Greenville, SC FJ40 Engine Swap - Need Help Finding a Mechanic

[SC Forester]

I am looking for a mechanic/fabricator/builder to do an engine swap in my 74 FJ40. It currently has a Jeep 360 in it with the factory 3 speed transmission. I have acquired a strong SBC 350 and want to put it in the FJ40. For now, I am going to have to stick with the 3 speed transmission. Does anybody have any recommendations on who could do this around Greenville, SC? Thanks.

 

[pjohnson]

Trollhole is next door to you. @Trollhole

Trollhole's Cruisers

Trollhole's Cruisers

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[3_puppies]

I have acquired a strong SBC 350 and want to put it in the FJ40. For now, I am going to have to stick with the 3 speed transmission. Thanks.

save up and do it once. install a 4 or 5 speed. otherwise, you'll want to change it later and have to redo some stuff.

 

[SC Forester]

Trollhole is next door to you. @Trollhole

Trollhole's Cruisers

Trollhole's Cruisers

forum.ih8mud.com

Thanks for the reply. I have spoken with them and I definitely can’t afford them.

 

[SC Forester]

save up and do it once. install a 4 or 5 speed. otherwise, you'll want to change it later and have to redo some stuff.

I have thought about that but I’m not even sure what transmission to use. NV4500 is ideal but way out of my price range. I’m not sure if there would be any advantage going to the Toyota 4 speed. Is 3rd in the 3 speed and 4th in the 4 speed the same?

 

[pjohnson]

Top gear is 1:1 for both. Have you figured out everything you'll need for the swap? Is the bell housing from the 360 going to fit the 350? Is the 3sp from the Jeep or LC?

 

[bikersmurf]

Is the transmission Toyota?

I’d consider using a Chevy Transmission & Transfer Case, and a centred read diff from a newer Toyota.

 

[camino70]

My good friend Jason has a shop in Fountain Inn.

Moonshiners Salvation Garage
1 Tall Pines Road
Fountain Inn, South Carolina 29644
(864) 342-7405

 

[Krondor]

Why not attempt it yourself? There are plenty of threads on this forum that will guide you through a swap. There is also a vast amount of knowledge here in Greenville (and people to help). If you are not a member of Upstate Cruisers, I would highly recommend joining them.

An engine swap is very intensive process. You have to modify your frame, splice in a wiring harness, adjust driveshaft lengths, etc... Not to mention any other unknowns. What did the previous owner muck up when installing the Jeep motor? Just about anyone you go to will give you a very high price based on unknowns alone.

And if you do it yourself, you will learn more about yourself and your vehicle. I went from barely knowing how to change my oil to fully doing a frame off restoration of my FJ40. The information is out there and the help is out there, you just have to seek it.

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

Just find a good 2F to put in it. It's not all that hard if you have time and some basic mechanical abilities.

 

[pb4ugo]

Can we see pics of your driveline, engine trans and t/case? It seems odd that someone put a amc 360 in frt of a Land Cruiser driveline, but not impossible. It could have the Jeep t150 3 speed and dana t/case. Yrs ago I had to work on alot of j**p drivelines, cause all the folks I wheeled with had cj's. If the 360 runs good I'd keep it. It's an older engine, but a solid power plant. With the proper bell housing you can install a wide ratio T18 4 speed tranny, which has a granny 1st gear and is extremely strong. You can the adapt either a dana 20 or a later model dana 18 t/case, which has an offset rear output and a 2.46:1 low range. This maybe your most economical path. The hardest part and most expensive would be the T18 tranny. This type of setup would be mostly stk in old cj's.

 

[David70FJ40]

Cheap/inexpensive is the shade tree who will make the swap fr you in his backyard of carport. If you don't want to trust a rank amateur you do have two excellent choices nearby. Marshall at Trollholes Cruisers knows what he is doing and has been doing it for a long time. Or you could contact Stan at Hardline Fabrication Services in Chesnee, SC. Neither will be cheap but they do have good reputations and do quality work.

 

[SC Forester]

Top gear is 1:1 for both. Have you figured out everything you'll need for the swap? Is the bell housing from the 360 going to fit the 350? Is the 3sp from the Jeep or LC?

I'm pretty sure it is the LC 3 speed but now I have doubts...gotta crawl under it tomorrow to put another starter on the 360 so I'll find out.

 

[SC Forester]

Is the transmission Toyota?

I’d consider using a Chevy Transmission & Transfer Case, and a centred read diff from a newer Toyota.

This is probably my preferred route. I was told it was the Jeep 360 to the FJ 3 speed (and transfer case) to a Ford rear end when I bought it.

 

[SC Forester]

My good friend Jason has a shop in Fountain Inn.

Moonshiners Salvation Garage
1 Tall Pines Road
Fountain Inn, South Carolina 29644
(864) 342-7405

I will definitely check that out. Thanks for the reply. Not too far away.

 

[SC Forester]

Why not attempt it yourself? There are plenty of threads on this forum that will guide you through a swap. There is also a vast amount of knowledge here in Greenville (and people to help). If you are not a member of Upstate Cruisers, I would highly recommend joining them.

An engine swap is very intensive process. You have to modify your frame, splice in a wiring harness, adjust driveshaft lengths, etc... Not to mention any other unknowns. What did the previous owner muck up when installing the Jeep motor? Just about anyone you go to will give you a very high price based on unknowns alone.

And if you do it yourself, you will learn more about yourself and your vehicle. I went from barely knowing how to change my oil to fully doing a frame off restoration of my FJ40. The information is out there and the help is out there, you just have to seek it.

Thanks. I would but I am not skilled enough and not patient enough. I can do the basics but a swap is out of my league. I have learned a lot doing (and failing) things I have picked up on here. This is a great resource.

 

[SC Forester]

Just find a good 2F to put in it. It's not all that hard if you have time and some basic mechanical abilities.

I want to go with the SBC 350. I got a great deal on it and it looks pretty strong.

 

[SC Forester]

Can we see pics of your driveline, engine trans and t/case? It seems odd that someone put a amc 360 in frt of a Land Cruiser driveline, but not impossible. It could have the Jeep t150 3 speed and dana t/case. Yrs ago I had to work on alot of j**p drivelines, cause all the folks I wheeled with had cj's. If the 360 runs good I'd keep it. It's an older engine, but a solid power plant. With the proper bell housing you can install a wide ratio T18 4 speed tranny, which has a granny 1st gear and is extremely strong. You can the adapt either a dana 20 or a later model dana 18 t/case, which has an offset rear output and a 2.46:1 low range. This maybe your most economical path. The hardest part and most expensive would be the T18 tranny. This type of setup would be mostly stk in old cj's.

Thanks for the reply. I will get pics of eveything tomorrow when I put the starter on the old Jeep motor.

 

[SC Forester]

Cheap/inexpensive is the shade tree who will make the swap fr you in his backyard of carport. If you don't want to trust a rank amateur you do have two excellent choices nearby. Marshall at Trollholes Cruisers knows what he is doing and has been doing it for a long time. Or you could contact Stan at Hardline Fabrication Services in Chesnee, SC. Neither will be cheap but they do have good reputations and do quality work.

Right on, thanks for the reply. I will reach out to Stan in Chesnee. I am from Boiling Springs so we're probably kin. Ha ha!

I talked to Marshall about an LS swap and it was way out of my price range. I know how good of work he does though. My Cruiser is nowhere near that level of work though.

 

[SC Forester]

Can we see pics of your driveline, engine trans and t/case? It seems odd that someone put a amc 360 in frt of a Land Cruiser driveline, but not impossible. It could have the Jeep t150 3 speed and dana t/case. Yrs ago I had to work on alot of j**p drivelines, cause all the folks I wheeled with had cj's. If the 360 runs good I'd keep it. It's an older engine, but a solid power plant. With the proper bell housing you can install a wide ratio T18 4 speed tranny, which has a granny 1st gear and is extremely strong. You can the adapt either a dana 20 or a later model dana 18 t/case, which has an offset rear output and a 2.46:1 low range. This maybe your most economical path. The hardest part and most expensive would be the T18 tranny. This type of setup would be mostly stk in old cj's.

I finally got a chance to get under it and take a look. I’m going crazy trying to find a starter that will engage the flywheel. Got another one at the pick a part today and it just spins like the other ones.
Anyways, started taking the skid plate off so I could look at the transmission and transfer case. The $&@? thing is bolted onto the transmission and won’t come off (see pic). I’ll have to drill holes in the skid plate to be able to access the bolts. Looked at the transfer case and it is a Dana. I am betting the transmission is a Jeep 3 speed now. I can’t get the skid plate off yet to look and see.
To install my new 350 I guess I am going to have to acquire an entirely different drivetrain now.