looking for advice, '74 FJ40 with AMC 360

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wjengle

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Hello,

I'm looking into buying a '74 FJ 40 that has had an engine swat to an AMC 360 V8. Does anyone have any advice for me on the performance of this combination. I think it's been running this engine for about 50,000 miles.
Also, they tell me it may need a radiator upgrade, as it tends to overheat while it trys to cool the AMC engine. Does anyone have a recommendation on if there is an available radiator upgrade that fits the FJ 40.

Thanks, I appreciate any help I can get.

Joe
 
there are many radiators that will fit the fj40 - they are either telling you to get a new radiator because that one is old and needs to be replaced or there simply assuming that because the vehicle is over heating it must be because of the stock radiator. There are 4-core replacements at radiatorbarn.com or other vendors or skip that step and purchase an aluminum one and make a bracket to hold it. its alll up to your fabrication skills in the end. or may be a combo of things that are making the cooling system inadequate.
 
wjengle said:
Hello,

I'm looking into buying a '74 FJ 40 that has had an engine swat to an AMC 360 V8. Does anyone have any advice for me on the performance of this combination. I think it's been running this engine for about 50,000 miles.
Also, they tell me it may need a radiator upgrade, as it tends to overheat while it trys to cool the AMC engine. Does anyone have a recommendation on if there is an available radiator upgrade that fits the FJ 40.

Thanks, I appreciate any help I can get.

Joe
Click to expand...


There are aluminum radiator options that will bolt into the stock Land Cruiser radiator mount in the event that you still have that....They are typically more spendy than just a genaric aluminum radiator...


3jvj said:
Why would someone go with an amc 360? Could someone "in the know" enlighten me?
Click to expand...



Don't think that I am 'in the know', but someone could have swapped in the 360/auto/Quadralosertrac jeep driveline combo which would have been offset like the Land Cruiser driveline....

Only guessing here...


Who knows....it could have a T18 behind the 360, to a Dana 18 case which would give him an offset rear driveline output also.


:beer:
 
Its hard to say why the po did it, but the AMC 360 is a good motor. It has good torque and HP it just doesnt have much over about 4k rpm.


They are not hard to keep cool, a 4 core cruiser radiator with a good fan and shroud should work fine.
 
Good, reliable, lackluster engine that the PO might have had gotten for a really decent price, swap or free.

If it runs, looks decent and the price its good, who cares? Buy it. You can always collect the parts to do a swap down the road.
 
Does the radiator have a fan shroud? A long time ago my late uncle gave me one of his mopar radiators that were good for big blocks and fit the space. I had the ports swapped be a local shop to work with a sbc and the only issue with cooling I ever had was from not having a shroud on the fan.

I was helping the late Russell Ruth (Grass Valley, Ca) pull an old Ford van from “down by the (American) river and my engine got pretty warm.

I had also done my sbc swap so the engine was quite far back in the engine bay and the fan was too far from the radiator. A later fan spacer helped a lot.
 
If they say they had over heating problems I would be leery of just how hot the engine has gotten in the fifty thousand miles.
Depending on how much the asking price is I would offer no more than half because of the AMC engine.
That is a really off the wall conversion and it might have involved some weird adapting techniques.
Is it hooked to a Toyota transmission and case or is it AMC all the way?
 
Two thoughts:
1. If any engine is crammed back into the firewall it will over-heat. Problem is heat dissipates out of the engine, fan prop wash blows it back into the firewall, it then has no place to go (because engine is blocking the chimney/tranny tunnel), so bounces right back into the engine.
2. Some engines are designed to run between 220 and 240 degrees (normally because of emissions equipment/requirements) soooo owners think they are over-heating, they are not. With that said, I admit I hold my breath at 240 degrees.
 
Poser said:
Don't think that I am 'in the know', but someone could have swapped in the 360/auto/Quadralosertrac jeep driveline combo which would have been offset like the Land Cruiser driveline....

Only guessing here...


Who knows....it could have a T18 behind the 360, to a Dana 18 case which would give him an offset rear driveline output also.
Click to expand...
Got a good laugh from "Quadralosertrac".
 
I bought a 74 with this horrible 360 in it in April. It has been out of commission all summer long. I am about to pull it out and replace with a trusted Chevy 350. It’s a 360 posititioned close to the fan, no shroud. It normally runs around 180 defreees when it gets warm. The pos started bogging down when it got up to temp. Now after new HEI ignition, new fuel pump, new starter and solenoid, it won’t even turn over, I’m done with this AMC $&@?.
 
You all noticed this thread is 13 years old, right? 😄
 
Yeah, I know. It came up when I googled FJ40 AMC 360. I replied thinking nobody would reply. I think I may own this FJ that the original poster was asking about. I can’t wait to take that motor out and put a Chevy in its place.
 
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