4.3L XJ

I am finally getting enough of this install done that I am ready to start posting on the install. When I set out to build my XJ, I wanted a vehicle that would be good as a daily driver and awesome on trails, sand, snow, rocks and mud. That is a tall order. I wheel in all those situations, and travel many mile sometimes to get there. That means I need good highway gears. One of the reasons I chose the 4.3L V6 is that I wanted to retain 6 cylinder milage. I will be putting some extra horsepower in the engine at a later date, somewhere around 320 SNOG LEGAL ponies under the hood. This build was somewhat preparatory for that event. But if I retain highway gears, then to gain good off road capability I need some real deep gears in the transfer case and transmission. The transmission is a 4L60E that I rebuilt with all the heavy duty stuff you need to make it reliable for big horsepower. I got to measuring and determined that since the engine and transmission are forward of the 4.0L/AW4 position, I could fit an Atlas 4 speed in there and accomplish what I wanted. The other choice would have been a Stack 3 speed.

So starting with the engine out, I did a tranny repair and built a new exhaust system with 50 state legal headers and a 2 1/4" Y pipe feeding a three inch cat and muffler.






At the same time, I wanted to clock the transfer case. With a 231 this would not be a problem since they only weigh 63# But the Atlas weighs in at over 175#. I just didn't feel like pushing it up a half dozen times to determine its position and change the stud position several times.







And of course I had a little help with this project.



So I filled it with oil and put it up. I had to hit the floor boards a few times with the big hammer to clear the rear shift rail guides. But since it is under the drivers seat it is completely unnoticeable.





One thing you will notice is that there is some really tall and weird looking shift linkage. The folks at Advance adapters seem to think that these things only go into fully dedicated trail rigs without consoles. I wanted to retain the factory console and have it all look nice. I should be done with it Sunday and I will post more on that later.

nick_n_ii

Atlas is sexy....

4.3L XJ

Little further update. I took some more pics today, but I will finish the console tomorrow.

I picked up a handy little addition. This disc parking brake is from and outfit called Parts Mike. It turns out they are just a couple of miles from my boys in someplace you never heard of. Anyway, I dropped in to visit and had a good tome with these old boys. They have been at this longer than I have and have a couple of real nice rigs. The TJ has the same drive train I do, basically. 3.8L supercharged Buick V6, 4L60E and the same Atlas 4 speed. He said he really pisses everybody off following him while idling down hill in the slow gears at Moab. LOL



Here it is installed.



I said the linkage gave me fits. I did not like the stuff that came from AA because it would destroy the console. I happen to like the console, and my wife would hate the way it looks now. Beauty she says, beauty.... So I fabbed up this set of shifters to bolt into the tunnel the same way the stock one does.



And here is what it looks like installed



And under neath.



Tomarrow I will finish the console and do what my wife says for a change. Beauty....

4.3L XJ

Well, I finally got the console in. There are a couple of details to take care of like the wires of the thumb switch, but that will be for another day.

4.3L XJ

I finally got to finish the tcase install. I finished the parking brake linkage and installed it. So far, it works and looks seamless in the console because the brake handle is in the stock position and works exactly like it did on the drum brakes.





I used the stock shifter and turned the bottom boot around. I welded a couple of tabs on the front of the parking brake in front of where the rod used to attach. Sorry I don't have a better pic of that, I thought I took one, but you can see the shiny metal in the pic above. I bent the stock rod, cut it and rethreaded it to 5/16X24 thread to fit the clevis.



The big brown truck came today and gave the jeep another woody I mean Tom Woods drive shaft. Here it is mounted . You can see the rod from the parking brake linkage.

A little welding on the exhaust and some wiring and I will start it up again. Hoohah!

bsflipfrontflip

this is a good build. Going to keep up on this one

Mike1998XJ

Lookin' good Steve!
Mike

4.3L XJ

Thanks Mike

JuicyJuice4x4

ok i hope i dont sound too much like an idiot, but how did you get the B&M shift handle to go on yours? I notice its a whole new stem as well. But that looks awesome and I want to do that too lol

4.3L XJ

That is a legitimate question. In my case, I have converted to a Chevy tranny. Lots of dollar store parts for those. But the question remains, could you do it for the AW4. I am not sure. That same shifter works on a number of trannys both three and four speed by changing the little arm on the tranny. One way or another, I think it could be made to work. Why don't you can B&M. I am sure there are a number of people who would want the same.

jblackmon421

Console turned out better than I thought it would. Nice!

4.3L XJ

Thanks