Still working on it?
Our is a 1979
CJ7 Ridgerunner. It was bad off. Pics attached before and after...
We got it with a
AMC 304 that was mortally wounded. Since we already had a T-18a and a
Dana 20 - and testosterone what it is - we found a 401 in Tampa and cleaned it up. It is an awesome powerplant. Torque monster.
We've been at it for over two years. Biggest problem was/is
Limited wallet. If money was no problem D60's rule. But money is a problem so after months of searching we found a set of wide tracks (yep A
Dana 44 in the rear) and lept on 'em FOR $300.00! Yea Craigslist! And here's a clue - the Jeep for parts was listed as a Wrangler - not a CJ. In the text I found the year stated as '86. Serious stroke of luck. Those axles sat in the guy's yard for MONTHS.
We also found a postal axle - if they're from the '70's they are D44s and all have Detroit Lockers. We got that for $100.00. Of note the gearing on Jeep axles is in two stages - above 3.73 and 3.73 and below. A completely different carrier is needed depending on the range. The postals have 3.73 and our wide tracks 2.72s - so they match
You may be thinking 2.72s? With 35's? Well - our original axles were trashed and were geared at 3.53. This gearing and 35's made our T-18s second gear useless. We essentially had a two speed tranny -with a very cool granny gear.
When we got the 2.72s just for kicks we bolted them up and were pleased - we now had a usable 2nd gear - so with an extremely tall granny in 1st and a working 3 speed we have the "beast" of both worlds. Can you imagine trying to run 35's on a
AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l with 2.72s - shows what a powerhouse the 401 is. Also if you find or have a 401 with the Motorcraft 4350 - it can be a great carb. Handles off angle stuff with ease...
If you can find a Jeep T-18a granny/
Dana 20 your life will be very easy. Can't speak to T-19s etc, but Novak can give you great advice.
We used the 11" clutch and a Novak hydraulic setup that works awesome. Also, stopping a 401 is just as important as it's get up and go.
We got a set of dual power boosted Wrangler brakes off EBay for $179.00 - an amazing difference...
Keep us posted - anxious to hear how much you lke the 401....