Project "Thunderstruck" - KJWildman's never-ending V8 swap

tommudd · **Posted:** Sat Aug 28, 2010 6:40 am

BugginKJ wrote:

edit: why are the gauges off center in the pic? I don't remember them being off like that :shock:

They're off center due to being a freebie from a great guy here in Toledo :BANANA:

KJWildman · **Posted:** Sat Aug 28, 2010 7:30 pm

Many Thanks go out to BugginKJ and Tommudd! Even tho Tom was only there for a little while he came at just the right time!!

So, Today ............. WE PUT THIS

IN HERE!

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THE GUY IN SANDALS AND JIMMY BUFFETT'S SHIRT :jester:

Ended up a little like this! :pepper:

Lots of Firewall clearance! :SOMBRERO:

We located where the motor mounts could go, then where they should go, then where they needed to be. We ended up at the last one! It is going to be real close on the radiator clearance. We had lots of clearance everywhere else. Oh..... except for the stock crossmember. I am going to have to modify the crossmember, Thought it might just work, but I was MISTAKEN not wrong! :wink:

The problem is clearance on the 1354 transfer case. The yoke for the front driveshaft doesn't have enough clearance. :banghead:

So we will notch that part, reinforce it and drop that section 2".

HAD IT IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then we pulled it out!
Ready to weld in the motor mounts here

Went to start setting the welder up on some scrap steel and couldn't get the welder to work right! :banghead:

I was trying to run it off a 6000w generator but the voltage wasn't right or something and couldn't make it hot enough to penetrate! ( I hate it when that happens! :ROTFL:

) Anyway I'm going to get a welder extension cord from work and wire it to a breaker, so it should work tomorrow for BugginKJ to weld these up for me. I'll weld on a lot of stuff but I'll leave the motor mounts and crossmember to the "pros".

So that's it for today.
Thanks for watching!
Larry "KJWildman"

BugginKJ · **Joined:** Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:35 pm **Posts:** 4576

Had a good time today Larry, it will be good to get that beast in there tomorrow! :JEEPIN:

ramlebliberty · **Posted:** Sat Aug 28, 2010 7:42 pm

I want to see you burn a set of tires to the ground when that thing is done :BANANA:

tommudd · **Posted:** Sat Aug 28, 2010 8:43 pm

Sorry I couldn't stick around longer, it was just getting interesting when I had to leave! :BANANA:

But picked up the "package" at the airport. She's sleeping now :wink:

teckman02 · **Posted:** Sat Aug 28, 2010 9:26 pm

man i wish that i was able to make it up but i over slept and would not have made it till later than i wanted and would have had to eave too soon to be home by 6

KJWildman · **Posted:** Sun Aug 29, 2010 11:46 am

That's OK Tom, you were there for the important part! Breaking it's cherry!! :ROTFL:

Once we got it hanging there it was kind of just a lot of thinking and figuring things out. .... But we have a plan now!

Nick, not a big deal! It was actually just a lot of moving the engine around a few inches, checking clearances, bolting on the transfer case and checking some more, then laying under it pushing an inch this way and that. Then repeat! Then pull the engine out halfway grind some on the frame (cradle) and repeat again! I lost (cut off) the cradle longitudinal adjustment screws completely yesterday too. Getting ready to go out and attack it again in a little while!!!! :lol:

Tom, you've got a houseguest, be a good host! (Not like being a host to our friend from Spain!! :ROTFL:

) Hart and I will take care of some things today and maybe you can stop by 1 evening this week and see where we ended up! (or come on by today if you want). By the way, Do you go by Wapak on the way South? If you do, any chance you could drop off a couple parts for Chris if he still needs them?

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:58 pm

Ill pick up the parts for Chris sometime this week, he's heading this way for the install anyways I think.

Took the house guest shopping, what fun :ROTFL:

KJWildman · **Posted:** Sun Aug 29, 2010 8:49 pm

Another day with visible progress!!! :BANANA:

Managed to get the welder working this morning, messed around in the garage for a little while and came back in the house. After a bit I got a phone call, " So, is this thing ready to go or what?" I'm like

, Hart was out in my garage ready to go at it some more! What a glutton for punishment this man is!!! :-)r

We went ahead and cracked a beer, (first things first!) then put the motor and trans back in their hole to triple check everything before the final welding. Got everything laid out and yanked the combo back out. Ground down everything one last time for fresh surfaces to weld to, then I backed off, 'cause I was in BugginKJ's way!!

Beer

Beer

This motor mount is supposed to sit flat on a CJ framerail which is about 4" tall. Our cradle is only 2" so I cut some 3" C channel and we gussetted the back with that. It ain't goin' anywhere.

Beer
Once both sides were done and cooled down we slid the motor and trans back in and threw some bolts in the mounts.
Beer

Beer
Sat and admired this for a while ... Beer ... Then started on the Transmission Crossmember

The trans crossmember is going to have to be modified rather heavily to clear the front driveshaft yoke. I am going to do the mods this week for the trans mount and then we will have to put the combo back in and out another time or two for those mods.

Oil Pan clearance at the Rack is close, but still about an inch away

We may have to modify the driver's side mount slightly for a little more clearance at the steering shaft where it meets the steering box.

So at the end of the day .... I'm happy! :BANANA:

We made lots of progress this weekend and BugginKJ is my hero! :seuss:

But .... we did still end the day like this

More to come !!! Stay tuned and thanks for watching! :BANANA:

BugginKJ · **Joined:** Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:35 pm **Posts:** 4576

Good times for sure today Larry :BANANA:

I think I am havin just as much fun as you are puttin this together, maybe more cause it's not my money :ROTFL:

You forgot to take a side pic of the steering and mount with the engine out, plenty of room :mrgreen:

Lookin forward to the next wrenching and tweakin day :JEEPIN:

TAHOE · **Posted:** Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:12 am

Great job..... but it's still a Liberty with a F@#d engine...... :BANANA:

Where's the pan drain plug since I take it the front one is now non functional?

KJWildman · **Posted:** Mon Aug 30, 2010 10:25 am

TAHOE wrote:

Great job..... but it's still a Liberty with a F@#d engine...... :BANANA:

Where's the pan drain plug since I take it the front one is now non functional?

Chebbies weren't smart enough to put the dizzie in the front to make this an easy swap so I went with the smart guys who run Fords! :ROTFL:

It's getting a new pan, just using that one for the fabrication process. Since this motor is going in and out a dozen times, don't wanna ding up a new one now do we? There is clearance for pulling the drain plug there, and this is a "double sump" pan with a drain plug in both sumps. Gives me room to drop the motor a little lower too with the middle of the pan sitting over the front diff.

You dam Chevy guys don't know anything !!! :ROTFL:

TAHOE · **Posted:** Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:34 pm

KJWildman wrote:

You dam Chevy guys don't know anything !!! :ROTFL:

X2,.... I'm just a dumb hillbilly redneck :jester:

No wait, I can't be, I still have all my teeth :mrgreen:

I'm just dumb!

yodejt02 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 30, 2010 1:50 pm

Its OK TAHOE. I believe what you are experiencing is the effects of the air we breath that exsists at a certain latitude. I have the same thing happening to me living in Southern Indiana, we are killing brain cells a don't know it. This effect will eventually rot out our teeth and give us a thirst for cheap southern beer like Natty ice or Busch. From that point the effects are irreverable and you might as well start wearing no shoes and no shirt to the Wal-Mart

:ROTFL:

TAHOE · **Posted:** Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:03 pm

yodejt02 wrote:

....you might as well start wearing no shoes and no shirt to the Wal-Mart

:ROTFL:

Or sandals and a Jimmy Buffet shirt...... :goink:

It takes a Real man to wear bowties!!!! :goink:

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Aug 30, 2010 8:12 pm

Little boys wear bow ties, .........cause they can't handle anything else :goink:

Boiler · **Posted:** Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:00 am

TAHOE wrote:

Or sandals and a Jimmy Buffet shirt......

hey now...

Come to think of it though...I have had about 5x more trouble with my teeth since I moved to Muncie.

KJWildman · **Posted:** Thu Sep 02, 2010 12:04 am

I took Monday off from the Jeep! So I separated the trans and engine last nite (Tuesday) again! Got the engine up on it's stand and the trans on the garage floor and left them there for the rest of the evening. Tonight (Wednesday) I got the tailshaft off the trans for modification. pulled the crossmember back out from under the KJ and started scribing lines for the trans mounting bolt locations. Got the front of the engine disassembled again and ready for final assembly. I just had an empty timing gear cover and the water pump was just bolted on with a few bolts. Now that there are mounts welded in it's time for timing gears, gaskets, balancer, water pump and final assembly.

Someone told me they might have some finned alum. valve covers to replace those rusted/painted chrome ones (for cheap). Another friend thinks he has another old SBF oil pan in his shed (for free!). Had another friend offer me an MSD 6AL ignition (NIB) and an MSD Blaster coil (NIB) for $125 for the pair! That's cheap. Need to get a hold of Tom and tell him which pages of his FSM I want copies of for the wiring diagrams too!

Still a ton of stuff to do!!!!

BugginKJ · **Joined:** Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:35 pm **Posts:** 4576

Glad to hear ya movin along :JEEPIN:

KJWildman · **Posted:** Thu Sep 02, 2010 4:30 pm

Ya, gotta keep on keepin on, a little is a lot right now! Still at work for another 15 minutes, but today I did make the new transmission mount spacer.

The mill was tied up all day so I couldn't extend that slot yet on the motor mount, but I'll try and work it in tomorrow!

Gonna go home tonight and try and get the timing gears all installed and clocked, timing cover on and gasketed and probably put on the old long nose water pump. I might have to end up with a remote electric water pump once I get the radiator in, but I'll go with this one for now and see where we end up for clearance, Clarence.

More later tonight, time for me to go home! :BANANA:

Project "Thunderstruck" - KJWildman's never-ending V8 swap

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