Thanks! Is this the smog legal crate your mentioning? https://westcoastengines.com/53-crate-engine/Stuka wrote:Howell has a CA smog legal EFI kit. This would result in better reliability and slightly better economy.
Doing an engine swap can be done in a smog legal way. Basically the engine has to be newer than the model year of your Jeep, and you have to retain any emissions equipment that came with that engine. Which is basically a cat, evap system, and the air cleaner setup. Then you go to a referee and have them verify everything.
There is also a few people that have purchased a GM smog legal crate engine. This is obviously the most expensive as its all brand new.
It is not. I was speaking of the GM E-Rod engines.Jwillis wrote: ↑Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:49 pmThanks! Is this the smog legal crate your mentioning? https://westcoastengines.com/53-crate-engine/Stuka wrote:Howell has a CA smog legal EFI kit. This would result in better reliability and slightly better economy.
Doing an engine swap can be done in a smog legal way. Basically the engine has to be newer than the model year of your Jeep, and you have to retain any emissions equipment that came with that engine. Which is basically a cat, evap system, and the air cleaner setup. Then you go to a referee and have them verify everything.
There is also a few people that have purchased a GM smog legal crate engine. This is obviously the most expensive as its all brand new.
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Thanks! I’m looking into them now! They might be outside my budget but I’m figuring out all my options!Stuka wrote:It is not. I was speaking of the GM E-Rod engines.Jwillis wrote: ↑Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:49 pmThanks! Is this the smog legal crate your mentioning? https://westcoastengines.com/53-crate-engine/Stuka wrote:Howell has a CA smog legal EFI kit. This would result in better reliability and slightly better economy.
Doing an engine swap can be done in a smog legal way. Basically the engine has to be newer than the model year of your Jeep, and you have to retain any emissions equipment that came with that engine. Which is basically a cat, evap system, and the air cleaner setup. Then you go to a referee and have them verify everything.
There is also a few people that have purchased a GM smog legal crate engine. This is obviously the most expensive as its all brand new.
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https://www.chevrolet.com/performance-p ... ansmission
I do not have any knowledge of the one you posted. But I know several people here in CA have E-Rod engines in their Jeeps and pass smog.
I’ve looked into that. I’m just hesitant to spend that kind of money until I’m sure I’ll stick with this engine. Glad to hear you love it!j10jim wrote:Go with the Howell EFI kit. That is what I did 2 years ago and never looked back. I will have the J10 in Ouray, next week for the 2021 FSJ run.
Thanks! I was communicating with Novak about what I need for the swap and they mentioned all the same things!new transfer case and transmission for sure and then a new rear axle. $$$$$$tgreese wrote:Realize that your swap won't yield the same mileage as the donor vehicle. It'll be better, but the old chassis won't have the same aerodynamics and bearings/axles/etc of the donor. The wind is a mighty barrier.
You can increase your mileage significantly by driving a bit slower. That plus the EFI conversion may get you close to the 14mpg goal. Keep the tire size and ride height down; both will increase drag and lower mileage.
I would not consider an engine swap without swapping in the modern overdrive automatic and its transfer case, along with the engine. The TH400 is very strong, durable and shifts nice but has lots of internal friction compared to the the modern automatics. This would be a good way to solve the Quadratrac issues too. The offset rear axle for the Quadratrac may be a problem with the centered GM transfer case. You should look into this before you make a decision.
Thank you for that info!tgreese wrote:Note that the rear axles from '80 up are centered, or you could find an axle from a '74-79 WT Cherokee with a manual transmission. Likely you would need to regear to make the axles match. A J10 rear axle is another possibility, though it will be a somewhat wider rear track to accommodate the J10 bed width. I suspect there are other axles from other marques that might work.
Some have done this swap without replacing the rear axle. Reports vary.
As I recall, WT rear axles are the same between manual and automatics. Only narrow tracs had the different offset for use with the D20 or Quadra-Trac.tgreese wrote: ↑Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:13 am Note that the rear axles from '80 up are centered, or you could find an axle from a '74-79 WT Cherokee with a manual transmission. Likely you would need to regear to make the axles match. A J10 rear axle is another possibility, though it will be a somewhat wider rear track to accommodate the J10 bed width. I suspect there are other axles from other marques that might work.
Some have done this swap without replacing the rear axle. Reports vary.
Thanks for the advice! 66k is on the odometer. I don’t know any of the history of the Jeep so I don’t know if that’s 66k or 166k.letank wrote:my take: the carb works fine... simple, easy to fix - at least as long as we can get parts- The ignition box is an easy swap... in doubt you can go HEI... but keep your distributor gears
For the vapor locking... electric fuel pump, simple and easy to replace...
Redo the ground circuit with good contacts battery to engine, engine to frame and add a few, for the distributor and to the in cab accessories, just in case.
Recheck the PCV circuit, that pesky PCV valve has a plastic fitting... and yes the plastic will distort with time and create a slight vacuum leak... in fact the manual suggest replaced every 17K or less than 5 years... forgot the exact numbers...
Add a TFI coil and a large cap distributor... that is a very good upgrade, and the ammeter bypass
A swap will cost you $$$, as for the mpg gains, very unlikely to recoup any savings, because you will gain extra power and have fun with it. Unless you drive over 12Kmiles a year, little savings. Yes it will cost money... IIRC my last Ouray or Moab trips were in the $700 for round trip from California... around 13mpg average, even if some fill up claimed 14 or 15mpg, driving 60+mph... I had a trailer with 2 off road bikes. Stock height and tires... These things are shaped like a brick... not really a chance to gain significant mpg, unless driving 55mph... with AC you will use more gas, and our AC is not that good...
Also California gas is not good for mpg, we loose 1 to 2 mpg... that you gain when going out of state...
Of course when the engine will be tired... it will be another story... How many miles on the odometer?