Engine Installation.

We've reached the point in my son's Willys pickup project where we're ready to install the engine (Ford 302). This is somewhat new territory for me-I've swapped engines many times, but it was always something that could be done with off the shelf parts (I.E. swapping a 6 cyl for a V8 in a Ford pickup using the factory motor mounts). We got the Novak motor mount kit for putting a Ford V8 into a Jeep & it has a lot of adjustability both up/down and left/right. Any tips, thoughts, ideas, regarding engine positioning?

The new engine-

It's new home-

The mounts-

 

What about adding the trans and T-case and drop it in. Bolt the cross member up and it should be close to where it needs to be. You can adjust up and down to get the driveshaft angle right and side to side should already be close.

 

We're using the Ford trans and tcase also, so the crossmember is going to have to be custom made. But position of the trans is one of my concerns as well.

 

With a Ford, be careful with oil pan to front diff clearance.

 

Get it as low, and as far back as you can safely do it. I'd personally run a truck pan, with the rear sump, but that's just me.

 

Yep, truck or Fox body oil pan helps a lot.

 

Aye, I run a fox-body pan on my '41 Ford, and notched the crossmember to get it down even lower.

 

The engine came out of a 4x4 F150, it has a rear sump pan.

 

You're in good shape there then, you shouldn't have to wrangle your way around the front axle hitting anything too much.

 

Keep the nose of the engine a few degrees high. Most intake manifolds have the carb base angled to make the carb level when the nose is elevated a few degrees.
Level up the chassis (straight sections under the cab) and then set the engine/trans combo into the engine bay. I like to keep the engine as far rearward as practical against the firewall, and shift it side-to-side to accommodate exhaust manifolds, steering shafts, front driveshaft, ect to where everything seems to be happy (you will know it when you find it!) I use a short level on the intake carb flange both side to side, and front to back. I sometimes tilt the nose another degree or two higher.
I disagree with post #6 with "as low" as you can fit it. Keep it as high as practical to both clear the front axle and keep the pan from damage, but also to help center the fan with the radiator. I see too many engine swaps where the center of the water pump is 2/3 to 3/4 the way below center of the radiator.
I often use cribbing/shimming under the oil pan, and the same under the tailshaft of the trans/TC to get everything just how I like it before I start mocking the engine mounts and rear crossmember in place. Just remember, the suspension will settle a bit once its carrying the weight of the drivetrain.
-Donny

 

Low is subjective. Keeping the center of gravity low is a good thing. If you're running electric fans, the water pump alignment for the fan isn't relevant. As long as things are clear, and you're not worried about banging the oil pan against things, low as safely possible is going to give you the best driving characteristics and center of gravity, especially if you've got any suspension lift on it.

 

Which transmission?

The later J-trucks were originally designed for the OHC 230 inline 6. Their engine compartments are shaped to accommodate the long inline engine. Don't know if it's so much the case for the Utility truck, since it was originally supplied with a (F?) 134.

Jeep put a V8 in the J-trucks by leaving the front of the engine in the same place as the 6, thereby avoiding firewall interference with the shorter overall V8. They made up the difference with a long input shaft and adapter that left the manual transmissions in the same location wrt the driver and cabin. With an automatic, the transmission is both longer and the shifter does not come up through the floor, so the automatics were moved forward some along with the transfer case, compared to the manual transmission equipped trucks.

Thus it might matter if you are planning to run an automatic or manual transmission, wrt locating the engine in the bay.

 

This truck is getting the whole drivetrain from a 86 F150. 302, NP435, BW 1356 Tcase, 8.8 rear axle. I'm hoping that I can do this without butchering the firewall.

 

Yep!! It's even a concern with other engines. Certainly more important than just engine height. With a good fan shroud, even a mechanical fan will work just fine being well offset from the center of the radiator. I still don't like electric fans, more efficient or not.

The positioning will be trial and error and I would jury rig a temporary cross member. You need to be able to jack the suspension both ways to check the front engine clearance before you actually weld in the mounts. Just tack them until you get it positioned where it needs to be.

 

In the J-truck, with a V8, the NP435 stalk will come up under the dash. You can bend the stalk and make that work. Again, the Utility truck may be different in this respect.

 

The previous owner of my 59 CJ put the entire drive train from a 86 Cherokee in it, including the V6. He made his own motor mounts.
Well the motor is a bit too far back. Bellhousing bolts are smacking the floor on the driver side. I hate to say it, but I'm thinking the
best way to fix it is to pull the motor and trans and reposition everything. NorCal69 said I could easily go forward over an inch.
So, it's on the list of things to do.

Mad

 

2.8 and an AX5 trans, I assume? How long it your rear driveshaft?

 

Good lord, why would anyone swap a 2.8 INTO anything? Those things were awful!

 

RIGHT?!?!