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1986 Pioneer Kubota Swap.

Tstainless

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Ohio
Hey everyone, I wanted to share my Kubota swap journey with you in hopes of encouraging others to take on this sort of conversion. Cheers?


Shes an 86 Pioneer, that last of the AMC XJs. I've been tinkering on here and there for about a year now with little things.
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While during some serious deliberation about what to replace the Chevy 2.8, 904 trans, and 208 transfer case with......... this little fell into my lap. A kubota V2203.
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Interested in the rest of the story.
 
I'm using an SP Machining adapter to mate to a 700r4. Used a needle scaler to strip the block paint and crust. I also needle scaled the adaptor to mimic cast iron. Then hit it with some spray on rust converter.
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That's a deep project, your very committed so hat's off to you! :worship:
 
Bone stock they are are about 50HP and 90 Ft lbs. Boosted 130hp and 250 ft lbs is common, but there are some guys in the 300 ft lb territory. 300 ft lbs is my goal.


Here's the 2.8 that's coming out. Mildly cammed, with a Weber. It's actually a solid running little engine and the 904 keeps it a tight package. I'm sure I'll find something to put it in.
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so much space under that long hood. I wonder if a v12 will fit?

interesting motor you got. 50 hp is what my 63 vw bus had, but no where near the torque. made it thru Alaska with 50 hp back in 1977, 500 miles of dirt logging roads!
 
Thanks! Sounds like a blast! Lol

In paint, and starting to mock up the crank and water pump pulley from the 2.8.
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What's that black vehicle in the background with the Chevy valve covers?
 
I had to make a piece of tooling to hold the factory Kubota pulley so I could machine it to fit the 2.8 pulley. I took a little out of the pulley I.D. to fit the register in the hub, and then filed 3 notches for the tach pick up...... this was a bitch. Lol the bolts holes in the water pump match the 2.8 pulley but it will need spaced to match the crank.
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Its 42 Ford Woody, with an LS3 in it.

Nice. What trans you figuring on putting behind it?

Now I'm hard-pressed to say which is cooler - the Woody, or you putting a real tractor motor in your XJ!

Or did that Kubota appear in an actual road-going vehicle?
 
The Wood has a 4l70E in it.

The Kubota came off of a generator that was in the back of a mobile TV station.

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An XJ with a Kubota engine conversion was just mentioned by the guys at Bad Obsession Motorsport (home of "Project Binky"). Took #3 in the "bracket" category of the International Quarantine Auto Show.

Saw that, and thought of this project....
 
An XJ with a Kubota engine conversion was just mentioned by the guys at Bad Obsession Motorsport (home of "Project Binky"). Took #3 in the "bracket" category of the International Quarantine Auto Show.

Saw that, and thought of this project....

Saw that too. Thanks for the reminder, I meant to do some searching for that XJ and Kubota swaps in general.
 
BEEN A HELL OF A YEAR GUYS YIKES..... BUT... now that things have leveled off its time to get this project rolling again! Stay tuned!
 
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