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Buick 215 Aluminum V8 in 1960 CJ5

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by linckeil, Aug 19, 2004.

  1. Aug 19, 2004
    linckeil

    linckeil Member

    Danbury CT
    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2004
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    492
    Hi everyone. I'm new to this site. I posted the following question in a different forum and a member there tells me that some people in this forum are running a Buick 215 in their CJ.
    Here's my original post. I'm dying to talk with someone who has done the swap....

    I have a 1960 CJ5. I also have an all aluminum 215 cubic inch V8 Buick motor out of a 1962 Buick Special. I've heard rumors of kits being available to swap these motors into CJ's. Will it work with the stock T90 transmission? (I'll need an adapter to make it work I'm sure) Will it interfere with any of the steering components, suspension components, or pedal assembly? Do I need to cut up the firewall to make it fit? What bellhousing, flywheel, and clutch do I need? What kind of modifications have to be made to make to the motor mounts work? I have a TON of questions, these are just starters. I realize these motors are relatively rare, but I've heard that people do put them in CJ's, and I heard this forum would be a good starting point for my research. Has anyone done this? Can anyone attach some links to articles discussing the swap? Any help is greatly apprecaited. Thanks
     
  2. Aug 19, 2004
    lynn

    lynn Time machine / Early CJ5 HR Rep Staff Member

    Huntingdon PA
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
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    3,437
    Welcome to the forum!! (Fill out your profile, we may have other members near you!)

    I think we have someone here running a 215, I'm pretty surewe've discussed it somewhere in the past. I have no experience with the 215, but I can give you some general info.
    You will want to upgrade the stock steering to Saginaw, maybe Saginaw Power if you have the brackets. To do this, you will likely need fenderwell headers, maybe custom headers for the 215. Hmmm, there's a Buick site that has parts for the old Buick engines, I'll have to look that up for you.
    You should also upgrade your brakes to 11" drums, or front disc/rear 11" drums.

    Again, welcome aboard, we'll try to find more info for you. :coffee:

    EDIT: Are you familiar with this link??
    http://www.p-s-t.com/gm/gmengbu.html
     
  3. Aug 19, 2004
    jd7

    jd7 Sponsor

    Nacogdoches,Texas
    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2004
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    1,745
    Never done one always wanted to had my eye on a motor for several years. Have read it could be done. Engine is supposed to be as light or lighter than the V6. Anyone,...Anyone?
     
  4. Aug 19, 2004
    crash7

    crash7 Sponsor

    Santa Clarita, Ca
    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2003
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    166
    Welcome from SoCal.

    Do I need to cut up the firewall to make it fit?>

    Mine's not cut up with a 283 sittin' in there.
     
  5. Aug 19, 2004
    linckeil

    linckeil Member

    Danbury CT
    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2004
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    492
    WOW!!!!! 3 Replies in only 15 minutes! You guys are good. Keep the posts coming...... I'm dying to hear from someone who has this motor under their hood.
     
  6. Aug 19, 2004
    vanguard

    vanguard

    It should work with an adapter for the T90. Assuming that you have a bellhousing. You'll need to change out the input shaft from your T-90 as you probably have a short shaft T90 from an f-head.
     
  7. Aug 19, 2004
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    Sep 20, 2002
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    6,193
    I seem to recall that ChuckP (http://www.oldjeep.com) has a 215 sitting in the garage, waiting.

    I briefly looked into the swap in years past when my 225 blew up. I was told at the time that engine/motor mounts would all be the same, I'd just have to scoot the radiator ahead. I didn't pursue the swap because I wanted "commodity" power.
     
  8. Aug 19, 2004
    vanguard

    vanguard

  9. Aug 19, 2004
    Hippo393

    Hippo393 Jeepless

    Charlotte, NC
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    Sep 22, 2002
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  10. Aug 19, 2004
    lynn

    lynn Time machine / Early CJ5 HR Rep Staff Member

    Huntingdon PA
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    Sep 20, 2002
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    3,437

    Considering Pat's 283 has the distributor at the rear of the engine and he didn't need to cut the firewall, a 215 with the distributor up in front should be a nice fit.
     
  11. Aug 19, 2004
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    Sep 20, 2002
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    9,221
    Jukka K. has one in his Jeep, but he's in Europe. ;)

    Can't remember what year his Jeep is, but he's in the owner's list. You might try a search.
     
  12. Aug 19, 2004
    linckeil

    linckeil Member

    Danbury CT
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    Aug 19, 2004
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    Yeah, my T90 was originally mated to a 134 F head. Do all T90's that were mated to the F head have the short shaft?
     
  13. Aug 19, 2004
    vanguard

    vanguard

    Yep. Longshaft T90s came behind the super hurricane 6 in Wagons and Pickups. Herm the overdrive guy (www.hermtheoverdriveguy.com) sells rebuilt units for $225 plus core and he will probably know or have any adapters/bellhousing you might need. R&P (don't have the link) can probably help you as well.
     
  14. Aug 19, 2004
    crash7

    crash7 Sponsor

    Santa Clarita, Ca
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    Oct 2, 2003
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    That's right Lynn. The distributer goes when with no problems. Plenty of room.
     
  15. Aug 19, 2004
    Jeepnut67

    Jeepnut67 New Member

    Mammoth, AZ
    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2003
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    49
    I put a 300 Buick V-8 in my CJ-5... only thing I had to do was push the radiator up against the grille and bolt it in, but the 215 does use a different bellhousing, the same as the 198 V-6 like was mentioned. A 225 V-6 has more power though. I was in a club with a guy who had the 215 in a CJ-2A and he said it had no low end torque. And he always wished he would have put in the V-6. I have a Chevy 350 in my CJ now and didnt have to do any cutting since I already moved the radiator forward.
     
  16. Aug 19, 2004
    linckeil

    linckeil Member

    Danbury CT
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    Aug 19, 2004
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    What other Buick bellhousings will work? just the 198 v6 and the 215 v8? I heard the 225 v6 was just a bored and stroked 198 (very possibly incorrect info), so would that bellhousing work too? the jeep will be running 30" tires with 5.38 gears, so I don't need gobs of torque. The 215 has to have tons more torque than the original 134 F head right? And I bet it has more torque than the current engine - a 1972 Volvo B20 4 cylinder. The jeep doesnt pull anything, but it does push snow in the winter.
     
  17. Aug 19, 2004
    DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Lexington, South...
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    Welcome.... Lots of good people here, hopefully we can get your project together.
     
  18. Aug 19, 2004
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    The 215 is a cool engine - very light, about 330 lb wet as I recall. If you don't have a plan to take advantage of the light weight, you might want to install a 225/231 instead. That'd be an easier swap, since more have done it and the parts are more scroungeable, and that engine has more torque.
     
  19. Aug 19, 2004
    linckeil

    linckeil Member

    Danbury CT
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    Well I'm using it not so much because of its light weight, but becasue its a nice, cool, little v8. It's been in my fathers garage since he pulled it out of a '62 Buick Special 30 years ago. The motor was rebuilt and runs on an engine stand. So becuase of the fact that it just sits their dying to be run in some vechicle, and due to its small size, I'm figuring what the heck. My jeep is no hotrod and few jeeps are, but people still stuff the 215's in anyway. I don't want to sell it due to its rarity, but I don't want to let it sit any longer either. If I ever get a little MG or something (which I probably never will) it will go in that. That's a vechicle that would benefit from its light weight for sure. In the mean time, I want to toy with the idea of it in my CJ.
     
  20. Aug 19, 2004
    jd7

    jd7 Sponsor

    Nacogdoches,Texas
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    Go for it, let us know how it goes.
    Oh take pics!
     
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