeep Wrangler platform.

The absolute tragedy of the factory clutch in the JL/JT platform makes it hard to drive quickly. You can tell it's quick, but every shift is a chore. Aftermarket clutches fix that problem.

I am fairly sure that it was available with a manual in the Challenger, if not the Charger.

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

I had the same thought so I went and checked, it was not.

The one in my reg cab, longbed 2019 ram work truck berkeleying HONKS. im shocked by what tjis bog truck does when you put the wood to it 

I've thought for a long time that a wrecked town and country will give you an amazing rear engine drivetrain. Thing scoots in a big minivan.

I know very little about them, but I just watched a broken one being torn down (video from I Do Cars here) and found out that it shares DNA with the Maserati V6, which was sort of unexpected.

Oh, this has the little spinny things in my head going...

They have had some cracking head issues, but I had been wondering about using it as a swap too.  I want to see where this goes.  

In reply to spitfirebill :

Most of what I had seen was losing a valve spring or a rocker.  There was a bulletin/extended warranty for valves sticking in the guides leading to misfires, but apparently the dealer net caught all of those in my area.  Am happy for that since cylinder head replacement in-chassis looks technically doable but not very fun.

Have got very good at replacing oil cooler/filter housing assemblies.  When they start leaking, the engine valley can hold over 2 quarts of oil before it starts spilling out over the transmission 

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

In reply to spitfirebill :

Most of what I had seen was losing a valve spring or a rocker.  There was a bulletin/extended warranty for valves sticking in the guides leading to misfires, but apparently the dealer net caught all of those in my area.  Am happy for that since cylinder head replacement in-chassis looks technically doable but not very fun.

Have got very good at replacing oil cooler/filter housing assemblies.  When they start leaking, the engine valley can hold over 2 quarts of oil before it starts spilling out over the transmission 

That was a fun job once; did spark plugs at the same time because the back bank would be a nightmare without a lift

It's a wide engine.

As stated in the FABO thread-

"The truth is that Valve cover to Valve cover, the 3.6l is as wide as a 440."

A 401 CJ said:

I agree that in some platforms the 3.6 is astonishing for an engine of that size.  However, even with 4.10 gears, a manual trans turns it into a dog in a Jeep Wrangler platform.  I've heard that the 8 speed auto in the JL Wrangler wakes it up significantly and if the way I was left for dead at a traffic light recently is any indication, it does.

That was probably a diesel or 4xe Wrangler.  the V6 one is a dog no matter what transmission. 

In reply to Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself :

If it's the same as a 440 in width, I just looked that up to be 29.5" wide, which is only .5" narrower than a Ford 4.6 DOHC. The 4.6 is the motor I always think of as wide enough to be problematic for swaps. 

Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself said:

It's a wide engine.

As stated in the FABO thread-

"The truth is that Valve cover to Valve cover, the 3.6l is as wide as a 440."

Thanks Debbie Downer.  

The 440 was narrow to fit in those early chassis.

Apparently there is a way to fabricobble a Chevy manual trans onto the 3.6 with a combination of automatic bellhousing and a trans adaptor made for something entirely different.  Difficult to wade through ad-infested forums that make my browser throw a fit.

spitfirebill said:

They have had some cracking head issues, but I had been wondering about using it as a swap too.  I want to see where this goes.  

Yep, my cousin just replaced a cracked head on one. Relatively low-mileage Jeep. He was not impressed.

spitfirebill said:

Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself said:

It's a wide engine.

As stated in the FABO thread-

"The truth is that Valve cover to Valve cover, the 3.6l is as wide as a 440."

Thanks Debbie Downer.  

Yeah, why would anyone want to know any facts from someone who actually swapped the engine before spending money?    I'm sure the name calling is appropriate here.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

The 440 was narrow to fit in those early chassis.

 

 

Not sure what early chassis you are talking about, but the B and RB engine came out in 1958/59 to replace the 1st gen Hemi.  (Which was about the same width)

Dusterbd13-michael said:

The one in my reg cab, longbed 2019 ram work truck berkeleying HONKS. im shocked by what tjis bog truck does when you put the wood to it 

Back in 2016 I flew into LAX and grabbed a brand new 300 at the Hertz counter and took off for Bakersfield.  That car would flat move.  I passed every single other vehicle going up the Grapevine and when I got down to the truck stops there at Tejon I pulled over and thought I'd pop the hood and admire that Hemi.  Imagine my surprise when looking back at me was a lowly "3.6 VVT".  
 

But add a 4-door Wrangler's extra weight, added rolling resistance of mud-terrain tires, added drag, and lack of a torque converter (in my case) and it just doesn't even feel like the same engine.

A 401 CJ said:

Dusterbd13-michael said:

The one in my reg cab, longbed 2019 ram work truck berkeleying HONKS. im shocked by what tjis bog truck does when you put the wood to it 

Back in 2016 I flew into LAX and grabbed a brand new 300 at the Hertz counter and took off for Bakersfield.  That car would flat move.  I passed every single other vehicle going up the Grapevine and when I got down to the truck stops there at Tejon I pulled over and thought I'd pop the hood and admire that Hemi.  Imagine my surprise when looking back at me was a lowly "3.6 VVT"

You know what else had 24 valves?

(Brakes are good.  Tires, fair)