Ford 300 6cyl

I'm not sure this would be a good candidate for the swap either if for no other reason than the engine is physically larger than a small block Chevrolet. Although weight is about the same as the small block Chevy, it is approximately 3" longer, 3" taller and 3" wider.

 

I come across the OMC version of the GM I4 from time to time, and nearly snagged one last Summer. I was wondering what one did for manifolds when converting them for use in a vehicle.

As already said they didn't make a reverse rotation version of that engine, but many years ago one of my first wife's uncles transplanted a SBC that came out of a twin screw cabin cruiser into an old truck. He got the wrong one of the two engines and was very surprised when he fired it up.

 

That would have been fun to watch-----

 

He wasn't happy about it, and didn't take any kidding about it later on without getting real mad.

He had bought the boat, which had been wrecked, specifically to salvage the two engines. He sold one of the engines for more than he paid for the wrecked boat and was bragging about how he had gotten a "free" engine for his truck plus some boot. He didn't know anything about boats. He eventually figured out how to change the rotation of that engine, but I am not sure what all that involved.

 

Generally it just requires buying a standard automotive camshaft, in most applications.

 

If your talking about the dodge v6 it is not bigger than a small block chevy in anyway. These are very compact, stout engines.

 

I wasn't. My comment was in regard to the 318 that Tim referenced.

 

He didn't. He mentioned that the 238/3.9 was basically a V6 made by removing two cylinders from an LA-318

 

I have an NOS Isuzu Trooper 2.6 OHC 4-banger hanging on an engine stand, along with the matching 5 spd gearbox & right hand drop transfer.
Should be a fairly easy swap into my '66 CJ6. Or I could drop the CJ body onto the Trooper chassis (after removing about 4"of frame rail). Waddaya think?

 

Cut it up! Cut it up!

 

Honestly, that not *might* be the worst swap in the world. As I recall that was a reasonably robust engine and transmission group.

 

In a former life I was a Honda MC tech trainer. One of my students told of a friend of his transplanting an early Honda Civic motor into a Suzuki Samurai. It was a difficult transplant, especially adapting to the Suzuki transmission, but they got 'er done. Problem is the Honda rotates the opposite of nearly any other engine. Hilarity ensued.

 

Well the 318 is 2" narrower than a small block chevy, 1" longer and is the same height so no its not really bigger at all and is actually lighter by 25lbs in stock form over a typical small block chevy.

 

Amen, brother. Those early Troopers were bullet proof. I sold my '86 Trooper after 260K miles and it still had every ball joint, tie rod end, and u-joint it left the factory with. Other than brakes, tires, shocks, etc., the only parts I replaced were the water pump, clutch (thanks to a valet parking driver), and the driver's door hinges. Still on the road today.

 

To be fair, Mopar has had 4, or possibly 5 different 318's over the years. I think your measurements are good for the LA's and Magnums, and *maybe* the A motors. There was the Wide deck and/or "Poly" 318 (I honestly can't remember if those are two different motors, or just what different guys called them) that they used in some applications prior to the A motors (like Power Wagons) and I *think* that one is fairly wide, and probably heavy, but the chances of anybody seriously considering one of those for anything other than a restoration project would baffle me.

 

At least with a Buick 350, Ford 302/351, or an AMC v8 the distributor is in the front and not crammed into the firewall.

 

I had a 86 Trooper I bought in 87. I loved it, though it consumed oil from the beginning. I got that Trooper stuck in a very deep mud hole, more like a pond, and it sucked mud into the engine. I had to rebuild the engine after that, and I did it right, but it still used oil.

I did like the little truck, and have an old Chevy Luv with the same drivetrain. I have thought of using that in a Jeep.

 

The poly is the 318 A engine, followed by the LA (light A casting) and then the magnum, the LA and the magnum for physical reference are the same engine, Poly or A engines are hard to find anymore so I doubt anyone would have one to try and put in a jeep. And yes the A engine poly is very heavy, but the heads are what make this engine big, the blocks physically are the same just a slightly heavier (25-35lbs) casting.

 

Yeah, I was pointing to the LA V6.

On face, the Canadian Ford 3.8L Essex seems like an appealing alternative to the Chevy 4.3L. There's also a 4.2L Canadian Essex V6 that replaced the 300 for a few years. Like the Ford V8s, the distributor is at the front, which should make it easier to fit in the short CJ engine compartment. The Dodge LA and Magnum V6s are like the Chevy, with the distributor at the rear. Maybe worth checking out if the donor is cheap and available.

If I were replete with cash, I'd choose a more conventional alternative. JMO - if I wanted a V6 Jeep, I'd sell my 4-banger CJ and buy one that's a factory 225. Or better yet, an intermediate with a 258, T-18 and 4.27s.