350 swap!

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SpaghettiBatman

SpaghettiBatman

10 Year
Joined
Apr 16, 2014
Threads
9
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38
So as the title states I have my mind pretty much set on a 350 swap and was wondering if anyone has done it in the club? If so, do you have the time to talk to me about it or show it to me if i come down island? Would really enjoy some definitive answers on the swap. I see a lot of threads about people asking about step by step walkthroughs of the swap and no one seems to have a good one.... I've seen people mentioning marks conversion kits and then others saying that they are not worth the price and to just modify the toyota tranny. I also have a different situation that I have a 4 speed in a 74 and have no documentation on it. I also dont know where to look for item numbers to find what i have. If you have any ideas, please fire away.
 
Ryan (Seapotato) is in Chemanius, he'd be the one to ask. He knows many many things.


Good luck!
 
Go through the 40 series and 60 series forums. The people south of the border are tech savy and know which engines are most efficient and
easiest to do the install. Advance Adapters will have everything you will need as far as
parts. Most SBC are consistent as far as bolt pattern to the low cost adapter plate to Toyota transmission. Do you
have a 4 or 5 spd?
My recommend is later model engine swap, EFI and computers are now stand alone; with usual splicing into your
particular wiring harness. 350's are hungry on fuel, and you will tire of feeding the beast if you don't research economy/
efficiency of your engine selection.

I've got a 350/NV4500 FJ40 in the back yard right now. PO claimed 14 mpg, hard to imagine with q-jet carb. It's AA adapter plate,
and engine mounts. It's a 10+ yr conversion though. Stay away from carbs, EFI for economy and off road-ability.

I installed a Marks AUS 351W bellhousing adapter kit in my FJ40 years ago ( I still have the adapter bolted to the 4 spd in the back
shed ) and with Edelbrock 4 bbl, 4:88's on 38.5" swampers I could carefully get 18 mpg on hwy, followed by 13 mpg everywhere.
I never did solve the cooling issue though. Many people put that kit down, it was a masterpiece of precision and quality. Ignore ignorance.

Too hot to sit and add more, need beer....
 
I'm sure the Mark's kit is nice, but you're spending a lot to avoid modifying a couple driveshafts. I had two shafts shortened for $100.

To do it over, I could have positioned the engine 1/2" further back and had equal length shafts. I'd also use a top cover from a 60 series 4 speed to avoid cutting a new hole in the tranny hump.

I'll find the thread which has pictures of mine and direct you to it. I figured it out on my own with only a few page Downey manual, and an Advance Adaptors conversion manual. I used a Downey kit, LUK clutch, recorded 3 core stock Rad, two shortened front driveshafts, stock 2F throw out bearing, 74 master and Slave.

There aren't too many options for 4 speeds. 3B has too long an input shaft, 60 series has an aluminum top cover, 40 has a cast iron top.

PM me your number, and we can chat sometime... Or you can even swing by if you're in town... If you need to see more than the photos show.
 
Cost, if memory serves, in 96 was about $2k plus the motor. $450 exhaust, $175 clutch, $30 throw out bearing, $75 flywheel, $50 Alternator, $850 kit, $60 for welder to weld in mounts, $100 drive shaft shortening, + misc (hoses/bolts/fluids).


Why a 350? I'd not swap one these days... 6.2/6.5, 13BT, 3B, 300TD, 7.3 PSD... Or simply a 2F or 3FE.
 
bikersmurf said:
Cost, if memory serves, in 96 was about $2k plus the motor. $450 exhaust, $175 clutch, $30 throw out bearing, $75 flywheel, $50 Alternator, $850 kit, $60 for welder to weld in mounts, $100 drive shaft shortening, + misc (hoses/bolts/fluids).


Why a 350? I'd not swap one these days... 6.2/6.5, 13BT, 3B, 300TD, 7.3 PSD... Or simply a 2F or 3FE.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I had a balanced and nicely worked 351W from a '69 Mustang as to why I did the Ford thing. I used to be heavily into Mustangs
and high speed back then. Costs look to have been close, aside from the cost of adapter kit.

I'm converted to diesel now too. Initial costs of buying diesel is high. I can see the reason for 350, much less initial cost. As a suggestion,
unless you are looking for the power, there are a lot of JDM's now for sale and buying a whole donor tuck is quite reasonable and might be a way to go.
 
bikersmurf said:
Why a 350? I'd not swap one these days... 6.2/6.5, 13BT, 3B, 300TD, 7.3 PSD... Or simply a 2F or 3FE.
Click to expand...

That was my thought too. Why a 350? Find a nice direct injection turbo diesel and go with that. 13BT would be my vote. Bit of extra boost/fuel and the thing will match torque of a 350 with 2-3 times the fuel economy.
 
the whole reason I was set on the 350 is that I don't have to swap my transmission out as well. What should I be looking for with finding a 13bt?
 
Find someone with a nicely done and correctly done 350 swap and drive it. Then climb into a 2f or diesel powered cruiser and drive it. While the 2f's and diesels are great little motors, a 350 of any ilk is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy more fun and just as simple for maintenance as the others. You get a lot more horsepower, awesome torque, and theoretically better fuel mileage out of a 350 vs 2f. Fuel mileage vs a diesel will most likely not compare at all, but you will not be slowing down going up the Malahat. Engine parts and mods are extremely plentiful.
There are a ton of drive train options available as well, I was pretty damn happy with my old 40 once the M22 was swapped in favour of a SM465. That first gear was simply incredible. And of course as you mentioned you can still keep the stock tranny just as easy.
Of course there is the possibility of breaking parts with that extra power, but back in my youthful exuberance with the aforementioned 40, I only managed to break transfercases (several of them....) Had I known about the "case saver" reinforcement for the stock j20 cases I would have perhaps been okay.
Also getting sideways in a short wheel based vehicle when slamming gears gets interesting quickly, but again...that was youthful inexperience.
 
Spent a day in a v-8 in Texas and had a great deal of fun, when he put the atlas case into high range and we shot off very fast, put me back in my seat lots of fun..put a smile on my face.. All day crawling with a tiney fuel tank couple gallons, never getting above 2200rpm.

Diesels can be expensive up front and pay you back over the long long term..

For a toy slash daily driver I would probably go with the newer v8...

For more expedition slash light trail use it would be diesel all day long.

Have to admit it tho after a few weeks of wheeling I am starting to get the bug for lockers..maybe bigger tires haaaaaaaaaa

My two pennies or one nickle...
 
I've got a 350 and agree its a lot of fun. I was very happy with my 1.5 F... Swore I'd never replace it, but 3K+ for a basic rebuild was too rich for me. Now I've got about 300hp for $500... Gobs of power to spare, it'll easily tow it's own weight behing it also. I used to tow a 12' tandem axle trailer behind mine and I'd almost forget it was there... Till I unhitched it and my passengers were thrown back in their seats. Fun for sure. I figure even buying a used diesel, my break even point would be 10 years out... So I see both sides. Being able to drive it almost like an auto is also nice when my left knee is fubared. I don't think I could drive from 10-50 mph in third gear with a small diesel.

With dual tanks, I can run for a month or two on a fill, so range isn't a concern. I enjoy my Diesel rig with a 7.3, but I hate to work on it, the 40 is a dream to work on. The E350 is a PITA, 1.5 hours to change the alternator, I expect 2-3 hrs to change the fuel filter and replace the O-rings on the float bowl, and I'm afraid to think about how major a pain it'll be to change the injectors. I'll choose changing plugs in the 40 any day... Or rebuilding the carb every 20 years.
 
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The available power range is better with a gasoline motor 500-5000 rpm on my 2f usable power . Not quite that much with a v8 . they need to rev a bit to make usable torque . Depends on the type of wheeling you are going to do . I have a v8 40 with a 98 vortec Approx 300 hp . I like my fuel injected 2f better for wheeling . It puts the power on the ground better . Diesels are not the choice if you are going to wheel hard at all . They don't rev enough . Depends on what you feel is wheeling hard as well ? My rating is probably different that most on here .
 
seapotato said:
Spaghetti....you really don't want to hear what I got rid of for $100 a couple months ago....
Click to expand...

SpaghettiBatman said:
Could it possibly be a 98 vortec?
Click to expand...

Nah, waterlogged siezed piece of s*** 350, but it had all the adapters, mounts and such, and was mated to a cruiser 4speed.

So yeah, timing blows eh? :lol:

Just like me needing a tub right after cruiserpilot sells his...must be the cruiser.:bang:
 
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