Help with 327 SBC swap

[Cross-Threaded-06TJ]

OP, i went down a similar road before with a YJ and a 406 sbc, I used the th350 with the stock transfer case (i think it was a 231) added sye, Tom Wood did the driveshafts, springs over axle (again it was a YJ) and ran 35" Jimmy Dean cut boggers on a front 60 and rear 9". Have several 0's in your checkbook because you will need them.

I have started looking into a v8 swap for my current TJ and even though i have a carbed 383 sitting here in a beat up 73 Camaro i would look into a newer version motor listed above. For me its LS and again get the checkbook ready because it isnt cheap

None of it will be Cheap. And being legal is important. Staying with a Mopar drivetrain would be smartest. Unless you want to toss all Jeep electronics, which is fine also.

This thread is a classic example of "just because you already have something" does not make it a good idea to swap it in.

 

[Cross-Threaded-06TJ]

It will all fall on deaf ears and the OP will most likely never post here again.

 

[Echos67]

It will all fall on deaf ears and the OP will most likely never post here again.

I hope to see as you suggested a build thread on it !

 

[Cross-Threaded-06TJ]

I hope to see as you suggested a build thread on it !

Sell the 327.

I think he should learn gradually, and start with a Turbo on the 2.5L

Just not at 14 PSI.

 

[InOmaha]

Well, people put stroked 4L engines in Jeeps too. Nothing fancy about those other than the price tag. A free low end carburated 327 puts you right in the range of a fuel injected stroker Jeep 4.6L engine in HP and torque; without paying thousands for it. But the 327 can still be improved on considerably with readily available Chevy parts, efi, etc.

The question nobody asked is which 327 do you have? They built different versions from 210 hp low end to 350 hp higher end.

You'll likely break stuff off road with any engine swap. You'll need to pick an end use and work back to the engine you want to drive the design you come up with.

The 5.3L (325ci) V8 Chevy engine is what the 327 morphed to when Chevy redesigned a small block in that displacement.

 

[JordanG]

Wildman,
After reading all the responses, I have decided the route to go this way with moderate headache is to utilize the 350 mated to a muncie 4 speed I have, with a novak adapter for the 231. It seems this way I have minimal electronics. (which is okay for me)

I don't have any complaints taking the old gauge cluster out, I plan to create a new gauge face in place of the stock one, with gauges to the 350 for oil, tach, temp, volts.. etc..

I have 4.10 gears on 30 inch tires.

I am curious about the TJ computer, without the gauges, engine, or transmission, what is retaining the stock computer good for? HVAC? ABS? (I hate electronics if you couldn't tell)

My external parts add about 80 pounds to the front of the jeep, but I also have no issue putting stronger springs up front to account for the extra couple hundred from the motor.

I have a pretty well equipped home shop, so I might have it easier starting than some, I have the motor, trans, tc, and radiator already. Call me dense, but truth be told I can't see what would cost people thousands upon thousands if you already have your powertrain to start with, unless that is the costs... Pulling everything off is free, putting in the motor is $2xx in brackets, Headers have to be custom.. Transmission mounts can be retrofit, $5xx for TC adapter, $2xx for driveshafts. What is costing these folks thousands of dollars..?

A muncie will sit farther forward than the stock trans, so Id have to pull a good bit of interior, too, so there's that.
I don't care about looking stupid as long as I can get correct information out of it..

 

[JordanG]

It will all fall on deaf ears and the OP will most likely never post here again.

I am stubborn, with a sprinkle of ignorant, but I am also handy.

motor has more than adequate carb, intake, cam, and new heads. I would imagine 350-400.

turbo 2.5 is cool, on a motorcycle..

 

[JordanG]

Well, people put stroked 4L engines in Jeeps too. Nothing fancy about those other than the price tag. A free low end carburated 327 puts you right in the range of a fuel injected stroker Jeep 4.6L engine in HP and torque; without paying thousands for it. But the 327 can still be improved on considerably with readily available Chevy parts, efi, etc.

The question nobody asked is which 327 do you have? They built different versions from 210 hp low end to 350 hp higher end.

You'll likely break stuff off road with any engine swap. You'll need to pick an end use and work back to the engine you want to drive the design you come up with.

The 5.3L (325ci) V8 Chevy engine is what the 327 morphed to when Chevy redesigned a small block in that displacement.

I had a 325 vortec out a 2013 suburban for a while sitting, I sold it, but I wouldn't have minded putting it in this jeep..

 

[Wildman]

Hey it's your rig so do with as you please. But make sure to go over to the build thread area and do a build on it.

I went the Muncie route once behind a 283 in a 1965 CJ5 after I blew up the stock T90 speed. My only complaint with the muncie is no lower gear. I had 5.38 gears in the axles so I was ok but would still rather have a NP435 or T18/98 or SM420/465 for that lower 1st gear.

Yes when people are listing a PRICE it includes the cost of the swapped in drivetrain. Example is my rig.
I started with a 5.2 Dodge V-8, 44RE transmission & STaK's 3 speed transfer case. Engine & trans were about $3K with all the wiring and PCM. Transfer Case was $3K. Then I have a TeraLow CRD60 rear axle. (High Pinion Dana 60) and a Ford HP44 front axle narrowed to Waggy width. Rear axle cost me $3.5K and I have about $1800 in my front. Actually I have about $3K in my front now since I added RCV shafts.

Even with your budget minded swap you will need a new radiator which you can find on Ebay/Summit Racing/JEGS and many other places.
You need motor mounts which AA has as well as a kit for a transmission to your 21 spline t-case. Well they did for the TH350 auto.
So now you have gone from a SBC 327 & either AX5 or AX15 to a SBC 350 and a Muncie 4 speed transmission?

No headers don't need to be custom. You just need block hugger headers like I am using.
Going old school is fine as long as you know what the limitations are. I drove Jeeps with carbureted engines for years. And would not go back as long as I don't need to.

I have $1K in front and rear driveshafts. I'm sure you can find them cheaper but I wasn't trying to cut corners when I built my TJ.

I'm redoing it right now and have a Dodge 5.9 V-8 (360) with a stroker kit which makes it a 6.7 (408). My transmission is a 46RE built to handle 600HP+. I won't even tell you how much it cost.


There are people who have swapped in a Dodge V-8 and after selling off parts and what was left of the donor truck it only cost about $500 for the swap.

I can't tell you off hand what if anything you need to run the PCM for. If not needed for the engine or trans or fuel pump I don't think anything. You will have to either get a fuel gauge that works with the Mopar sending unit or change the sending unit.

 

[JordanG]

Hey it's your rig so do with as you please. But make sure to go over to the build thread area and do a build on it.

I went the Muncie route once behind a 283 in a 1965 CJ5 after I blew up the stock T90 speed. My only complaint with the muncie is no lower gear. I had 5.38 gears in the axles so I was ok but would still rather have a NP435 or T18/98 or SM420/465 for that lower 1st gear.

Yes when people are listing a PRICE it includes the cost of the swapped in drivetrain. Example is my rig.
I started with a 5.2 Dodge V-8, 44RE transmission & STaK's 3 speed transfer case. Engine & trans were about $3K with all the wiring and PCM. Transfer Case was $3K. Then I have a TeraLow CRD60 rear axle. (High Pinion Dana 60) and a Ford HP44 front axle narrowed to Waggy width. Rear axle cost me $3.5K and I have about $1800 in my front. Actually I have about $3K in my front now since I added RCV shafts.

Even with your budget minded swap you will need a new radiator which you can find on Ebay/Summit Racing/JEGS and many other places.
You need motor mounts which AA has as well as a kit for a transmission to your 21 spline t-case. Well they did for the TH350 auto.
So now you have gone from a SBC 327 & either AX5 or AX15 to a SBC 350 and a Muncie 4 speed transmission?

No headers don't need to be custom. You just need block hugger headers like I am using.
Going old school is fine as long as you know what the limitations are. I drove Jeeps with carbureted engines for years. And would not go back as long as I don't need to.

I have $1K in front and rear driveshafts. I'm sure you can find them cheaper but I wasn't trying to cut corners when I built my TJ.

I'm redoing it right now and have a Dodge 5.9 V-8 (360) with a stroker kit which makes it a 6.7 (408). My transmission is a 46RE built to handle 600HP+. I won't even tell you how much it cost.


There are people who have swapped in a Dodge V-8 and after selling off parts and what was left of the donor truck it only cost about $500 for the swap.

I can't tell you off hand what if anything you need to run the PCM for. If not needed for the engine or trans or fuel pump I don't think anything. You will have to either get a fuel gauge that works with the Mopar sending unit or change the sending unit.

You make my mind at ease.. I need to find some documentation on hvac and abs controllers on here. I decided to use a 327 with the muncie, I just say 350 because its easier to follow.. Today I got the motor out from the dust and mounted it into a rotisserie, took some pics, will post a big catalog once we are complete. I will pull the motor apart tomorrow and confirm it has no damage from sitting for a few years. Next will be mating the np231 to the muncie and documenting my progress as a newbie.

 

[Wildman]

You make my mind at ease.. I need to find some documentation on hvac and abs controllers on here. I decided to use a 327 with the muncie, I just say 350 because its easier to follow.. Today I got the motor out from the dust and mounted it into a rotisserie, took some pics, will post a big catalog once we are complete. I will pull the motor apart tomorrow and confirm it has no damage from sitting for a few years. Next will be mating the np231 to the muncie and documenting my progress as a newbie.

If you have ABS you have two options.

1) Remove the ABS which a lot of people do on their TJ's

2) Figure out what wires need to stay for it to work thru the PCM and keep the TJ PCM.

Wiring the engine is only a few wires. Starter & coil and then maybe water temperature & oil pressure.
You'll need to run a wire from the alternator to the power distribution box to get power to the TJ. You're gunna need a voltage regulator since the TJ's alternator is controlled thru the PCM.

I'm going to be blending the wiring harness in my TJ with the harness from a Dodge truck. I have a harness from my old V-8 swap but it had some issues so I am going to TRY and make a new one myself this time.

 

[Cross-Threaded-06TJ]

Start a build thread here. Pics, or it didn't happen. I wanna see this massacre.

 

[Cross-Threaded-06TJ]

If you have ABS you have two options.

1) Remove the ABS which a lot of people do on their TJ's

2) Figure out what wires need to stay for it to work thru the PCM and keep the TJ PCM.

Wiring the engine is only a few wires. Starter & coil and then maybe water temperature & oil pressure.
You'll need to run a wire from the alternator to the power distribution box to get power to the TJ. You're gunna need a voltage regulator since the TJ's alternator is controlled thru the PCM.

I'm going to be blending the wiring harness in my TJ with the harness from a Dodge truck. I have a harness from my old V-8 swap but it had some issues so I am going to TRY and make a new one myself this time.

Could he just use a 1 wire updated alternator?