4 burner no power

[Southern Wolf]

I had the same problem but with the 4 liter. To do the rebuild you might as well go with a total engine swap. I put a carbureated 350 in mine. I wanted to work on it myself, that is why I went low tech, also a carburetor produces more power than fuel EFI. I get almost the same gas mileage. You can get a good engine straight from Chevy for about $3500. You will never get the performance from a 4 or 6 even if they are tricked up that you can from a moderately up graded V8. I have 33 inch tires and have decided to swap out the gears to 4:10's for more help. If you do it yourself the gears are only $180 a axle. Unless you are doing rock crawling you don't need to change anything else. For the engine swap you can get an adapter for the transmission to engine for a few hundred from Advance Adapters. My engine puts out around 340 hp and 390 ft lb of torque with a 600 cc carburetor. I would go with a Holley if you got this way. Also put shorty headers on it and if you don't mind a little growl come of to a couple of glass packs and right after angle down before the rear axle. The power you will feel will make it worth it.

 

[Dragon5126]

high RPM translates into high mph. What you want in a jeep is low speed high torque. the 4.0 was built for this. a good V6 or V8 will do the same, but they also supply other issues such as the PCM/ECM interfaces...

 

[vinn]

good to hear your plan for the 4/8 swap ! (thanks) i am progressing on my chev. 350 eng. out of a van i usedto drive. (automatic). got the fly wheel, clutch and pressure on the engine. have 3 different iron bell housings to select from. now need to buy grade 8 bolts for the pressure plate. there are a couple of issues to resolve before swapping the engines, photos to take and keeping the crappy italian 4 alive till then. later vinn

 

[Southern Wolf]

good to hear your plan for the 4/8 swap ! (thanks) i am progressing on my chev. 350 eng. out of a van i usedto drive. (automatic). got the fly wheel, clutch and pressure on the engine. have 3 different iron bell housings to select from. now need to buy grade 8 bolts for the pressure plate. there are a couple of issues to resolve before swapping the engines, photos to take and keeping the crappy italian 4 alive till then. later vinn[/QUOT
You will have to get an adapter kit if you want to keep the same transmission, the best place to get it is from Advance Adapters. If you don't have the AX15 then try and find a good Chevy transmission and transfer case. The transmission that was hooked to your 4 banger will not handle the V 8. You will also have to get a high torque starter if you have the AX15 as a standard starter will not fit with the adapter kit. The shorty headers fit well and are for making more torque than horsepower. Hooker has them for the Jeep conversion. Also putting in the V 8 will move everything back so you will have to move your transmission mounts and shorten your rear drive shaft. You won't know this length until you put your engine and transmission in. It should only take a couple of days for a place to make you a new drive shaft, you may have to redo your front shaft to. Since I stayed with the AX15 I had enough length on the front so I didn't have to do anything with it. Usually a big truck repair shop can make the new drive shaft.

 

[vinn]

thanks, what is the AX15? i dont need high tourk. only up hill in the mud to fall trees AND hopefully highway speeds for lunch. a replacment engine is the priorty. is there chance the existing trany and transfer gears would hold up? thanks again for the reply. vinn

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

thanks, what is the AX15? i dont need high tourk. only up hill in the mud to fall trees AND hopefully highway speeds for lunch. a replacment engine is the priorty. is there chance the existing trany and transfer gears would hold up? thanks again for the reply. vinn

The ax15 is the 5spd manual transmission behind the 4.0L 6cyl Jeep engine. Your 4cyl transmission will not last behind a v8, but the transfer case will.

Your best bet is to find a v8/transmission/transfer case complete from a donor vehicle so you're not spending a mint on adapters to make jeep parts mate to the donor parts.

I planned on going with the GM 4.3L vortec when I did mine, using the stock GM 4L60e transmission and GM 231c transfer case. I sent the engine harness off to a company that modified it for a standalone installation, and had the ECM reprogrammed. Would have been a simple install had I not sold the project. Still have the engine harness and ECM.

 

[vinn]

wow Hunter, thanks. i am going re think this project, continue assembling the chev 350 for some other project. i knew that 5 speed was weak when i first drove it. i have an s-10 pickup with a 5 speed that i thought was quite strong, but the guy who put a 350 in front of it proved me wrong. i am out of, but still in the game. vinn

 

[Southern Wolf]

Since you don't really have a good transmission to put behind your 350, find a NV4500 with a transfer case. This is a GM direct bolt on transmission. This transmission has been around for a long time and is considered the best replacement for the original Jeep trannies. My personal feelings about the smaller engines is this. A small engine relies upon high rpm to produce torque. The 350 block has been around for ever and is probably the most durable block you can use. Mine has gone over 240 degrees several times for one reason or another and is still going strong. I would like to point out that I use Amsoil Z Rod oil. You won't find that in any small engine. By going old school with a carburated engine you can decide at any time without fancy equipment on how you want your engine to run. Everyone thinks a fuel injected engine produces better power and fuel economy. I saw where the same block was fitted with a fuel injector and then swapped to a carburetor. While the carburetor was not as fuel efficient it did put out a substantial amount more of horse power, over 30 more. The properly made V8 will also put out way more torque from idle. The 350 I have puts out about 250 ft lbs of torque at idle and at around 3500 rpm is producing around 400. Most 6 cylinders don't even put that much out at top rpm. I am planing on swapping my 600 cc carburetor for a 670 cc and was told my horse power will go from around 340 to over 370 and my torque from 390 close to 450 ft lbs. Yes gas mileage will go down a little but the gain will be worth it. Can't do that with a fuel injector. As the saying goes, "Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall, torque is how far you take the wall with you." You can get both with a V8.

 

[vinn]

southern wolf; thanks again. the buick idea, the old 322 v8 had high torque and was quite narrow. i put one of those up to a 4speed in an old chev truck (when i was a kid). i have a first yr. s-10 chev, v-6 eng. with the cable clutch bell housing and a couple good engines. what do you think? vinn

 

[Southern Wolf]

I did a little looking and the V6 would be no better than the 4 liter straight 6 Jeep engine. One thing you may want to change now and will help you get down the road is the front and rear gears. Put in 4:10's, your rpm will go up but it will give that tired old 4 popper some help until you get the small block in. A stock 350 puts out about 270 hp and a little over 300 ft lbs of torque. From previous lines I believe you said you had a 350. I would put some after market heads on it with larger bore intake and exhaust. Change the cam to one that is more for torque, the horse power will come with it but you are not looking for horse power in a off road machine, though it is fun and does come in handy some times. The 350 will fit with room to spare with the shorty headers. The problem with the shorties is you have to remove them when you want or need to change the plugs. I have tried 5 different plugs and found the E3 spark plug to be the best, all others have burned down fast or fouled. Change out the intake manifold to a performance torque and use a Holly Avenger carburetor. I still have a Edelbrock and as far as I am concerned it is crap. It will be getting changed after I finish a few other items first. Again I suggest you use AMSOIL oil, it has kept my engine running even when it really over heated a few times. As I mentioned since you need to change the transmission any ways find a NV4500 with a transfer case. It should be easy to find at any salvage yard. They use this in the rock crawlers. It shouldn't cost more than a few hundred. Take it to a AAMCO and have them go over it real good. I have found them to be the most reliable and as they are country wide you will be covered if you have any problems. If you are putting this in your self that would be great. If not take it to a specialty shop as a regular repair shop will more than likely screw something up, trust me on that. I am still finding things wrong from the shop that did my swap because I didn't have the equipment or area to do the swap my self. I would also put a oil cooler on, make sure you have a "high flow" water pump and no less than a 3 core radiator. My 91 still has the original 3:29 gears with 33X12.5X15 tires, the 5 speed AX15 and I have no problem doing 70 on the flat or on a slight upgrade. But this set up is hard on the clutch and for going up hills unless I'm above 80mph. Also on the tires I have 18 lbs in the front and 16 lbs in the rear so to keep a flat tread profile. Any more than that and you will be riding on a small center part of the tire which will wear it down faster and make the Jeep squirrely at speed. I got Procomp tires which are good but I would check out Interco's Super Swamper series, they will be my next set. I've had the Goodyear Wranglers and they are not worth the money and I have gone cheep and that is not worth it. Spend the money on a company that is mainly for off road. I hope I am being helpful. I hate to see someone go through some of the crap I went through when I did my engine swap. At the time there was no one around that had done this kind of swap and lets face it, not to many out there that can or will do the work themselves.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Likely already has 4.10 axle gears if he has the 4cyl 5spd.

 

[vinn]

VERY GOOD ADVISE ! i learned something about the first chev s-10 4 and v-6 (2.8) [assembled in mexico) these eng.'s also killed the fiero car, but i have a quality U.S. rebuilt 2.8. - ran it hard, till the trans. failed. i'll put it next to the chev 350 for the next project (hopefully a jeep yj frame) also i will buy the next full size chev 4x4 parts truck. the key to saving those "Mex. assembled eng.'s is "line boring". the U.S.A. history of engine building (carb. only) is grate. vinn

 

[Dragon5126]

Also on the tires I have 18 lbs in the front and 16 lbs in the rear so to keep a flat tread profile.

Point of info om the tire inflation: this will be unique to every vehicle and its load out. At these listed inflations, it sounds rather low on pressure for on road, especially in high temps. (Ive been profiling tire inflation on my vehicles for over 40 years, not only for the best traction but for maximum tire life) It sounds like you may have rather narrow rims for the specific tires you are running. This isn't an issue as long as the rim is within spec for the tire or vice versa. Its just a point of info that we all need to keep in mind, that affects the ideal tire inflation pressure for a given vehicle, its regular cargo and passenger load, as well as ambient temperature range, especially for those of us who live in the snow belt, and still get 100 degrees plus in the summer.

Good job on bringing up the different pressure than the supposed ideal pressure most people use. This was another post that begs for a like button!

 

[Dragon5126]

...stuttering fingers...

 

[Southern Wolf]

Point of info om the tire inflation: this will be unique to every vehicle and its load out. At these listed inflations, it sounds rather low on pressure for on road, especially in high temps. (Ive been profiling tire inflation on my vehicles for over 40 years, not only for the best traction but for maximum tire life) It sounds like you may have rather narrow rims for the specific tires you are running. This isn't an issue as long as the rim is within spec for the tire or vice versa. Its just a point of info that we all need to keep in mind, that affects the ideal tire inflation pressure for a given vehicle, its regular cargo and passenger load, as well as ambient temperature range, especially for those of us who live in the snow belt, and still get 100 degrees plus in the summer.

Good job on bringing up the different pressure than the supposed ideal pressure most people use. This was another post that begs for a like button!

I have 15X10 rims and the tires are nitrogen filled so temperature factor has been pretty much eliminated. Your better tire installers will be using nitrogen. My tires are fairly new and I constantly check them for wear. I have to air down even more to get a wear I am satisfied with as the outer 1.5 inches is still not wearing how I would like. My personal feelings on all things with the vehicle you drive is you should be in touch and just not a passenger. Part of this is knowing the basics of the vehicle you are driving, tires are just one and one of the most important. If you have stock items on your totally stock vehicle then you don't have to worry as much. But us Jeep drivers usually don't keep our little beasts totally stock, we personalize them. If you are one of these owners that see a item and want it, go to the shop and have it put on with out understanding how it will change you Jeep then you are asking for the trouble you will get. From my experience most shop personnel are full of it and more than likely will not do a 100% proper install. Learn about any vehicle you own, but especially your modified Jeep, it is your friend.

 

[JPNinPA]

Ugh. The N2 in a tire is a gimmick. Air is 78%nitrogen. Also all gasses expand as temperature increases. So temp is still a factor the delta in psi might be different but not by much.

 

[Southern Wolf]

While it does expand like all other gasses, about 1 lb for every 10 degrees of temp rise, it does take longer to leak from the tire so you don't have to fill your tires as much. It also is a dry gas so your steel rims will not rust on the inside or less likely in the bead area. Racing uses it as it has a more predictable expansion rate than other gas mixtures and is not flammable.

 

[vinn]

i knew they used gas on rubber tires on tractors or was that some liquid for weight? heavier tires on a jeep would help to keep it "upright", but hard to change. vinn

 

[Southern Wolf]

Water is used on some tractors as a cheep way to increase weight. But the water would create all sorts of problems besides being hard to change a tire. If you don't have your tire filled up 100% with the water there will be a shifting of weight, a sloshing from side to side or shifting when you go to stop. This is why semi trucks with liquid loads tip over. A Jeep is great for everything but towing off road because of it's light weight, it floats. No it won't dig in if like a truck for pulling in the woods. If you notice commercial tractors of all kinds have mounted weights with the wheels or on the front or back of the tractor.

 

[Dragon5126]

Its not as much of a gimmick as you might think. We wear our tires out rather rapidly compared to some other classes of motor vehicles. Hugh end sports and Luxury cars, on the other hand tend to hang on to their tires for an extremely long time, way over 65K, unless driven by a throttle addict. One of the biggest issues all vehicles face is rim leaks on alloy rims. What most people don't realize is the tire's rubber compound is the primary cause of this. Rubber is not soft by nature, once vulcanized it becomes hard and brittle. Soft rubber is kept that way by the addition of solvents. Ever open that condom that was in your wallet for 15 years and see how deteriorated it is? or an old rubber band? Or if you fish put some rubber worms in a plastic box that wasn't "worm proof" ad see how they met the plastic? the former examples are due to the loss of the solvent often known as dry rot. the last was the solvent melting the plastic box. It is even worse in the presence of non inert gasses such as oxygen. Nitrogen being inert, HELPS prevent the loss of the solvent, but more so, helps prevent the solvent action on the clearcoat used on alloy rims, helping prevent the pinhole leaks from developing at the bead. I personally know for a fact that it works, as a former client of mine owned the largest wheel and tire dealership in the State of Illinois, and kept my 96 300ZX filled with nitrogen for me. I drove it from Milwaukee to Waukegan for almost 10 years in the winter slop and never developed any leaks in that time, that is until a drunk t-boned me and pushed all 4 tires off the rims. You will find I have a massive dislike for drunk drivers, as Ive had 3 near fatal run ins with them, twice while driving a stationary HOUSE. (at two different locations none the less!) But as I said, for a 4by N2 is a total waste. Our tires don't last that long, add the constant pressure changing for the surface we are driving on, and the squirm of the tire itself will damage the rim and cause rim leaks over time. so it just isn't worth it for us.