TJ: 4.3L vortec swap

[The-Hurricane]

anyone have first hand knowledge on this swap or know of a good writeup or parts list? i just have a few questions.

is there an adaptor kit for the motor too the tranny in my jeep? (2000 2.5L 5spd tj). is there a wiring harness adator kit?

will any of my tj guages work? tach? oil press? batt? temp?

will i need new front springs?

is there a motor mount kit?

just any real info ya'll might have would be great

thanks, hurricane

[aw12345]

Advance adapters will be your friend
Dash will not work unless you use the Jeep ecm as a dummy computer for the gauges alone.
Why not use the 4l60 to go along with the gm v6
for motormounts advance adapter should be able to hook you up, v6 uses the same mounts as a chevy small block v8

[dirtman13]

I'm not sure what restrictions (if any) you would have in Canada but in California they are pretty strict. I would start by investigating what the requirements are for an engine swap if you plan on registering it with the DMV. If they are not as strict I would consider going with a T-350 over the 4l60E. The 4l60E's gears are a little to tall for my liking. This can of course be dealt with by changing out your diff gears. I'm running 4.56's and it still to tall for me.

I went with Novak http://www.novak-adapt.com/ for my engine mount and adapter. There web site has some really good info to help you out. Also, their customer service is first class. They assisted me with my swap.

You should also invest the Chevy factory service manuals. They are 3 books; each one is about 2” thick. I used these books for 95% of my swap over the Chilton or Hayes books type books.

The ECM will need to be re-programmed for your gears, tire size, and have the Anti Theft removed. While their programming all that if you do go with the 4L60E have them firm up the shifts points.

Lastly, patience. You will need lots of patience especially for the wiring. If you can, make sure your donor has all the original wiring and ECM. That will make it a little easier.

[freewaydan]

I used these guys for my speedo stuff www.dakotadigital.com, when i did my 4.3 tbi with 4l60 swap. How the heck are you Dirtman??

[dirtman13]

I used these guys for my speedo stuff www.dakotadigital.com, when i did my 4.3 tbi with 4l60 swap. How the heck are you Dirtman??

Dan, Haven't seen you around lately. Hows the Jeep doing?

[aw12345]

He lives in Winnipeg Manitoba, not so crowded there so smog problems and emision controls are a none issue
Pretty sure rocks are a rare find there so higher gearing is not a problem, traveling long distances is. Mostly mud wheeling so the 4.3 is a good little engine for that I am pretty sure with the 4 speed auto it will make a very nice setup for his intended use, still the Hydromatic 350 is a good choice also you would need a higher diff ratio for the highway and loose some crawl ratio so overall for his use the 4 speed would be a better choice

[dirtman13]

so overall for his use the 4 speed would be a better choice

Art,

I have to disaree my freind. With my current set up I can go 50 MPH in 4 lo with the transmission in drive. Not much use for that if you have 4 hi. I never use 4 hi because the gearing is just to tall. Before I put in the 4L60E I was running a Turbo 350 and it was much better suited for my needs. Which I might add includes driving on the freeway to the trails. Don't get me wrong. I have had zero issue with the 4L60E. It's just needs to be geared lower. :2:

[inVERt'D]

Hurricane,

I did an engine swap years ago; put an '87 EFI Ford 5.0 HO into a 1977 Mercury Capri. That experience taught me one thing: I would never do an engine swap again unless the engine came with the rest of the vehicle. Make sure you know all the fitment issues possible before you commit, too. Motor and tranny mounts are just the start. It's all the miscellaneous things that can add up to an overwhelming PITA.

[aw12345]

I love doing engine swaps, allows you to be creative.
Back in the Netherlands we Shoved a 455 pontiac in a 68 pontiac firebird convertible had to make out own motor mounts , crosmembers shift and throttle linkage and build our driveshaft and exhaust, no driveline shops or muffler shops there. We had to fabricate everything from scratch. That thing turned into a rocket though was very fast just a bit hard to keep on the road at full throttle

[The-Hurricane]

i was really hopeing to stick with my jeep 5spd, as a manual tranny is your friend in the mud. and i dont have to worry about any smog or any dmv stuff at all. so thats a non issue. does anyone have a ballpark cost or on how long the swap took? i was banking on taking like a week off work and committing to it the whole time, wrangle up all my parts over the next few months and then by summer of next year, hammer it in.

[aw12345]

That might work if you have all the parts lined up the trans and transfercase mated and fitted to the engine and the driveline lenghts figured out.
However taking Mirphy's law into acount I would figure on double that amount or more due to waiting for parts trying to wire things getting your drivelines hydraulic lines and so forth.
It takes time to do these things right

[The-Hurricane]

well i wouldnt have the trans and transfer case out as i want to retain my stock jeep drivetrain, except put in a new clutch to take the added power. the only jeep shop in the city is about 4 blocks from my house, and im there atleast twice a week talkin jeep or ordering parts, i was planning on getting them to install the motor but taking the week off and being at the shop the entire time just so i know how it all goes together and once its done i will then be able to fix it myself having seen how it goes together.

[inVERt'D]

Don't get me wrong, Art, I love the creative part. I had a sweet motor mount and transmission mount that Capri. It was a sleeper! Heck, I've got a sawzall, an angle grinder/ cutter, drills, welder, hammers and a bunch of other tools I'm using to express my creativity on my rig as we speak...well as of a few minutes ago. In fact, I just scored a plasma cutter/ tig/ stick that i intend to use for making an adapter plate for that NV4500 you talked me into buying. Yes, I'm blaming you.

The things that killed me about with swapping an EFI engine (especially into a non-EFI vehicle) are all the miscellaneous sensors, brackets, fittings, and knickety-knack things that will have you going crazy at the junkyards and dealers. Nowadays with the internet, it could be quite a bit easier.

[inVERt'D]

i was really hopeing to stick with my jeep 5spd, as a manual tranny is your friend in the mud.

Hurricane, (I accidently addressed Dirtman earlier)

That Vortec 4.3 is quite an upgrade from your 2.5; I believe your Jeep came with the AX5 5-speed, which I wouldn't trust to hold up for long. I believe your transfer case would be a little lighter-duty as well, having a 21-spline input as opposed to the 23 spline input in a 4.0 TJ.

Before you commit to a Vortec 4.3, I would suggest you look at some of the smallblock Chevy V-8 options, like the Corvette LS-1. These engines are quite compact and short. They would fit better than, for instance, the Dodge Hemi. For the 2001 'Vette we're talking 350 horsepower and 375 ft-lbs torque and 19/28 mpg with the manual tranny. Now that's bound to be a more expensive engine, but there's definitely support for the swap (e.g., Novak) and that's the kind of performance that will set your rig apart, because a hot Jeep 4.0's performance isn't even in the same league.

I just did a two-minute check and found a rebuildable 2002 Camaro LS-1 for under $2K.

[Double AA]

I have an 2003 Vortec in my CJ. The trick is to have everything you need from the donor vehicle. You need the exhaust back to the cats, all the sensors, hoses, belts, wiring harnesses and brackets. You'll still need to modify and make brackets, come up with a radiator and air cleaner and send the computer and harness off to have it re-flashed. The motor I used came with an auto and I have an NV4500, so I needed a speed sensor.

There are auto dismantlers that specialize in selling late model motors for conversions into older vehicles. They know exactly what you need from the donor and will ship everything crated to your door.