Choose my engine

[87grandwagn]

I need help.

What is the best replacement engine for a wagoneer and why?

5.3?
6.0?
8.1?
Hemi, 5.7 not 6.1?

I don't THINK I want a diesel.....but

cummins?
Powerstroke?
Duramax?

I do not make decisions at all. I want a fun Jeep. I want to stomp the pedal and be engulfed in a cloud of smoke. I want a fun peppy fast jeep.........that gets good gas mileage. :)

ok.....not too concerned about mileage but it would be cool to have a 500hp waggy that gets 20+ mpg.

Andy

[mattmopar440]

the 6BT cummins seams to be the easist and most pouplar swap

what type of budget are you on hemi swap cost $$$$$$ :eek:
sure you dont want to just throw a EFI 401 in there instead

[87grandwagn]

I want a newer fuel injected overdrive waggy.......i think.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Parts-Accessories_Car-Truck-Parts-Accessories__2006-Dodge-Durango-Hemi-5-7L-Engine-Trans-13K-4WD-AWD_W0QQitemZ310101802992QQddnZPartsQ20Q26Q20Acces soriesQQadiZ2865QQddiZ2811QQadnZCarQ20Q26Q20TruckQ 20PartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQcmdZViewItemQQptZMoto rs_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item3101018029 92&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65%3A3%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

everything is getting so cheap!!

[Chevelleguy]

We had a 2000 8.1 in a 3/4 ton pickup. That sucker would GO, but only got about 9mpg loaded or empty.

[Eugene 1]

cheby is the cheapest and easiest to obtain

[ChileWaggy]

Fast Jeep, cloud of smoke & "good gas mileage" sound opposite arguments for me.
Most people agree that Chevy swaps are easier.
As I see it, going with the 5,3 will make you think "why I didnīt go with the 6.0".
Swaping the 8,1 will hurt on the MPG deparment.
Diesels?? sound good to me if you tow a lot and donīt care about the noise.

[pineymike]

5.3 easy,good mpg,ready availibity,everything you want,alittle lacking in the towing department but that's not mentioned.

[87grandwagn]

not gonna tow much.....if ever. Diesel would be for that coolness factor only people with tuned up diesels can get...

I am leaning towards 6.0 or Hemi. I have never had a 6.0. I have had Hemi's, cummins, powerstrokes and duramaxes, also ford v10's which I forgot to add in the options....

I don't know what I want.

[Dirtball]

Cheapest would be to rebuild what you have and buy aftermarket FI for it... and also by far the easiest. AMC engines make very good torque. The FI would enhance this and also mileage. How much ability do you have? Swaps are time consuming and expensive, all things considered. You really, REALLY need to think all of this through.

[Chrome]

I want to stomp the pedal and be engulfed in a cloud of smoke.

That's easy just keep the motor you have now it will happen sooner or later. :D




I want a fun peppy fast jeep.

snort...snicker...


that gets good gas mileage.

BUHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! :lol:

ok.....not too concerned about mileage but it would be cool to have a 500hp waggy that gets 20+ mpg.

BUAHAHA!! :lol: STOP IT!!!! :lol: HAHAHAHA!!!! :lol: SOMEBODY MAKE HIM STOP!!!!! :lol:


snort....whew...thanks...I needed that. The combination of weight, wind drag, and being 4x4 makes it next to impossible to get extreme hp and fuel mileage. If swapping in a non-Jeep engine is no concern then I would go with a fuel injected Chevy engine.

[Chevelleguy]

ROTFLMAO:D

[80wag]

I had my mechanic rebuild mine, went with a local City Motor supply shortblock, had the heads redone at a shop he prefers, stock cam and new edelbrock 650 carb. I am happy with the torque and power it puts out, nothing outrageous but gets the job done with 4.88's in it spinning 35's. I agree with the earlier post about rebuilding what you have as a good option as time and money are usually a factor with most swaps. Not to mention skills needed. If I did swap, I would prefer the 5.7 chevy with the TBI. Of course you would then have to go to the appropriate tranny then configure the rest of the drivetrain. As you may know, you can just swap in any motor and put an adapter on and your done, it usually doesn't happen that easy from what Ive read and seen others do on this forum. Good luck to you.

[YellowJeep]

5.3 easy,good mpg,ready availibity,everything you want,alittle lacking in the towing department but that's not mentioned.

What makes them lacking in the towing department? They have 315hp and 335ftlb torque.

The 6.0 is 365hp, 375ftlb. Personally, I'll take the 5.3 fuel efficiency. Plus the 5.3 are much easier to find and cheaper.

[dusty]

1. AMC 401 HP torque and it bolts up, not sure about mileage being a factor, in all seriousness if you could combine the two items mileage and AMC 401 into the same sentence you might very well have discovered cold fusion inadvertantly.........maybe if you turn it off and put it on a trailer you could claim it was getting in the high teens but even then it would find a way to suck the tank dry.

2. 4bt because they fit alot better than the 6bt but then you are limited about 160-200 hp and 400-500 ft/lbs is about it in the power department without sinking big bucks into it. w/ 5spd i'll be in my conversion around 4k with the purchase the fiddle farting around and the details because i pieced it together. I wont do another 6bt into a Waggy too little room PITA the adjust the valves every 20k miles like you are supposed to

2. (yes two 2's) Issuzu diesel. 4bt1b because they run good can be had cheap and mate to GM trannies. there are issues but not unsurmountable with 5 spd .... Cant tell you havent done one of these yet

3. 6.2L or 6.5 L mechanical diesel. mileage and torque not a whole lot of hp though id do a 5 spd not an auto fan cost wise these can be had cheap run good and all said and done maybe $2k in the swap lack the hp though

Sounds like you arent interested in rebiuilding and want a modern day motor so i'll skip the buick and Caddy motor suggestions even though those motors make a 8.1 look like a turd int he torque department

bigger is better

4. 8.1L chevy with the 6 spd just because i think this would be bad ***. i drove a 1 ton for a demo truck at one time with a zf 6 spd and 8.1 and man it lacked very little in the satisfaction department. Seen a few engines wioth harnesses sell in the $2500-2000 range. seems like a good deal add tranny $1000-1400 and then the conversion would be a high dollar one in my eyes but i betch there are some deals to be had. you could probably half those numbers Down side this motor is WIDE check out some of the 454 conversions guys have done to their FSJ's on here to get an idea of how tight it is with the brake booster ect

4. Dodge 8.0 V-10 maybe upgrade with viper heads and mate to a NV4500 or nv5600... right there in the same category as the 8.1 lots of torque, lacks the V-8 rumble and mileage well that just isnt part of the conversation. lets see 8L = 8 mpg kinda like the 8.1L = :eek: when you stop to fill up every 100 miles but hey with all the time you made up passing everyone you can spare 5 to stop and fill up again........................ look for a wrecked dodge with the manual tranny, a buddy of mine picked one up last year from the stealership for $1000 it was a 1995 2500 4x4 and had been in their back lot for 5 years collecting dust had 80k miles on it, neeeded bearings in the motor oil bypass issue the nice thing is the V-10 is as narrow as a 360 mopus so that might help with clearing brake boosters ect

5. Doing the Hemi would be cool, carrys the cool guy factor because few have done it yet. find one from a 3/4 ton with a 5spd and youd be good to go. mileage from the hemi would rival the 6.0 cheby id figure you'd be in this at least $3500 range with the nv4500 and the engine with harness closer to 4k with wiring headaches.

6. 5.3 with a truck tranny 5spd great mileage none of the 6.0.... piston slap blues. but that said the 6.0 is a nice option also power wise and price the 6.0 is hard to beat. the 5.3 has great cruising power and gets great milage. lacks torque but if all you want is mileage there you go. talk to jeepinpete he can offer you some insight into a 5.3
I know a few guys have done this for around $2500 bought motor and tranny for around $1600 or so and add the misc crap that come into the equation.

7. Dont rule out an LS motor and a NV4500. seen a hand ful of 300-350 hp ls motors pop up 5.7's TPI for around $1000 or less on craigslist lately add a custom flywheel and a truck bellhousing from AA and put a nv4500 behind that and youd have a nice milage getting small block combo.

The bigger diesels could be made to fit but if you spring a leak or need to service them plan on removing the engine. we put a 6.9 into a Waggy engine compartment. they are not small engines. very wide V-8s and long from snout to tail i'd look away fromt eh 6.6L Dmax, wouldnt touch a 6.0L ford power stroke, might consider a 73 power stroke but the turbo on the back of the motor means you'll have some clearance issues at the cowl and firewall. The 5.9 cummins is cool but for any of the diesels i would seriously recommend a dana 60 front end and SOA to carry the weight


Mileage observations with various engines in Waggys or j trucks

1. Built 401 TH400 and a NV4500 5spd 3.54's & 4.10s with 33's 7 mpg towing 8-10mg around town 12mpg on the highway

2. 4bta turned up (not mine mind you) to 160 hp ZF 5 spd 3.42s with 32's 14 mpg towing 19 mpg arpudn town 24-26 mpg highway

3. 6.2 with banks turbo mild pump adjustments GM 4spd OD, NV4500, 700R4 (sorry the 700r4 didnt last long mileage was about +2 for manual trannies on highway empty and around town over what the 700r4 put out) 3.92's 33s following were numbers from the OD manual trannies 11-12mpg towing 17-18 around town 20-22 on the highway empty

4. Built AMC 360 with HEI and TBI T-18 3.73s 32" tires towing 10 mpg around town 13mpg on highway 15 mpg
I still think you shouldnt rull out really having fun and building a stout AMC motor but then again you've presented some out of the norm options

:drivin:

I dont like diagnosing electronic issues so i opt for mechanical motors hence my choice of the 4bt this time around but its allin what you want

[jeepjerry]

yes my brother has a 1500 silverado with a 5.3 and we towed a 79 j-10 home from tennesee to wisconsin through the hilliness with a very overkill trailer (probably could have fit 2 j-10s on it) and the 5.3 did just fine.

you would be happy with a strong AMC v-8 also. My brother has a nice 360 in his 77 j-10 with a t-18, 3.54, and 33"s and his 5.3 would never touch it nor would a 5.7 hemi. there is going to be a tuned port injection setup out for the AMC v-8 also. all you have to do is wait.

[mdill]

Looks like a good package, easy to get a TC setup for your app. Take your pick, and of your choices at least in from the gasoline side should go in with only the usual engine swap problems (2X as long and 2X as much $'s as you thought it would take by the time you are done)

No question the the cheapest way to go with a swap is a late model pull if you can get everything and have a path to get it wired up. (If you try and piece meal it together it will eat you alive on cost though)

Mike D.

I want a newer fuel injected overdrive waggy.......i think.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Parts-Accessories_Car-Truck-Parts-Accessories__2006-Dodge-Durango-Hemi-5-7L-Engine-Trans-13K-4WD-AWD_W0QQitemZ310101802992QQddnZPartsQ20Q26Q20Acces soriesQQadiZ2865QQddiZ2811QQadnZCarQ20Q26Q20TruckQ 20PartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQcmdZViewItemQQptZMoto rs_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item3101018029 92&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65%3A3%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

everything is getting so cheap!!

[Mark G]

87 Waggy, be careful what you wish for. If you indeed decide to put an electronic engine system into an 87, you are opening a Pandoras Box of epic proportions. The wiring alone, between the age of the current harness, the voltage sensitivity of the latest technoloies, as well as the sheer degradation of same due to insulation breakage, wear and tear, and who knows what, will lead you into a money pit only rivalled by that of home-built performance watercraft.

Dusty said it well, indeed. Take what you have, put on rail EFI, MSDS, get a centrifugal bolt-on blower, and have at it.

A FSJ Jeep is a truck. They always have been, they always will be. A Jeep is not a draster. It is not a Funny Car. It is a very weird and charmin truck, not a car. It does one thin very well, it is a truck; sometimes wearing kaki pants, not leather, nor a MOMO helmet. Its not a Funny Car, its a Fun Truck, one that just dresses up sometimes to be presentable at family events. (cant scare the kids, now right?)

If you put a hemi in there, you will have a fast truck with no speedometer. There are no speedo cables on a drive-by-wire vehicle. That is your first challenge, one of many that have not been pointed out. You can logically guess the rest.