Mopar will offer a 5.7L and 6.4L (shown) HEMI crate engine.

Up until very recently, if you wanted a modern HEMI you’d have to find one of a handful of shops that specialize in HEMI conversions. Whether you have a CJ-5 Wrangler or some other vintage Jeep, the options were relatively limited if you wanted HEMI power in the rig.

That all changed last week when Mopar announced the availability of two new crate engines at the 2016 SEMA Show. The new Mopar 345 Crate HEMI Engine Kit and Mopar 392 kit are designed to provide enthusiasts with a Mopar option that doesn’t force them to run to an engine shop to help make it all work. The biggest problem in the past is the locked electronics on Jeep, Ram and Dodge vehicles, which made it challenging for everything to communicate properly.

But now Mopar has made two HEMI options available, with all of the harnesses and parts to make it all function properly in your rig. The 5.7L Gen III Hemi (PN 68303088AA) will sell for $6,070, and it requires the 345 Crate HEMI kit for $1,795 (PN 77072455AC), which includes the power distribution center, powertrain control module, engine and chassis wiring harnesses, accelerator pedal, O2 sensors, ground jumper, charge air temp sensor, and “in-depth” installation info. The other option is a 6.4L HEMI crate engine (PN 68303090AA) that will retail for $9,335, and it requires the 392 Crate HEMI Kit (PN 68303090AA), which also retails for $1,795.

Mopar brands these crate motors as options for its heritage rigs, because vehicles prior to 1975 don’t require smog approval. In theory, these crate engines will also offer options for Jeepers looking for something more powerful than the stock 3.6-liter Penastar V6 engine in the current Jeep Wrangler JK, though owners will be required to smog the vehicles for whatever year the VIN of their rig is, so essentially you’d have to make sure emissions parts are up to date on the rig also. So, Mopar pushes the angle of vintage rigs, though it does open the door for modern vehicles if owners can connect the dots.

The Mopar 345 Crate HEMI Engine Kit for the 5.7-liter engine.
The Mopar 345 Crate HEMI Engine Kit for the 5.7-liter engine.

“Our new Mopar Crate HEMI Engine Kits answer enthusiast demand for a relatively simple solution for plugging modern-day HEMI engine power into their classic Mopar rides,” said Pietro Gorlier, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar), FCA – Global. “The engine kits include the hardware to plant a 5.7-liter or 6.4-liter HEMI engine under the hood with the factory-backed confidence that comes when using Mopar parts. They also offer optional front-end accessory kits like power steering or even exhaust manifolds to make installation easier. Starting today, our fans can order the kit online and start working on their favorite project with the peace of mind that comes when using a Mopar product.”

The Mopar 345 Crate HEMI and 392 Crate HEMI Engine Kits, both available for purchase now through FCA US LLC dealers on online, are also compatible with respective 5.7-liter or 6.4-liter engines built in 2014 or newer. According to Mopar, a factory calibration is featured on the unlocked PCM, with the Mopar 345 Crate HEMI Engine Kit bumping horsepower to 383 and torque to 425 lb.-ft. for the 5.7-liter HEMI engine, while the 392 Crate HEMI Engine Kit keeps the 6.4-liter HEMI at 485 hp and 472 lb.-ft. of torque. Mopar says its crate engines are optimized for use with manual transmissions, though they can be adapted to work with automatics such as the Torqueflite 727 and 904.

For more information, visit www.Mopar.com/CrateHEMI.