05 rods not fit 03 block

[BadAzp]

So, i bought a supposed 04 block/crank (same bore/stroke, crank trigger not an issue) with the thought of putting in a set of 05 pistons/rods i had (verified to be 05 pistons/ rod). Same part numbers 04-05 so should be no problems.
After installing a piston/rod, the crank end of the rod completely contacts the oil galley under the cam, dead stop.
To date i have heard that 03 pistons were bigger/heavier but haven't seen pics to verify.
Regardless of piston changes, the crank end of the rod doesn't change location.
Whats wrong with the block?
Or crank?
Both NOS, never used.
Pic of block shows oil sensor/cooler line locations so you can see how different an 04/05 block is from the outside.
Other pic shows dent in block from rod contact.

 

[MoparMap]

Pretty sure that's an 03 block, or if it's an 04 it's a really early one. That goofy fitting combo deal with the oil pressure and temperature sensor isn't there on my 04. I was pretty sure that was an 03 only thing. Though I agree that really shouldn't change anything about the rod and piston package. Have you got any pictures of the rod and piston? There aren't many V10 cranks out there, so would think it pretty unlikely that there would be any kind of issue there.

 

[BadAzp]

Well it seems like i bit the big one buying these parts. Looking up part numbers doesn't tell you anything.
03 block - 100% sure
04 crank - 99% sure
05 pistons/rods - 100% sure
04/05 crank bearings- 100% sure
04/05 rod bearings-100g sure
Rumor has it that the 03 crank journals placed the crank slightly different than 04/05.
Also bearing clearances are different 03 to 04/05.

 

[Old School]

It's common practice (non-Viper) to clearance the block with a die grinder when installing a stroker crank. Is it possible to do the same here?

 

[MoparMap]

It's common practice (non-Viper) to clearance the block with a die grinder when installing a stroker crank. Is it possible to do the same here?

You'd have to be really careful with grinding on that portion that. That is the main oil galley that runs front to back. I gouged mine up pretty good when my rod let go and fortunately didn't get deep enough to cause a problem, but if you break through it the block is pretty much trash at that point. I would generally advise against removing any material there if you can help it.

Still seems strange to begin with though. I really wouldn't have thought there should be any significant difference between anything gen 3 as far as important dimensions. They are all 8.3L engines, so you'd think the bore and stroke would be common. I know at some point they updated to use a common rod with the 3G Hemis though, so maybe they did tweak things a bit. I thought that happened when they updated to the gen 4 engine, but maybe it was earlier.

 

[BadAzp]

It's common practice (non-Viper) to clearance the block with a die grinder when installing a stroker crank. Is it possible to do the same here?

Then your clearancing the bottoms of the bores so the rod can get up into the cylinder.
This is door stop contact with the oil galley, i dont know how thick it is right there.
Then i still have the 04 crank bearing tolerance changes.

 

[BadAzp]

Edited -
03 rods and pistons are definitely different shapes.
Last one is 05, very squareded off, significantly bigger than 03

 

[MoparMap]

Here's a picture of my 04 after the rod failure I had. Looks like there is a decent spot flattened out for clearance on the bottom of the oil channel, so maybe it's not as bad as I thought. It is reasonably thick, but I'd still take my time and try to take off as little as possible. Don't mind the other gouges, lol.

 

[99RT10GTS]

Best way to eliminate the guessing game is to get aftermarket Diamond pistons with Oliver rods.

 

[BadAzp]

Best way to eliminate the guessing game is to get aftermarket Diamond pistons with Oliver rods.

This is a stock rebuild, not a 1200hp build

 

[Ramtuff]

Adds 2k but you have fully forged lower end. K1 rods and mahle forged pistons.

 

[BadAzp]

Adds 2k but you have fully forged lower end. K1 rods and mahle forged pistons.

Stock rebuild rc to sell.
That will leave me with a paxton forged rc and a t56 swapped qc ready for paxton or roe

 

[MoparMap]

Sounds like just updating the block with the notches is probably the easiest thing in the long run for you and any potential new owner down the road. I didn't realize the 03 blocks didn't have that relief, but knowing that the 04+ blocks have them would make me a lot less worried about putting them in. They seem simple enough that any competent machine shop could probably do it, but I'm sure Prefix would have the factory specs and whatnot to be able to put them in just like stock so you'd almost never know they were added.

 

[Viper Specialty]

According to Dan Lesser at Viper Specialty the cranks location in the block is slightly different from 04up also.
03 rods and pistons are definitely different shapes.
Last one is 05, very squareded off, significantly bigger than 03

WHOA, hold the phone. I never said anything about the crankshaft being in a different location. They are exactly the same!

The only thing that changed from 03-04 is the clearance machine work done to the oil galleries and the oil line adapter integrated into the casting. The clearance work was done BECAUSE of the rod change. The location of the rod bolts in the connecting rod is different, requiring more clearance.

As noted above, this should be done by a machine shop, not a grinder. A grinder cant take into account core shift or casting differences between the bulkheads.

 

[BadAzp]

WHOA, hold the phone. I never said anything about the crankshaft being in a different location. They are exactly the same!

The only thing that changed from 03-04 is the clearance machine work done to the oil galleries and the oil line adapter integrated into the casting. The clearance work was done BECAUSE of the rod change. The location of the rod bolts in the connecting rod is different, requiring more clearance.

As noted above, this should be done by a machine shop, not a grinder. A grinder cant take into account core shift or casting differences between the bulkheads.

Sorry, thought i saw that in the other thread on gen4 -gen 3 blocks