Id go for it.. anything can be made to fit..but only if you got a way to cut steel and weld it... if you cant do those 2 things.. then sure go for it..but remmber aint gona be easy.. be like shovin a 2 inch round ball in a 1.5 inch square tube....but im sure it can and has been done.. you just aint found that one pic yet of a xj with a bb ford in it..

 

January issue of JP magazine has a yellow xj with a 502 in it picture was previously posted but a great article to read

 

yeah i posted the link to that one on the page i started about this this 76 ford 4x4 for parts i picked up... it can be done... just gonna take alot and maybe more then i wanna mess with... lol

 

I know a few people that have done it (big blocks... not fords though).
It will fit, but it's going to be tough-- a few thoughts:
1) you will need to relocate the battery
2) Don't worry about framming the unibody-- everyone says this when I tell them I have a sb chevy in there. The Ford 460 from 1996 was rated at 250 hp, 410 ft pounds tq. I've seen xj's take a lot more power than that...
3) Ditto on previous comments re: the differentials. 410 ft pounds tq is a lot for a d35 to handle.
4) cooling is going to be an issue-- be ready to buy the absolute best radiator you can. I highly recommend griffin's sluminum 3-core radiator-- keeps my 350 at exactly the right temp.
5) minor point--- forget headers. They BARELY fit in my truck.. I doubt (although I could be wrong) that they will fit with a BB.

Good luck-- sounds like a unique build.

 

ive got the whole 76 ford for my build... dana 44 and 9in... auto tranny... probly the c6 and the 205 xfer case... i got it for the axles but have been thinking about swapping it all in there if possible... i think for headers id be looking at a custom setup somehow... lol... dont see it happening with the steering all in the way... once i get mine all out of the ford i can take measurements and see what i think then...

 

axles are going in first though... ill figure the rest out once they are in... lol

 

There is no such thing as to big of a motor, you just gota be smart enough to do it, ive got 492.678 hp to the rear wheels in my xj and it handles it fine. live life to the fullest go big or go home, and get a chevy motor for it the conversions are so much easier and you dont wanna be (F)ound (O)n the (R)ocks (D)ead!!!!

 

Hope you got alot of money.

 

Boy I gotta see this one

 

Good job at bringing up an old thread for no good reason.

And I never said it couldn't handle it or that there is too big of a motor...but it is a lot of work to fit it in the engine bay area and not have any issues.

 

19.5 - 44- 15 TSL Super swampers

Hydraulic ram assist steering box from 96 to 2005 TJ

Appropriate tube frame bracing

Dana 60 front with disc Dana 70 rear with disc out of a Dodge

 

Nice. But that is not an XJ. That is an SJ. And this was a long dead 10year old thread. TEN. But nice SJ nonetheless. Reminds me of my uncles long gone J series.

 

Cmon man this thread is from 2009

 

 

why put a dang chevy in when those jeeps already had nice v8s in them. from a 304 up to a 401, right? all i have ever seen is the 360 but i sure would not pull a jeep v8 to put a crappy *** chevy in there