A Story of Indecision and Frivolous Spending

Powdermonkey said:
Why not the rear? Any particular reason?
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I want a hitch in the rear bumper for towing and to carry a bike rack and I’m willing to give up departure angle for that.

@mrblaine has mentioned before in other posts that the savvy hitch was only designed for recovery.

Here’s some good reading: https://bit.ly/2OWP2O6
 
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Chris said:
$5000. You can order it right their on that link if you want one ;)

But you'll need a TJ first!

Expensive, but a lot cheaper than a V8!
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I'm interested how you like the boosted 4.0 I always wanted to do that.

Though I'm sure you mean cheaper than having someone else install a V8, since I did my first one for $3k after selling my 2.5 - and cheaper than that if I had an intact harness to rework .

That said, I've never done an LS and kept A/C or the cruise control. I know A/C can be done, but I'm not sure if interfacing with the steering controls to the LS computer is a thing.

Way easier just to force air into the 4.0.
 
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Clint Rivera said:
I'm interested how you like the boosted 4.0 I always wanted to do that.

Though I'm sure you mean cheaper than having someone else install a V8, since I did my first one for $3k after selling my 2.5 - and cheaper than that if I had an intact harness to rework .

That said, I've never done an LS and kept A/C or the cruise control. I know A/C can be done, but I'm not sure if interfacing with the steering controls to the LS computer is a thing.

Way easier just to force air into the 4.0.
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I had the Boosted Tech supercharger (Eaton M90) on my old TJ Rubicon. That thing only puts out about 6 psi, but even that was night and day. It felt like someone doubled the power of my 4.0. This thing puts out almost double the power, and it does that with the use of an aftercooler, as well as liquid to air cooling. This allows it to run higher boost. The other cool thing is that this thing has it's own drive belt that runs off a pulley that gets stacked on top of the crankshaft pulley.

The guy who builds these is here in Oregon, and he's a very nice guy. I'm amazed he builds even the supercharger unit itself. I would have thought he would use someone else's supercharger and build on top of that.

We will see how I end up liking it, and I'll be sure to post a detailed review. This should give me V8 power (probably 5.3 power at least) out of my 4.0, and it will do it at a fraction of the cost, so I'm happy about that.

With the V8 swap, you just know a big project like that will just keep creeping up the cost, little by little.
 
Chris said:
I had the Boosted Tech supercharger (Eaton M90) on my old TJ Rubicon. That thing only puts out about 6 psi, but even that was night and day. It felt like someone doubled the power of my 4.0. This thing puts out almost double the power, and it does that with the use of an aftercooler, as well as liquid to air cooling. This allows it to run higher boost. The other cool thing is that this thing has it's own drive belt that runs off a pulley that gets stacked on top of the crankshaft pulley.

The guy who builds these is here in Oregon, and he's a very nice guy. I'm amazed he builds even the supercharger unit itself. I would have thought he would use someone else's supercharger and build on top of that.

We will see how I end up liking it, and I'll be sure to post a detailed review. This should give me V8 power (probably 5.3 power at least) out of my 4.0, and it will do it at a fraction of the cost, so I'm happy about that.

With the V8 swap, you just know a big project like that will just keep creeping up the cost, little by little.
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I'll be watching for sure. Especially to see how the 42rle likes the extra power.

I know what you mean about project creep. The last LS swap I did I put an atlas behind it (for who knows why, it looks cool?), which required new drive shafts, then I swapped tons, stretched the wheel base for bigger tires - that needed hydro assist - and coilovers work better on the 05+ Ford axles, and aftermarket gauges because? Suspension seats....
 
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Clint Rivera said:
I'll be watching for sure. Especially to see how the 42rle likes the extra power.

I know what you mean about project creep. The last LS swap I did I put an atlas behind it (for who knows why, it looks cool?), which required new drive shafts, then I swapped tons, stretched the wheel base for bigger tires - that needed hydro assist - and coilovers work better on the 05+ Ford axles, and aftermarket gauges because? Suspension seats....
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We will see! Charles has been running them for years on a variety of TJs and never had a problem. Anyways, you're right about the project creep. Even this build I have going here has creep from every direction.

Dave tried to talk me into getting GenRight fenders and I laughed. I said yeah right, because if I get GenRight fenders, all automatically need 37s (otherwise it will look stupid with 35s and all that fender space), and then at that point I'll need full width axles, and if we're doing that, I may as well just stretch it. It never ends...
 
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Chris said:
We will see! Charles has been running them for years on a variety of TJs and never had a problem. Anyways, you're right about the project creep. Even this build I have going here has creep from every direction.

Dave tried to talk me into getting GenRight fenders and I laughed. I said yeah right, because if I get GenRight fenders, all automatically need 37s (otherwise it will look stupid with 35s and all that fender space), and then at that point I'll need full width axles, and if we're doing that, I may as well just stretch it. It never ends...
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Yea if you did that it would have to be on an LJ, and the fenders are hideous. Stock all the way. SWB just doesn’t look right any bigger than 35s, and that’s pushing it lol
 
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That does look like a monster, but I think you can V-8 it for half the cost if you do it right, but it would be more work for sure.

I V-6 vorteched my YJ with a 4l60-e. I bought a S-10 blazer with a bad trans for 1000 bucks. I then ripped the drive train out and gutted the trans, and sold the old s10 carcus for 500 bucks. I bought an advance adaptor kit for a couple hundred bucks and a trans master kit for 250 bucks. I rebuilt the 4l60-e myself then I bought a painless wiring kit for around 500 bucks. I didn't rebuild the motor, but it lasted the whole time I owned the Jeep. Honestly I tack welded the engine mount pads and had a friend weld them up for me, but other than that it was a straight up bolt right in job. I sold old parts and I believe I got done with this for around 2k.

When I finished, it fired right up first try. I did get a check engine light from one of the sensors, but quickly figured out when I snapped it together one of the pins pushed backwards because the painless guys didn't push it in all of the way till it snapped. I snapped it in and it was good.

I know it was just a v-6 but it could have just as easily been a V-8 it wouldn't have been any more or less work, i just got a killer deal on the S-10, and I thought the s-10 was so heavy that the vortech would be amazing in the Jeep. I was wrong. Although it was no V8 it was much more powerful than the 4.0 though, so I wasn't too disappointed.

Right now I have a 2003 Ram 1500 4x4 with a Mopar 360 in it. I am considering swapping it since I already own the whole truck. I basically have all of the parts. And I have been talking to @RangerRick about it since he has already don this, but I am a little apprehensive because I do have emissions here. So I am kind of just sitting on the truck in case I decide to just jump into it.

I was pretty excited to read about your possible V-8, but I am equally excited to see the super charger go in. I can't wait to see the pics.

Jeez though, I need to subscribe to this thread. I was back at page 80 something, and took me forever to catch up. You blink, and this thread goes full retard.

</exhale>
 
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Oh I also wanted to state that in your NOVAK invoice 10K of that is brand new motor and trans. I know you know that, but you can probably buy those not rebuilt but still good for a ton cheaper. Say you buy a wrecked truck for a couple of grand with a good motor and trans, you could do that for a lot cheaper, and still use the rest of the parts.

Although, if you think about it 15K for brand new engine and trans and all of the other parts. you have all new suspension and what not, at the end of the day the whole Jeep will be brand new and exactly the way you like it. It may be worth the 15K

Without factoring you buying parts and changing your mind later. If you built your TJ the way you wanted the first time, at the end of the day, would it be cheaper than a brand new Jeep that you would have to buy then do all of this stuff to that one?

When you got done with your Jeep you would have a brand new 2019 TJ with a mid arm v8 all done and out the door for cheaper than a new Jeep?
 
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ac_ said:
Oh I also wanted to state that in your NOVAK invoice 10K of that is brand new motor and trans. I know you know that, but you can probably buy those not rebuilt but still good for a ton cheaper. Say you buy a wrecked truck for a couple of grand with a good motor and trans, you could do that for a lot cheaper, and still use the rest of the parts.

Although, if you think about it 15K for brand new engine and trans and all of the other parts. you have all new suspension and what not, at the end of the day the whole Jeep will be brand new and exactly the way you like it. It may be worth the 15K

Without factoring you buying parts and changing your mind later. If you built your TJ the way you wanted the first time, at the end of the day, would it be cheaper than a brand new Jeep that you would have to buy then do all of this stuff to that one?

When you got done with your Jeep you would have a brand new 2019 TJ with a mid arm v8 all done and out the door for cheaper than a new Jeep?
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Well when you put it that way lol
 
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tomtaylz said:
I want a hitch in the rear bumper for towing and to carry a bike rack and I’m willing to give up departure angle for that.

@mrblaine has mentioned before in other posts that the savvy hitch was only designed for recovery.

Here’s some good reading: https://bit.ly/2OWP2O6
Click to expand...
Not that you’re getting the Savvy, but @Jerry Bransford has mentioned repeatedly the shortcomings of a receiver hitch as a recovery point. If Savvy designed them for that purpose, why would it be a poor choice for recovery?
 
Clint Rivera said:
I'll be watching for sure. Especially to see how the 42rle likes the extra power.

I know what you mean about project creep. The last LS swap I did I put an atlas behind it (for who knows why, it looks cool?), which required new drive shafts, then I swapped tons, stretched the wheel base for bigger tires - that needed hydro assist - and coilovers work better on the 05+ Ford axles, and aftermarket gauges because? Suspension seats....
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The 42 will generally be fine. We ran one in the Savvy TJ Unlimited that we raced in KOH behind a stout stroker. About 350 HP stout. Our transmission guy built it with the parts available at the time which were mostly just stock replacement parts. He said do NOT go from drive to reverse or vice versa under power and it would last. It did and wound up being the only part of the car that didn't get rebuilt.
 
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ac_ said:
That does look like a monster, but I think you can V-8 it for half the cost if you do it right, but it would be more work for sure.
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You're right, I am sure I could. However, I know myself well enough to know that there's no way I'm leaving "good enough" alone. While I could probably forego rebuilding the V8, I wouldn't want to skip on the transmission, especially being an automatic. I'd want to have it rebuilt before I put it in due to past situations where I bought a transmission from a wrecking yard, put it in, only to find out it had issues. Transmissions tend to be like that.

Either way, I knew that being the way I am, I'd easily spend 10k plus on putting a V8 in, and it would be a lot more work. I think this supercharger setup should be fun. I don't know anyone else running it personally (though Charles said he has sold quite a few of them), so it should also be something new (for this forum at least) and potentially give other TJ owners another option in terms of more getting more power from their 4.0.

Edward Turner said:
The cabinet makers will be here Monday to upgrade the kitchen and then we'll see how long before the bathroom guy can get started...all for one motorcycle (although to be fair it is brand new and not used.)
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What???
 
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