sbc th 350 ?

[chevellecrzy1968]

i recently picked up a 72 fj40 my first love it by the way but i locked up the stock engine and i wasnt to upgrade to a sbc an th350 i know i need an adapter kit for the transfer case but will i need to do any drive line mods or would it be better to get the whole running gear from a chevy t case and all ? i guess what im askin is whats my cheaoest way to go if there is one with the fj lol

 

[Bret]

Here is a place to start. Oh and there is no real cheap way to work on a Cruiser.

IH8MUD.com - Search Results

 

[GarageRat]

Searching usually helps, something that common has definitely already been discussed. However I'll just go ahead and give you a quick overview. The adapter you want is from Advance Adapters, costs around 565 dollars and is not that difficult to do yourself if you are fairly competent with driveline work, I helped on almost this exact combination. However you also have the option of having someone else do it though this adds to cost and is less fun in my opinion. Now, if you decide to go Chevy with the t-case then you will need a centered rear end. Land Cruiser Centered Rear Diff Options - Land Cruiser Tech from IH8MUD.com shows most of the options. A 12 bolt from a K5 blazer is around 60" WMS, 6 lug, and can be picked up for a song so if you want a wider rear axle (Stock is 55") it's an economical choice albeit not a very strong or advised part due to a smaller pinion shaft diameter than the passenger car ones. If you change the axle you will need to then weld new perches to the axle and work out brake lines, regeared to match the front, and if you're in the axle you might as well toss in a limited slip or locker depending on your needs. Rear axle total comes out (assuming you got the base axle for 100, I've bought 12 bolts for 50) to 250 for gears, 300 for an eaton limited slip (what I paid for one for a truck 12), and seals/bearings etc bringing the total above $550. The front would need to be changed to a wider axle to compensate; a 62 has the gearing, disc brakes, and width but you will need to step out the bracketry on the frame about 1.5" on each side IIRC, I haven't seen one around here for under 300 so you're looking at 800 minimum for axles (I'm just outlining parts I've worked with, obviously different axles are around for different prices) and some fab work.
The adapter is the easier route and probably cheaper in the end with the least amount of work and parts change out needed. I'm going with an NP205 behind the SM465 on my personal rig however I'm also building a mini hybrid rear for it. I'm friends with a guy that went the adapter route instead and wouldn't change it for the world so it's all personal taste and what your goals are.

 

[chevellecrzy1968]

thanks for the in put nut i think i hsve drcided to stick with the stock trans n t case for the moment