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4.3 litre engine swap

J

jeephick85

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Montreal, Canada
hello all, i was donated a 4.3 l today and i would liek to know just what i ned to fit her into my 85 cherokee. i got a 5 speed tranny.. will the engine mount need to mod.. thx jay
 
the engine will mount similar to a sbc chevy, u will need an adapter for the transmission. if ti were me id trade or sell the 4.3 and go small block. for the power and price u could probably buy a 350 for what you sell the 4.3 for and gain either equal milage or more power depending on how you built the mill. and come close to the same in final cost.if u have a v6 try a 3.4L chevy or possibly a 3.8L for a direct swap.
 
What year is the chevy engine? If its a vortec design you start running into some wiring nightmares. They have a ton of sensors and computerized injection yadda yadda. I too got a 4.3 for next to nothing and I was thinking of dropping it in my CJ but by the time I got the price of a wiring harness from painless and gettingg the computer flashed it was getting close to 700 bucks, just too much for me. What engine/tranny did your XJ originially have? If you've got an AX-5 I'd try to find a chevy tranny to replace it. Like the others said Advance Adapters has about all the adpaters you'd need. Someone sent me a writeup on the swap about a year ago, I'll see if I can find it. I did a lot of research on this swap, even though I ended up just putting the engine in a blazer that needed one. PM me if you have any questions
 
Edelbrock (clicky here) sells intake manifolds to run a carb also, if wiring in all the electronics isnt your speciality. Yes, carbs do suck when at certian angles, but Holley (clicky here) also sells a carb that works well off road. I wouldnt go bigger than the 470cfm carb for the 4.3.

I have never used either for a 4.3, but dont see why it wouldnt work well.

Just my
2cents.gif
again.
 
"85" model Heep....gonna have a 2.5 or 2.8....if yer gonna do a 4.3 or v-8 swap....get the tranny/transfer case assembly out of a s-10...if the heep has an auto trans (A904) there ain't an adapter to hook to a 4.3....if it's a manual trans...maybe there is a bellhousing that will work.
 
Jay, The 4.3 swap is an awesome way to go - if you do it right. I had a '91 S-10 4.3, 5 speed and chevy t-case in my '84 and I LOVED it.

Do yourself a favor and get good and familiar with our search feature and enter several different key words involving your question. I know for a fact that this topic comes up quite often and there's hundreds of posts/threads providing all the information you need. I've posted a write-up on my swap so many times to others asking the same question you have so get to searchin'.

Good luck with the swap!
 
The 4.3 also fits alot easier under the hood, weighs less than the SBC, and with the early style radiator mounts, the cooling issues are easier to solve- take the factory brackets, and after you locate the motor in the eng. bay ( with the fan on it), measure, cut and weld the brackets to hold the radiator the right distance back from the fan, if you feel that you need to move the radiator. You can also get a radiator for universal fit from Summit Racing, Jegs, and so on. I have had good results using the radiator for a Postal Jeep, switching the water necks, and using the mounting ears from the original radiator from the XJ to mount to the stock brackets. Just something to think about. As for the tranny, the one in the XJ IS NOT up to the power of even a STOCK 4.3, so go ahead and spring for the tranny from the S-10 or fullsize truck.
 
I appreciate all the feed back guys. On the 4.3 i would definatly keep it a carbed engine. im not crazy about injection and the computer, work with computers everyday need a break while playin with the XJ. right now i have a 2.8 in my XJ and it runs amazing, its simply lackin some power. i was giving this 4.3l out of an 88 safari which it runs great 2 so i was going to rebuild it for the fun of it and see what the compatibility was with the XJ. i know that the carb does have angle limits but its easier to tinker with if u ask me for my opinion. if i was to go with the 4.3 would my t-case and tranny hold up to the stress?? yellaheep post me a link to your setup that u did. THANKS ALOT GUYS, JAy
 
If you want to go Auto a 700r4 is what most came with, my s10 had one, never gave me any problems. They also came with a 231c transfer case which is almost the same as the one that comes in our XJ's. a th300 would be fine if you didnt need a overdrive. A guy at work is doing the same thing in his YJ vortec 4.3 manual trans out of a late model s-10 or full size and a transfer case out of a late model s-10 or full size. For transmissions since a 4.3 is a small block with 2 cylinders cut off, anything that GM put behind there small blocks will work fine.
 
With you 2.8, I don't really know, but if it was a 4.0, I'd say trade the 4.3 for another 4.0 and make life easier. Forget trying to swap all that stuff, the 4.3 has no advantage over the 4.0, and less power and longevity.
 
Disagree with the post above this, BIG TIME. The 4.3 shares over 90% of its parts with the SBC. This allows for a tremendous amount of CHEAP, EASY TO FIND aftermarket parts, commonly available parts, unlike ( here we go) the AMC motors. Yes, you can hot rod the 4.0, buy goodies for it, blah, blah blah,... but you will end up paying alot more for them because the aftermarket is NO WHERE near as strong as it is for the GM motors.
Now, in closing, let the flame attempts begin.
 
Do not forget that the 4.3 weighs ALOT less than the 4.0. As for power, the power ranges from around 150 hp/125 lb-ft ( Hey that is more HP and the same Torque as the 4.0) to 210 HP/ 190 lb-ft of torque. So much for the "no power" thing. Long life? Just like ANY other piece of machinery, it all depends on HOW it is treated. I have seen 4.0's under 85,000 miles that have blow-by worse than my 273,801 mile MJ. I have also seen 4.3's that were worn out at low miles, Fords, even Toyota's too.
 
Uh, no, the weakest 4.0 you will find had 177 hp from the factory, with 91 and later getting 190, not to mention the smooth revving and torque the 4.3 can't match. The 4.3 he is talking about has less than 150 hp, and I know about the 4.3 motors, they are not that great. I would go as far as to say some of them are crap, and the parts for them are not that readily available. I don't care where the engine came from, it is not a small block chevy, its a damn V6. A similarly cared for 4.0 will run stronger for twice as long, and the weight difference is too small to care, maybe 100 pounds.
 
Jack Hill advises to use a 4.0....6 of one, half a dozen of the other. BUT the 4.0 will not bolt up to the existing tranny. The 2.8 bellhousing pattern is shared by a variety of I-4 and V-6 GM engines, not the same as either a 4.3 GM or a 4.0 AMC/DC engine.

As for performance support...the 4.3 has more hardcore racing parts available, while the 4.0 aftermarket is more oriented to the intended purpose of the engine....parts designed for more midrange/low end torque.

My personal favorite is the I-6...it's smoother and sounds better...the 4.3 engine has at least two versions....Gen 1 that most closely matches the "2 cylinders lopped off a SBC" description....and the later version with a counterbalancer shaft.

My experiences with both engines is very good reliability with proper care.
 
Thanks Guys. What do u guys suggest??? I have the option of gettign a 93 4.0 l for 500$ for the engine and computer, or i can keep the 4.3L for free and rebuild it, or i can rebuild my 2.8L.. I know u guys think im nuts about redoing a 2.8 but all i can say is that it has NEVER left me stranded anywhere. i know that its under powered but if i was to decided on rebuilding it what could i do to get more power from it, without making it fragile?? Good Day, JAy
 
jeephick85 said:
Thanks Guys. What do u guys suggest??? I have the option of gettign a 93 4.0 l for 500$ for the engine and computer, or i can keep the 4.3L for free and rebuild it, or i can rebuild my 2.8L.. I know u guys think im nuts about redoing a 2.8 but all i can say is that it has NEVER left me stranded anywhere. i know that its under powered but if i was to decided on rebuilding it what could i do to get more power from it, without making it fragile?? Good Day, JAy
Click to expand...

Dont rebuild the 2.8, wast of money IMHO. I would go for the 4.0, if it comes with close to everything you need to install it. You would have to get a new tranny as well with the 4.0. If you dont want to go through the hassle or time to swap in the 4.3 or 4.0 and thier respectable drivetrains, I guess go with the 2.8 rebuild route.

As far as power, The 4.0 has more than the 4.3. Working and driving customers 4.3's almost everyday, the 4.0 has a lot more grunt than the GM motor anyday IMHO. The 2.8 isnt worth hot-rodding up to make it produce more power. Just my .02 again.
 
While putting in a 4.0 is certainly the way to get the most power I think that swapping in the 4.3 is probably going to be easier.
There were a lot of body modifications done in 87 to fit in the 4.0
If he went that route then it's going to take a new radiator support, new hood, new latches.
With an 85 I think your best bet would be a newer 60 degree GM block, 3.1 or 3.8 I believe. I think those are basically drop in. You ned to find one from the early 90s that has the starter mount on the proper side of the bellhousing. I've read early 90's camaro is the best bet.
If you want to make the 4.3 workable you'll need a new drivetrain/motor mounts, maybe new x-member underneath.
If you want a 4.0 you're going to need a new drivetrain, and a whole lot of extra engine compartment/body parts and pieces. I would say the 4.0 swap is only feasible if you have a newer donor XJ.
my .02
 
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