Planning a Jeep Tornado 230 OHC build.
Got this second engine as part of the deal when my 64 Glad cracked head needed replaced. Figured to rebuild it.
Told by forum folks to chek out the Chuchua built Tornado. Truly its a holy grail engine.
Gonna build it, sort of a tribute. All I have so far is this one picture of it. Aint she a beauty!?
Asking for help. Any pictures, specs, docs related to this engine? Know anyone who helped build it? Thank you for your help. All ideas and comments welcome. Thank you!
Tornado!
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tgreese
- Posts: 7177
- Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:31 am
- Location: Medford MA USA
Re: Tornado!
Hi - You plan to build it in a CJ, like the picture? Detail is not great, but does it have a radiator? If so, the radiator is pushed right up against the grille frame. Looks like the firewall was moved back. An inline 6 in an early CJ has issues due to its length. Kaiser offered the 225 because the engine length was short and worked with the existing short CJ engine compartment. The length affects the rear driveshaft too, which is already quite short in a CJ-5.
Looks like three side-draft Webers, with velocity stacks on rubber extensions. You will have to build an intake manifold. I don't recall which side the 230 exhaust is on, but this likely has headers custom built. The 230 has some strange camshaft design - aside from the long drive chain. Like each lobe acts on both intake and exhaust? Something like that. Likely you'll have to have a stock camshaft reground? Has to be $$. I expect you will find zero speed parts for this engine. Simply OEM parts may be expensive.
Dick Datson's books have some limited information about these engines as I recall. Nitrided iron crank with 4 mains. Ugh. Same bearings as the 226 "Super Hurricane" ne Continental engine (which has a forged steel crank). These books used to be for sale - if Datson is still around.
Brian built maybe a dozen or more Jeep projects like this, mostly as advertising I presume. Pretty sure this car was street-only, 2WD and had a solid front axle. The 230 had issues too. They were really hated in the day ... the Wagoneers and J-trucks with them sold cheap by the '70s, and a Ford of Chevy V8 swap was popular for them. Probably not as bad as their reputation. Great looking engine, especially with a polished cam cover. A hot rod - not very practical. Good for coverage in the car magazines ...
Looks like three side-draft Webers, with velocity stacks on rubber extensions. You will have to build an intake manifold. I don't recall which side the 230 exhaust is on, but this likely has headers custom built. The 230 has some strange camshaft design - aside from the long drive chain. Like each lobe acts on both intake and exhaust? Something like that. Likely you'll have to have a stock camshaft reground? Has to be $$. I expect you will find zero speed parts for this engine. Simply OEM parts may be expensive.
Dick Datson's books have some limited information about these engines as I recall. Nitrided iron crank with 4 mains. Ugh. Same bearings as the 226 "Super Hurricane" ne Continental engine (which has a forged steel crank). These books used to be for sale - if Datson is still around.
Brian built maybe a dozen or more Jeep projects like this, mostly as advertising I presume. Pretty sure this car was street-only, 2WD and had a solid front axle. The 230 had issues too. They were really hated in the day ... the Wagoneers and J-trucks with them sold cheap by the '70s, and a Ford of Chevy V8 swap was popular for them. Probably not as bad as their reputation. Great looking engine, especially with a polished cam cover. A hot rod - not very practical. Good for coverage in the car magazines ...
Tim Reese
Maine beekeeper's truck: '77 J10 LWB, 258/T15/D20/3.54 bone stock, low options (delete radio), PS/PDB, hubcaps.
Browless and proud: '82 J20 360/T18/NP208/3.73, Destination A/Ts, 7600 GVWR
Copper Polly: '75 CJ-6, 304/T15, PS, BFG KM2s, soft top
GTI without the badges: '95 VW Golf Sport 2000cc 2D
Dual Everything: '15 Chryco Jeep Cherokee KL Trailhawk, ECO Green
Blockchain the vote.
Maine beekeeper's truck: '77 J10 LWB, 258/T15/D20/3.54 bone stock, low options (delete radio), PS/PDB, hubcaps.
Browless and proud: '82 J20 360/T18/NP208/3.73, Destination A/Ts, 7600 GVWR
Copper Polly: '75 CJ-6, 304/T15, PS, BFG KM2s, soft top
GTI without the badges: '95 VW Golf Sport 2000cc 2D
Dual Everything: '15 Chryco Jeep Cherokee KL Trailhawk, ECO Green
Blockchain the vote.
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5jeepsaz
Topic author - Posts: 26
- Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:07 am
Re: Tornado!
Thank you so much for the detail on the carbs. I tend to rereadnstuff so cwill take in all you wrote. Thank you.
The engine was later upgraded and run in race applications. So the moment in time this build captures is what he built, as pictured. It was the best version to that point. He may have modified the head or adapted some things. What I am after is how they did it.
As for my build, i just want to do the coolest version, and this is it. The application can be adapted to the engine as it will go on a tube frame, sand rail, so can be built to acdept the hotrod Tornado. I just want a fast fun trail runner.
And I love the Tornado. Save the Tornado!!!!
The engine was later upgraded and run in race applications. So the moment in time this build captures is what he built, as pictured. It was the best version to that point. He may have modified the head or adapted some things. What I am after is how they did it.
As for my build, i just want to do the coolest version, and this is it. The application can be adapted to the engine as it will go on a tube frame, sand rail, so can be built to acdept the hotrod Tornado. I just want a fast fun trail runner.
And I love the Tornado. Save the Tornado!!!!
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5jeepsaz
Topic author - Posts: 26
- Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:07 am
Re: Tornado!
Based on what I have learned, the setup is genuine and will run better than stock. Original design team said more fuel and better airflow would 'comfortably' add hp with existing design. The later head out of ika in argentina has a similar fitment. So this picture does show an engine that fits in time, is ahead of its time, and did run fast. They got way more horses on the IKA version in that future build, by designing more bearings, like you said, that the original guy, sampietro, could not because he was limited to the kaiser block. Which i am also limited to the block I got. Meaning i can only add up top. Meaning, those three carbs. How the heck do I do it? Thats the thought process. As you see, I am not a pro. Maybe that is why I love it so much. Mouth to a flame. The guys who did this stuff are out of sight brilliant and inventive. That engine can power all my fun drives acorss desert, foest, whatever tracks any day, all day. Thats why the build. This thing was all american and built for southwest runnin...