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2007jku engine swap

7K views 12 replies 9 participants last post by  coilrod 
#1 ·
Need help with the configuration of parts and the process of swapping an older Chevy 350 and th350 in my 2007 jk as I’ve never swapped an engine from a Chevy into a Jeep. And don’t tell me about the “why not an LS or Hemi” because trust me I would but I got an awesome deal on this engine and trans. Both in great shape so I couldn’t pass it up. I’m getting married and bought a house so I think It’d be the death of me if she found out I dropped 10k or more on an engine swap. Any help is great recommended transfer case adaptors, wiring harnesses, etc.
 
#2 ·
From what Ive been seeing, everything here will be a stand alone system. You'll need mechanical gauges, drive by wire pedal, your own mounts. There should be a few case adapters out there, but not entirely sure what, but advance adapters is a good place to check out.
 
#5 ·
As Fat Cow said, everything interior will be stand alone. Your wipers, your radio, your locks. You would have to plan or re-wiring the entire jeep. My concern is how much power you will gain for your money and work. I don't know what year or how stock your engine is, but I wouldn't swap to an SBC for 50 hp. Depending on your engine, you may be the same HP stock for stock. Sure the V8 will likely have more torque, but carbs suck, and if you get into switching it to EFI, you will still be quite a bit of money, but that can be done later. The power potential with stock heads is also very low as the stock heads don't have very good flow rates, especially compared to an LS, and we all know that to make power, you need to move air. I don't know what kind of driving you plan on doing with it, but carbs don't like big angles if you are rock crawling.
 
#6 ·
Now all that being said, you would have the same amount of wiring on the jeep side to go with a junkyard stand alone LS 5.3 or 6.0L, but you would have an additional 100 hp with a bone stock engine, plus you would retain overdrive if you get a 4L60E or a 4L80E, which you will loose with the TH350. If doing the wiring to make an LS standalone is intimidating, you should look into the Holley Terminator max options that start as under $1000 USD, and are entirly plug and play, and come with the harness, ECU, and even the touch screen dash.
 
#7 ·
Details, man! Help us help you. Carbed 350? TBI 350? Aftermarket fuel injection?

FYI: most carbs suck on steep hills & off-camber (been there, **** that).

Assuming street driven: do you have smog check or inspections to register?

Is your plan: "put the 350 / TH350 in the Jeep"?

Suggest reading Kevin's Blue Jeep build thread, then come back to this thread with a rough plan and a pile of questions.

I'd bet 5 bucks you'll blow through 10 grand putting a free SBC and slushbox in your JK unless you want bare buggy functionality.

Suggest having a rough plan of the end game before hacking your shit into an un-sellable pile of fail.

Dreaming costs nothing, projects need TLC*.




























* = TIME, LABOR, and CASH :laughing:
 
#8 ·
Old-school 350/350 is cool. But you're gonna pay tryin' to put it in a JK. Pay lots. Cheaper to buy a CJ and drop it in there. Makin' a JK stand alone is no easy task. Better off guttin' the entire electrical system and usin' a streetrod harness. Again … much easier to drop the old-school setup into old-school iron.

FWIW, in my old buggy thang, I ran a stock 4-barrel Rochester carb off a 70's station wagon in a junk yard and most folks assumed I was on propane 'cause it would run at such crazy angles. No top-end but phenomenal for hardcore crawlin'.

Carry on ...
 
#10 ·
Through the years I've wondered how many of the posts that have started out this way , have a JK or JKU parked behind the garage with a tarp over it with weeds growing around it because they thought that it should be easy to do stand alone .

Then they find out the massive amount of things that they will never get to work because they wanted to prove that it could be done "cheap " instead of right .

What's worse is they finally find out that the dollars spent will never be the " cheap " way because they find out that it will actually cost more to achieve a result that is really just an ok result .

I've seen that scenario when it comes to hot rods ( bought a couple that way myself ).

Most folks won't ever admit to their failure , just embarrassed .

There have been many that have pulled it off , and done so admirably , but I wonder if it really saved any money at all .

The research and real knowledge is where a lot of the money is in these "kits" is at .
Some of them are pretty good and some not so much , I have some experience with the players in the arena , and have seen some real trash and some real well thought out product . I just won't comment either way on the internet because it becomes a "fanboy" issue or even something else worse .

Whatever you do, do your research . It will pay dividends in the end .
 
#13 ·
I did an ls swap from motech. A working swap kit. There are $1000's of reasons to reconsider. Unless you have a machine shop and a computer programming tool that doesn't exist, or plan to not use any of your power window/door lock, gauges, hvac, lighting or horn, then you will have cost overruns well beyond your $10k.
 
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