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MoTech

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"Contemplating a V8?Why spend weeks pulling the frame off your new chassis to put in an old motor
Why spend up to $25000.00 to have a shop supply parts and labor
Why worry about emission laws and custom exhaust
Why spend more at the pump, with our kits you can still use 89 octane
Why add 500 pounds to your Jeep
5.7L HEMI’s only make 270whp & 280ft/lbs of torque"


All right guys I got a chuckle out of this and think it's going a little too far.

Point 1: You don't have to pull the body to do a V8 swap. BOR and many of our customers don't pull the body; however, it does make for an easier swap and gives you the opportunity to clean up the chassis. With a V8 there is no cutting the fenderwells, core support, patched tunes, etc. With our V8 there is no relocating the steering shaft, battery tray, spring spacers etc. When we remove a SC we end up restoring the JK back to stock, our V8 swap is clean and the only fab work is the frame mounts.

Point 2: Our LS swaps start in the high $13's turnkey. To be fair most Hemi swaps are less than $25k.

Point 3: Properly done V8 swaps are legal, even in California.

Point 4: Our 4.8 and 5.3 swaps can run on 85 octane, practically any low grade gas you can find. With Gen IV OS's dual KS's, dual spark tables, scalers and modifiers a V8 can run hundreds of thousands of miles on low grade gas.

Point 5: 500 pounds? Really? I'll even defend the Hemi here:) The Hemi adds a couple hundred pounds and the suspension and handling are affected. An all aluminum LS weighs LESS than a SC V6 and there is no intercooler to block the airflow or whine to scare away Bambi.

Point 6: Drive a V8, any V8, then a SC 3.8, it is a very different experience. Numbers are numbers and we are removing SC's from JK's as I write this to put in 5.3 and 6.0's. Most V8's are capable of 300+ RWHP with little stress and good durability and reliability. 400, 500, 600 and even more RWHP can be had with a V8.

I feel the SC is a viable low cost option to the V8 and I give credit to those who have developed and marketed them, but let's keep it real. Both the V8 and SC have their advantages, a V8 JK is awesome and a dream to drive but more costly than a SC, in the end a V8 should go hundreds of thousands of miles making it the better ROI vs a V6 with a power adder. Another consideration is a SC 3.8 is still burdened with Chryslers transmissions which drive me nuts on the highway. Watch my recent videos where Mo and I drove to Houston and back in a 5.3 LS JK with 115,000 miles on it. We cruised at 80 mph up hill like being in our living room and got 19 mpg over 3,200 miles. We did 1,000 miles the first day with the 5.3 V8, with the V6 on the same trip we were done at El Paso, about 700 miles, the engine revving, transmission downshifting and not being able to hold the speed limit is stressful. Even with a SC the drama is there. The V8 JK can become a highway cruiser.

So again the SC has it's place but let's be fair to the V8.
 
"Contemplating a V8?Why spend weeks pulling the frame off your new chassis to put in an old motor
Why spend up to $25000.00 to have a shop supply parts and labor
Why worry about emission laws and custom exhaust
Why spend more at the pump, with our kits you can still use 89 octane
Why add 500 pounds to your Jeep
5.7L HEMI’s only make 270whp & 280ft/lbs of torque"
Are these statements coming from a particular SC company?
 
A Hemi and mated transmission only adds a couple hundred pounds?

An AEV kit runs around $6k and is rated a 40 hour job. What is an average hourly bill rate for a paid install? How much is a crate Hemi engine and 545RFE tranny?

A stage 2 RIPP is a relatively simple DIY weekend job. Fuel economy is better than an Hemi. Actual power adjusted for the weight differential between the two is pretty close to the Hemi. You can pull the RIPP and sell it used for about $3500 when you change rigs. A Hemi is a sunk cost that will never increase the used market value of the rig even 1/2 the cost of the conversion.

I installed stage 2 RIPPs in 2 of our JKs--with the "high altitude" pullies. The 3.8Ls had less than 30k miles each. We have no second thoughts about doing RIPPs instead of Hemi's. We have friends with Hemi's who complain about breaking more drivetrain components than they would have with RIPP'd 3.8Ls.

Now, with that said, doing a used 5.3L and dumping the 42RLE in my wife's JK is very attractive. If the 5.3L meets emissions in required states, I don't know why anyone would chose a Hemi over a 5.3L or 6.0L.

If the 3.8L crapped out in one of our JKs, I'd probably do a 5.3L. In fact, I'd probably keep the Vortec and adapt it to work with a 5.3L.

I would say, Hemi vs RIPP, RIPP wins.

I'd say Hemi vs LS, LS wins.

I'd say LS vs RIPP, it depends in your budget, concern for resale value, and whether you can do the labor yourself

I haven't driven an LS JK, but I've owned two 5.3L GMC 1/2 tons and a 5.7 LSI GTO. So, take my opinions for what they are worth.

A local guy in Montana built an LS3 4 dr Rubi on 40s, long arm, low miles, and he has been trying to sell it for maybe 2 years now for $40k. I don't think he will get much more than $5k more than it would be with a 3.8L. Fun rig, but needs tons to be reliable.


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I have a 2010 JK 4 door with a recently removed ripp gen 2 kit, trust me a v8 is the way to go. Obviously the supercharger is cheaper which is what had drawn me in the first time around. Currently my JK is getting a 6.0 swap with a Motech kit. The ripp system made me not enjoy the jeep anymore. For almost 6000 dollars it just wasnt worth it, i barely noticed a increase in power. Believe it or not i enjoyed driving the jeep more when the supercharger was removed.

For anyone considering a supercharger or power upgrade, i would for sure consider a LS swap above any other option.
 
"Contemplating a V8?Why spend weeks pulling the frame off your new chassis to put in an old motor
Why spend up to $25000.00 to have a shop supply parts and labor
Why worry about emission laws and custom exhaust
Why spend more at the pump, with our kits you can still use 89 octane
Why add 500 pounds to your Jeep
5.7L HEMI’s only make 270whp & 280ft/lbs of torque"


All right guys I got a chuckle out of this and think it's going a little too far.

Point 1: You don't have to pull the body to do a V8 swap. BOR and many of our customers don't pull the body; however, it does make for an easier swap and gives you the opportunity to clean up the chassis. With a V8 there is no cutting the fenderwells, core support, patched tunes, etc. With our V8 there is no relocating the steering shaft, battery tray, spring spacers etc. When we remove a SC we end up restoring the JK back to stock, our V8 swap is clean and the only fab work is the frame mounts.

Point 2: Our LS swaps start in the high $13's turnkey. To be fair most Hemi swaps are less than $25k.

Point 3: Properly done V8 swaps are legal, even in California.

Point 4: Our 4.8 and 5.3 swaps can run on 85 octane, practically any low grade gas you can find. With Gen IV OS's dual KS's, dual spark tables, scalers and modifiers a V8 can run hundreds of thousands of miles on low grade gas.

Point 5: 500 pounds? Really? I'll even defend the Hemi here:) The Hemi adds a couple hundred pounds and the suspension and handling are affected. An all aluminum LS weighs LESS than a SC V6 and there is no intercooler to block the airflow or whine to scare away Bambi.

Point 6: Drive a V8, any V8, then a SC 3.8, it is a very different experience. Numbers are numbers and we are removing SC's from JK's as I write this to put in 5.3 and 6.0's. Most V8's are capable of 300+ RWHP with little stress and good durability and reliability. 400, 500, 600 and even more RWHP can be had with a V8.

I feel the SC is a viable low cost option to the V8 and I give credit to those who have developed and marketed them, but let's keep it real. Both the V8 and SC have their advantages, a V8 JK is awesome and a dream to drive but more costly than a SC, in the end a V8 should go hundreds of thousands of miles making it the better ROI vs a V6 with a power adder. Another consideration is a SC 3.8 is still burdened with Chryslers transmissions which drive me nuts on the highway. Watch my recent videos where Mo and I drove to Houston and back in a 5.3 LS JK with 115,000 miles on it. We cruised at 80 mph up hill like being in our living room and got 19 mpg over 3,200 miles. We did 1,000 miles the first day with the 5.3 V8, with the V6 on the same trip we were done at El Paso, about 700 miles, the engine revving, transmission downshifting and not being able to hold the speed limit is stressful. Even with a SC the drama is there. The V8 JK can become a highway cruiser.

So again the SC has it's place but let's be fair to the V8.
Very well put!! I admit to being a V8 nut but these are excellent point / counterpoints to each. Hopefully I will do the V8 someday.
 
This winter teh 6.2 with a MoTech kit is going in. Just need MoTech to agree to take cash and send me a receipt showing the whole engine and kit was $2,000 so I can show that to the Wife, so she doesnt know the real cost. :) Searching ebay right now for engines.
 
I'd put 2 hamsters under the hood before I'd add a RIPP to the JK.

I considered the Magnuson at one point and the Avenger at one point.

Now, if I do any power adder, it'll be an LS or 6Bt.

Given that I'm trying to sell the JK, that would likely be in the next JK and many years from now.
 
The ripp system made me not enjoy the jeep anymore. For almost 6000 dollars it just wasnt worth it, i barely noticed a increase in power.
What gearing and tire size do you have?

What transmission do you have?

At what elevation do you live, and did you run the higher psi (high altitude pulley)?

My RIPPd 07 2 dr 6 speed on 40s with 5.38s, with the high altitude pulley is a hoot to drive. I have no problems on hill climbs, pulling out into traffic, etc. Fuel economy in town is in the 14s when I drive it more reasonably--good for a rig on tons and 40s.

My wife's RIPPd 08 2dr automatic on 37s with 5.38s with the high altitude pulley also does really well. My only wish is that I could swap the 42RLE automatic tranny to a better, 5 speed automatic transmission. Even with the stupidly geared 42RLE, it gets about 19-20+ mpg at 70 mph.

I live at 3500 ft above sea level on the east side of he Rocky Mountains.




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Another thing to think about is with a SC 3.6L/3.8L is there is no room to add more power... Maybe a little with a different pulley/custom tune.

With the 5.3L/6.2L you can just do a cam swap, cam & heads, custom tune.
 
I can't think of anyone who would do a supercharger over an engine swap if cost were the same or atleast close. At 25K, I'd have to be rich or know that I would never total the Jeep. I don't know many people that can afford a $65,000 - $80,000 Jeep. Maybe I'm just poor.
 
I think the SC vs V8 swap is apples to oranges.

One is a $5k, simple add on that gives a very nice bump in performance and gives the tired JK motor back it's drivability that it lost with big tires, heavy armor and cages.

The other is a $15k, if you are lucky, complete transformation of your JK from a punk kid to an MMA fighter.


If money was no object, the V8 swap(LS IMO) would be the hands down winner...but for most, money is the absolute reason we go the SC route. Nice performance gain, reasonable cost, super easy DIY.

Shoot, my RIPP came from Robi at MoTech, pulled from a jK getting an LS. If Robi had called me and said, "hey, TC, rather than this RIPP, just ship your junk out here and I'll LS it for the same price" I would have been all freaking over it.

I love my RIPP, especially for the used price I paid, but I would never compare it to a V8.
 


I feel the SC is a viable low cost option


We agree - AND - cost per HP still a better value:

With our system there is no drama - no issue you simply get what you pay for; up to 120 additional WHP AND ADDITIONAL 90-100ft/lbs of torque and 1-4 more MPG from whatever you have stock. There are 3000 kits on the market and the business model is clear. Get near V8 performance for a fraction of the price and time.

Moreover, Our supercharger kits have been on the market for 6 years and many clients have been running them for that long, if not sold their JK's over to the next guy and picked up right where they left off... No drama, no issue. Most importantly you don't hear of many blown drivetrain components running our stuff either.... we think that is both a testament to the 3.8 and our system's integrity, both of which have proved that they are sound investments.

Likewise much respect to you and your staff for doing the work that you do... As motor heads we get it, understand it and decided that boost is our replacement for displacement -

$5000-$6000 and a nominal 5-8HR install time you get this:​
RIPP Superchargers 2012 JK 317HP 280TRQ 37in Tires Auto Pentastar - YouTube

JK RIPP Supercharged 37's AUTO 288lbs/ft Torque 2500rpm.MOV - YouTube


Another thing to think about is with a SC 3.6L/3.8L is there is no room to add more power... Maybe a little with a different pulley/custom tune.

With the 5.3L/6.2L you can just do a cam swap, cam & heads, custom tune.
Thats not true - we are inherently conservative in our approach and therefore have not released any more HP... Clients seem very happy with the safe power we provide along with the additional MPG.


I think the SC vs V8 swap is apples to oranges.

One is a $5k, simple add on that gives a very nice bump in performance and gives the tired JK motor back it's drivability that it lost with big tires, heavy armor and cages.

The other is a $15k, if you are lucky, complete transformation of your JK from a punk kid to an MMA fighter.


If money was no object, the V8 swap(LS IMO) would be the hands down winner...but for most, money is the absolute reason we go the SC route. Nice performance gain, reasonable cost, super easy DIY.

Shoot, my RIPP came from Robi at MoTech, pulled from a jK getting an LS. If Robi had called me and said, "hey, TC, rather than this RIPP, just ship your junk out here and I'll LS it for the same price" I would have been all freaking over it.

I love my RIPP, especially for the used price I paid, but I would never compare it to a V8.
Point taken - thank you - again, we've always been transparent in our marketing.

RIPPTECH
 
I have a 2 dr 2009 with 35's and 2.5" Tera Spring lift and dont live at high elevation. Should I still consider the the high altitude pulley if I go with RIPP? Thanks
The High altitude pulley was designed with altitude in mind, where the air is not a dense. We feel that our standard pulley is perfect for the vast majority of our customers. People that are looking to give their Jeep "the power it SHOULD have had". Our 50 state legal for on road use system was designed with reliability as the paramount requirement, not maximum power.

That being said, what gear are you running?

RIPP
 
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