Here are a few shots of my current project. It's a 86 XJ that came stock with 2.8 that was busted and a missing trans when I acquired it.
As it currently sits, it now has newer 4.0 XJ springs in the front. I have the small block mounted along with the 700R4 and 207 t-case. The t-case linkage is now finished and works great. Need to do the shift linkage to finish off the trans. I'm waiting on money so I can get the radiator and a boatload of small crap to wrap this up.
Looks great. It reminds me of the Cherokee I bought for 50 bucks 10 years ago so I could do some off roading with my buddies. The thing was a blast and a tough little thing too.
Just a mock-up engine. Good short,block, junk vortec heads and a swap meet intake to check clearances. Going to start building the exaust pretty soon. The mounts I used are more or less modified Advance Adapters mounts for a CJ that I got cheap. It now bolts to the stock locations on the frame.
Not a whole lot to report, but I did get alot of things done. The engine I'm going to use arrived a few weeks ago, and I started building my brackets for the alt and power steering. I actually used bungee straps to check belt alignment while I was building my brackets. Not the rubber ones, the style that looks like a rope.
Here are pics of the finished brackets.
I also got the manifolds ground down to clear the valve covers better and to look better.
Here it is ready to go.
I also picked up a set of 15x8 chrome soft 8's for later.
Here is the rad I'm going to use. It fits between the steering box and the pass frame rail, just. FYI, it's a Allstar that's 19x22".
And the shift linkage I'm going to use. I was going to make my own, but sorting out all the angles and positions made it better to just get this. It will connect to the stock floor shifter.
Pretty much all that's left after this is pull the mock up engine along with everything else and power wash the bay and get everything ready for the real engine. Then all that's left is 100+ little things to wrap up. I hope to be driving this by fall.
Been tinkering for a while, massaging things and brainstorming on other issues. Here are a few progress pics.
I am thinking of building a different motor mount arrangement as the upper control arms are about 2-3" from the mounts. If I decide on a lift, then there will be no issues.
I like it, you don't see too many engine swaps done to Cherokees, I'm deffinately looking forward to seeing this things progress. Don't know much about chevy stuff, the 700R4 is a manual tranny correct? What are you panning on doing for axles?
The 700R4 is a overdrive automatic. That and the 207 t-case came from a 4.3l 4by S-10. As for the diffs, I'm going to use them as is. It still has the stock 30/35 combo. I'll eventually stuff a 9" in the rear.
Actually, yes. Been getting alot of the little things done.
The Lokar shift linkage works great so I can use the stock floor shifter. I'll have to get pics of that. Mocked up the driveshafts, of course the rear will have to be cut down a bit, but it fits the S-10 t-case. The front shaft, also S-10 sourced will have to be stretched a bit. It also fits the front diff yoke. My only question for the front shaft is leave it as a 2 joint shaft, or do a cardon style shaft at the case.
The wiring harness is good to go. I still need to sort out the belts and rad hoses. Shouldn't be a big deal.
coming along nicely... when it's all done you could strip the donor mill to a shortblock minus crank and
1. weld crank to plate steel, stick other end in ground, attach mailbox to plate. My grandpa did this with an old detroit diesel crank in the 1960s. It's still there.
2. Clean and paint engine. Find a chunk of plexiglass and set it on top. Bolt it down somehow, and you have a pretty neat table. Works well to hold snacks and beverages in the garage, and looks stunning next to the 1970s couch in there as well.
The short block I'll build eventually then get a top end kit (heads, intake, etc) but that is way in the future.
Been tinkering with alot of things lately. Got the front coil spacers in, the rear shackles, made a more sturdy upper mount for the rad, got hood pins in, a bit bigger tires are on, made extensions for the shocks so I can use the current stockers (real good shape). I'm trying to keep this as lo-buck as I can and so far as a guesstimate have about $6-700 in it as it sits.
Been picking away at a lot of things. Here is as it sits today.
You can see the hood pins I have in it now, I'm not real sure on those but they work.
Here is the Lokar shift linkage for the trans.
The t-case shift linkage. Yes, it's a bit butch but it works till I figure out an alternative. You can see above the linkage where the trans shift rod goes to the stock shifter.
The engine as it sits now, mainly complete. Yes, the air cleaner clears the hood by about 3/4".
Was going to get a aftermarket electric fan, but a friend had a OE GM fan from a front driver, this pulls some mad air. You can also see the top rad mounts which incorporate the upper fan mount.
I didn't like how the battery sat in the stock tray, but didn't want to move it to the back, so I cut a small part of the inner fender and made a pocket where the battery will sit nice and out of the way of everything. This actually turned out very well.
And it doesn't intrude in the wheelwell enough to make any difference.
Got the little lift in, spacers in the front and shackles in the rear. I still want to put a small block or thick overload leaf in it to get the rear up a fuzz. I scored the front spacers for almost nothing from a guy parting out a XJ. The shackles came from Zook.
That should be it for now. The only major things left is the exhaust which I'll build, and the driveshafts.
I'm not going to go bonkers on a lift. At most, I'll go with a 4 1/2 kit, unless this turns into a toy down the road, then it may go up more. Once I get it done, it will be a driver.
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