buy the truck for cheap swap the motors and resell the truck.

 

Ha good idea than I can buy more toys for my Jeep.

 

An easy upgrade swap would be a GM 3.4L, you can swap everything over from your 2.8L THat would probably be your cheapest upgrade for more power.

 

I would have to buy one of those right from gm huh?

 

do i need new motor mounts for that too?

 

Better yet, get the complete drivetrain out of an S-10 with a Vortec 4.3. Even a TBI 4.3 will do better than 17mpg in a little 2wd S-10.

I just think it's easier to bolt up a TBI 2.8. A 2.8 is a 2.8 from the outside, I'm just pretty sure it's the internals and heads that are different from carburetored to the FI motors. I could be wrong, but all the TBI 2.8's that I've seen and worked on have been pretty good little runners. It's the carburetored 2.8's that I myself have had problems with, and have seen problems with. I've never seen anyone done this swap, but if you've got 2.8 in there, I don't see how it COULDN'T work.

I want to say that I've heard of front wheel drive engines being used, but can't be for sure. The 3.1, 3.4, 3.8 are pretty similar to the 2.8 motor (I think the bellhousing pattern is the same), but these engines were never RWD from the factory. There was a Buick 3.8, but it's not the same series of engines as the above. Another benifet of the other engines is multi-port injection. It's my belief that the torque of the engine is better felt in a TBI injection system, and that multi-port is better for the street/strip kinda deal.

 

Check the Camaro/ F-body line... I know they used to come w/ 2.8L, but I believe when they went to the last gen body update, they were using 3.1's, 3.4's, and 3.8's...

 

Ahh, yes- sorry for the brainfart. That's right; they did run them in the F bodies...I totally forgot.

I guess I'm thinking about a RWD truck application.

I can say for a fact that a S-10 TBI 2.8 would be a drop in replacement. As far as for a RWD 2.8 3.1, 3.4, 3.8 etc found in the F bodies...not too sure if those engines have the same motor mount perches, bellhousing patterns, flywheels/flexplates for your tranny, etc. Don't know about that.

Basically anything you do to replace that carburertored 2.8 will be well worth the time/investment if you plan on keeping the Jeep in the longhaul.
For better economy, power AND EASE- the TBI 2.8 is the easieset/ least expensive way to do it. There would be 0 fabrication involved. (except for fabbing a bracket to hold onto your electric fuel pump).

 

On farmfuel's 4.3L Vortec idea, these engines are excellent! Very powerful for a V6, and it would bolt up to the same advance adapters mounts if I'm not mistaken. Plust the Bellhousing bolts up to all the same stuff that a SBC V8 would, so all the same tranny/t-case combos would work. Plus it's a shorter motor, allowing more space for your radiator in there. Wrangler guys really seem to love swapping in the 4.3L V6 as well if that means anything... I dunno, it just sounds like a win/win, and GM put that motor in a variety of trucks/vans/suvs so it shouldn't be terribly hard to source one cheaply enough. Good luck with your swap, and congrats on ditching that carbed 2.8L!

 

That 4.3L engine is one of the best GM ever came out with. All it is, is a SBC with 2 cylinders chopped off, all the internals are the same (pistons, rods, etc), giving this the names of "Baby Small Block" or "3/4 SBC". Anything found for a SBC (mounts, bellhousings, performance parts), will work for this (except camshafts and distributors).

These things are powerful, and plentiful. We got one 4.3L to pump out around 400hp with hardly any effort at all. You can build these things to the hilt, and they will run all day. Link it up you can find that engine in damn near every S-Truck/G-body/Full Size. Not to mention every trans from the crappy TH200 to a 4L80E will bolt up to this thing, and you have every trans option in the book: TH350, TH400, TH2004R, TH700R4 (the most plentiful behind them), not too mention any Muncie, Saginaw, or Richmond trans. If you dig around, you should be able to find an adapter for Chrys. and FMC transmissions, although I'm not sure if anyone has an AW adapter avail.

 

I think the 4.3 vortec might just be the way I am gonna end up going. I never realized how strong of an aftermarket support they held. I found the motor mounts and headers through advance adapters and they are reasonably priced. It seems like a lot less work than a sbc and I still get to keep some half way decent gas mileage.

 

You can literally make that engine .060" over, stroked with 14:1 pistons in it...
I've heard of 700hp out of one of these lil things and people taking them to around 5.3L....
And pulling 1.25hp/c.i. is not hard at all.
Plus every S-10 4x4 out there has the 4.3L/TH700R4/Transfer Case right there, still bolted together waiting for you to pull it. Plus you can convert the 4.3L over to a 4BBL carb or TBI-FI set up quite easily.

 

i've built 2 4.3's and 3 3.8's, i would build the 4.3 again in a heartbeat, huh, heartbeat, pretty good there, anyway. the 4.3 has so much to offer and is way easy to work on. cams, rods, pistons, all easy to upgrade and get more power. i say if i bought a 2.8 cheap jeep then i would put a 4.3 built up in it and tear up some other jeeps....