Over the years, Chrysler has produced no scarcity of memorable powerplants, a lot of which proved greater than able to standing the take a look at of time whereas additionally producing no scarcity of energy. This has served as a degree of reward for the legendary automaker, which has overcome its share of struggles all through the many years (none of which centered round a scarcity of efficiency acuity).
One of the most noteworthy (but usually missed) Chrysler-derived powerplants is the 4.7L PowerTech V8. This potent performer served as the motivating drive behind quite a few Jeep fashions, in addition to a number of Dodge trucks and SUVs throughout its tenure.
By practically all accounts, the PowerTech V8 was the proper engine for the era during which it was produced. Here’s why it’s nonetheless fondly recalled by many motorists at the moment.
4.7L PowerTech V8 History
As the flip of the new millennium quickly approached, these at the helm of Chrysler dove headlong into the concept of changing the firm’s getting old 4.0L I6. The 4.0L inline six-cylinder had served as the mid-range powerplant of selection for the majority of Jeep fashions—for greater than a decade.
Though nonetheless fashionable with shoppers, the 4.0L inline-six was usually seen as archaic by the requirements of the day, being incompatible with numerous technical business developments. As such, the finish of an period was ushered in, with the inline-six in the end being slated for retirement.
The inline-six’s alternative got here in the type of a modernized 4.7L V8, which carried the “PowerTech” designation. This powerplant was the first in a sequence of engines to characteristic the PowerTech title, every of which might discover its method into the engine bay of varied Chrysler vehicles.
The 4.7L PowerTech V8 itself would function the motivating drive behind numerous Chrysler creations and expertise a major manufacturing life, spanning practically 1 ½ many years from debut to retirement. During this time, the PowerTech V8 would bear a number of key revisions.
4.7L PowerTech V8 Specs & Configurations
The 4.7L PowerTech V8 featured a cast-iron engine-block full with a 9.09” deck peak, and it bore spacing measurements of 4.09”. Within this engine-block resided a nodular cast-iron crankshaft, anchored in place by way of a single graphite-iron bedplate (as opposed to particular person devoted foremost bearing caps).
Attached to the 4.7L PowerTech V8’s crankshaft was a set of powder-forged metallic fracture-split connecting rods, which measured 6.12” in size. These connecting rods had been fitted with ultra-durable forged aluminum pistons that includes moly-coated skirts for decreased floor friction.
Atop the PowerTech’s engine block sat a pair of forged aluminum alloy cylinder heads fitted with 1 consumption valve (1.89”) and 1 exhaust valve (1.46”) per cylinder. The PowerTech V8’s camshaft was hole by design, and featured valve elevate measurements of .443” (consumption) and .429” (exhaust). The camshaft’s period values measured 244-degrees (consumption) and 254-degrees (exhaust).
The 4.7L PowerTech V8 featured sequential multi-port gasoline injection, whereby every injector is affixed immediately to the head’s consumption port. Additionally, spark was contributed by way of an ordinary coil-on-plug ignition system. A polymer consumption manifold was fed air by an digital 2.56” throttle physique.
In 2008, the 4.7L PowerTech V8 underwent important revision, which included the addition of latest cylinder heads tapped for the fitment of two spark plugs per cylinder. The engine’s camshaft, pistons, and connecting rods had been additionally revised. In flip, these adjustments yielded a rise in compression, now measuring 9.8:1.
4.7L PowerTech V8 Specs Index
- Horsepower: 235 hp @ 4,800 rpm
- Torque: 295 lb.-ft @ 3,200 rpm
- Compression Ratio: 9.8:1
- Displacement: 287CI (4.7L)
- Cylinder Bore: 3.41” (86.5 mm)
- Stroke: 3.66” (93.00 mm)
4.7L PowerTech V8 Additional Uses
Aside from its use in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Commander, the 4.7L PowerTech V8 was additionally supplied along side numerous extra autos. This, in fact, most notably included the Dodge Ram 1500, which was supplied with the PowerTech V8 for numerous years. Other autos to characteristic this engine included the Dodge Dakota, Dodge Durango, Chrysler Aspen, and Mitsubishi Raider.
Forward Progress
Just as the 4.0L inline-six outlived its helpful existence, so did the 4.7L PowerTech V8, which was formally retired from manufacturing in 2013. Nonetheless, the PowerTech V8 carved out a legacy all its personal throughout its 15-year lengthy tenure. All instructed, it could be not possible to calculate the variety of whole miles traveled by Chrysler merchandise powered by this engine, although the remaining rely, undoubtedly, could be fairly staggering.
