h-townxj prerunner build

[tbburg]

Going in Is a sbc 350,... ..., Also turbo350 tranny with a mild shift kit. Bye bye 4wd also.

You ditching the 4wd because you don't want it, or because the TH-350 is 2wd? They make a 4WD version of the TH-350, and it bolts up to the NP-231.

 

[h-townxj]

Well one beacuse the tranny is 2wd but won't neccisarily Need 4wd for where we go. Plus I have my Tj with it's little goodies and 4wd to pull me out if I need to be. Gonna run paddles in the sand. And I think were gonna run the new general grappler For other occasions.

 

[h-townxj]

Man I need to move into a better neighborhood everytime I walk outside the chr-oakie has more and more parts missing!

on the bright side I found the parts on my garage floor!
Even my super hi performance exhaust?? Lol I wish get to go pick up the new motor tomarrow which means more pictures hopefully in the next few days you'll see and empty engine bay

 

[h-townxj]

 

[xcm]

awesome, i heard scuttlebutt you were throwing in a 350. keep the pics coming!

 

[h-townxj]

well picked up the motor and tranny today details on it at this time are...
Sbc350 2bolt main(wish it was 4)
eddlebrock performer intake manifold
world performer heads (stock replacement with some small upgrades)
flat top pistons
comp cam (mild)
dyno'd at the time of build with 330hp and 350tq a the flywheel

turbo350 tranny
3speed auto with a mild shift kit and stock torque converter

hopefully this weekend I can get the v6 pulled and next week order my motor mounts so I can start working on plating the engine bay part of the frame.
The jeep already had an external tranny cooler but it's pretty small so I'm gonna see if I can use it as my powersteering cooler and buy a new tranny cooler. Once I can get the motor in I'm gonna see what I can fit as far as a radiator and fan. The novak unit is nice I just refuse to pay $500 for a radiator when I can mount up a universal for 200 or so. Anyways that's the story for now still ripping stuff out of the car.

 

[h-townxj]

Hey guys I'm selling all of my pull off parts if your interested I'm about 40min south of Fresno. Here's the link to my for sale thread
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?p=245002906#post245002906

 

[h-townxj]

What's. This progress?!?!?! Lol well kinda I'm still laggin but at least I got somethin done.

 

[NorCalChris]

Have you measured everything to see how well the engine is going to fit? Ive heard that the pre 4.0 xjs engine bay was smaller becuase the firewall was a little farther forward.

 

[yossarian19]

Have you measured everything to see how well the engine is going to fit? Ive heard that the pre 4.0 xjs engine bay was smaller becuase the firewall was a little farther forward.

True story. I've even heard that the firewall was built the way it is specifically to eliminate the inline six as an engine choice, but that a change in company ownership also made for a change of policy and engine choices.
In any case, the 4.0 will fit with a little massaging of the firewall.

 

[h-townxj]

Eh if it hits I cut lol

 

[h-townxj]

Well in all seriousness I haven't checked I'm gonna run the novak mounts cut out both front radiator supports and cross member so I can run a big mf'n radiator lol. And if the firewall hits I'll cut a hole in it too I'm not scared to cut into this thing it's not a dd or anything I got my Tj for play and in town driving and I got another xj for dd so I mean I'm in the world of if it don't fit I'll makit it fit lol

 

[GrimmJeeper]

I hope you plan to replace it with something, there won't be anything keeping the front end from folding in on itself once the front crossmember is gone. It will tweak the front end as soon as you cut it out with no bracing in place beforehand.

You'll benefit more from moving the engine rearwards and cutting the firewall out than you will by having it further forward. The less weight you have forward of the front axle's centerline the better, it will help keep the nose up when you're hauling ass.

 

[h-townxj]

The cutting out is for the fact so I can run a sbc 29x31" aluminum rad gonna replace both upper and lower supports with Dom tubing along with full frame rail plating front to back and build a few extra crossmembers. And the engine cage will tie into the bumper and new crosmembers it's all work in process

EDIT:
and I want to mount the engine a lil farther back so I can have better front axle clerence/uptravel. I'm excited to work on this beauty again. I miss cutting stuff up and love the way she looks I want to drive it soo bad but it's Kinda hard without a motor and proper suspension/steering lol. Driving with no swaybars is fun though

 

[GrimmJeeper]

If I were you I would either tack weld or bolt in a brace between the rails before you cut the old stuff out. when my last jeep started cracking all over from repeated beatings I cut that front lower brace to make pulling the motor easier, and as soon as the sawzall got through the last bit the rails popped inward over a quarter inch.

 

[h-townxj]

Ya thanks for the info I'll make sure I do that cuz I really don't wanna have to stretch them back out lol

 

[h-townxj]

Ok so some plans have changed onthe xj due to budget and I'm tired of it sitting lifeless in my garage. And I'm getting a great deal on a complete motor and wiring harnes. Plus I'll be ca smog legal so she dose not have to be trailers everywhere
Sbc350 OUT
TH350 OUT
freshly rebuilt 4.0 IN
trans undecided I want an auto but don't have one at this time
everything else is still staying as planned with the exception of that I now want to run 4wd

 

[GrimmJeeper]

you can get an adapter to bolt that th350 to the aw4 I believe, check with advanced adapters or novak

 

[h-townxj]

Yeah the adapter is available but my th350 is a 2wd trans so in order to make it 4wd I'd have to basically pull the whole thing apart just not worth it though I may just deal with 2wd for awhile if I have to well see