Ok, I need help to get this bug!

Ok, I need help to get this bug!
M

Mrbowdeadly

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Hello all!

This is my first post on the board, wanted to say hello. I am 39 years old and have wanted to own a jeep cj since I was a kid. The bug has never went away, but jobs and circumstance have kept me in vehicles I needed rather than loved.

To that end, I have decided that life is too short to wait any longer. I am selling my F250 diesel and buying that CJ I have always wanted.

I am, however, a noob to this, and I was wondering if any of you would chime in and help me with my decision!

I know I want a CJ7 . It is my favorite of the body styles. My first question is what engine????

Common engines are
AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l
four cylinder
360
swapped out chevy drivetrains

I always thought I would get the six cylinder, and maybe an automatic?
Since I have been looking more seriously though, I have seen some very nice jeeps with other drive trains. I know from my reading that the post CJ jeeps with four cylinders are truly underpowered. Does the same apply for the old four cylinder? I have also seen people write about how the inline six always seems to leak. Is this just a maintenance issue?

This jeep will be my daily driver. I am incredibly excited about it. Can yall please chime in and guide me in purchasing my first jeep?

Thanks so much!
Mrbowdeadly (Jason Hubbard :chug:)
 
Of the choices in the poll, I would take an AMC360. It's bolt in compatible with off the shelf parts. Fuel injection is reasonably easy to hook up if you have some mechanical skills. A 360 has plenty of power to push a CJ around. Besides, a V8 just sounds good. Though putting in a bigger V8 would make me want to grab a Transmission and Transfer Case that can handle it. Full size Jeeps (wagoneers and trucks) are good donors for this.

A Chevy V8 would be my second choice. The engine itself is reasonably cheap and plentiful. There is some work needed to adapt it but it's not hard to find motor mounts, radiators, etc that will work and aren't too expensive. It too makes plenty of power and sounds good. If I were going to do a Chevy V8, I would grab a Transmission (GM Turbo 400 /700R4/SM465) and Transfer Case (NP205/NP208) to go with it. That's easier than trying to adapt a Jeep Transmission /Transfer Case to it.

Another choice that isn't too hard and would be my 3rd out of your list is to find a used 4.0 out of a newer Jeep, stroke it with the AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l crank and get some reasonable power out of it. It wouldn't take any effort to bolt it all up in place of an existing straight 6. Wiring the fuel injection is about the worst part of that but it's not difficult. Though leaving a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l mostly stock would still be enough power for a CJ and would be a good alternative.


That being said, I'm putting an AMC 401 into my CJ. Not much different from bolting in a 360 since it's bolt up compatible with a 360 more or less. My philosophy with my build plans is to have a very mildly built motor that makes gobs of torque in the lower to mid RPM range. I'll have all the power I need from off idle to redline. And since it's a mild build, there's little stress on the engine itself. Turning big tires takes big torque. Either you get an engine with a lot or you step up your gears and run the snot out of a smaller engine (i.e. 4 banger). But running the snot out of a small engine shortens it's life span. And I'm building my Jeep to wheel it, not to have to rebuild the engine every other trip.
 
Thanks for the reply Derf....

This will be a daily driver for me, so I am a little concerned about fuel mileage, but not terribly.

They are pretty easy to find with the 360, so I may go that route like you said.

I appreciate you taking the time to answer and look forward to seeing your 401 swap!

MBD
 
Mrbowdeadly said:
Thanks for the reply Derf....

This will be a daily driver for me, so I am a little concerned about fuel mileage, but not terribly.

They are pretty easy to find with the 360, so I may go that route like you said.

I appreciate you taking the time to answer and look forward to seeing your 401 swap!

MBD
Click to expand...

If you're concerned about mileage, don't get a CJ. ;)

One thing I forgot to talk about was the 4.3 Vortech V6. They're good alternatives as well. Enough power but maybe a little better mileage than a V8. Easy to find in salvage yards since there were so many S10 Blazers and pickups. It's not too hard to swap them in.

I'll be posting updates about my CJ build as I go but you can check it out at My 1984 CJ7
 
if you want fuel economy either a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l or the 4.3 efi vortex also the 4.3 will give you more power
 
As said above, cj's get bad mpg, it's just a flat box going through the air.
My first choice for a DD would be a 4.3 vortech with a 4l60.
I hate to say it but my real first choice for a DD would be the truck you have now. Get the cj for a weekend ride.:)
 
inline six is good, i want a v8 but in all reality the 6 does a hell of job for me. its my dd to, i also pull a boat with it. the 6 cyl will run virtually forever and they are simple as you can get to work on. with proper maintenance and some new gaskets an old motor doesn't have to leak like a sift.
 
A CJ as a DD would not be my first choice of vehicles and as a mater of fact it would not be on my list at all. They are great toys for the weekend or? but concidering they are noisy, rough ridding, poor handling, poor milage, and if you are without a hardtop you are battling the elements and won't be able to lock anything up inside.
That said I would do the 6 cylinder again even though the sound of a V8 seems pretty hard to ignore. I would not have an automatic personally and am happy with the T-18 (granny low 4 speed) for offroad the granny low is indispensible in my view. You do want to shy away from the QuadraTrac full time system from what I hear.
 
I have to agree with Sasquach on most of it. The CJ rides like a buffalo and gets lousy fuel milage and the day will come when you wonder why you are not driving that big cushy ford. On the other hand, you won't turn heads with your truck and you won't considder the truck one of the family. The closest you will come to adventure with the truck is when you are towing the Jeep with it. It is actually a little cheeper to tow a CJ than to drive it.
I am a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l fan but can see the urge for a V8. I put turbo muflers behind headers, Don't care for the noise. I also like my Jeep to be all Jeep and Toledo never put a GM motor in a Jeep. The CJ is an off road legand, a fun machine to drive, a hot rod to be proud of and at the same time a classic and even an antique automobile they ain't gonna make any more of them. So I would ask that if you have dreams of chopped fenders and 10" SOA lifts that you find something that is already cut up beyond restoration and go from there. Don't get the idea that my CJ is all stock, I like to upgrade as much as the next guy, I just like mine to"look stock". There are no shortage of modifications and upgrades that you can do, it just depends on how deep your pockets are. but if your looking for an economical, comfortable, secure, comuter vehicle you may want to think about this a bit more.
:cool:
 
IOPort51 said:
I also like my Jeep to be all Jeep and Toledo never put a GM motor in a Jeep.
Click to expand...

Not true.

The 225 V6 in the 60's through 1971 was a GM design that Kaiser bought and produced itself. After AMC bought Jeep, they sold the design back to GM.

The 151ci Iron Duke 4 cylinder in the CJs from 1980-1983 was sourced from GM.

In the early 70's, Jeep put Buick 350 V8s into the Wagoneers and J-Trucks.

In the first three years of the XJ, it had a GM 2.8l V6.
 
I made my vote based on what you are doing with it. As little work as possible, stick with what the factory did. That will give you the best longevity, and you can upgrade as you go. Myself, I am doing a Chevy drivetrain, but that was a decision I made because it will not see the road everyday,
 
OK, so how should I put this. I don't want some body else's botched up SBC transplant. If the automotive engineers at Jeep, be it AMC, Kaiser, or Willys thought enough of a particular design of power plant to make it a factory standard/option then I would have to consider it to be a Jeep engine. just as I think of my Autolite distributor as a jeep part and my carter carb is most definitely a jeep part. I think 350 SBC's are wonderful machines and I would be proud to have one if I drove a land cruiser or a Jaguar. I do think I will pass on having one for my CJ, especially when a AMC 304 , 360, or for the truly crazy, the 401 are with in reach. And so much easier to put in.:D

derf said:
Not true.

The 225 V6 in the 60's through 1971 was a GM design that Kaiser bought and produced itself. After AMC bought Jeep, they sold the design back to GM.

The 151ci Iron Duke 4 cylinder in the CJs from 1980-1983 was sourced from GM.

In the early 70's, Jeep put Buick 350 V8s into the Wagoneers and J-Trucks.

In the first three years of the XJ, it had a GM 2.8l V6.
Click to expand...
 
IOPort51 said:
OK, so how should I put this. I don't want some body else's botched up SBC transplant. If the automotive engineers at Jeep, be it AMC, Kaiser, or Willys thought enough of a particular design of power plant to make it a factory standard/option then I would have to consider it to be a Jeep engine. just as I think of my Autolite distributor as a jeep part and my carter carb is most definitely a jeep part. I think 350 SBC's are wonderful machines and I would be proud to have one if I drove a land cruiser or a Jaguar. I do think I will pass on having one for my CJ, especially when a AMC 304 , 360, or for the truly crazy, the 401 are with in reach. And so much easier to put in.:D
Click to expand...

I can't say I have any room to argue with that logic. I know at least one person crazy enough to put a 401 in his CJ... :chug:
 
You guys rock!

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to answer my post.

Ok, now I am gonna say a few things.

I could have the top off all the time. I constantly ride with the windows down. Sometimes I open the door on my truck while I am driving just to see the road going by...If I don't get a jeep I am going to go crazy. In fact I may hire someone soon to drive my ford while I ride in the bed with my head hanging out like a labrador retriever!

I will honor the wishes of purists everywhere and not cut up a stock jeep (honestly, time will tell but I expect I may be a purist myself).

I am not THAT concerned about mileage, but I can't get eight miles to the gallon. It will have to be reasonable at least, I am sure that carbs, gears, and tires all come into that equation.

I cannot afford both options (keeping the f250 and buying a jeep) unless I start with a real P.O.S. I am moving to an area where I won't have to travel too much, and I will be on the beach. :) Should I get a POS and fix it up?????

I was really leaning toward a six if I didn't have any input from anyone. Thankfully you have all chimed in. If it were not a daily driver, I think I might get an eight cylinder for a weekend fun toy.

Ok, so I am going to look for an inline six. CJ7 . Stay away from QuadraTrac and look for a manual??????????

Looking forward,
MBD
 
If you want any type of fuel mileage, yes to both. Manual Transmission will get you more mileage, and you will be happier in the long run without the QuadraTrac .

Now that you know what you are looking for, good luck finding it. Be patient, and don't jump at the first one, just because it is available. If someone is trying to sell you one cause they just upgraded the stereo, be leary. Someone else had a great write up on here about things to look out for. I don't have it at the moment, but I will try to dig it up.

I found the thread for you http://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/f49/what-look-5788/
 
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:) Should I get a POS and fix it up?????

Absolutely not! Look for the best CJ you can find and spend more up front because fixing up a POS will cost much more in the long run.
I doub't anyone here will argue with that.
Especially if this your DD.
 
I have 2 P.O.S.'s and I don't regret it, but I like to tinker, try to fix/break things. Since it will be your daily driver, I agree with the previous posts. You don't want something pulled apart in your garage, when you need to get somewhere. Good luck with your search!
 
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Sasquach said:
A CJ as a DD would not be my first choice of vehicles and as a mater of fact it would not be on my list at all.
Click to expand...
i think its a great choice for a dd. i sold a perfectly good late model s-10 xtreme. so i would have the money to make my jeep reliable enough for a dd. i thoroughly enjoy driving my jeep everyday.
 
Buy one with a 360, then either do a junk yard TBI swap or pick one up from AFI affordable fuel injection or Howell. The TBI will run far better than a carb, will get better gas mileage, and will start easy during winter.

I daily drove mine for awhile, no top no doors, summer, fall, winter, spring.
The CJ7 with the 360 and an auto is my choice.
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