I have an 01 XJ and we will be installing a L98 350 700r4/205 TC, the "Frame" isnt strong enough to hold the driveline. we will be cutting the uni-body out and welding a full tube frame in, 12 pinot roll cage , everyone I have spoke to that has put the frame stiffing sections in has said that they worked ok but if they had to do it over they would have welded tube instead. At no time am I telling you what you should do, its only what we have come across in 4x4 forums.

oh yeah a LS9 lol I wish

Shouldn't be anymore difficult than stuffing a SBC in a S10 p/u-I have done that several times and have enjoyed driving them Maybe u can be GLXJ's authority(guinea pig) and do a build up with thread on here. I also have a friend down the road from me with a MJ and he is wanting to small block it bad and he has already done a 4.0L I-6 swap in it and still not happy with it


I need a sponsor (GLXJ, Motion Offroad?) so that I can do this...


-- Edited by GrumpysXJ on Tuesday 18th of August 2009 12:56:01 PM

-- Edited by GrumpysXJ on Tuesday 18th of August 2009 12:59:10 PM

Seems like all the Chevy guys like that 350 but no one understands the better fit of the Ford SB. First off the 302 is lighter by like 100-150lbs depending on intake/exhaust manifolds ect. Second the 302 is narrower by a few inches. The best part is the distributor is in the front so you can move the engine back against the firewall for better fit. I had a FSB in my 1974 Jeep CJ-5 and I liked it. I probably spent more time initialy figuring out how to run the accessories ect but in the end it was a great little engine and it also made roughly 250-275 reliable HP and was very torquey. Most guys that I know that have these powerhouses in their rigs only go mud running as that is where you need power. There was a guy in my Jeep club who had a 400 hp+ SBC in a YJ and he did ok on the trail but he spun on hills and rocks more than anyone else in the group. When it comes to wheeling there is a point where you can have too much power which makes your ride practicaly unusable for some trails. Just my $0.02 worth.

Also for the guys who said you have to tube frame your XJ I think that if you were to put in a mild SBC you could get away with just welding all your frame seams and then using the roll cage as an extra frame stiffener up top. ZJ's had small blocks in them and they are also unibody. Just about any car made these days is unibody and it holds up fine as well. I think people don't give unibody the credit it sometimes deserves.

-- Edited by tjhawk on Monday 24th of August 2009 10:37:41 AM

-- Edited by tjhawk on Monday 24th of August 2009 10:38:29 AM

-- Edited by tjhawk on Monday 24th of August 2009 12:10:43 PM