Swap SBC in using a T90 from a V6 CJ5?

I'd like to swap in a 350 I got and was wondering; can I use a T90 setup from a V6 and just change the Buick bellhousing for a Chevy patterned one? Sorry if this has been covered before, having little luck with search.

-John

 

Yes.

But ... the V6 Jeeps never came with a T-90. The only time you have a V6 and a T-90 is when the Jeep has been converted from a the 4-cylinder to a V6. All the GM engines use the same adapter.

Lots and lots of Chevy V8s have been swapped into Jeeps. But the GM V6s (both from Buick and Chevrolet) are more popular today, because they fit better and provide plenty of power. http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/early_cj_gm_engine_conversion.htm

 

IMO the T90 is a decent little trans, but a little on the light duty side for a 350.

 

I had two early CJ5's in the past with oddfire V6's and 3 speeds. In each case there was an aluminum adapter between the bellhousing and tranny, I always thought they were stock that way. These must have been aftermarket then? As far as strength I was kinda going by the Novak website which said the T90 was fine for a V8 swap, but I do have a SM465 4 speed if I could find an adapter to the D18 without having to pay new cost. That would solve my bellhousing and strength issuses, but bring up clutch linkage as a point to ponder...

-John

 

hydraulic clutch

 

Yes the bellhousing adapters that were used for the Jeep Dauntless applications were all made of cast iron.
The aluminum material specifically indicates that it is an after market product.

 

Back to the OP, yes, that stock adapter will get you to the standard GM bell pattern. I am not sure if I agree with Ken's opinion that all the stock adapters were cast iron. It's been a while since I was under my 68, but I recall that that adapter was aluminum and there has never been a bolt out of that drive train since it was new, other than the OD installation.

Guess I would have a little heart burn using a T90 with a 350. Better than a T86AA, but it's going to require a really light right foot and I wouldn't want anything bigger than 31" tires. T90's are tough, but a 350 is pushing the limits.

 

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Yes, there were a lot of these swaps back in the 60s and early 70s, before the V6s were plentiful. But they ran a lot smaller tires then than today.

Your simplest route that's likely to hold up is to get a T-15 from a V8 CJ-5 and buy Novak's GM-to-T15 adapter. http://www.novak-adapt.com/catalog/kit_1415.htm T-15s are out there and the adapter is fairly inexpensive because it does not require a new input shaft. The T-15 is synchromesh in all forward gears and will stand up pretty well to V8 power.

 

I based my statement on the strength of the T-90 on personal experience. My 1st car was a '63 Scout with a T-90 & a 327 Chevy and I blew up the trans a LOT. Now, that was a heavier vehicle, and probably more importantly, I was 16 years old . I couldn't keep a trans in that Scout till I found a T-15 for it.
My current CJ has a T-90 behind the stock 225 and it's done great for over 10 years now-but my right foot is a lot lighter than it was 29 years ago.....