Local 2F Engine Guy?

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Tony_Farson said:
Hi Dan,

I get it! I am still toying (pun) with the idea of a 350. Someone in another post pointed out the advantages, namely wide availability of parts and repairability). However, I don't have the chops to do a swap with the welding and fab needed for the the 350 though. I also don't have a 350 block. I can't imagine I'd get a 350 in there for less than $5K. Douglas said his last 78 2F rebuild was about $3500 and I would still want EFI, RV Cam, 9:1 or better compression, etc.

Add to the financial and technical roadblocks the fact that I am not keen to un-Toyota my Toyota. I am a bit of a purest in that sense. I believe the thing that makes the Fj40 (and other TLCs) great is the engineering (as reverse engineered as much of it is!) Toyota put behind it. IF I ever do a swap, it will probably remain Toyota... Like a 1HD-FT, auto trans and t-case from an Aussie 80... The only other thing I might consider doing, if I were to go off the Toyota res would be a Cummins R28 and gut all the innards for aftermarket stuff... six speed auto, axle assemblies, Atlas, 3 and 4 link suspension, etc.

I know that all of this is in the eye of the beholder... Some would say that I will lose the Toyota purity with new wheels, bigger tires, lockers, and other aftermarkets. So I say to each his own! ;)
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For what its worth the original F was built under license from GMC, it is essentially a Chevy straight six. GMC gave up the design and Toyota kept it evolving it into the 2F and later the 3FE. Both versions were just polishing a turd, it may be shiny but it is still a POS power plant for a road driven vehicle. Toyota still makes the 2F but it is only used in fork lifts etc. If you want to stick with Toyota and want a drop in I would look at one of the OEM 40 series Toyota diesel engines. If you want to stray from Toyota I would look at the 12BT swap, very common swap, lots of kits available and a popular engine so spare parts aren't a problem.
 
Just another bump, Chris at Douglas machine is a cruiserhead and a really good machinist as is his Dad, Have had him do several heads, and machine work, great work at a fair price... Every time I am there, he has loads of cylinder heads for local shops and agriculture/construction equipment stuff getting worked on. They can do just about anything just depends on how busy they are.

Depending on what you are wanting in a cruiser the ls truck motors are hard to beat, we have them at work in everything from the crew haul vans to the 1 ton signal rigs that gross over 10k lbs, we have no real issues and we have trucks with over 400k miles on them. The last signal rig I rode in the guy had driven it 190k miles fully loaded and he drives it like he stole it. All these trucks have stupid amounts of ldle hours and other than the odd water pump and power steering pump they just run. No leaks and dont burn oil...

Last time I was looking LKQ dismantlers has some 4.8's complete for 700$, and they have a location in Reno and will move it up here from Sacramento or the Valley.. usually for free...
 
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search in the fj40 forum, or ask, they will know
 
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