5.3 Chevy or 5.2 Mopar?

skippymcg

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I have access to both motors and transmissions. Which is best? Which is easiest? I have a 99 TJ with the 2.5l? I know there is a ton of info out there on kits and how to convert....I am trying to decide which path to take. Any advice is appreciated. I will be doing this swap sometime on 2021.
 
I haven't done either, but from what I've read around here the Mopar will make things easier to integrate from an electronic perspective. The way the PCM and dash talk to each other, for example, makes the Mopar a cleaner install.

On the other hand, the LS has unmatched aftermarket support, so if you're wanting to go beyond the stock motor the LS will be a better starting point.

All depends on your priorities. Search on this forum and you'll find a ton of info.
 
Im a mopar guy but the 5.3 is a better engine ;)

What transmissions are you going to use for either?
 
If you are looking for the easiest swap the Magnum V-8 5.2. The Dodge computer talks to you dash and the wiring is easy also compared to doing a LS swap. The Dodge V-8 isn't going to make as much power or be as fuel efficient as the LS but it does ok. You'll see 13-18 MPG out of it.

Once you decide which engine you are going to do if you choose the Dodge I can send you some links for info on doing the swap. BTW I had a 5.2 in my TJ but am now building a 5.9 for it along with a bunch of other work.
 
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Not really worried about mpg. Not why I have a Jeep! Looking of ease of install and compatibility. Need more power to turn 33 in tires. Right now leaning in the Mopar direction. But as was mentioned there isn't as much support out there for this it seems. Is that because it is easier with Mopar?
 
Im also the guy that complains when iron block engines are referred to as LS engines

What is the iron block engines from GM then if they aren't a LS engine?


Not really worried about mpg. Not why I have a Jeep! Looking of ease of install and compatibility. Need more power to turn 33 in tires. Right now leaning in the Mopar direction. But as was mentioned there isn't as much support out there for this it seems. Is that because it is easier with Mopar?

Just like in the hot rod world Mopar swaps aren't as popular as Chevy and Ford. There is support out there for this swap so I'm not sure what you are looking for?

What specific are you looking for? Advanced Adapters sells motor mounts. There are many companies who sell a radiator for this.
You can get a wiring harness made if you don't want to do it yourself but it isn't hard. You can use either a manual or automatic transmission behind either engine. You'll need a different transfer case or change the input gear to a 23 spline. BTW I happen to have that gear if you want it.
 
Regearing your axles will help your 4 popper turn 33" tires. You should have 4.88 or 5.13 gears for that size tire with the 4 cyl. You have 4.10 gears right now and even with a V-8 you'll want lower gears.
If you have the 5.2 already you might add some performance items to get a little more HP/TQ out of it. There are also some things you should do to it before installing it into your TJ.

If you go read my build thread there is info for doing this swap and also search this site for magnum swaps and you'll find a ton of information.

You will also need to start thinking about making your axles stronger or swapping them out for stronger axles. Your Dana 35 isn't really made to take the power of a V-8 so you should get at least a Dana 44 in the rear. Your Dana 30 front axle can take it as long as you are not romping on it. But you really need to think about regearing to a lower gear ratio.


You need to choose your engine and transmission first and then we can point you in the right direction for info and resources.
 
So a LS is ONLY if it is the aluminum block engine? What did they put in trucks and SUV's?
 
Technically an LS is an ls1, ls2, ls3, etc... all LS engines are aluminum blocks. They have many iron block engines but their ID does not start with LS. Nowadays everyone just calls a gen 3/4 chevy v8 an LS. I mean they aren’t wrong in a sense but there’s a significant price difference between an ls2 and an iron block 6.0 truck engine.
 
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Technically an LS is an ls1, ls2, ls3, etc... all LS engines are aluminum blocks. They have many iron block engines but their ID does not start with LS. Nowadays everyone just calls a gen 3/4 chevy v8 an LS. I mean they aren’t wrong in a sense but there’s a significant price difference between an ls2 and an iron block 6.0 truck engine.
LSX would like to prove you wrong about being aluminum block only.
 
Technically an LS is an ls1, ls2, ls3, etc... all LS engines are aluminum blocks. They have many iron block engines but their ID does not start with LS. Nowadays everyone just calls a gen 3/4 chevy v8 an LS. I mean they aren’t wrong in a sense but there’s a significant price difference between an ls2 and an iron block 6.0 truck engine.

Since they went away from the old 305/350 engines I really haven't followed Chevy too much since I didn't own one anymore. I've either had a Jeep or Ram pickup. I owned a Chevy K2500 with the rear steer for a short time but hated that truck and that engine got SHITTY fuel mileage so I went back to owning a Cummins.
 
It isn't that there aren't performance parts out there for the Dodge magnum V-8 you just have to LOOK a little harder.
What kind of power are you wanting to make and how much do you want to spend?

I have a Dodge 5.9 that I
m building right now with a stroker crank that will make it a 6.7 (408) and it'll put down 450-500 HP/TQ at the crank when I'm done.
I have a CRD60 rear (TeraFlex HP60 axle) and a Ford HP44 front with 5.13 gears & ARB lockers. They make stroker kits for the 5.2 also which would make the 318 a 390 or 6.3 when done.

Hughes Engines

The amount of power you get is only dictated by your wallet.
 
Here is a 193 page thread that will answer maybe some of your questions about doing the Dodge 5.2 swap.

https://tinyurl.com/ybcekogv
There are at least 4-5 people who have done the Dodge V-8 swap on this forum. Might even be more than that.
Also don't forget the Dodge Hemi swap. They have come down in price and aren't as expensive at they use to be. The Hemi swap is more inline with cost as the GM swap but you can swap your dash out to talk to the PCM. To do that in a GM swap you have to run 2 (two) PCM's. One for the GM engine and the stock one for the TJ dash.