derf

All the new Jeeps get all the hype at Easter Jeep Safari. But this one stood out to me.

I've heard that. But I've also heard they don't fit without modification.

That's a possibility. But it's decidedly inconvenient. I have found that exhaust manifolds from a TPI 350 from the 80's may have manifolds I could make work. Benefit of that engine is the low end torque from the long runners and it's a swap that fewer people do while still being a small block chevy. And I could easily drop in a 383 stroker to make some really good torque. Still, I'm likely to end up with a stroker. There's no way to tell it's a stroker from the outside. I can use factory exhaust which is smog legal. And with a mild to moderate cam it makes decent power while still passing emissions sniff tests. So I get more power without the hassle of fighting smog referees.

I'm doing some planning on my MJ project. I've looked at a few options. I could do a TDI swap but that isn't quite the direction I want to go. Other diesels are remote possibilities but they all will involve a ton of custom work. I've looked into doing a 5.9 magnum swap. Also a 5.0 (or 5.8) Ford. Again, too much custom fabrication. I briefly looked at a couple of other V8 options but they're even harder to find parts for and require a lot of fabrication. What I keep coming back to are two different options: First is to just go with a 4.6 stroker. It's by far the easiest swap since it's a bolt in. A well built stroker provides plenty of power to do serious rock crawling. The wiring is a non-issue since it stays stock. I can get some basic upgrades to the AW4 so it will hold up to the power just fine. And the build will give me plenty of opportunity to run serious transmission cooling to keep it going. But a small block Chevy 350 or LS would be pretty sweet. Plenty of power and there's tons of off-the-shelf parts to make it just short of a bolt in swap. The biggest problem I'm running into is what to do about a smog legal exhaust. And before anyone tells me to move, that isn't an option. I am where the job is and I have to pass smog regulations. That isn't going to change. The biggest issue with the SBC/LS swap is exhaust manifolds. I know it's a dumb law because it's just routing exhaust out of the engine and it doesn't actually have any significant effect on what comes out of the tail pipe. But the bureaucrats are what they are. Colorado follows California emissions rules so I need either factory manifolds or headers with a CARB EO number. Trying to find ones that fit in an MJ engine bay is challenging to say the least. I've seen a few people talk about it on various forums but I can't find any definitive answers. I've read the Novak swap guide backwards and forwards. All they have to say is to use the headers they sell but they won't pass emissions. Does anyone know of any CARB approved headers that will fit? Maybe factory manifolds but from what car/truck? It's likely I'll just punt and do a stroker. That at least would pass the visual and I can use factory exhaust components to stay compliant. But if I can find a good manifold for a V8 swap I'd prefer to go that route. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

At least 22. 15 of them Jeeps. But I may be forgetting some.

Oh, I'll still need them for my other Comanche. I have an idea for it...

So I picked up a new to me project rig. It is going to replace my previous project. It's @MeanLemons old project that came to me via @Smokeyyank. It has a lot of work done already that I was going to do with my other project. Mostly the frame stiffeners and long arms. I'm going to take this one several steps further. I have a Dana 60/80 combo to replace the 44s. I'm going to 4 link the rear and probably bob it further. Not sure about engine and trans yet. More to come.

The Wagoneer is a bigger vehicle than the Grand Cherokee, not just a higher trim level.

A lot of diesels drive a fuel pump off the timing gears. That would be difficult to retrofit into a 4.0. An electric pump would be the easiest to integrate into the system.

The 7.3 powerstroke uses an oil fired injector. High pressure oil, 26,000 psi or so, pushes the 40 psi fuel like a syringe into the combustion chamber. It works but it's not ideal. If I was going to convert a 4.0 I'd probably go with a common rail setup. You could go with the cam position sensor that came in the 2000-2001 XJ to replace the distributor and drive the common rail setup. I'd also go with a gear drive for the camshaft to eliminate chain stretch.

It's an interesting idea. However, history has shown that trying to convert a gas engine to diesel doesn't usually end well. The only ones that worked out were the industrial gas engines in medium and heavy duty trucks that were way overbuilt. If you lift some of your restrictions like allowing a fully custom head, it would be easier. Managing a turbo with a cross flow head is much easier. But you still have the clamping force restrictions of the head bolts and that's going to be a huge limitation. You'll have a limit on how much torque you can make. There's also the issue of being over square. The bigger bore and shorter stroke isn't the best way to design a diesel. You want it to be the other way around. The smaller bore and longer stroke of the 258 would be better. I like the idea. In theory anyway. I'm just not sure it would work well.

I was working on some steering parts and got a recommendation on how to pull the tie rod ends. I'm not sure how this helps.

Got the engine and transmission stabbed into the truck.

Engine is starting to look more like an engine.

Passenger side brake drum wasn't cooperating so I convinced it to come off. Them I found out why. Fortunately, this was discovered as I was already rebuilding the rear axle anyway.

Time for a few upgrades...

Yeah, it is pretty nice. I'm not looking forward to that part of my MJ build when that gets rolling.

Today was transfer case rebuild day. It's now ready to go back in.

I did some more work getting the truck ready to receive the engine. I'm swapping over some sheet metal on the front clip from a donor (in the background). And it's easier to access the engine bay with stuff out of the way so with some help I pulled the hood, cowl and driver's side fender.

It always seems I spend the most money on parts I get for free...

And yes. I hve considered putting the powerstroke into the MJ it's sitting next to. I just don't want to do all the fab work to make it fit...

Engine is back from the machine shop.