Let’s create a VR Hemi swap as a hive mind?

[GoldenGorilla]

I could be wrong, but being in California I thought our laws are more restrictive on engine swaps, something about the engine having to be an available option for the vehicle it's being swapped into?

AEV sold hemi swapped TJs there back in the day. There has been a shop doing LS swaps into TJs/LJs in CA for ages too. You have to follow certain rules, but it has never been impossible.

It'd be crazy if people actually read the laws instead of just parroting what they were told to think they are.

 

[lBasket]

Based on this quick search it looks like you're correct. The engine must be same model year or newer as well.

View attachment 661431

 

[Wildman]

AEV sold hemi swapped TJs there back in the day. There has been a shop doing LS swaps into TJs/LJs in CA for ages too. You have to follow certain rules, but it has never been impossible.

It'd be crazy if people actually read the laws instead of just parroting what they were told to think they are.

There is at least ONE member on here who fairly recently did a LS swap on his TJ & YES he lives in CA... So I totally agree with you that it's funny how many people who never attempted something are nay sayers.

 

[GregBelleville]

There is at least ONE member on here who fairly recently did a LS swap on his TJ & YES he lives in CA... So I totally agree with you that it's funny how many people who never attempted something are nay sayers.

I'm not disputing that people have done it here in CA, but the hard part to figure out is how did they get their Jeep to pass?

Did they do it legit and above board according to the actual rules?

Do they "know a guy" who will pass them?

Or is it registered in another state with more lenient rules?

I see very few TJs for sale with a V8 swap here in CA, and when I do it seems like most of them aren't registered in CA or they are trail rigs that aren't registered for highway use.

 

[Wildman]

I'm not disputing that people have done it here in CA, but the hard part to figure out is how did they get their Jeep to pass?

Did they do it legit and above board according to the actual rules?

Do they "know a guy" who will pass them?

Or is it registered in another state with more lenient rules?

I see very few TJs for sale with a V8 swap here in CA, and when I do it seems like most of them aren't registered in CA or they are trail rigs that aren't registered for highway use.

It's why I said that the "ONLY" way to get an informed answer to that question was to :

1) Contact a shop that does this for a living such as JSS
2) Contact the state CARB station or whomever you have to take it to once you have the swap done.

We can all speculate and post things we find on the internet but getting it from the horses mouth would seem to me as the better way. If you're seriously interested in doing a V-8 swap then I think you'll have to but in some leg work. If it was me I'd contact a shop first and then work my way up to dealing with a state organization.

 

[John Cooper]

I honestly would love a 96 5.0 from a f150 swap for mine, the CJ's always had SBC or SBF swapped in, the 96 would be fuel injection.

Edit; not that I could afford to do the swap.

 

[Wildman]

I honestly would love a 96 5.0 from a f150 swap for mine, the CJ's always had SBC or SBF swapped in, the 96 would be fuel injection.

Edit; not that I could afford to do the swap.

I'd started off wanting to do a LT1 swap on mine.... But went with the Magnum instead. As is said all the time, it's your rig so you can do anything you want with it but as is also said you can also catch tons of flak. So yes you can do a swap with a engine that is older than your rig & as long as you live somewhere that doesn't have inspections you're COOL... Until they happen start them..

IMO I'd rather attempt to make it as legal as I possibly can from the start.

 

[John Cooper]

I'd started off wanting to do a LT1 swap on mine.... But went with the Magnum instead. As is said all the time, it's your rig so you can do anything you want with it but as is also said you can also catch tons of flak. So yes you can do a swap with a engine that is older than your rig & as long as you live somewhere that doesn't have inspections you're COOL... Until they happen start them..

IMO I'd rather attempt to make it as legal as I possibly can from the start.

You forget sir, I live in Alabama........

If they started inspections here even Governor Ivey would have to buy a new car.........

 

[John Cooper]

See pictures...... .

 

[Wildman]

You forget sir, I live in Alabama........

If they started inspections here even Governor Ivey would have to buy a new car.........

Well You have me there....

But then there could be terrible federal overreach and the EPA could start enforcing those laws on an individual basis instead of just shops & vendors.

 

[John Cooper]

Well You have me there....

But then there could be terrible federal overreach and the EPA could start enforcing those laws on an individual basis instead of just shops & vendors.

I agree 100% but I will fight it as long as I can.

I miss the late 70's early 80's, decide what you wanted to bolt in your CJ, call Advance Adapters order the adapter and have fun.

Now there is to much swapping and hoops to jump through.

 

[Wildman]

I agree 100% but I will fight it as long as I can.

I miss the late 70's early 80's, decide what you wanted to bolt in your CJ, call Advance Adapters order the adapter and have fun.

Now there is to much swapping and hoops to jump through.

We didn't have all that newfangled FI crap to worry about then either... But I'll take the FI for wheeling.

 

[John Cooper]

We didn't have all that newfangled FI crap to worry about then either... But I'll take the FI for wheeling.

You got that right!!!!!

No more carburetor flooding on hills is so nice!!

 

[Wildman]

Hi all, Ive been seeing a few Hemi swap Rubicon TJ’s for sale. Both were about $50k and the donor cars both had about 30k miles.

Apple thinks I need a new iPhone so it’s been randomly stopping me from copying links or taking screen capature however I thought: no worries I’m a member of the Wrangler TJ forum.

What do you think about specing the perfect Hemi swap TJ?

As someone who's done 3 V-8 swaps now let's put this into perspective a little bit.

My first V-8 swap I farmed out to a shop and cost me about $15 which included the engine & transmission. I already owned the Jeep it was going into which I'd bought for $11 so total price was about $26K.

I built the engine for my second V-8 swap and I was into that build for $10K lets say and then $3K for the transmission.

My Hemi swap I bought the donor rig for $3K and then spent about $8K in additional parts. But I had $20K if not more in other parts in my TJ that I put the Hemi into.

My point here being that YES a TJ with a Hemi already swapped into it that is smog legal might garner a hefty $$$$ but if you figure the asking price for the rig without the Hemi 1st then add on the cost of the Hemi & all related parts is that asking price of $50K really that much? Could you build your current rig for less?

If you're like me and already have a built rig then YES I can see wanting to build on it. But if you have a sstockish rig and these rigs with the swapped Hemi are built then figure out what that's worth too..

 

[lBasket]

As someone who's done 3 V-8 swaps now let's put this into perspective a little bit.

My first V-8 swap I farmed out to a shop and cost me about $15 which included the engine & transmission. I already owned the Jeep it was going into which I'd bought for $11 so total price was about $26K.

I built the engine for my second V-8 swap and I was into that build for $10K lets say and then $3K for the transmission.

My Hemi swap I bought the donor rig for $3K and then spent about $8K in additional parts. But I had $20K if not more in other parts in my TJ that I put the Hemi into.

My point here being that YES a TJ with a Hemi already swapped into it that is smog legal might garner a hefty $$$$ but if you figure the asking price for the rig without the Hemi 1st then add on the cost of the Hemi & all related parts is that asking price of $50K really that much? Could you build your current rig for less?

If you're like me and already have a built rig then YES I can see wanting to build on it. But if you have a sstockish rig and these rigs with the swapped Hemi are built then figure out what that's worth too..

But then there is also the unquantifiable but extremely high value of doing it yourself

 

[Wildman]

But then there is also the unquantifiable but extremely high value of doing it yourself

If you have the ability & the place to do it then YES I'm 100% behind doing it yourself... If you're shopping for a rig in the first place to start this type of project on then the best deal a lot of times is to find a project that the seller lost interest in. So a uncompleted project can a lot of times be the better deal.

I'm just trying to point out that at time even when the price seems high once you crunch out the numbers there are times where buying the already swapped rig is cheaper.

 

[Neil Sears]

As someone who's done 3 V-8 swaps now let's put this into perspective a little bit.

My first V-8 swap I farmed out to a shop and cost me about $15 which included the engine & transmission. I already owned the Jeep it was going into which I'd bought for $11 so total price was about $26K.

I built the engine for my second V-8 swap and I was into that build for $10K lets say and then $3K for the transmission.

My Hemi swap I bought the donor rig for $3K and then spent about $8K in additional parts. But I had $20K if not more in other parts in my TJ that I put the Hemi into.

My point here being that YES a TJ with a Hemi already swapped into it that is smog legal might garner a hefty $$$$ but if you figure the asking price for the rig without the Hemi 1st then add on the cost of the Hemi & all related parts is that asking price of $50K really that much? Could you build your current rig for less?

If you're like me and already have a built rig then YES I can see wanting to build on it. But if you have a sstockish rig and these rigs with the swapped Hemi are built then figure out what that's worth too..

I thought $50k was a fair price especially as both were Rubicon bases with under 30K.

I’m at the point where I’m thinking about this age old expression.

“Steal my wallet and I’ll be poor for a day. Let me buy a jeep and I’ll be poor for the rest of my life.”

So why not just take the money now

 

[Wildman]

I thought $50k was a fair price especially as both were Rubicon bases with under 30K.

I’m at the point where I’m thinking about this age old expression.

“Steal my wallet and I’ll be poor for a day. Let me buy a jeep and I’ll be poor for the rest of my life.”

So why not just take the money now

We'll you haven't really explained exactly what it is that you want....

Are you wanting to go
1) 5.7
2) 6.4

And then
1) 545RFE
2) 8HP70

Once you've decided on those questions then what size tire and then based on that what axles? The stock axles will be OK for up to 35" tires maybe...

Are you doing the work yourself?

If you are you'll want to go through Hotwire for the wiring harness.