'85 CJ7 5.3/4l60 build up

[boz42]

Yah I know its a Jeep, & I am not crazy about them either, but LS swaps are cool so I thought I would share.

My father in law has a 1985 Jeep CJ-7 & after years of watching me build rigs he finally gave the go ahead to do a V8 swap on his Jeep.

The Specs:
-1985 CJ-7
-4 cyl(141ci) / 5 speed(T-5) / Dana 300
-Dana 30 front/ AMC 20 4.10 gears Yukon shafts in rear
- manual disc brakes
- 4" spring under lift


The Plan:
1. Swap in 5.3/4l60
2. Add Power Brakes
3. Tubular engine & trans cross members
4. New to the Jeep automatic steering column
5. Build factory looking Low maintenance Rig capable of DD action


First step was to acquire a good donor engine. After a month or so of hunting I found this on the local Craigslist:

It was posted at 5:00 in the evening & I googled the phone number & got the business name. I showed up that morning before he opened. I was lucky the guy said he had about a dozen calls on it overnight. I was the first one there to look at it. I had the trailer & cash in hand so I took it. I picked it up for $1200. It was a totalled out roll over. I bought it from the wrecker company that towed it so there was not much known about it. It cranked & ran well & I did get to drive it before buying. It had 180,000 on the clock.

Plan to save the parts I need from the Tahoe & part out the rest to put back into the swap kitty. It went back onto Craigslist the next day.


Here is the Jeep:

 

[drew4x4]

sweet man!! subscribed... good luck. make sure you get the computers, pedals, wiring harness, and maybe even the fuel pump from the tahoe!

 

[jt512]

Cool project CJ's are all right, it's the later ones that tend to have owners that annoy me

Once he finally gets time to really start it, my brother will be posting his 89 wagoneer build, complete with a 6.0 swap (and rebuild) and Dana 60/70's on 37's

 

[boz42]

So after talking to some buds that run heeps I found out that a late 80's early 90's GM van steering column fits well in the jeeps. The factory auto columns are rare & pricey, so I located a column & got it installed. All I had to modify was the shaft from the box, to the column. The switches where plug & play. I installed the Jeep steering wheel onto the GM column. So now we have a neat factory looking auto column.

 

[boz42]

On the column I had to cut the firewall mount off.

 

[boz42]

sweet man!! subscribed... good luck. make sure you get the computers, pedals, wiring harness, and maybe even the fuel pump from the tahoe!

This is a drive by cable so the pedal isn't that big of a deal. I did save it & the cable anyhow though.

Cool project CJ's are all right, it's the later ones that tend to have owners that annoy me

Once he finally gets time to really start it, my brother will be posting his 89 wagoneer build, complete with a 6.0 swap (and rebuild) and Dana 60/70's on 37's

The owners of the newer ones stereotypically annoying for sure.

 

[boz42]

Pulled the 4 cyl, 5 speed, & cut all the brackets off the frame, cleaned frame up & prepped to re-inforce with 1/4" plate.

Clean Frame

Plates placed

 

[boz42]

Fabbed Engine mount plates that bolt to the block. I am using spring eye bushings for engine mount bushings.

Lowered the engine into the bay with an empty transmission case bolted to it to save a little weight. I used the stock transmission mount without the spacers that came with the lift kit. I am only using it to aid in transmission placement. I will build a tubular to replace it.

Passenger side engine mount:

Nice pic of the Novak Adapter's 4l60 to D300 adapter

 

[boz42]

I bolted the transfer case in & added some headers, radiator & its support, & also put the hood on to check clearances.

 

[boz42]

After moving the engine back & to the driver's side I liked the fit & burned the mounts in, added braces to the frame side & a crossmember. The engine is about 1.5" off center to the driver's side to help make room for the drive shaft.

 

[boz42]

I bought a Novak Adapter's Radiator/ fan assembly & a Setrab trans cooler. I mounted the Setrab on alum flat stock. Got them in:

Also measured for driveshafts. I am going to cut the perches off the Dana 20 & roll the pinion up. We are going to run a CV style rear shaft. My local drive shaft shop will be making them for me.

 

[boz42]

Started on fuel system & Throttle pedal. Gonna use the Tahoe's Throttle cable & modify the Tahoe gas pedal. Building the Fuel system using AN fittings & pushlock hose. Also going to use the stock Tahoe fuel filter so that all filters are for the Tahoe. I pulled the in tank pick-up & cut it off. I mounted the fuel pump onto it & dropped it back into the tank.

 

[boz42]

Also built a transmission cross member. I originally used the stock one to locate the engine. I pulled it out & built this:

 

[boz42]

 

[nvrenuf]

Nice build, I'm really digging the tcase crossmember.

 

[boz42]

Exhaust is a set of Sanderson Headers, I w2anted to use the truck manifolds, but they kick out where they dump & would not clear the frame. I cut the three bolt collector flange off the headers, & welded a "stack-breaker" on in there place. The exhaust will be dual 2.5" into single 3". I fabricated the exhaust using mandrel bent 90 degree bends. The muffler will be the largest Magnaflow that will fit between the frame rails. He wanted the exhaust to be as quiet as possible, but still have some sound when you are WOT.

Parts Pile:

 

[drew4x4]

damn that thing looks beefy!

 

[boz42]

I made the exhaust in removable sections so it would be easy to get it out of way to pull the engine & trans. I also have 4 O2 bungs, 2 for the factory fronts & 2 for wideband O2's for tuning.

 

[boz42]

Jeep was a 5 speed, so I removed the clutch pedal, & had to patch the shifter hole in the floor pan. Also the new t-case shifter loaction was much further back than original so I patched the original hole for it as well. I bought a factory Booster & master cylinder from Napa & bought the booster mount re-pop off Flea-bay. This jeep originally had manual brakes.

 

[boz42]

Nice build, I'm really digging the tcase crossmember.

damn that thing looks beefy!

Thanks guys, It took several days for me to get the cross member the way I wanted it. When I started it I was unsure how I wanted it to look. I started with the two center tubes that run across from the frame rails, & decided that it needed some support front to rear, so I added the two kickers running towards the front. The rear hoop I added just for looks.