sevenfootone

[DAVID DANIELS]

So I am looking to find a good shop on Long Island that does engines and lift for my 1986 Jeep Comanche pickup.  What is recommended say a chevy small block?  Is a 4x4 so want the 2.8L out.  Please advise.

[Eagle]

I've seen a number of SBC V-8 swaps in Cherokees, and they ALL had massive cooling problems. The best swap for the 2.8L is a later GM 3.4L V-6 out of a rear-wheel drive car like a Camaro or Firebird. It's the same basic block as the 2.8L so it's a bolt-in swap. You can do it carbureted (although that Jeep carb is trash), you can do an aftermarket throttle body injection, or run it with the GM multi-port injection.

 

The biggest headache (and it's not big) is that the 2.8L was externally balanced -- it has a weight at one spot on the flywheel. The 3.4L is internally balanced and doesn't need that weight, so the flywheel from the 2.8L has to be neutral balanced. And automotive machine shop should be able to handle that.

 

[Pete M]

there are a ton of different engine swap threads in the Epic Tech forum for you to peruse.  

[Limeyjeeper]

Look at Novak Conversions. They have got the Chevy V8 swaps pretty sorted. They can provide engine mounts, bell housing adapters and cooling options.