f head to l head swap, 45 CJ2A

hye y'all been away so long i almost reintroduced myself. well my 66ish tux park is coming along but the question of the day for me is

can you just bolt up an f head to a stock cj2a?

i know it was an l head motor stock but the trans. looks so close to the f head it set me to thinking. i have found (here in mexico) a 2a and the price is right but it is sans motor and it will have to cross the bridge under its own power. everything else works but the motor is just gone. i have an f head that is running. if it is a simple swap i'll do it. if not anyone got a l head they're looking to get rid of??

sparky i used the search engine-- maybe i'm just a rusty but i couldn't find this one. maybe it is too simple a question.

 

forgot the picture

 

Are you sure it's a 45? They only made 1824. Have side pictures? Is it still column shift? Have serial number?

 

Bill (Kodiak) is the expert on these model's build dates and ratity, so I'd suggest you answer his question separately.

I think the F-head bolts up if you change the motor mount plate on the front? It definitely bolts up to the bellhousing.

The F-head carburetor is too tall for the flat hood, but from your picture it looks like a hole in the hood has already been cut for an F-head swap.

 

just by the odds i would bet it is not a 45 --but it certainly could be. i haven't purchased this beast yet--so i really didn't feel too good about pestering the guy or being overinterested. i took a shot of the serial number but got home and couldn't make out anything.
definitely a floor shift.
i guessed that it had had an fhead because of the hood "scoop" but can't be sure----this guy bought from someone else--he knows no real histroy of it. it does have legal paperwork here though ---and that is a rarity.
i'll try to get a side shot uploaded.

 

The serial number tags are in two or three spots. One is just behind the front bumper and it's on the drivers side frame rail. Could be either side of the frame rail. The other is the passenger side firewall in the engine compartment, high and left can't miss them, and last is on passenger side dash tag. There should be three tags there. A 45 2A would have a military style full float rear end.

 

OK I will try and make this easy.
Due to the balancing of the crank on the F head and the flywheel on the L head you need to keep the L head flywheel with the L head, so bring the flywheel with your F head. If you use the L head flywheel on the F head the counter balancing effect at road speed RPM's will surly break your crank. You won't make it across the bridge. The ring gear on an F head flywheel will not fit in the bellhousing for the L head. You will need to swap ring gears. you will need a piece of flat stock to rig up the left motor mount. The accelerator pedal and linkage are diffrent between the L and F so bring linkage from an old 3b or cj5 including the pedal and it should work. It looks like you have a hole in the hood so your good to go.

If anyone can think of anything else feel free to pitch in

 

I agree with all the above. bring your F head from the bellhousing forward. and the throttle linkage will be different, as well as the engine mounts.....Make this easy on yourself and just bring a trailer. If it is a '45 you will have a rare Jeep, and well worth it if it has some paper or tags.

 

the need to get it across the bridge on its own power is so that i don't have to import it. it has been registered in mexico so if i trailer it in they border guards tell me i have to go through the whole import nightmare. since it was made in the u.s. that should not be necessary--if it comes across under its own motivation. i'm looking for a sympathetic ear--but they are hard to find at the border---especially these days

oh yeah my shop is in mexico so if it is a fairly easy swap i have the tools and the knowhow---it shouldn't take too long------if it is a 45 i'll start looking for an l head and try to get it back towards its natural state. not a whole lot of jeep parts down here.

i'll keep y'all posted--work is pulling away from what i 'need' to do

 

i doubt it is a 45-
but the serial number from the firewall passenger side says CJ2A 163164
i'm about to look up the numbers in the database. we'll see
-i don't have any idea what a full float military style rear end would look like--- but whatever it is it is now mine. it had papers with it---unfortunately they were for a 53 willys truck--in don't think that will help with border crossings.

thank you for all of your help and insight.

 

Well if you want to get technical it is a 1/4 ton truck of sorts.

 

yes it is.
well, every i was dotted and every t crossed on the papaerwork for this other car and the guy worked for the state here in mexico. his wife just didn't know one jeep from the other and gave the buyer of the pickup the jeeps paperwork. i'll try to track it down. but for now i do have the confidence of knowing that i am the legal owner--and with that i think i am going to go ahead and get replacement title paperwork started in GA-my home state. it is older than 15 years and all i need is a valid bill of sale (which i have)to title it. with that i can cross the border---even being towed.