4.0 Swap w/Pictures
ThisGuyUKnow
Full Time Jeeper
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- 2,785
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- Location
- Harleysville, PA
- Vehicle(s)
- 1986 CJ7 Laredo 4.0,Nv3550,D300 Twin Stick,AMC20 3.31, 31 BFG
Honda vtx1800c
1986 CJ7 4.0 Motor Swap w/Pictures
After all the sweat, blood, and tears dried up in my failed attempt to create a Tuned Port Injection AMC 360, I was so soured on the v8 that I decided I didn't want to deal with it any more. I could have gone back to carb or bought a howell efi kit but I thought about it and my expertise lies in 4.0s. I eventually want to dd my cj and I think a 4.0 would be a much better engine for the task plus swapping one in would potentially give me a way to live test the 4.0 conversion harnesses I have been selling lately.
The Driveline specs will be as follows: 91-95 4.0, Nv3550 (TJ 5 speed), Dana 300 , 91-95 MPFI, AMC20 rear w/3.31 gears .
Although most of this stuff is more or less a direct bolt in,from experience these projects tend to snowball and cascade into a lot of little side projects to make things work. I have done my best to think the project out globally in order to anticipate some of the roadblocks and tangents that will stand between me and the end result. My goal is that the completed project will only be an obvious swap if you know that a 4.0 wasnt an option in a CJ, I want it to look like it could have been installed in the factory or as close to that as possible.
Some areas of concern that I will eleaborate on when the thread progresses to the particular part of the install:
Dana 300 to Nv3550 will require an adapter and clocking ring.
I plan on using a 99+ horshoe intake. There are some issues with the belts when using these intakes on earlier blocks that I have not seen addressed online anywhere.
Hydraulic linkage for the slave. To do this right there are several options and routes. For anyone considering an Nv3550 or Ax15 this portion of your swap really needs to be thought through before embarking on the process.
So on to the project.....
First I started but removing the front grill and most of everything in the engine compartment. I also unbolted the motor and tranny mounts and dropped the Dana 300 .
Then I begged my landlord for some floor space because my garage is too small to manuever an engine hoist and moved the jeep into the temporary space for the surgery.
I moved the CJ and proceeded to pull the engine and tranny together. I found that pulling the intake off the V8 and using the intake to head bolts worked just fine to pick it up.
I dropped the engine in a dark corner to sit an think about all that it had done wrong.
Surprisingly, almost as soon as I pulled it, a guy contacted me from my Craigslist ad and came down that day to give me 800 bucks for the engine and the serpentine. He didnt want/need the T-176 so I still have that. I will need to list it individually on CL later.
After all the sweat, blood, and tears dried up in my failed attempt to create a Tuned Port Injection AMC 360, I was so soured on the v8 that I decided I didn't want to deal with it any more. I could have gone back to carb or bought a howell efi kit but I thought about it and my expertise lies in 4.0s. I eventually want to dd my cj and I think a 4.0 would be a much better engine for the task plus swapping one in would potentially give me a way to live test the 4.0 conversion harnesses I have been selling lately.
The Driveline specs will be as follows: 91-95 4.0, Nv3550 (TJ 5 speed), Dana 300 , 91-95 MPFI, AMC20 rear w/3.31 gears .
Although most of this stuff is more or less a direct bolt in,from experience these projects tend to snowball and cascade into a lot of little side projects to make things work. I have done my best to think the project out globally in order to anticipate some of the roadblocks and tangents that will stand between me and the end result. My goal is that the completed project will only be an obvious swap if you know that a 4.0 wasnt an option in a CJ, I want it to look like it could have been installed in the factory or as close to that as possible.
Some areas of concern that I will eleaborate on when the thread progresses to the particular part of the install:
Dana 300 to Nv3550 will require an adapter and clocking ring.
I plan on using a 99+ horshoe intake. There are some issues with the belts when using these intakes on earlier blocks that I have not seen addressed online anywhere.
Hydraulic linkage for the slave. To do this right there are several options and routes. For anyone considering an Nv3550 or Ax15 this portion of your swap really needs to be thought through before embarking on the process.
So on to the project.....
First I started but removing the front grill and most of everything in the engine compartment. I also unbolted the motor and tranny mounts and dropped the Dana 300 .
Then I begged my landlord for some floor space because my garage is too small to manuever an engine hoist and moved the jeep into the temporary space for the surgery.
I moved the CJ and proceeded to pull the engine and tranny together. I found that pulling the intake off the V8 and using the intake to head bolts worked just fine to pick it up.
I dropped the engine in a dark corner to sit an think about all that it had done wrong.
Surprisingly, almost as soon as I pulled it, a guy contacted me from my Craigslist ad and came down that day to give me 800 bucks for the engine and the serpentine. He didnt want/need the T-176 so I still have that. I will need to list it individually on CL later.
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