fj80 v8 converstion checklist (1 Viewer)

[mhanssens]

hello everyone. im a proud owner of a 91 lc "3FE". as much as i love this engine.. it sucks at mountain driving So i thought it would be great if anyone can help me out with a v8 conversion (im on a budget btw).

IF ANYONE COULD GIVE ME A QUICK CHECKLIST OR MORE IT WOULD BE AWESOME THANK YOU.

i dont want to change the transmission or the tcase. i've heard the 350s are a good way to go but im in flagstaff and there's alot of old-school engine available in peoples backyards

ill post pictures very soon of my stock engine etc.

 

[mhanssens]

$40 intake (custom) system haha

 

[OverLand Cruisers]

Have you thought about changing the ring and pinion instead of a V8 swap?
I can't imagine that there is such a thing as a proper V8 swap on a budget.

 

[slowsuki]

not trying to change your mind ,but there are lots of things that can be done to make the 3fe run lots better, if it has not been done already, advance timing 3or4 degrees , adjust shift chable ,adjust valves,desmog engine,decarbon engine sea foam or water,fuel pump sock ,clean fuel injectors, and just a tune up will wake up that 3fe, 200,000 miles they are just getting broke in. check over on 60 site as well there is lots of good info on 3fe over there.

 

[mhanssens]

the engine runs great and was tuned by my father (who raced for toyota in dakar). i adjusted and cleaned all parts. it gets fare milage too 12-16 with my custom intake. but its really tempting to throw a v8 in there. the engine is $300 (366 motor) and i know how to do the rest. how would the ring and pionion help ?? my gears dont slip and i believe im gettin full power out of the engine.

 

[mhanssens]

well my budget is about 1500-2000 (i'll be doing the labor) the motor is $300. how would ring and pinion help ??

 

[Eicca]

Spend that money on Rodney's extreme torque converter and valve body. Your tranny will be loads more efficient. I can't remember exactly who it was around here that swapped in these two items but they said it made a world of difference.

If you can do the 4.88 ring and pinion, the torque converter AND the valve body I think you'll be a pretty happy camper.

To answer your question, swapping rings and pinions will lower your overall gear ratios to keep your engine in the powerband more.

 

[Elbert]

changing the gears to a higher numerical ratio increases mechanical advantage... it basically gives you more "power" .

 

[OGBeno]

tuned by my father (who raced for toyota in dakar).

Please tell us more. A lot more...

What years?
What position?
Did he race for Team Araco? (Toyota proper never had their own team. Araco did through 2005, then Toyota Auto Body took over)

Thanks.

 

[mhanssens]

yea he raced for team Araco (which is pretty much a factory that built land cruisers etc). he raced from the 80s up to the late 90s. and stopped once we moved to the US. as far as positions. he was pilot of the back up land cruiser as they usually run 2 of them (one with the american engine, and the other with the diesel ). and also mainly was the navigator for the big trucks from Araco (which were tatra).

 

[lt1fire]

With your budget is is possible but really tight.

You need engine, new motor mounts, adapter to the trans or a trans/t-case that will bolt up to the donor engine and is passenger side drop. Are you going for a carb'd set up or FI? If FI you will need to wire it up correctly.

You also need to check with your local and state laws to make sure you can pass inspection with it.

 

[Sparky97LX]

The 366 engine (big block design) is a dump truck or school bus engine. Same stroke as a 427 but very small bore. Truck blocks had a deck height of 10.2 compared to the standard height of 9.8. That means the heads will be situated wider and taller in the car. The headers or exhaust might hit the floor boards, you will need spacers for the intake manifold and the big Chevy valve cover/ power brake booster clearance will get ever so tighter! Heads have a very small chamber and valve size. Only way to tell if it is a true 366 is to pop a head off and measure the bore. I would actually say that the 396 is the 305 of big blocks and that the 366 is the 265 of big blocks. It's just hard to make a bunch of power out of them cause the have a small bore.

The 366 was made for work trucks where low speed torque was needed, these engines are famous for burning a hole in the pistons due to high cylinder heat from such a small bore and a long stroke. Don`t waste your time or your money on a 366, why spend the money on a 366 when you could invest the same amount of money into a small block 350 and blow the 366`s doors off with less cubic inches?

 

[Chopperdriver]

Has anyone used the man a fre engine rebuild kit. Looks like they have high comp pistons, cams and the like. I could not find out what kind of hp increase they are talking about though.

 

[mhanssens]

thanks that engine info dude that really clarifies things up for me !!. and thanks for the checklist too. i could go either way for carb of FI. i looked at turbo-ing the engine, its definitely possible but with an engine that has 200k it wouldnt be smart ?. i didnt know man-a-free did a kit for the 3fe ?

so the 350 from gm is the best possible decision?

 

[mmuthart]

I've got 10 years on a 350 TBI swap ('91 like yours)...

IMO, a 350 TBI ('95 was the last year) will be the cheapest and easiest swap. You'll need a Mark's Adapter to mate the 350 to your A440F. Everything behind the engine remains stock Toyota. Custom motor mounts will be required but that's the hardest part. I did the swap myself, it just took time and patience, but very doable by the average do-it-yourselfer, like myself.

Last year I installed Rodney's low stall, efficient torque converter and his valve body for the 3rd gear lock up. These 2 items made an amazing difference and really made my cruiser come alive.

Go for it!!

 

[mhanssens]

wow that looks great what does TBI stand for. and i presume the 3rd gear lockup would make it stay in 3rd and not got to forth the whole time ?

 

[mmuthart]

TBI = Throttle Body Injection. In '96 the 350 got Vortec heads which put a separate fuel injector at each cylinder. TBI uses 2 injectors at the top center of the intake right where the carburetor would have been bolted. The TBI 350's are very simple, very reliable, and cheap to purchase.

3rd gear lock up means the torque converter will lock in 3rd gear. With out it, hill climbs in 3rd gear generate A LOT of heat, are slower, and guzzle more gas.

Sounds like you have LOTS to learn and lots of reading to do. Fullsizechevy.com is a good place to learn about the different Chevy powerplants available.

 

[mhanssens]

thanks dude, well im a 19yr old college student haha. but i've been in garages since i could walk. i'm very familiar with european engines on american stuff "no clue" haha. thanks for all the help;p

 

[lt1fire]

I've got 10 years on a 350 TBI swap ('91 like yours)...

IMO, a 350 TBI ('95 was the last year) will be the cheapest and easiest swap. You'll need a Mark's Adapter to mate the 350 to your A440F. Everything behind the engine remains stock Toyota. Custom motor mounts will be required but that's the hardest part. I did the swap myself, it just took time and patience, but very doable by the average do-it-yourselfer, like myself.

Last year I installed Rodney's low stall, efficient torque converter and his valve body for the 3rd gear lock up. These 2 items made an amazing difference and really made my cruiser come alive.

Go for it!!

What kind of mpg are you pulling now.

What were the specs on the 350 tbi in 95??

 

[Elbert]

I would not run a 366 GM truck motor...

Just get one of the GM SBC 5.7 flavors of your choice. 5.7 TBI would be great, 5.7 Vortec, 5.3, 6.0 Vortec.

Or old school with 5.7 carb. IF you are on a strict budget then 5.7 carb is the only thing that is going to work unless you can get a lot of free parts.