Any guide out there for removing body molding and crome? Is the body molding attched by screws under the black plactic strips? How about the lower molding? This is a 109 model. Thanks

For the side molding: Using a large slotted screwdriver wrapped with electrical tape (to prevent the bade from chipping or scratching your paint), slide it behind the black plastic and pry it out gently. Work your way from front to back. You'll be able to see where it's attatched to the body, pry as close to those points as possible to prevent bending it. When you get to the rear quarter panels, using a 10mm socket, from inside the trunk, remove the 2 nuts (one on the left, one on the right rear corner) and then continue to pry it off.

For the lower molding, remove the phillips screw from the front, then pop it out in similar fashion. It's quite easy. It pops back in easily too, as long as you didn't break any of those red molding retainers, none fell out, or none are missing. If you have any missing, go to a dealer and pick some up.

__________________
Current:
2021 Charger Scat Pack Widebody "Sinabee"
2018 Durango R/T

Previous:
1972 280SE 4.5
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited "Hefe", 1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo "Jeepy", 2006 Charger R/T "Hemi"
1999 Chrysler 300M - RIP @ 221k

Your the man Tomguy! Say looking forward to your 4.2 heads on the 4.5 I have no idea how to do it but if you are sucessfull I will follow your lead.

I dont know if I'm gonna do 4.2 because I dont know what the stock compression ratio is on a 4.2. I need to look it up and calculate what it'd be on a 4.5 as I did with 3.5 heads. I do know that, even thought the 3.5's valves are smaller (same as the 4.5's), the compression ratio is probably higher and that'd most likely give more power - just probably deadly!

__________________
Current:
2021 Charger Scat Pack Widebody "Sinabee"
2018 Durango R/T

Previous:
1972 280SE 4.5
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited "Hefe", 1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo "Jeepy", 2006 Charger R/T "Hemi"
1999 Chrysler 300M - RIP @ 221k

i'm thinking the 4.2 is 9.0 comp although i dont actually know that. you do have to be careful that they didnt change piston design, it might be that putting 4.2 heads on a 4.5 gives you some insanely low or high compression ratio, although i kinda doubt it

mike

9.0:1 is what I got from other sources, so I did math using that.

If the pistons weren't changed much, it'd be 9.888:1 on a 4.5.

So, since they probably were changed (even if just slightly), figure anywhere from 9.4 to 10.4:1, which would be much more tolerable than the 12.6:1 I calculated with 3.5 heads, also assuming 3.5 pistons are the same. But even a drastic change would still give an insanely high 11.0:1 ratio at lowest I would imagine. I think 420 heads would be a safer bet.

Of course this is only if your 4.5 has the 8.0:1 heads. Check your head part numbers, the driver's (left) head is 117 016 02 01 and passenger's is 117 016 03 01 for 8.0:1 heads. I'd like to know p/n's for 8.8:1 heads with mechanical studs (for refference). I'm sure the 420 heads will give a large performance boost on my 4.5, but I'm unsure of how much more they'd give on a 8.8:1 engine. Remember that the exhaust valves for the 4.2 heads are also incompatible with the 4.5's (Although intakes are identical I believe). You'll need to buy new valves should any be bad, not being able to reuse ones from existing heads.

I still might wind up putting 3.5 heads on, using 2 head gaskets. I don't know yet. Whichever ones I can get first and easily, I'll use.

__________________
Current:
2021 Charger Scat Pack Widebody "Sinabee"
2018 Durango R/T

Previous:
1972 280SE 4.5
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited "Hefe", 1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo "Jeepy", 2006 Charger R/T "Hemi"
1999 Chrysler 300M - RIP @ 221k