can a 4.0 bolt up to a t-90?

what i have is a 64 cj5 and a 91 cherokee that i recently tipped over after installing a brand new head, i would like to repower the 64 with the 4.0, but i cant find any info if the 4.0 and the t90 are compatable, if posable, what does it take?

the electrical, and engine mounting is not a problem, i just need a little more power and relibility, i just rebuilt the 134, but it just doesnt have enough, and altitude changes of 6000 ft, really through some issues in there for the old f-head

 

Not directly. Also I don't think the 4L will physically fit in the engine bay of an Early Jeep. Just too short of a hood and fenders.

 

getting it fit wont be a problemchainsawguy, i'm pretty good at the fab work, if i can get it to bolt up somehow, it will go in there, in the reasearch i have been doing, they sell adapters to bolt the t90 up to cheby or furd engines, and it also said the adapter would bolt up to the trans behind the 258 (t150 and t176), which has the same bolt pattern as the 4.0, so would a bellhousing from a 258 bolt up to the t90? and would the inputshaft be the correct length? or am i way off track?

 

The easiest way to do this is to find a T-14 or T-15 from an intermediate Jeep and connect that and its bell to the 4.0L, then bolt your D18 to the T-14 or T-15. Transmissions and bells from the 232/258/304 Jeeps will bolt right up to the 242.

You could maybe make the GM adapter for the T-90 work, but that adapter requires a new long input shaft. The F134 T-90 input stickout is too short for GM or Ford bells (except for a specific Pinto/Falcon bell). The T-150 or T-176 bell from Jeep, used again with one of the AMC engines, bolts up to the Ford transmissions. And you can adapt Chevy bells to Ford transmissions and vice-versa (with some machining), so it should be possible. There's no 258 bell that bolts up directly to the T-90.

But the T-14 or T-15 would be better.

I've seen a Chevy 230 in a CJ-3A. I've also seen the Ford 170 in there, but it is less bad because of its short overall length for an I6. The Studebaker 6s were a popular old-school swap, but only becasue the Studebakers used the T-90 too.

Inline 6s are a mess in an early CJ though. For the intermediates, Jeep added 5" of length to the front clip in order to get them into the engine bay. You can push the firewall back, but that moves everything back. Get out your tape.

 

Old Lloyd Novak had a saying "just because you have it sitting in your garage doesn't make it a good swap". All I'm gonna say....

:lurk:

 

Nick, don't sugar coat it. Tell us what you really think!

 

Never do!

 

ya, ya... i know how the forums work... lots of people with big ideas that never follow through, but i may be an exception, maby...


i found a bellhousing 258 to a t150, its on order, and if it will work, its gona happen,(with pics) other wise i will find a small diesel, and make my own adapter, its what i love doing, i have two conversion vehicals that are daily drivers and look like they came from the factory... other than the performance upgrades

 

Well, you're going to have to cut the firewall to fit the I-6 so that won't look factory. It's do-able, but there will be hacking involved. The trans and transfer case will have to be moved back reducing the rear driveshaft length. If you stay with a very short trans and transfer case like the T-90 and 18 transfer case which has a low rear output shaft, it's do-able. The issue comes if you decide the the T-90 isn't strong enough down the road and decide to upgrade the transmission, then don't have enough room to do this.

None of this has anything to do with "how the forums work". It has to do with basic measurements. Is this possible? Probably. If you have issues down the road with the transmission or transfer case can they be upgraded to large units? Probably not because of the length of the motor pushing everything back. Remember, you are only dealing with an 81" wheel base. There is a valid reason why AMC lengthened the CJ nose in '72 to fit the I-6 and V-8.

Case in point, my boss has a 3B on an Early CJ-5 chassis with an 81" wheel base, just like we have here. He has a 400 sbc (shorter than a 4.0 I-6). He also has a 20 transfer case with a T-19 in front of it. He has about a 16" rear driveshaft and had to build a high pinion rear diff to make it all work. Just food for thought if you decide to upgrade later.....

This does sound like an interesting project however and if you decide to proceed please post in the builds section with pics, and honest commentary about the pitfalls and issues you run into in making this all work. I think there would be some good interest in this project.

 

sorry bud, no pun intended, i just see so many good ideas get shot down on other forums just because someone doesnt like the idea, and i'm not saying my idea is a good one either...

i will not hack the firewall, if i can bolt this engine to this trans, the trans/t-case will stay where they are and the rest will be made to fit, and there will be no need for upgrades on the rest of the drivetrain, it wont be a beater, or super off road rig, just needs to serve its purpose... thanks for the input, all is needed, positive or negitive

 

I appreciate your enthusiasm but if you aren't going to hack the firewall to fit the I-6 you are going to HAVE to lengthen the fenders and hood. Get out your tape measure and you'll see what I mean. It simply won't fit otherwise and fit a radiator in front of the engine. If you remote mount the radiator, like behind the seats, maybe, but not otherwise.

 

reluctantly, i might try to use the intermediate front clip, but i have measured it, and the radiator support would definatly have to go, but i "think" i can fit it behind the original grille, radiator and all, but everyone knows that has done swaps, how quickly that can change... my 75 dodge power wagon with a cummins, has a big intercooler, big aluminiun radiator, and a stock fan and fan clutch, all behind the original grille, mainly because i was told it couldnt be done, its alot of work, but i love it...

 

that's because the slant six was an option, the engine bay was longer.

I'm thinking without hacking the firewall, you're going to be mounting the radiator to the front bumper.

I would look in to turboing the :hurrican: or a :v6: / :v8: conversion. or simply regearing your axles.

 

I think you'd be better off to sell the 4.0 and locate a Buick or Chevy V6, which will easily fit in the engine compartment and easily adapt to your trans. Why bang your head against the wall trying to re-invent the wheel when the V6 swap is so popular?

 

Yep, I agree - it would be very interesting to follow the progress on this project. Not trying to be a wet blanket; instead, trying to make a useful response.

(Pssst! Rust-and-dent Astro Van. 4.3L V6. Cheap.)

 

Besides all the other arguments, a T-90 would most likely go pop bang snap behind a 4.0.. The T-14 wouldn't fair much better.. The T-15 is pretty stout though...

 

Intermediate front clip + a late Postal Jeep grille might get you there.
As far as rear driveshaft lengths, has anyone tried some sort of gearing solution involving transfercase gears or a boat v-drive to move the rear driveshaft forward?
Not much room under there, just spit balling like the Hemi Under Glass or numerous other drag race type wheelstanders. Hurst Hairy Olds used Toronado transaxles. A "rope shaft" Pontiac Tempest rear end would not work. Beefed up Corvair swing axle might last as long as the T-90.

 

Actually the bubble grille from a postal might work on its own. I don't know offhand what else Jeep did to get the 232 into the postals, but the 242 is no longer than the 232.

 

Tim, the postal I6 motors had a shorter water pump and did not have a spacer between the fan and the pulley. the length of a postal I6 motor is just under 33" long from the back of the motor where the bell mounts, to the front of the fan.

 

A T15 with an AMC bellhousing should bolt up to the 4.0 and also the D18 transfer case. I know the T15 uses a deeper than normal bellhousing. I am not sure how far the transfer case will be moved back using it. With the postal bubble grille everything might just fit.