WONiWILSON

Hey guys I have been searching and cant seem to really find what im looking for. How hard is it to swap a carb sbc 350 into a 2000 cherokee. I have it lifted 4 1/2in so im not worried about the oil pan and i also have a th400 tranny. Now i know i need to buy an adapter for the trans case or just buy a dana 300 tans case. Wiring wise how hard is it, and how much money did you spend on your swap (if you've done it)? Which would be better the trans case adapter or just going with the dana 300? I know fuel injected is better, but i dont have the money for that, and my 4.0 is about shot. It is my dd also

jbsjunk

I'm not sure on the 2000 but my 86 was a breeze wiring wise. Picked the basics needed and went from there. If you can find a turbo 350 and have the output shaft swapped and find the 231 t-case from a S-10 and bolt it together it would be more budget minded. Check my sig for my build.

cmarr6

He can do the same thing with the TH400. And it a stronger tranny than the 350.

wiggles

There's a saying, if you have to ask than you probably not ready to do it.
Not to mention its your dd, this wont be a weekend swap

ktmracer419

this. carburetors suck too.

you can make it run and work pretty easily. Its basically just a starting and charging system you have to wire up. Keep it separate from the xj wiring. its when you want no idiot lights on, and your guages to work properly where you will run into issues.

I'm not sure how that transmission is controlled either, but that could be another mess.

and forget about the stock fuel system. you might be able to gut the fuel pump and the mechanical fuel pump will suck fuel from it just fine.


Theres a reason nobody swaps old carbureted motors into xjs. a lot of work, for a few steps backwards. The power they put out stock wasn't impressive either.



You could swap in another 4.0 in half a day for a few hundred dollars, why not go that route?

maybe2fast

injected would be the way to go, and on chevy's if its a electronic trans the PCM controls the engine and transmission, this would require the harness from what ever donor vehicle and PCM. However that sounds really scary, but a harness plugs everything into the pcm and there is not that much to hook up to the PCM to make it work.

McCaffrey

What? This is a quite flawed statement. If this was true then nobody would ever do anything new.

A carbed SB Chevy is probably the simplest and easiest to understand of any setup in existence. Only exceeded by maybe a 2-stroke weedwacker engine.

My concern would be the legality of getting it smogged.

V8XJDavid

Holley makes a self learning, bolt on fuel injection system. No computer required. Costs about $1100.

As for power, depending on what year your 350 is, stock HP ranges from 145 (Mid 70's era) to 370 (muscle car era). That 4.0 you are pulling out will have about 185 stock. These are numbers for a NEW engine, not one with a bunch of miles on it.

Upgrades for the sbc are dirt cheap and will net you bigger bang for your buck than any 4.0 upgrades. You can get a 350 from any scrapyard for a couple hundred bucks and put a few hundred in it and have a really strong engine for way cheaper than you would spend to get the same power from the 4.0

Swap kits are available from Novak and they are not cheap.

Bottom line: it's your Jeep, do whatever you want with it.

Oh, and you ain't getting it done in a weekend unless you have a good shop, good knowledge and good friends to help. Sure as anything you'll run into problems and it will take longer than you thought.

jbsjunk

Might be why I've been tinkering with mine for 5 years. I drove it a few times now. I just need to get it legal so I can really drive it.

cdhebert

This.
If you want to do this for a fun project, then by all means - Go for it
If you want to do this because your motor is shot and you need something to drive right away - This is the totally wrong route...

WONiWILSON

Thanks guys after looking at all the cost, i have decided to just part mine out and buy anothrr Jeep.

fallenknight308

Whew, that was a close one.
Another Jeep saved from having a bowtie mill defile it.

JK

NorCalJeep

Good luck

jbsjunk

Like this one?

fallenknight308

Owwww my eyes, it burns!