Hows about advice from you gear heads.

Right now I have a perfect 231 with just about 7k on it. I spent about $1100. It works fine, but not in all cituations. It is awesome off road. I can beat that right pedal and make the rig bounce and fly all I want know there's not enough torque going down to the tires so not much, if anything, will ever break. Then come the drive home. Need a HUGE gap in traffic cause acceleration is just not there. I top speed out at about 55mph (Scout=brick in areodynamics)

And then the motor gets REALLY hot going down the road. We're talking HOT. Nothing but dumping water on the radiators and such help. However, it was awesome off road. Power, run at all angles, and good temp off road at about 190-220 depending on how I was getting it.

Since then, I've meesed with shrouds, 4 core radiators, and settled on two 3 core radiators with a shrouded electric fan. Well that did NOTHING. So, I then decided to retard the timing quite a bit. I went back as far as I can and keep it running. Now it drives down the street at 195 degrees, but totally lacks power. Think I can edge her up to about 50 max. Ugh. Anyway, it was all cool cause I have a trailer for the out of town trips. Then today I drive my rig to the local creek to beat on it with the rocks lying out there. Well, gawd damn, mutha, fu . . . . It's now over heating off road.

I think I've come to the conclusion that this motor, while perfect for a 2900 pound Jeep it just ain't gonna cut it as a power plant for a 5000+ lb Scout that gets driven by a fawkin wildman.

So, no to the poll.

Stay with the 231? I would rather put some hamsters on a ball in there and tell them to get it. Perhaps they wouldn't over heat as easily ;) Anyway, there is nothing wrong with the motor mechanically it's just my rig is too big and I keep putting on more metal here and there. So, I'd sell the 231 with a warranty to someone who would put it in a Jeep.

Second is I have a 350 all ready to be put together. Shit, I could get it together and in in a couple of days if I don't get sick ;) Good thing is more power. Bad thing, would it be too much power? I mean I don't want to break axle shafts and d60 parts. Still easy and cheap.

Third is to rebuild a 6.2 diesel I have sitting around. It would be a simple rebuild since it just needs rings, bearings and gaskets. Good thing about this is my tow rig uses the same motor :) It would suck getting on the road, but it would make it where I was going. And the injection is an awesome thing in the rocks. Can you put diesel in the poly fuel cells??

Fourth would be to keep it as it is until the v6 blows up and lose the chance to see it to someone who won't work it as hard so it can last them forever.

Let's not to forget to give your reasons you vote the way you do please. Perhaps it's something I haven't thought about.

i voted keep it

gear it, more power and torque from the front breaks more stuff
any engine swap is mega effort involved and not only that, costs money

try and do everything for as little as possible, then go buy CTMs and alloy shafts and 35 spline inners and outers and roll with that!

I vote for the 350. I don't think you will break too many parts. I have 350 in my K5 with a rv cam, 2.02 heads and a q jet on a stock intake. TH350/205 combo D44/ Eaton w/ detroit and 39.5 Swampers. Been that way for about 5 years. Broke a front axle shaft (u joint cap came off) and a rear shaft u joint. I would be suprised if the 350 will cause you to brake D60 parts. Plus , it's cheap to do anything to a SBC .

Plop the 350 in Curtis, its actually the same swap Im getting ready to do (out with the 231 in with the 350). More powers a bouns but so is the existence of an aftermarket for the engine. I got tired of lookin at the Kenne-Bell catalog :rolleyes:

i would put the 350 in but be prepared for a long swap. It took me a year to do my 302 swap (mainly money but still a year) but you will have alot of power. IF i remimber right the 6.2 L desiel is an old chevy desiel and is better used for a paper weight. Go with the 350!

Originally posted by Rockcrawler_101
i would put the 350 in but be prepared for a long swap.
From the buick plant to the 350 is engine mounts and bellhousing/flywheel/clutch. Everything else is the same

Originally posted by mike

From the buick plant to the 350 is engine mounts and bellhousing/flywheel/clutch. Everything else is the same

Exactly. It's an easy swap, and since I am going to cut the entire front off and start from the frame up with tubing, it doesn't matter that much. It's going to be a winter time swap, perhaps right after the cleanup. We'll see :D

I'll be doing it right about the same time, so theres some moral support for ya ;) (and under the same conditions, cept without the binder body)

cool. I'm getting the motor this week sometime and will begin putting it together and gathering all the parts for it before I start. I hate having the rig sit in the middle of a job too long.

Need more power :) What about supercharging the 3.8? :idea:

TEX

If you didn't alrady have a 231 I would suggest going back to an IH engine with pleanty of tourqu to motivate your heavy machine but...

Swap in the 350 and be done with it. You'll have plenty of power and if you don't go overboard on the buildup of the 350 you shouldn't have to worry about breaking too much stuff.

i like the 350 just for part avaliblity and price:cool:

I would go with the 350 you will like it,When I first bought my CJ it had a V-6 it ran great but no power third gear from P-ville to Pollock Pines then went to a SB 327 , then to the 401.

I would probably swap in the 350, just because it is more suited for the size of rig your running.

BE CAREFUL, THE ENGINE MAY NOT BE YOU COOLING PROBLEM.
THE 350 MAY MAKE IT WORSE.
With out seeing the rig, inside out, shrouds, grill, hood, fans, etc.
I couldn't give you my opinion on if it's a cooling problem or the engine.

Colling problems I see often are in order that I have seen them:
Grill is blinded, winch. lights, etc. blocking air flow.
Radiator full of mud and dirt.
Wrong shroud or none at all.
No way for air to out of motor compartment -- fan can't pull it in if there is no way out. Caused by skid pans, and not enough room around engine.
Poor exhaust routing.
Too hot of cam, motor doesn't run efficiently, fan jerks, and doesn't pull air.
Lean fuel mixture, or valve problem.

I have seen hot-rod run louvers in there hoods for years to improve air flow.
Ditch the electric fan if your hot at higher speeds, its probably blinding the radiator.

Check engine to make sure it's running right and circulating fluid.
I had a block one time that a moron drove the freeze plugs into the water jacket when he replaced them, fatal mistake.

Improve air flow first,
then increase surface area (larger radiator).

Louvers or slots in the hood may be a good alternative.

I say go with the 350 for the simplicity... and Mike may need the moral support ;)

Personally I loved the W30/455 Olds I had in my scout...but it was sort of hard on parts.....but I never did overheated it.

NoRM

put the diesel in.

the 6.2 is a good little detroit diesel motor, NOT a VERDAMNDT CHEAVY!!!

It'll fit well, work great. Get a hold of Eric Stude for the particulars. he's BTDT.

buy a trailer

Go with the 350 you won't be disapointed

Go with the 350. More power, and doesn't have to work as hard.

I too say you need to fix your cooling problem first...

I'm running pure mechanical fan with my 78 3.8 and running it around 4 or 5 hours at low speeds in my buddies backyard to work some bugs out it never got over 160...

I have a totally mechanically fan, a buick 305 a/t 3 core radiator, flowkooler water pump, and have hopped up the engine...

Clean out your radiator, flush your system, check your air/fuel, look how the exhaust is run...

And with 39.5's check your gearing :-)

350 chevy...you ever see Scott aka Billy Bob Drive?? um I dont think anyone uses his stuff any harder...

Mike-

sell everything, :flipoff2:

Originally posted by zags
buy a trailer

ding, ding, ding...i think we have a winner!!!!


other than that i would go with the 350 too. the added power is just fun to play with. i agree with silverzuk in that the 350 will may not solve your cooling problem. your cooling system needs to be looked at. electric fans are nice but i found out (the hard way) that you need to get a good setup to make them work properly. also electric fans don't do as well at keeping a motor cool at speeds. i run a dual 11" setup from SPAL. they come with a integrated shroud that fits a jeep radiator perfectly. they cost about $200 but they work. i know several people who have used them along with myself and all have had good luck with them. i have also head that the dual setup off of a lt1 equipped camero works well too.

personally i would not want a diesel in a trail rig.

Originally posted by zags
buy a trailer

Got one, but I still like to drive it here and there ;)

Originally posted by The Jerk
sell everything, :flipoff2:

Um . . . .



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NO :flipoff2: :D :flipoff2:

go with the 350, you'll keep it around forever.. it's the perfect all around engine :D

I got the over heating fixed. It was the timing. I retarded the timing back a few degrees and it does not overheat on the road anymore. It got hot off-road a bit at first, but I advanced it a tad to balance it out and all is well, but it doesn't have nearly the same power it did when it a more advanced :D

So, I decided, with everyone's input of course, to put in the 350. It'll be an easy enough swap from the 231 since I had alread cut out cross members and moved them when the 231 went in. Even though I LOVE the idea of the 6.2 since that's what I run in my 'burb, the weight of that beast is just too much over the 350. Gonna begin putting the 350 together this week and put it in after the clean-up so I can be sure to be there this year.

Anyone know anyone who wants a perfect 231 with only 6-7K on it? Also, what's a good price to ask for it? I put $1100 into it just in parts and machining when I rebuilt it, but figure about $700 for it or so? Wadayallthink?

I went 350 - now you finally get to be like me ;)


Good choice :)

you didnt say WHICH 350...
the diesel would be nice, lottsa low end torque mmmm
but huffin those fumes on the trail would be nasty!

Originally posted by DRM
I went 350 - now you finally get to be like me ;)


Good choice :)

For the love of god . . . nooooooooooo :p :p

Originally posted by Curtis


For the love of god . . . nooooooooooo :p :p


LOL:D