New Motor/Trans Options

Looking for a buick 350 and 4 speed with granny low for my 67 cj. I found a 1970 J3000 pickup for sale with the 350 in it with a 4 speed. Anyone know what 4 speed came in them in 1970? Is it one that has granny low of at least 6.0:1 so I could use the motor and tranny in my cj5? Also, the axles are way too wide for a cj5, right? I'm assuming they are wider than narrow track waggy's, right? I ask these questions because the rig is too far away to just go look at easily, would be a decent drive. Thanks guys.

 

It's a T-18 but the engine-trans combo will be way too long for your CJ. The V8 trucks and wagons have a very long input shaft with either a long bellhousing or a standard bellhousing with a 5-6" spacer between the bell and trans. The long bell is really strange looking. I'm not sure if the Buick has a long bell or a spacer - I suspect it's a spacer. The trans can be converted to a short input shaft, but you'll either have to get the parts from another Ford T-18 or buy a kit of parts from PartsMike (ca $200).

The axles are way too wide for a CJ, IMO. Some use them, but it gives you a nearly square footprint, and the tires are mostly out of the wheelwells. Plus a '70 will have a closed-knuckle front D44, which is not optimal for conversion.

 

Wow, I had no idea about the longer bellhousing or the long adapter, that's wild. Kind of a bummer, too. I thought maybe I had found a diamond in the rough for an option I hadn't thought about yet. It would be nice to get the new motor and a t-18 for 350 bucks, though, plus the conversion from partsmike to still be under 600 for a buick 350 and a t-18. If I do the partsmike conversion, would it make the lenth short/"normal" again for the length from the back of the motor to the end of the tranny? Or is this really just something I shouldn't meddle in? I assumed the axles were full width like on a fullsize chevy or ford pickup, so yea, basically making a square footprint, lol. And a closed knuckle 44, no thank you.

 

R&P can also sell you just the parts you need to convert and they are much closer to you
They can help with much of the technical info on how to swap as well....

 

Sweet, R&P is definitely much closer to me, that's for sure. For some reason I just forget to check their website more often than not, but the shop really seems like an endless source for most any conversion part, piece, bracket, or one-off item you could need.

I gotta say, this J3000 has the 350 buick v8 that was rebuilt 2 years ago, driven once a month to the dump and back, has a t-18 with granny 1st, is supposed to shift well, and its $650. So I get my motor and tranny for a pretty good deal, spend a couple hundred on input shaft conversion to get the drivetrain shortened up, a couple hundred for new exhaust, get an electric pusher fan for the radiator, I'm thinking this could be a decent budget swap. Just gotta drive 5 hours to go test drive the truck, maybe do a compression test on it, etc, then get it home and tear it apart.

What transfer case came in those j3000's? Would my dana 18 mate up to the back of the t-18 in the truck, or would I need to buy an adapter?

And for the Buick 350 swap, I've heard I can use the same motor mounts, just have to move them, and I've heard I can bolt the 350 up right to my existing v6 motor mounts, no moving necessary. I realize all jeeps are just a bit different, but in general, should I expect to move the motor mounts, or will the 350 drop right in and just have more engine taking up the front part of the engine compartment by the radiator?

Thanks guys. And let me know if there is some other big thing I'm overlooking on the swap.

 

Sounds like a no brainer except for the loss of a ... sniff ... '70 J-truck. Sure you wouldn't rather have a Jeep truck and a CJ-5?

Manual J-trucks before 1980 will have a D20. Depending on what transmission you have now, you may be able to put your D18 output gear on the T-18, or you may need to buy an output gear. You'll need a big-hole D18, I recall, plus a matching 6-spline output gear. The D20 case will have a big hole, and you may be able to put your D18 gears in that case, depending on the size of your intermediate shaft.

Agreeing with Patrick, the existing towers will work with no changes. You'll need to move the radiator forward and move/adapt the crossmember and driveshafts. The floor pans will need to be modified to clear the bigger transmission.

 

Adam, since you have a T-86 now your large hole 18 will bolt right up to the back of the T-18. Your input gear will even work so no mods there. I don't know if you have the stock single stick transfer case or a twin sticked unit but if single stick you will probably have to do some bracket fab to make the linkage work or convert to twin stick. For what you want to do I'd convert due to the nature of the terrain over there. All that lava rock begs to be able to shift the front in and out while leaving it in low range. It would eliminate the fabbing of bracketry for the single stick as well.

Just bear in mind with R&P that they are old farts like me and computer challenged so they don't show much on their web site. Best to call them. They should be back from hunting today....
I like the idea of the Buick 350. I think it'll get the torque and hp you're looking for.

 

Great motor especially if you can find a aluminum intake, the stock cast iron one weighs about 60 lbs. Headers can make a huge difference as well, the stock exhaust manifolds are monsters. Probably the highest torque gas motor ever built.

 

Sweet, I'm getting pumped for this swap, sounds like a lot of positive things for picking this J-truck up, and not a horrible amount of fab, either.

I do keep hearing I'm going to have to move my radiator forward. I was planning to install an electric pusher fan in front of the radiator, and do away with the motor mounted fan. If I do this, do I still have to move the radiator forward, or will eliminating the motor fan allow enough room that I'll be able to keep my radiator in it's current location?

Also, is there any difference between the late 60's and early 70's buick 350's? And if so, is it enough of a difference to worry about for this motor swap? I think the truck is a '71, but the person says they believe the motor is a rebuilt late 60's buick 350 "dauntless". Any reason to be concerned?

 

Yes. A '71 should be an AMC 360. Get a picture of the engine before you go and look. I think I can tell them apart by the valve covers, but I can't give you an easily described test to separate them. They both have the distributor in the front, both are 2V V8s, etc.

 

Water pump and front cover are pretty easy to spot if you are familiar with the buicks. Also easy to make a hei for using some swap ingenuity. Usually better off to put the radiator up against the grill slats and work back from there. Very hard to beat cfm of a good stock fan and you have to run the pulleys anyway. The truck t-18 set-up can be shoe-horned in with some careful puzzle building. Just because the Novak site says you can't do it doesn't make it so. The long input was to make it the same length as the 400 turbo setup so the drivelines would come out the same regardless of tranny. I have put many 400s into short wheel-base Jeeps, you just have to be willing to be flexible.

 

Did the J trucks come with 350's? If it was transplanted in who knows what trans it has.

 

Here's Adam's (SkysTheLimit) engine:



That's a Buick.

 

Yes, the "Dauntless" 350 Buick was optional in J-trucks and Wagoneers in 1969, 1970 and some in 1971.

 

and easy as that you can tell it's a 350 buick huh? That's sweet. I wish I could tell from air cleaners and valve covers. Maybe one day...What's the distinguishing things that makes it so you can tell it's the buick 350, not the AMC 360? Just the way the valve covers look for those who know both engines?

 

Mmm. I'm sure it's not an AMC. An AMC has the oil filler tube pressed in to the middle of the manifold, and the valve covers are smoother. These valve covers are distinctly Buick, from what I remember. The air cleaner looks right for GM too. PCV hose is in the wrong place for AMC. CTO switch is in the wrong place for AMC. Top hose and radiator neck is wrong for AMC.