Project AMC-V8 / 5spd / AMC-20 MJ . . .

[kastein]

I have hauled 1400+ lbs of junk with mine and no flex, even though it's very rusty!

 

you got something else going on there probably :(

 

Can't wait to see this, I have an AX4 sitting here you could have but no AX15. If you can't find an AX15 in 2wd trim I'd probably just stick one in with a transfer case, throw it in 2hi and forget all about the levers and linkages :cheers: then you even have theft deterrent, can shift the transfer case into neutral and no one will even realize it has one, it just "won't go into gear for some reason!"

[Comanche County]

the projects forum is really more for us asking questions about your truck. your questions should go in the tech forum so that more eyes will see them (increasing the chances of a correct and thorough answer) and also that it will then be in the archives for searching.

 

but while I'm here, frame stiffeners can be beneficial for XJs because they are overhyped grocery-getters. :D MJs were made for working and come with very strong and rigid frames. :thumbsup: rust is the one thing that MJs have to worry about since that can cause the frame to break in two.

 

When I cut my lower control mounts off and drilled holes through the frame rail to mount long arm brackets, I was amazed at the thickness of the frame rail. I was thinking about plating them but now I'm not worried about it. They're over 3/8" thick in places.

[AMC-MJ]

Coolness . . . I'll just let it ride then . . .

 

Mike

[freakjeep93]

well its not normal for the floor to flex id definetly check the frame

[AMC-MJ]

Well it was enough weight to sag the truck 3-4 inches.

Also the engine was a bit loose so it could rock back n forth when it did so the truck had the sloshing effect.

 

When I noticed what felt like the floor flexing I was rolling slow over some uneven terrain.

 

Now be all of that as it may the frame has been checked 5 times for cracking and rot,

Once when I bought it, a second time when I got the new exhaust out on, and 3 times during transporting that engine.

 

Mike

[woody62]

Just wondering why u are going with a 290? all amc blocks are the same and a 360 has alot more aftermarket parts and were made all the way till 91. a guy in my car club has a 401 in his and it puts out just under 500 hp. other then that this truck sounds like it will be sick!!! :cheers:

[woody62]

also i know ur trying to go all amc but a mustang 5 speed is definatly better trans and it basically bolts up with a different bellhousing. guys in amxs do it all the time its prolly something to look into

[AMC-MJ]

Yup well here is the thing

 

1 the 290 will burn less gas then a 360 regardless of it being the same block.

2 the 290 will rev up quicker then the 360 IE: the 290 will get from 1,500rpm to 4,500rpm faster then the 360 will.

3 anything you can put on a 360 will work on any AMC V8 period.

 

If I wanted to make the 290 a 12.5:1 compression 9,000rpm drag race engine all the parts are readily available.

 

Apparently you missed the point of this build ?

It seems so, I shall clue you in I wanted it to tow like truck and play like car yet be derivable so I can continue to drive it everyday a nice well round light duty Rig tow ATV or Mower yet be peppy from 0-75mph not burn a bunch of gas and be stable and reliable yet unique sounds perfect for an:

AMC-290 V8 :thumbsup: AX-15 5spd :thumbsup: AMC-20/w 4.10s :thumbsup: Combo :banana:

 

AMC 290 / AX15 / AMC-20 means just that anything else NOT Interested . . . If i wanted it for going Fast i would used an AMC-390 / T-10 Combo :thumbsup: Yes i know about the 4.0L this was the same amount of work and it cost the same ;)

 

I have other Rig's for going fast and towing heavy things see Sig :banana:

 

Mike

[woody62]

whatever i guess ur just an amc god and know way more then i do :bowdown:

[AMC-MJ]

You asked why I chose my combo, I answered why I chose my combo.

You made a transmission suggestion, I wasn't interested in it.

 

If you felt the combo should have been done differently ya should have spoke up sooner when opinions were being asked.

I feel its a bit unpleasant to get told to do some thing else after the plan had been formulated and parts ordered.

 

You got your own MJ I see so if you wanna do an AMC-360 / Ford T5 combo I say jump on it.

 

 

Mike

[AMC-MJ]

AMC-390:

:D 490N-hp@6,000rpm & 492N-tq@4,500rpm Using NOS AMC parts just as this was built originally :thumbsup:

:eek: Now sure i could have gotten way more power for less money using parts from Jeg's, Summit, and PAW :smart:

 

:nuts: AMC-god ? . . . i just Listen to my fellow AMCer's who have been building AMC I-4's, I-6's, and V-8's for several decades, Between there Knowledge and my elbow grease I have a powerful, durable, High quality AMC-390 ;)

 

Like i said if going fast was the goal, i would have used another combo most likely a 390/T10, But i have confidence my fellow AMCer's say i can get 215-235hp & 240-260tq from my little 290 i am appt believe them :thumbsup:

 

So :bowdown: 290 / AX-15 / AMC-20 x 4.10s / 235/75r15's is what the plan is and shall remain . . . engine is bought and home already :thumbsup:

 

Mike

[carnuck]

Yup well here is the thing

 

1 the 290 will burn less gas then a 360 regardless of it being the same block.

2 the 290 will rev up quicker then the 360 IE: the 290 will get from 1,500rpm to 4,500rpm faster then the 360 will.

3 anything you can put on a 360 will work on any AMC V8 period.

 

If I wanted to make the 290 a 12.5:1 compression 9,000rpm drag race engine all the parts are readily available.

 

Apparently you missed the point of this build ?

It seems so, I shall clue you in I wanted it to tow like truck and play like car yet be derivable so I can continue to drive it everyday a nice well round light duty Rig tow ATV or Mower yet be peppy from 0-75mph not burn a bunch of gas and be stable and reliable yet unique sounds perfect for an:

AMC-290 V8 :thumbsup: AX-15 5spd :thumbsup: AMC-20/w 4.10s :thumbsup: Combo :banana:

 

AMC 290 / AX15 / AMC-20 means just that anything else NOT Interested . . . If i wanted it for going Fast i would used an AMC-390 / T-10 Combo :thumbsup: Yes i know about the 4.0L this was the same amount of work and it cost the same ;)

 

I have other Rig's for going fast and towing heavy things see Sig :banana:

 

Mike

 

I think you're my brother from another mother! (sadly mine passed recently after being sick with cancer so I haven't been on the boards for awhile)

 

Did you find a 2wd AX-15 yet? I have one we bought (was going to put it in my room mate's '67 Rebel with 290, but she sold that to pay off a near pristine '55 Ford coupe) Paid $250 for it but don't know what shipping would set you back (came with no bellhousing because it was external slave)

 

I also have a Model 20 from a '77 AMX I was going to put in my '88 MJ but that would be too heavy to ship. I am going Mopar XJ diff with 3.73 posi. (I can get for $200)

 

I'm hoping to tackle my '82 J10 Honcho swap soon for the same swap. That way it will be affordable as a daily driver and since it's a stepside, aside from maybe hauling a 5th wheel (that's what my '81 C20 with 454/TH400 is for) it won't see much "real" truck work but will be able to offroad (our driveway is 4 miles of class 1 - 4 trail depending on the weather)

[AMC-MJ]

:hmm: well brother :cheers: i only have this to say :bowdown: I guess those who can't dig it, Need not be involved :thumbsup:

 

Ya know the saying "its a jeep thing" well for me it's a bit deeper, for me "Its an AMC-Jeep thing" :rotf:

:bowdown: AMC-Car's / Jeep-Truck's AMC I-4 I-6 V-8 power :yes:

 

Sorry to hear about your brother, I am honored by your comment

Mike

[carnuck]

Derf! Got that screwed up. It was my mom that passed away not my brother (although he tried REAL hard on the motorbike the night she died. He broke his arm in 3 places when he crashed)

[AMC-MJ]

:rotf: :rotfl2: :yes: well now :dunce: for me then :rotfl2: :rotf: :yes: Well anywho kind words none the less :thumbsup:

 

I got a bit of health issue myself, and with the season rapping up at work this project has gone as far as it'll get until spring time . . . you can get filled on that in my "projects hold man down" thread . . .

 

Mike

[AMC-MJ]

:fs1: Trying to find an MJ AMC-20 is proving to be most challenging, So i think i am going to just swap the 3.73's out for 4.10's and just running my D35 till i have an issue with it :thumbsup:

 

Mike

[ComancheKid45]

a D44 would still sit pretty under there though :cheers:

[AMC-MJ]

If I went with a D44 I would be way to tempted to run the 4.27 gears cause that is just how I am ya know . . .

 

I wouldn't have a problem with tow/hauling or durability/longevity ;-) ! Might be onto some thing here . . .

 

Happy holidays

Mike

[Pete M]

a: I've shown you where a couple of amc-20s are :yes:

b: swapping from 3.73s to 4.10s just isn't worth the cost and effort. 3.73s will work just fine for ya. :thumbsup:

c: can't wait to hear that v8 roar.

[AMC-MJ]

Bla bla pete, I'm not buying an axle I can't see also I think the pricing is a bit high !

 

3.73s won't work at all with an OD transmission it will be to doggy loaded.

 

Yes I too can't wait to hear it roar', seriously thinking about that D44 n 4.27s

 

 

Mike

[MancheKid86]

Bla bla pete, I'm not buying an axle I can't see also I think the pricing is a bit high !

 

3.73s won't work at all with an OD transmission it will be to doggy loaded.

 

Yes I too can't wait to hear it roar', seriously thinking about that D44 n 4.27s

 

 

Mike

 

 

 

wait a min,

so you are willing to go out of the way to get a whole gear set, plus spicer and maybe lockers for a temp axle,

but will not invest in an axle that you want even though its not in driving distance,

you order parts off line you don't see them you see a image that is relative to it,

and where are your pics?

cmon lets see those rockers installed on the comanche!!! (with comanche in photo plz)

[AMC-MJ]

For the price of the AMC-20 shipped I can have a D44 with 4.27 gears . . . A used "12 bolt". Isn't not a good enough description I might end up with a GM 1500 axle . . .

 

Had they labeled the axle AMC-20 Model 20 ect referring to it as the AMC axle I would have a more confidence in ordering it !

 

 

Mike

[streetjeep2.5]

290 or 304? My read in wiki says the 290 was from 67-69 and then became the 304 70 to whenever. Is both of them what you mean by the 290 being mentioned in this thread? I ask because you have peeked my interest on what to do when my 2.5 leaves the engine bay. Interestingly, they say the 290/304, in the middle of the 1970's tree hugger cries of air pollution went as low as 125 hp (hey, 2.5 4 popper hp in the 1990's). No compression and really bad gas mileage meant dumping fuel on the ground instead of in the air. Air pollution solved! Everyone happy!!! That's what most manufacturers did. I remember a movie from the 1970's with a chase scene with a chevy nova or pontiac equivelant, I forget which, that had the 350 or equivelant in it, and you could hear the 4 barrel carb sucking air, and it took them forever to get from from 0 - 60!

[AMC-MJ]

The 290 to 401 are all the same block as I under stand it, but there was 2 different deck hights the 290/343/390 were short decks with 9.0 and 10.2 compression ratios for the 290 and 343 the 390 was 10.2 through its full production run.

 

The 304/360/401 were tall decks they had 8.35-8.50 compression ratios, they were the answer to lower octane fuelk and exhaust emissions . . .

 

290 was replaced by 304, 343 was replaced by 360, and the 390 was replaced by the 401.

Now the 304/360/401 got the newer dog legged heads but the lack of compression hurt power.

 

The 290/343/390 still turned more Net power then the 304/360/401 in stock form.

 

BTW the was first used in 1966 model year, I hope this helps you !

 

Happy holidays

Mike

[Pete M]

Bla bla pete, I'm not buying an axle I can't see also I think the pricing is a bit high !

so you want one of the rarest axles of all time, but you're not willing to pay a completely reasonable price for it. I think that's how you can tell you're a true Jeeper. :yes: We're such cheapskates. :rotf:

3.73s won't work at all with an OD transmission it will be to doggy loaded.

 

actually it'll work very well with a grunty v8. It'll suck with a 2.5L. big difference there. I've got 3.92s in my Dakota and even when I was running the 31" tires (something like a 3.40 equivalent ratio) it never ever felt like a dog. :thumbsup: how about this, try it, and if you don't like it with the v8, then spend your money on the change.