New Member - Engine Question

hi folks. new member here. not new to jeeps but to the forum...

looking at a 62 willys cj5. great condition. my question is about the 4 cyl l head motor... I've had various jeeps with the 258, 4.0 and 304 but never had a 4 cyl 134. seems i'm going backwards in time as I love the older jeeps!

I would be driving it quite often, plus I make trips into the mountains for some fun but not too crazy jeeping. any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

 

whatcha asking about suggestions for?

i were you, i would just make sure it runs, starts and stops without any issues. you havent bought it, but are looking to, is that my understanding?

check the frame around the the spring perches. known cracks in this area.

that is a wonderful motor. i wouldnt change it out.
its old, yes. its slow, true. but its a 62 willys. what more are you looking for? i recently picked up a 62 FC with a 134motor in it, had been sitting for 20+ years. new coil, filed the points, gas into the carb, it fired right up. true story.

 

you are correct I haven't bought it yet... working on setting up a time to go see it.

the slower speeds are cool no issues there. was told brakes wiring steering etc have been replaced / upgraded... will check and see. I think the Saginaw steering swap is a definite; met a fellow jeeper last year in Colorado... he swears by it. haven't thought about the brake upgrade... good idea esp in the mountains huh?

real cool owner... I've been asking lots of questions and he's been patient while answering them. his hobby is working and rebuilding old vehicles. hoping this 1 works out as it's in my price range.

thanks for the suggestions and ideas... keep your fingers crossed. i'll send pics with updates if I get her.

 

Welcome, I am a fairly recent owner of a 62 CJ5. On the road to making it worthy of being semi-daily driver. Mine has the F head 134 4 cylinder and am perfectly content with the power/speed as it seems to pull hills pretty easy. A lot of good advice already mentioned above.

Keep us posted if you get it. And please pictures, pictures, and if you have any, picturess .lol

 

Putt-ing around town, and exploring trails, the F-head is fine. And I've never had much complaint about stock steering and brakes - if maintained right.

 

Thanks folks I appreciate the input. Planning on going to see the CJ5 this weekend.

Prob consider and look into the upgrades Warloch suggested... will need those items in Colorado and some of the other places I enjoy.

Thanks again! Will send updates!

 

Be leery of any mod you can’t undo. If it’s a good original Jeep, I’d keep it that way. Plenty of options now for getting modern steering/HP without permanently altering original iron.

Brakes are the one thing I would not be shy in upgrading.

 

This is a fact!! There were several places I could not stop with new 9" brakes, only slow down.

 

I bought mine in 2011. After some repairs I can say that it works well, good when nice weather and no top. Brakes, engine, steering are working correctly if I don't try to go too fast! Good for promenade on small roads. About hills, it goes slower. If you have people behind you, better to let them pass, they thank you. It is fun and happiness to drive my CJ5. Enjoy. And people around say hello.

 

I have 2 Cj5s.....a 66 with 11 inch brakes and a 70 with stock brakes....the difference is night and day.......I never would have believed the improvement if I did not have both..

 

If that was the case, something was amiss. A stock Jeep with 9" brakes in GOOD condition, and PROPERLY ADJUSTED will lock all four wheels up on dry pavement. At least once----assuming your shoes are not lubed with 75-90 gear lube.

But as Chuck noted, the bolt-on 11x2's are much better and, assuming you get the "modern" version with self adjusters, a hell of a lot more convenient. And yes, at 10,000' you can figure you lost at least 25% of your power. I grew up driving L and F head 134's. Buying my CJ5 in 69 with the 225 was quite an eye opener. And they opened a good deal more stuffing the first sbc in my 3B. These days I have absolutely no desire to drive either 134 in anything other than perhaps a parade. You can actually wheel a 134 off road (BTDT) but the 6's and 8's wheel way better.

 

Lots of good info and tips... greatly appreciated. Still haven’t found the jeep i want yet but i’ll continue to look. It’s been the usual... misinformation.... incorrect paperwork... not in the condition i was told... etc. But i’m not giving up

 

Maybe it is a little bit strong advice! I use my CJ5, when nice weather, to go to the village, or some farms. On the road, I drive at a speed of 65 km/h, ( 40 miles approx) more is possible but enough. This is "slow" but I don't block the traffic! My CJ5 has passed with success official controls, = brakes (I believe that the size is 10, I made them checked and cleaned at the local pro shop). It is not ABS of course, but I stay in line! Of course when I brought my CJ5 home, I made a trip of 600 km (400 miles) on the highway! at speed of 75 km/h max, but that was OK, people say hello, trucks too!

 

I can see both sides. It depends on how you use the Jeep. Duffer, being up in the mountains, could likely use some more power to safely operate. My usage fits more with Alan's, and FHead would be fine.

My thing is keep restorable iron original. I have no qualms with mods and such on a vehicle that is not really restorable (my '57 was not a restore candidate). If I came across a decently clean original early CJ5, I'd pair it up with a guy looking to restore it (which I did earlier this winter actually with a '65). If you plan on modding one, cool, go for it, just don't find someone else's 1:1000000 Jeep and cut it up.

 

Yes power is nice, I have my Audi Quattro with the V6 3.2, I like it. But a CJ5 with a big engine, yes I would be happy, but in curbs and on tracks the roll-over is a problem! I imagine my CJ5 with 250 HP, nice but quite difficult to drive! or Fun, indeed.
It seems that the Jeep TrackHawk is interesting.

 

Yeah, I'd much rather have a small diesel in my Jeep than a V8.

 

Lots of good info. Yes i wouldn’t cut up a nice and restorable jeep. Too few left...

I think the 6 cyl is the best option for my current wants and needs. Unless i find 2 that serves my wants.... lol!

 

Oddire Buick V6 has a ton of love around here and came stock in the later years of the early CJ5.

Even fire Buick V6 and Chevy 4.3 both get a solid amount of love, and for good reason.