Jeep 4.0 in 69 Barracuda
I have built magnum V8 jeeps since 98 and only used magnum factory injection so I get the injection idea but the 4L is over 4" longer than the V8 and makes half the power. It is much too tall to even fit under the hood if there is a place for the length. Why not just put a 94 Grand Cherokee 5.2 in it? Half the work, twice the power and done in a weekend.
I see several issues related to the swap, engine height, engine length, motor mounts and of course, exhaust.
I understand your love for the jeep inline six but unless you are planning on doing tractor pulls with the 69, it seems like a big effort for little return.
I would advise against doing anything with a Dana 44 from a Grand except holding a boat in place, they are junk and explode just looking at them. They make a Dana 35 look tough.
Not trying to bag on your idea, but you seem to have a pretty nice start to a cool 69 fish and I dont get the engine downgrade concept.
well, thanks for your comment. As you could expect I have heard this many the times. And it wont be the last time I hear this. Its not that i have a love for the Jeep 4.0L, its that I hate most V8's (with exception of a 427 HEMI which I can not afford ~ Please forgive me HEMI gods :prayer: ) that much. Like you said, way too easy to build power. With way to many after-market options. Takes no intelligence to build a V8. Just money. My last mopar which was a 72 Ply Duster was running a 225 slant 6 which I built while working at the local machine shop. My end result was 13.9 sec quarter mile time. Not too bad. And it was 1 of a kind. Always turned heads when I pulled it out. Sounded great too with the 2.5 inch flowmaster exhaust. Even better when you blow doors off V8's and all they can do is try to keep up. The crap talking comes to a halt pretty fast. (think little big man syndrome)
As someone who has been in jeeps since 94, I have seen my fair share. Many people have told me to dump my D30 as its weak. I have seem to found what works for me with both my 92 YJ running 33x11.5 and my 97 XJ running 32x11.5 both running High Pinion D30s with 1 piece drive shafts on the passenger side. Never have I broken a front axle. Never broke a D30 housing. And Washington wheeling is not known to be easy on rigs. I am well aware of the problems of the ZJ D44. Which is why its so easy to get as most people throw them away. So I can design and fabricate my rear 4 link suspension off that, then upgrade later if warranted.
Lets also speak more on the weakness of the ZJ D44. It has a aluminum center which the carrier bearings ride on. The only weak link in that axle is during side loading. Jeep is off camber, loads the weight of the rig on the downward axle shaft, transfers all the pressure to the carrier which exerts excess weight to the upper shaft carrier bearing, and there you have it. Broken. Blows out the bearing in the carrier. Needless to say if I am side loading my barracuda axle, I have bigger problems to worry about. The other bonus to the ZJ D44, its still a D44. Leaves lots of options for upgrades and gearing. Including factory install limited slip. Which is useless on a 5000 pound jeep, but a 2000 A-Body, may prove to be useful.
More on that magnum idea. Its way too complicated. And the factory fuel management is far more complicated than a YJ 4.0L. As someone who recently completed another project your going to disagree with, I swapped my sisters 89 YJ 4 cyl to a 94 Jeep 4.0L moving everything over to the 94 fuel management and full harness. So with I have seen just how simple the 4.0L fuel management is. In the jeep, its dang near standalone. Just had switch 12v, Hot, and Cold.
Probably the most important part of this project is that the Jeep 4.0L is a place holder till I can purchase and build an Aussie in-line 6 265 HEMI. You heard right, In-Line 6 HEMI. Going the 4.0 route will allow me to have the harness prep'd for that as well as gotten around all the other hurdles with a in-line 6 engine.
You also brought another good point. The torque of the in-line 6. With the same gears which I would run with a V8, such as 4:88, the barracuda would do great in a tractor pull. With the 4.0L, I can run 3.73 with plenty of power. Plus drivable for street use. And lets not forget about mileage. My XJ with 3.55's and 32's gets 19mpg driving to work which is 100 miles round trip. The XJ is not as good as my fuel sipping 2014 TDi Jetta, but is also not my DD to work everyday. What do you consider a barracuda running 3.23 gears would do? I suspect a nice 20mpg with plenty of power. The stock gearing the ZJ D44 comes with will most likely get adjusted. I am going to see what the 4.11s do for me, but most likely drop down to the 3.73 or even as low as 3.23 gears.
Finally, the nail in the coffin as to why I am doing this. With 2 other running jeeps and 7 engines in my garage and storage, if I break something, I have parts. Can get the car home, and then replace what needs to be replace.
Needless to say I have given this alot of thought. And with all those thoughts, I have made a decision. Which what I am now perusing. Tomorrow morning I start the tear down on my barracuda removing that dead v8 to be scrapped unless someone takes it.
Feel free to enjoy the thread. As the talk stops, and the wrenches start turning tomorrow morning.
