4.3 xj swap

[maineiac]

has anyone put a 4.3 chevy into an xj ?and what did it take to do it?:cool:

[YELLAHEEP]

I did a write-up about this very swap a while back. Had the 4.3 in my first XJ, an '84. Best swap and improvement one could ever do to their pre '86 XJ. I'll dig it up and e-mail it to ya.

[YELLAHEEP]

Oops, hit the send button twice. :rolleyes:

[Eagle]

On a more sober note -- one of the guys near me who used to have an XJ did that swap, and afterwards he swore "never again."

The 4.3 is a 90-degree V-6 engine -- it is essentially a shortened 350 V-8, so it is just as wide as the 350 and requires pretty much the same adapters to make it work. Check the Advance Adapters web site for particulars.

The easier swap on an early XJ is the GM 3.1L or 3.4L V-6. These are built on the same 60-degree V-6 block as the 2.8L that came in '84 thru '86 XJs, so it's a better fit and a much easier swap.

[DeadEyeJ]

How bout the mighty GM 3.8 V-6. The series II motors in '98+ cars are real powerhouses. They seem to last about forever too. Real good motor. Any thoughts?

[maineiac]

i thought about the 3.8 grand national motor but it was too much money for the adapters and the turbo lag might be a prob. than a friend of mine said he had a 4.3 in an old truck,its the one with a 4 bbl carb so it would be easier to wire. advanced adapters sells the bellhousing and motor mounts to bolt this motor to my stock 4 speed so i think it should be an easy swap. any comments or suggestions are appreciated:cool:

[Eagle]

It can be done, just as people have shoehorned Chevy V-8s into XJs. But it won't be "an easy swap." Space is at a premium. However, you're getting the engine for a good price ;) so have fun.