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Sbc 350 In A Comanche


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It has been done (with varying degrees of success), but it isn't all that common for a couple reasons: 

-Be prepared to either spend a ton of money, or build everything yourself.  nothing is cheap in the land of 350 conversions.

-Be prepared to kiss most if not all of your current drivetrain goodbye.  It wasn't designed to handle a 350's torque. 

-Be prepared to fight cooling issues.  XJs and MJs go into v8 conversions with one hand tied behind their back because our smaller grill opening doesn't really lend itself to keeping a v8 cool.

 

I don't mean to discourage you, just want to give you an idea of what you're up against. :thumbsup:

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I was already planning on undating the drivetrain as well, a muncie 4-speed and the rear end has not yet been determined. I recently read and article on a guy who installed his radiator and procharger supercharger in the bed of his truck (not going that insane) but it does give me ideas for cooling.

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This has always been in the back of my mind and someday i might even do it. But something that i have always questioned was if you are going to go to the trouble of dropping an SBC in there why the heck not make it a party by making it into a 383? Same package as a 350, twice the punch. And another thing, if you have an AX-15 behind it you shouldnt have to much to worry about, should you? Unless this is a track car, i would tend to think it would be just fine, at least for a while.

 

Anyway, if your gonna do it, do a 383.  :rock on:

 

 

EDIT: http://jalopnik.com/5574093/holy-toledo-its-a-sbc-comanche-for-3900

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I am going to go the ls motor route. And at the very least, buy the novak engine mounts and headers.

Frank Z and John D as well as a few other people have done the swap in xj's mostly. Same principal tho, since the engine bay is the same.

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This has always been in the back of my mind and someday i might even do it. But something that i have always questioned was if you are going to go to the trouble of dropping an SBC in there why the heck not make it a party by making it into a 383? Same package as a 350, twice the punch. And another thing, if you have an AX-15 behind it you shouldnt have to much to worry about, should you? Unless this is a track car, i would tend to think it would be just fine, at least for a while.

 

Anyway, if your gonna do it, do a 383.  :rock on:

 

 

EDIT: http://jalopnik.com/5574093/holy-toledo-its-a-sbc-comanche-for-3900

 

 

If a 350 is difficult to keep cool, I can only imagine a 383.

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I have decided on an ls3 (for now) since I can pick those up all day at local junk yards and on CL.  since I am going that new I don't know if I can do the muncie, so I'll probably get a tremec 5 speed. the engine management is all going to be handled by megasquirt, and it's probably going to wind up with a ford 9" rear end. my main goal with this truck is to keep it as stock looking as possible, but thats going to be hard when it has a pair of MT drag radials in the rear. this will be by no means a DD but more of a fun truck that can still be reliably driven

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Chevy engine in a MJ? Sacrilege. Like putting a Pinto engine in a Rolls Royce. :idea:

:yeah that:

Make it mopar, put a 5,9 in it! :thumbsup:

Jeeps had Chevy and Buick engines in them long before they had ChryCo engines.

I know, my 2.8 shows me how well chevy engines work in jeeps. Only chevy engines I'm personally a fan of are the tbi 5.7 and the 4.3's, and i wouldnt put them in a jeep.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Put an 401 in it. Ive seen it done before.

If I hadn't broken my shoulder and lost my job, the longbox I just parted was going to get a 290/AX15/NP241 roklok with D44s front and rear and an extended cab. Sold the goodies to pay my bills and scrapped the dream.

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  • 1 year later...

If this is something you want to do go ahead. I did after a year of planning six month to get it running "it lives." So I go back 18 months looking at all the sites. Put into your search engine see what comes up 1. you need a lift 1 or 2 inches 2. the AX15 may or may hot handle the power that is way I am using a 700R4. 3 the dana 35 will break so I got a 66 bronco backing plate to backing plate 30 inches dana 35 32 inches (I measured them.) I have the 9 inch out back in the stock position the front 4 link are all adjustable with a 2 inch lift kit. All this was installed before putting in the engine.

 

If you think this will be an easy install think again lead foot. There is the radiator Novak has a nice $450 made to fit, I use a stock 3 core from Rock Auto plus 2 nine inch cooling fans. Stock Comanche hoses work they fit the chevy water hecks. Went to the Eleele Ace Hardware for sink hardware cut and fit (2 trips.) Running header Headman block huggers had to modify the collector to aim where pipe need to go. If you do not like getting up and down crawling out then back under the Comanche. Save your money go down to the dealership you like, pay for 5 years while I put in a bigger motor (more power n speed more cubic inches.) 

 

Motor fit like a glove I am using a HEI big head 4 pin distributor about 5 inches from the firewall only got to remove cap to take out distributor body. I used the Advance Adaptor motor mounts cost. They have the engine closer to the radiator hence the fans.

 

Using OEM in tank fuel pump and Holley fuel regulator with feed back. It drops the pressure so the AFB works fine. I will be putting in a TBI from a Mercurser that I found in a van. It is complete with 6 pin distributor what a fine. The mercruser is a 383 needed to pull the heads darn engine it has a roller cam and rockers. Free still is the best

 

I have 2 Comanche's a daily and the project. Both are 86 by chance the wire for the 86 can be taken out (mark all ends) get a wiring book they are on ebay. Study the book take out the engine compartment harness. Follow the book there is 1 red constant 12vdc 1 yellow power on 1 green ignition and a lot more. I looked at that engine harness on my garage floor for a month before cutting and rewire. Did I write draw everything out that helps, all the wire going to the ECU can go be careful go slow. I made some mistakes do not cut so fast. The 86 to 90 has that 4 relay under a shield I reuse them. 1. fuel relay there is a orange black wire from the stock relay keep that circuit that is how my fuel system works. 1. to turn on 12vdc to distributor 1. to turn on the fans. Keep the starter solenoid on the passenger side that is the 12vdc needed for the Comanche and that SOL pin goes to the starter (that a green wire so chevy). DO NOT CUT DOUBLE CHECK

 

There is a lot so if you fail to plan you plan to fail, remember 18 months with 6 months of actual get it started. Once started I was driving that day oh yea set the height you want the Comanche to be. You will need a drive shaft. $278 deliver to Kekaha Hawaii 3 inch aluminum with the 1350 for the ford and 1310 for the 700R4. I run all day no over heating no oil pressure problems no trans problems. It is still a work in progress maybe by the time another person pays off their 5 year truck loan I also will be finish I hope

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If this is something you want to do go ahead. I did after a year of planning six month to get it running "it lives." So I go back 18 months looking at all the sites. Put into your search engine see what comes up 1. you need a lift 1 or 2 inches 2. the AX15 may or may hot handle the power that is way I am using a 700R4. 3 the dana 35 will break so I got a 66 bronco backing plate to backing plate 30 inches dana 35 32 inches (I measured them.) I have the 9 inch out back in the stock position the front 4 link are all adjustable with a 2 inch lift kit. All this was installed before putting in the engine.

 

If you think this will be an easy install think again lead foot. There is the radiator Novak has a nice $450 made to fit, I use a stock 3 core from Rock Auto plus 2 nine inch cooling fans. Stock Comanche hoses work they fit the chevy water hecks. Went to the Eleele Ace Hardware for sink hardware cut and fit (2 trips.) Running header Headman block huggers had to modify the collector to aim where pipe need to go. If you do not like getting up and down crawling out then back under the Comanche. Save your money go down to the dealership you like, pay for 5 years while I put in a bigger motor (more power n speed more cubic inches.) 

 

Motor fit like a glove I am using a HEI big head 4 pin distributor about 5 inches from the firewall only got to remove cap to take out distributor body. I used the Advance Adaptor motor mounts cost. They have the engine closer to the radiator hence the fans.

 

Using OEM in tank fuel pump and Holley fuel regulator with feed back. It drops the pressure so the AFB works fine. I will be putting in a TBI from a Mercurser that I found in a van. It is complete with 6 pin distributor what a fine. The mercruser is a 383 needed to pull the heads darn engine it has a roller cam and rockers. Free still is the best

 

I have 2 Comanche's a daily and the project. Both are 86 by chance the wire for the 86 can be taken out (mark all ends) get a wiring book they are on ebay. Study the book take out the engine compartment harness. Follow the book there is 1 red constant 12vdc 1 yellow power on 1 green ignition and a lot more. I looked at that engine harness on my garage floor for a month before cutting and rewire. Did I write draw everything out that helps, all the wire going to the ECU can go be careful go slow. I made some mistakes do not cut so fast. The 86 to 90 has that 4 relay under a shield I reuse them. 1. fuel relay there is a orange black wire from the stock relay keep that circuit that is how my fuel system works. 1. to turn on 12vdc to distributor 1. to turn on the fans. Keep the starter solenoid on the passenger side that is the 12vdc needed for the Comanche and that SOL pin goes to the starter (that a green wire so chevy). DO NOT CUT DOUBLE CHECK

 

There is a lot so if you fail to plan you plan to fail, remember 18 months with 6 months of actual get it started. Once started I was driving that day oh yea set the height you want the Comanche to be. You will need a drive shaft. $278 deliver to Kekaha Hawaii 3 inch aluminum with the 1350 for the ford and 1310 for the 700R4. I run all day no over heating no oil pressure problems no trans problems. It is still a work in progress maybe by the time another person pays off their 5 year truck loan I also will be finish I hope

 

 

I know there is a lot of good info in this jumble somewhere, but i just can't decipher it. :hmm:

 

Could you start a build thread and maybe add some pictures?

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