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

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:09 am

RED_KJ_666 wrote:

Finally just read through the entire thread, Sorry to hear about your recent misfortunes I hope everything works out well for you and your Family. I noticed people saying a 350 (305) won't work because of the Distributor at the back that part made me laugh until I almost pee'd my pants, if you are already into the build that balls deep clearancing the firewall should just be another day in the office. The 302 does appear to fit very well tho, Maybe one day I'll get my big turbo 4BT in there best of luck getting it finished.

No one said it was impossible just a lot harder if you wanted to use a SBC. Just like it has been for the last 50 years trying to put them into any other vehicle. You have some room but if you had to pull the distribtor out you'd have to pull the engine. Sure you could cut more out but why? Trying to maintain the strength of the unibody is key here.
Hacking is not always the best answer is building something for long term use

TAHOE · **Posted:** Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:53 am

What's a "SMC" ???? :goink:

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Dec 12, 2011 10:53 am

small mouthed chevy :ROTFL:

or
small motored chevy
or
well you know the rest :wink:

TAHOE · **Posted:** Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:25 pm

Yep, just like dynamite, comes in a small package and gives a big punch :goink:

This one is less than "small mouthed" :mrgreen:

KJWildman · **Posted:** Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:23 pm

Didn't get a whole lot done but ...... this morning I finally made it the 30 miles over to where the KJ is and went through the garage and organized a few things and started to get ready to continue on with the build. I know it was a mild winter but I haven't really gotten anything done since the Fall, with moving 30 miles to the edge of town, a disabled wife to take care of and different job situations going on. I think things have settled down and my new job looks like it may be "the one"! I wanted to get a whole bunch done today, however only got some organizing done. :banghead:

Hopefully by next weekend I'll be ready to slide the engine in ( the owner of my "borrowed" engine hoist finally wants it back after a year and a half! :shock:

) and then trailer it over to the new house within a couple weeks after that to work on wiring, rad. install and linkage fabrication. Look for more posts soon!! :BANANA:

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

Sorry about not being around for ya today Larry. A some what organized attack needs to be arranged, let me know what the plan is for this week or the weekend to come :rockon:

KJWildman · **Posted:** Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:00 pm

upper A-arm bolts back in now. what a britches with just a 10" crescent wrench!!

KJWildman · **Posted:** Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:40 pm

now sitting on all 4 tires for the first time in a year! !!!

KJWildman · **Posted:** Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:59 pm

sway bar now connected

KJWildman · **Posted:** Sun Apr 29, 2012 2:17 pm

steering column reconnected to steering box!

DirtyKK · **Posted:** Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:16 pm

Budke · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2012 8:58 am

Nice!

Sent using the force

MikeD0106 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:17 pm

Sweet!

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vincennescrd · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:36 pm

Been there all the way to bankruptcy. It gets better

KJWildman · **Posted:** Sat May 05, 2012 7:54 pm

OK, finally got some time to post up the new pics. :SOMBRERO:

Worked until 1 Thursday night, got home at 2, in bed by 3, up at 7 am and headed over to where the KJ is at the house in Toledo about 35 miles away.
Just as I turned the corner on to my street I see BugginKJ on his bike driving past so he turned around and came back and we opened the garage and set up a plan of attack! :frankie:

We got things sorted out, made some room and set up the hoist. Pulled the engine on it's stand to the front of the garage

and started setting up the chains to lift it when we discovered that one of the chains we used when mocking things up was in my toolbox that I took to work! We were one chain short of being able to hook up and lift the engine! :juggle:

He said he might have one at his house in the shed but I thought maybe Tom would have one so I called and woke him up!! :SOMBRERO:

Told him to get some clothes on and bring one of his over if he could find one.

In the meantime, I saw Hart's wheels turning as he dug around my garage, he was looking at the ratchet strap on the roof of the KJ holding on my spare tire on the rack. I didn't trust that one after sitting outside in the sun for 2 years and went out to the XJ and dug one of my new ones out of it. He said "let's just use that" ....... so we hooked it up and lifted the engine off the stand, got the trans bolted up and sitting on the ground as a unit.

and then checked the balance of the assembly on the ratchet strap!

Sometimes it's hard to contain BugginKJ when he gets going so next thing I know we have the shaft of the trans sticking straight out, jacked up to height and sliding in to that beckoning opening in between my KJ's ........ wait this is a family channel! :oops:

OK ... we have the engine up and are pushing the hoist and engine in to position already when Tom showed up with the rest of the chain! :SOMBRERO:

With the extra help of Tom we finished getting it in to position and finally started getting the trans xmember bolted up.
(my view of the pass. side! :seuss:

)

(my view of the driver's side! :jester:

)

It took about an hour of jockeying the engine back and forth to get all the bolts to line up for some reason. I know we have had that thing in and out at least 6 times before and it never gave us as much problem as it did going in for the final time.

So at last the engine and trans is bolted in and I'll be getting a dolly soon now to to bring it over to my new place so I can work on wiring and linkages and the rest of the build here. I don't have a concrete driveway though and it would have been a little harder to push a hoist around in the dirt!

And so the neverending build continues, stay tuned more progress to come.

2006 KJ · **Posted:** Sun May 06, 2012 12:28 am

looks great in there! cant believe how small the KJ's engine bay makes that v8 look. that's going to be awesome when it fires up for the first time.

gottorque · **Joined:** Fri Sep 23, 2011 1:03 am **Posts:** 100

mad props for your dedication to this build. Definitly one of a kind :JEEPIN:

I would love to have a V8 KJ (and thoes flat fenders*drool)

Neatus · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2012 1:02 pm

Wildman I am glad you have things moving again. Good work...look forward to hearing that thing rumble.

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

Fits awesome just like it was designed to fit in there!
Was a fun morning indeed! Ready for more? :pepper:

v8libby · **Joined:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:34 pm **Posts:** 2

I can't give specific details about my build until after the next sema show, where it will be on display. I can however say that it is packing a 5.7 hemi with all the latest and greatest electronics, and its supercharged so I can give some tips. First avoid all the latest motors there electrical system is the biggest pain to try to work with. If I was not doing this for work I would have never did a motor with so much electronic crap. It would have been 1/10th the cost to do a older style motor. As long as your sure you want to do this you start with removing the old motor and all the trimmings. At that point you can decide what you can move to get the space you need (this is a great time to do a sas). You might as well ditch the tranny and tcase while your at it. You will probably need everything from the petals, to the gas tank(look into fuel cells). It's a long road but its well worth it. If you have any specific questions about your build I will be able to help so pm me.

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

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