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A Thought On V8S


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Looks sweet, what happened to cause you to think it such a terrible idea??

With a faster truck, you need better steering, better brakes, better seat belts, boxed frame, etc... By the time you do all those upgrades, it isn't really a Willys anymore. It becomes so modern that it loses it's appeal to me. I just felt that was not what I was after. I really wanted it to look brand new, but original.

 

Here is a teaser shot of the 21 gal tank I installed.

 

Sorry, I hijacked the thread.

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Here is a 4.3L Chevy engine I put into my 52 Willys truck two years ago. I should have kept it all original. IMO I ruined a good build. I kept thinking I need to be able to keep up with the speed limit (85 mph). WRONG! I learned a lesson on that build.

 

Beautiful truck (atleast what we can see :) )

 

and I know what you mean.

The best part of the old Army truck I just picked up is the ancient flat head six.

I would have never guessed how much I'd love a 600lb 80hp engine,

but it makes the truck.

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I have probably done 'over 20' V8 swaps into Jeeps. No MJ or XJ. Just CJ, and FSJ

I used 1 Buick 350, 2 chevy 350 and one Chevy 327. I used SB Fords on all the others. And I'm not a Ford guy. My reasoning being the 150-200 lb weight difference. And the dizzy placement.

 

 

Wow, any modern FI engines? What about the engine mounts? or bellhousing adapters? How did you get the gauges to work? I would think getting a Ford engine to work in a jeep would be extremely hard, talking specifcally about EFI ford motors here.

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No EFI. All carbs. Used the motor mounts for the engine and fabricated an adapter welded to the frame for the mount to sit on. Kept the Ford bell housing made an adapter plate to fit between the BH and Jeep tranny. Many of the Ford clutch discs fit the Jeep input shaft. If I couldn't find one then I used a Jeep disk. Get a pilot bushing from Advance Adapters. Get the necessary senders that worked with Jeep gauges or used after market gauges. Actually I found them to be easy, relatively speaking, to swap. Used mostly 289's but a couple 302's.

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I did install one FI in a Jeep. Being a old fart I don't understand computers so instead of wiring up a ECU I placed 8 push buttons on the console. I think my mistake was in trying to use a V8 instead of a 6. I had each button wired up to a fuel injector. When I wanted a cylinder to fire I just pushed the button for that cylinder. I could do all right up to 1500-1600 rpm but then I started to get confused as to which button to push. Never had that problem with carburetors. :D

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This, while very nice in theory is NOT as easy in real life, at least if you want a long lived, reliable motor. I have, right now, as i speak, every single part needed to make a seriously badazz stroker in the loft of my barn. Even with $2000 to throw at it and all the parts, i could'nt afford to build it. I really REALLY wanted to do a stroker, but the cost of the machine work is simply to much and with no job and no income i don't have many options.

 

 

I will probably snag a cheap 4.0 out of the junkyard for the time being just the truck can move under its own power once again. I contacted the place i will get the engine from and they said there is a 30 day garuntte, exchange or store credit. I also asked about the state of the engines when they buy the car/trucks, they said if its has "good engine" written on the windshield, the motor was in good running condition when bought. The only thing they do after purchase is to drain the fluids, and put it in the yard.

 

All the parts and 2k and still not do-able, machine work must be expencive

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All the parts and 2k and still not do-able, machine work must be expencive

 

I take all my machine work to the border of Mexico near Juarez. I can usually get everything done for around $300. I can't tell any difference in quality.

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Novac and Advanced both offer a Ford to ax15 bell housing adapter. Grab a bell housing from a straight shift f 150. Several places offer a wiring harness. Might end up with very little custom work.

 

I read this on another thread "Stick with the 5.0L engines only: 88-93 year models as these are the OBD1 engines and require no computer work, even if you build it. As soon as you turn the engine over the computer re-learns all parameters of the combustion cycle. Great candidate"

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For keeping it in the family: Mildly built 360 or 401 if I could make it fit.

 

For sound: Cadillac Northstar made after 04 so it doesn't explode the head gasket every 10 minutes. Those things SCREAM. Most cars that had this were FWD though.

 

For usability: Probably a 5.2. I would keep the 4.0 if reliability was the first concern though. I would like to have tires for longer than a nanosecond so 230 HP is sufficient for an MJ. Lots of available parts due to the wide range of stuff with it. Ford motors are nice too, but I don't know much about them.

 

350 or other SBC would be less frustrating but it's been done trillions of times.

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Novac and Advanced both offer a Ford to ax15 bell housing adapter. Grab a bell housing from a straight shift f 150. Several places offer a wiring harness. Might end up with very little custom work.

 

I read this on another thread "Stick with the 5.0L engines only: 88-93 year models as these are the OBD1 engines and require no computer work, even if you build it. As soon as you turn the engine over the computer re-learns all parameters of the combustion cycle. Great candidate"

 

For keeping it in the family: Mildly built 360 or 401 if I could make it fit.

 

For sound: Cadillac Northstar made after 04 so it doesn't explode the head gasket every 10 minutes. Those things SCREAM. Most cars that had this were FWD though.

 

For usability: Probably a 5.2. I would keep the 4.0 if reliability was the first concern though. I would like to have tires for longer than a nanosecond so 230 HP is sufficient for an MJ. Lots of available parts due to the wide range of stuff with it. Ford motors are nice too, but I don't know much about them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Stuff. :thumbsup:

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I am putting a 351c in my 87 mj and it's really tight. Have to make my own mounts and trim some fire wall for clearance. I wanted a 351c just to be differant I say go with what fits your personality.

You will have more fun doing it with something you want to rather than something you don't. A chevy is easy to get parts for but to me it seems alot of people use them thats why I am going ford.

Go with what you want take your time and have fun doing it I say.

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I'm not sure about the '87+ but for an '86, the lip on the firewall needs to be trimmed and hammered back if using the large cap HEI distributor. It still comes out fairly easily also. I swapped to the small cap HEI distributor (needed to go electronic advance) and there is all the room in the world there. Just swapped my distributor out the other day and easily took it out.

 

351C is a bit much IMHO, I'd go the 351W route. The big block aspect of it makes it a major pain to fit while the 351W is a pain because it's so tall. Nothing a BFG and welder to the hood can't fix though!

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Although its been in the works for a few years now, I plan on a lightly built carb'd 68 chevy 327 in my 87 Renix 2.5 4speed 4x2 highway only and almost daily driver (except in snow or when chemical is on the road here in Minnesota). Reason? First, I LUV my 'manche that has 350,000 miles on it and will be keeping it but the 2.5 has been rebuilt twice, so won't be a third time. Second, radiator needs replaced again, and all of the syncros in the tranny are beginning to not work as well as they should (no noises or anything, so gears still good) so radiator and tranny fixes are on the horizon anyway. Third, I am having problems with my sensors and cold weather starts are a pain in the back side and the bucks to have them scoped and fixed (if new ones are even available any more) so since it is legal here in Minnesota I will like the symplicity of a choke and fast idle car again! Fourth, I've had 327's before back in the late 1960's and LUV them and want one again and no fabricating is needed since Novak supplies pretty much everything from about 20 years of swapping experience.

So, what it boils down to is if you want to go V8 you have abandoned original, so go with what works easy and simply, and trips your trigger, and has parts readily available. While I really thought of an AMC or Jeep V8 just to keep it in that parameter, but my research has made me see the chev small block is the easiest, least expensive, and seems to give the best satisfaction.

Plus, to have on my license plate "300 327" will draw some looks!!

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