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engine ideas?
- Thread starter xjowner86
- Start date
winterbeater
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Royal Oak, Michigan
Put a Buick Grand National turbocharged V6 in it.
Sure You'll need a plasma torch and welder, the ability to make or buy a wiring harness, you'll of course need the engine a running example will set ya back prolly $2K
The trans will need to be replaced and the xfer case adapted.
Figure on about $4000 to be driving it down the road that's IF you do all the work. Sound worth it for a $400 xj
Or you could just regear.
well the 2.8 v6 that came in it has no balls climbing the gearing is all good but it dies i replaced everything in the engine and still wont run right so i dont care what it takes i need a new engine but want something that has the power to show up all these buggy's
Okay... You can put any drivetrain in any vehicle. It just depends on how much time, money, and effort you want to throw into it.
If I were looking at swapping out a 2.8V6 for something else, I'd skip straight-6s regardless of manufacturer. You're looking at major modifications to structural parts of the unibody (notably the firewall) to make it fit the engine bay amongst other things. Search for 3.4V6 Camaro and 4.3V6 Astro swaps. I do not know the specifics of them at all well, but seem to recall that those are the least-painful to do in your case for the end result you'll get - though IIRC, those may also require swapping out the transmission and (possibly) transfer case as well.
Option 2: sell your 2.8 and put that money towards buying an XJ with a 4.0. This would probably be the simplest course of action and give you a more common platform for future work.
If I were looking at swapping out a 2.8V6 for something else, I'd skip straight-6s regardless of manufacturer. You're looking at major modifications to structural parts of the unibody (notably the firewall) to make it fit the engine bay amongst other things. Search for 3.4V6 Camaro and 4.3V6 Astro swaps. I do not know the specifics of them at all well, but seem to recall that those are the least-painful to do in your case for the end result you'll get - though IIRC, those may also require swapping out the transmission and (possibly) transfer case as well.
Option 2: sell your 2.8 and put that money towards buying an XJ with a 4.0. This would probably be the simplest course of action and give you a more common platform for future work.
$700later
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Jacksboro TN
http://www.lunghd.com/Tech_Articles/Project_XJ/Project_XJ.htm
a 3.4L is the easiest option. i started this swap on a '86 2.8 a couple years ago and failed, sold the whole project for $300. it was impossible to find the right parts.
but i started with an incomplete jeep. you may have better luck.
a 3.4L is the easiest option. i started this swap on a '86 2.8 a couple years ago and failed, sold the whole project for $300. it was impossible to find the right parts.
but i started with an incomplete jeep. you may have better luck.
There's so many more things required to "show up a buggy" than just power
In fact a really really well built buggy could darn near do it's thing with a briggs and stratton under the hood. If you have low enough crawl ratio a well fed hamster in wheel can become an adequate powerplant for offroad. It's actually on road where a lack of HP is most evident and annoying
What is "climbing the gearing"?????
When you become an good enough mechanic to fix your 2.8's stalling issue then you'll be in a position to realistically consider if the engine swap is for you. Ive done several normal and bizarre swaps in my day and without exception they're always harder to do, more expensive to complete and not as awesome as anticipated. Basically take your worst expectation for time and $$$ and then multiply that times 3
NOW IF I had a 2.8 powered jeep that had to last me the rest of my life and it needed an engine I'd look into the following swaps in this order
Camaro 3.4
Mercruiser 3.0
GM 3800
Mercedes or other small Diesel 4cyl
Mercruiser 224 4cyl alumnum block, 460ford head, SBC trans pattern
Vortec 4800 (cheaper than the 5.3 still 300hp)
EFI SBC or ford 5.0
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3.4L is a "Direct Swap" or as close as you can get... the 4.3L is a whole different family, to swap in a 3.4 would be the cheapest and easiest route.... if you can find one from a camaro or something similar just pull the entire engine, harness and all..... before you put it in you can buy headers and such if you wanted.... the power and drivability difference between the 2.8 and 3.4 are worlds apart... the 3.4 makes very decent power and does not have near as many driveability issues...
- Location
- Rainy side of Washington
See, this is why people should use punctuation...
:lecture:
ridgerunner97
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Just about any GM with the 60* V design I think will bolt up to your existing tranny because the 2.8 has the same pattern. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, I can't remember for sure. An older Caddy V8 will fit hehehe
IIRC the FWD 4.9L caddy and other GM 90 degree engines used the same "Metric" bolt pattern save a couple of bolt holes needed to be enlarged in the RWD "Metric" bellhousing
MORE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_GM_bellhousing_patterns#GM_metric_pattern
- Location
- Rainy side of Washington
:roflmao: man you must always be in a hurry, this is like the second post I've seen you write with actual punctuation in it.
88 Wagonman
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Boise, ID
I was impressed by the "use a mercruiser" think outside the box mentality until I saw the 470/480 (224) mercruiser being suggested
. That thing is a joke. It's terrible to get parts for, it runs like crap, it's a weak motor, and it's way too big in size compared to it's output. I do like the 3.0 mercruiser if you have nice soft motor mounts as it is a bit shakey.I was impressed by the "use a mercruiser" think outside the box mentality until I saw the 470/480 (224) mercruiser being suggested
Really well that's good to know as that's the one motor on this list I have no direct experience with. I was very intrigued by the use of a 460 ford head and was figuring quite a bit of HP could be made with a good aftermarket unit.
88 Wagonman
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Boise, ID
There are a lot of interesting things about that particular engine, such as the original ones had no belts! The water pump is gear driven and a PITA to get to, and the alternator consisted of a permantly mounted stator assy. mounted under the crank pulley. The crank pulley has permanent magnets that produce the A\C current when spinning around the stator, and then is regulated\rectified by a separate unit mounted on the side of the block. Most of them have been converted to a standard alternator by now though. As far as making more horespower, if you wanted to treat it like a race engine (disposable) it might work out, but not long term.
