Drivetrain set up 83 CJ7 - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

na83cj7 · 07-18-2006, 09:10 AM

I'm looking for the perfect combo in my jeep 83 CJ7, D44's & 37's. It currently has a Howell Fuel Injected 360, 904 Tranny & D300. Too much heat inside the jeep and overheating issues has always plagued this jeep. Will a late model (99-02) cherokee 4.0 bolt up to my 904? I'd like to keep the 904 even though it's ready for a rebuild and the twin stick 300 was freshened up a couple of years ago. I drive about 70 miles round trip a day and would like to drive it once a week to work and I wheel about 8-10 times per year. A cool running, late model EFI engine, with decent power and an auto is what I'm looking for. I'm trying to make the combo work without buying adapters. Thanks for suggestions.

Terry

CSP · 07-18-2006, 12:45 PM

The AMC six cylinders and V8's share the same bellhousing bolt pattern, so yes the 904 will bolt up to a 4.0.

The issue will be the crank positioning sensor, which that tranny/bell doesn't have a spot for.

na83cj7 · 07-18-2006, 01:10 PM

Are there any modifications that can be done to the 904 to get it to work or is this a dead end?

fullygruntled · 07-18-2006, 01:31 PM

If cooling is your only problem, why are you so quick to ditch the 360?

Perhaps radiator is too small or too corroded? Need a higher-volume water pump? Auxiliary cooler? Poor shrouding between the exhaust and body?

Fixing any/all of those should be a lot less hassle than an engine swap.

99grandtj · 07-18-2006, 01:45 PM

I would look for an OD tranny. You said yours needs a rebuild so it is a prefect time to upgrade, and you already have fuel injection. My .02

na83cj7 · 07-18-2006, 01:46 PM

The last thing to check regarding the cooling issues is exhaust gas in the radiator, everything else is new. New 3 core, mechanical fan, shroud, with and w/o thermostat, heater core, BM tranny cooler, etc. I almost hope it's that just so I can finally fix the problem. The second is heat from the V-8 on the floor of the CJ. A piece of carpet will help some. But finally I've never been able to make the EFI system work even as good as my carb 2bbl did. I've ran through all of it numerous times with Howell's Tech Dept, but it still seemed to run rich and sputter and backfire when you would get on it. With the overheating and running issues maybe it's time for it to go.

LCAC_Man · 07-18-2006, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by na83cj7

I'm looking for the perfect combo in my jeep 83 CJ7, D44's & 37's. It currently has a Howell Fuel Injected 360, 904 Tranny & D300. Too much heat inside the jeep and overheating issues has always plagued this jeep. Will a late model (99-02) cherokee 4.0 bolt up to my 904? I'd like to keep the 904 even though it's ready for a rebuild and the twin stick 300 was freshened up a couple of years ago. I drive about 70 miles round trip a day and would like to drive it once a week to work and I wheel about 8-10 times per year. A cool running, late model EFI engine, with decent power and an auto is what I'm looking for. I'm trying to make the combo work without buying adapters. Thanks for suggestions.

Terry

You're gonna miss the torque, I'd look for a later model 5.9L out of a Ram/Dakota/Durango etc..., they're bulletproof and pretty reasonable (not to mention having great aftermarket support). Get the harness and computer. It should bolt up to what you have, and use the same motor mounts.

na83cj7 · 07-19-2006, 11:24 AM

I'm not getting exhaust gasses in the radiator so what's the deal. Why is this thing overheating. 35-40 min sitting outside in 90 degree weather it overheats and starts gurggling ready to blow it's stack. Driving 35-40 min running 65-70 same thing. Where else could the problem be.

LCAC_Man · 07-19-2006, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by na83cj7

I'm not getting exhaust gasses in the radiator so what's the deal. Why is this thing overheating. 35-40 min sitting outside in 90 degree weather it overheats and starts gurggling ready to blow it's stack. Driving 35-40 min running 65-70 same thing. Where else could the problem be.

Clogged radiator, water pump impeller spinning on the shaft, bad radiator cap,
unshrouded radiator, bad clutch fan, undersized radiator, and any combination of the above. You say your not getting cylinder gas in the coolant but that can be pretty hard to detect if the cracks are hairline sized.
What rpm are you running at 65-70mph?

na83cj7 · 07-19-2006, 02:00 PM

All the above has been replaced with new. 37's & 4:56's at 70mph is about 2900 rpm I think, but it overheats just sitting there too. Even with a hairline crack there should be water loss, water in exhaust it's just overheating so fast, maybe there is a port inside the engine blocked up. One guy told me he'd seen a head gasket upside down blocking a cooling port before.

bjb · 07-19-2006, 10:16 PM

Just swap in a fi350/th350 and keep the 300. The cheap/easy way out.

LilRocky · 07-20-2006, 02:45 AM

To start with, I can't see anything hardcore about this thread.. Hopefully it will get moved where it belongs.
Here's the big issue for you: If you can't figure out how to cool this engine properly, you're not going to do any better with anything else you put in there.

You're not the first person to run a 360 in a CJ. It's an everyday swap... so the engine is not your problem.

What radiator are you running? How many rows? Are you running a proper shroud? Is the fan in the proper position? Have you actually run a block test on it, or are you going by "guess-and-bygosh?"
Is your thermostat functioning correctly? Did you take it out and test it? Do you have it installed in the proper orientation? (You are running a thermostat, aren't you?) Have you bled all the air out of the cooling system?

Set that thing up properly and eliminate any problems, and it will run just fine... but that's just basic, elementary automotive tech (very basic) nothing hardcore here!

.

sceep · 07-20-2006, 06:59 AM

i run an zj318 in my 83cj with the STOCK 258 radiator and 2 electric fans.

never seen it over 210, even on 110* days.

you need to get the underhood temps down. once i pulled the inner fenders out
my engine temps dropped 20+*

pull the hood off for a day and drive it around.. see if it helps. if so, pull those inner fenders out. or louver the hood, or dimple die the everliving shit outtah the innder fenders... ANYTHING to let that trapped heat out.

metric shittons of people run 360's in cj's/

Pietro · 07-20-2006, 12:17 PM

"metric shittons"

07-18-2006, 09:10 AM	#1 (permalink)
na83cj7 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Member # 75586 Location: Midwest Posts: 222	Drivetrain set up 83 CJ7 I'm looking for the perfect combo in my jeep 83 CJ7, D44's & 37's. It currently has a Howell Fuel Injected 360, 904 Tranny & D300. Too much heat inside the jeep and overheating issues has always plagued this jeep. Will a late model (99-02) cherokee 4.0 bolt up to my 904? I'd like to keep the 904 even though it's ready for a rebuild and the twin stick 300 was freshened up a couple of years ago. I drive about 70 miles round trip a day and would like to drive it once a week to work and I wheel about 8-10 times per year. A cool running, late model EFI engine, with decent power and an auto is what I'm looking for. I'm trying to make the combo work without buying adapters. Thanks for suggestions. Terry

07-18-2006, 01:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
fullygruntled Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Member # 9614 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 1,008	If cooling is your only problem, why are you so quick to ditch the 360? Perhaps radiator is too small or too corroded? Need a higher-volume water pump? Auxiliary cooler? Poor shrouding between the exhaust and body? Fixing any/all of those should be a lot less hassle than an engine swap. __________________ Choose Life. Preferably Cinnamon. [url]http://McBob.TV[/url]

07-20-2006, 02:45 AM	#12 (permalink)
LilRocky Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Member # 28566 Posts: 671	To start with, I can't see anything hardcore about this thread.. Hopefully it will get moved where it belongs. Here's the big issue for you: If you can't figure out how to cool this engine properly, you're not going to do any better with anything else you put in there. You're not the first person to run a 360 in a CJ. It's an everyday swap... so the engine is not your problem. What radiator are you running? How many rows? Are you running a proper shroud? Is the fan in the proper position? Have you actually run a block test on it, or are you going by "guess-and-bygosh?" Is your thermostat functioning correctly? Did you take it out and test it? Do you have it installed in the proper orientation? (You are running a thermostat, aren't you?) Have you bled all the air out of the cooling system? Set that thing up properly and eliminate any problems, and it will run just fine... but that's just basic, elementary automotive tech (very basic) nothing hardcore here! . Last edited by LilRocky; 07-20-2006 at 02:46 AM.

07-20-2006, 12:17 PM	#14 (permalink)
Pietro Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Member # 38563 Location: Waterboro, ME Posts: 2,465	"metric shittons" __________________ 95' 4Runner with 5VZ engine WTB...winch bumper 84' M1031 CUCV 37's, 8kW gen

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07-18-2006, 12:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
CSP Registered User Join Date: Aug 2000 Member # 1533 Location: Parker, CO Posts: 2,779	The AMC six cylinders and V8's share the same bellhousing bolt pattern, so yes the 904 will bolt up to a 4.0. The issue will be the crank positioning sensor, which that tranny/bell doesn't have a spot for.

07-18-2006, 01:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
na83cj7 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Member # 75586 Location: Midwest Posts: 222	Are there any modifications that can be done to the 904 to get it to work or is this a dead end?

07-18-2006, 01:45 PM	#5 (permalink)
99grandtj Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Member # 69441 Location: N of Lansing, MI Posts: 387	I would look for an OD tranny. You said yours needs a rebuild so it is a prefect time to upgrade, and you already have fuel injection. My .02

07-18-2006, 01:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
na83cj7 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Member # 75586 Location: Midwest Posts: 222	The last thing to check regarding the cooling issues is exhaust gas in the radiator, everything else is new. New 3 core, mechanical fan, shroud, with and w/o thermostat, heater core, BM tranny cooler, etc. I almost hope it's that just so I can finally fix the problem. The second is heat from the V-8 on the floor of the CJ. A piece of carpet will help some. But finally I've never been able to make the EFI system work even as good as my carb 2bbl did. I've ran through all of it numerous times with Howell's Tech Dept, but it still seemed to run rich and sputter and backfire when you would get on it. With the overheating and running issues maybe it's time for it to go.

07-19-2006, 11:24 AM	#8 (permalink)
na83cj7 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Member # 75586 Location: Midwest Posts: 222	I'm not getting exhaust gasses in the radiator so what's the deal. Why is this thing overheating. 35-40 min sitting outside in 90 degree weather it overheats and starts gurggling ready to blow it's stack. Driving 35-40 min running 65-70 same thing. Where else could the problem be.

07-19-2006, 02:00 PM	#10 (permalink)
na83cj7 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Member # 75586 Location: Midwest Posts: 222	All the above has been replaced with new. 37's & 4:56's at 70mph is about 2900 rpm I think, but it overheats just sitting there too. Even with a hairline crack there should be water loss, water in exhaust it's just overheating so fast, maybe there is a port inside the engine blocked up. One guy told me he'd seen a head gasket upside down blocking a cooling port before.

07-19-2006, 10:16 PM	#11 (permalink)
bjb Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Member # 56602 Location: Sacramento/Elk Grove/Sloughouse Posts: 983	Just swap in a fi350/th350 and keep the 300. The cheap/easy way out.