Attention experts! engine swap idea...cause I'm young and nuts.

[lost1]

So as some might remember, my XJ was totalled in an accident in december of last year...with the money from insurance I paid off the loan and bought a '94 Lexus LS400 for half what it was worth. Fixed the major problems and now its a mostly reliable vehicle. Of course it should go without saying that I intend to rebuild my first love.

"We can rebuild him. We can make him better, faster, stronger."

What I'm pondering is taking the perfectly good V8 engine out of my luxury car and dumping it into an XJ. The reasons? Stock, the 94 LS400's engine held 250HP, 260torque. However, (and this is a big however)this engine has been built to 2700HP. Nope, didn't acidently stroke the 0 key again. This is a relatively small V8 too, at only 4.0 L it has the same displacement as our beefy I-6s. Now I understand the dimensions of the engines are quite different, there's the issue of transmission and transfer case and all the other lovely details. There's computer hurdles and so on and so on. But has anyone heard of or done something akin to this? I imagine I'd essentially be bastardizing the Lexus' computerized control system. To properly rebuild, one has to start from the ground up and I intend to do that but my list of options is huge and my funds are not. I HAVE a good engine (and personally dislike the car; I'm a truck person) and would rather not see it leave with the car. If I can use the engine I'll part the car out and make back my investment.

I'm very interested in making this work, and by the end of the year I can have another daily driver to start working on this. First though, ther's the months of planning. Any and all help will be appreciated, and maybe paid in spirits if you're local.

 

[89Daytona]

Is there a website with the 2700HP engine on it?

If you plan on getting that much power out of it you might as well go straight to the aftermarket computer and ditch the stock engine electronics, and you'll probably have trouble keeping the transmission and transfer case from blowing up with that much power.

There might be some adapters for chevy transmissions http://www.lextreme.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5379

This swap sounds kind of expensive, mostly the 2700hp part.

 

[Flash]

So as some might remember, my XJ was totalled in an accident in december of last year...with the money from insurance I paid off the loan and bought a '94 Lexus LS400 for half what it was worth. Fixed the major problems and now its a mostly reliable vehicle. Of course it should go without saying that I intend to rebuild my first love.

What I'm pondering is taking the perfectly good V8 engine out of my luxury car and dumping it into an XJ. The reasons? Stock, the 94 LS400's engine held 250HP, 260torque. However, (and this is a big however)this engine has been built to 2700HP. Nope, didn't acidently stroke the 0 key again. This is a relatively small V8 too, at only 4.0 L it has the same displacement as our beefy I-6s. Now I understand the dimensions of the engines are quite different, there's the issue of transmission and transfer case and all the other lovely details. There's computer hurdles and so on and so on. But has anyone heard of or done something akin to this? I imagine I'd essentially be bastardizing the Lexus' computerized control system. To properly rebuild, one has to start from the ground up and I intend to do that but my list of options is huge and my funds are not. I HAVE a good engine (and personally dislike the car; I'm a truck person) and would rather not see it leave with the car. If I can use the engine I'll part the car out and make back my investment.

I'm very interested in making this work, and by the end of the year I can have another daily driver to start working on this. First though, ther's the months of planning. Any and all help will be appreciated, and maybe paid in spirits if you're local.

"Sell the Lexis" and buy your self a bad a$$ "stroker" it will do every thing to the jeeps likeing....No other parts replaceing.........sence i thing you said you were on a budget or something like that!:thumbup: (You don't have the cash to build a 2700..? Hp eng in either one.)

Flash.

 

[lost1]

lol, well 2700hp isn't my goal, so I'm sorry if that was misleading. But that's the engine's max potential. Also, I 'm not sure if I explained right but I intend on having that car sold by next year. Don't like riding close to the ground.

The link is, ironically, at the very site you quoted adapters for chevy transmissions, www.lextreme.com
Look under V8 twin turbo. Wealth of knowledge at lextreme for those who like both power and Toyota. :thumbsup:

My plan is to slap a SC kit made in AU onto the engine (its shorter, should be completely unnoticeable with the stock hood, though I'd put a cowl on again for cooling.) Should take me up to 300 ponies at the wheels, not the flywheel. Check out http://www.bulletcars.com/products-...oarer-v8-lexus-ls400-supercharger-system.html for the SC. Looks like all the parts minus the pricey stuff, which I can find for cheaper here. Before somebody asks about a small turbo...I don't like the idea of lag on the trail. The street aint so bad, that's what a shot of NOS is for. But negotiating something else? I'm kinda shaky.

But for the I6 stroker idea, believe me I've considered it. And the only way to get the type of power I want would be to both stroke and blow it. Doing that to the Cherokee's drivetrain requires upgrades everywhere, if you're going to do it right and not grenade something everytime you punch it offroad. Looking at my planned build, the only real variable is the powerplant, how much grunt I need to move something that's going to be much heavier than when it started. Keep in mind my desire to be able to fit all of this under a good-looking, functional cowl hood that doesn't interfere with visibility, and my budget and my options narrow quickly.

For the cost of stroking, I already have a free motor and electronics, and the SC's are going to be pricey either way. I'm commited to that. All I need is a good body to start this. When I say rebuild, I mean 1-ton axles with an equally beefy drivetrain, armor... but nothing uber flashy like a large lift with lot of chrome. 4-5" tops.I intend this to be a long project but at the moment I'm looking for a good-quality starting point to launch this beast. Right now, that's the LS400's 1UZFE engine. There's a reason I want this much grunt AND unobtrusive, I just can't throw down the cash for something that's still relatively small for its potential.

 

[89Daytona]

They only have 475-500hp on the twin turbo LS400, can you get the direct link to the page they say you can get 2700hp.....because I still can't find it and can't believe it. I know you can get 900rwhp from a Nissan VG30DETT engine though.

 

[traitor5150]

Correct me if im wrong but Most alky top fule dragsters come in somewhere around that hp?? And they run full out balls to the walls no cooling system 1 pass then new plugs clutches and cool down before another run??? And there mostly big block hemi or max wedge engines with massive blowers?? And you want that mutch out of a all alum block 4.0 v8????? Yeah ok. And if you did swap that motor into your jeep you will have issues mating a tranny that you can put a t case onto also a wiring nightmare in added onto the normal engine mount/fitment issues that go along with any v8 swap. IF you really want a v8 get a sbc or 5.0/5.7 ford v8 and either throw a 4bbl if your really like FI get a stand alone setup for either motor I think edlebrock makes a nice one, and there under $2000 complete. You will be mutch better off that way...

 

[MudDawg]

Top Fuel motors are in the 7,000 HP range!

 

[traitor5150]

Ok im off a bit but still thats far above even a sbc or ford runnign a stock iron block. Monster trucks are at least 1500 hp and they overheat if run for more than a few min.. But thats beside the point swapping a lexus motor into a xj is not a simple task yet it could be done probbaly with enought time and money but why not just sell the lexus and go with a more efficent allredu proven swap with the money that will cost you less and be. simple

 

[BBeach]

I always thought there were problems with having a lot of power in an XJ due to twisting of the unibody and such?

 

[OCMI_Teddy]

Top Fuel motors are in the 7,000 HP range!

Yea but they replace the engine after what, 2 runs :hang:

 

[lawnman]

G'day Guys,
I have a friend who has a twin turbo fitted to a v8 soarer (lexus) and has a supercharge blowing through the turbo's he has spent in excess of 70k and it make 1397 on the dyno. To achive the numbers your talking you will pretty much need an unlimited bank balance. What im saying is if your worried about unds at this point you aint gotta chance of that sort of hp

 

[Flash]

LOST1! Go find some one with a stroker.....even a small cam stroker, and take it for a test drive.......The "L" word just my fall form your vocabulary!


If you go with the lex eng you will probably disappointed in it unless you run it with 4:56 gears and street tires, So that it will accelerate good from a stand still.

I have never driven this car but, the jeep is heaver and will req more torque down low to get it going. the lex make 260 FPT (Feet Pound of Torque) but at what rpm?

A stroker with a decent cam will have more the 260 FPT at 1500 RPM, and will keep that much torq all the way to 4000 RPM.

4000 RPM is probably were the lex's max torque at, and a hole lot lower then that at 1500 RPM!!!!!

You should look at both side of the fence before you choose..........I'm just showing you the 4.0 stroker side of the fence

flash.

 

[traitor5150]

My stroker is still sitting in front of an engine stand awaiting the header to return from jet hot but I agree with flash .....

 

[JJacobs]

I always thought there were problems with having a lot of power in an XJ due to twisting of the unibody and such?

Why would you think that? Tons of V-8 cars were unibody.

 

[Flash]

Why would you think that? Tons of V-8 cars were unibody.

a unibody is lighter and vary strong but.............if you really start to twist then up on rock..........or build a lot of power and don't put in a roll cage they will twist up and you will be done...........is this something most people need to worry about ...........Naaa

Race cars have a roll cage in there for more the saving there melon form being squished

Flash.

 

[lost1]

You have a good point with where the torque is really available, but that's something I've already considered as well. While it would be not as strong on the low end as a stroked and SCd I6, the low-end would certainly be improved by an SC alone.

Now, the stock CR of these V8s is 10.0:1, so they already run on premium fuel. They're a dual-overhead cam, and reliably strokable to 5.0L. If the bottom end isn't likeable after its SC'd I can tear it apart and stroke it. Not ideal, but still an option.

I've ridden in a Cherokee with a 4.6 stroker under the hood and it WAS nice how it sounded, ran, etc. well, crud. Will post more after work.

 

[lost1]

ok...and to continue...

While on the internet, I also have found that the Lexus LS400 engine is a very strong V8. The LS400 engine (1UZFE) has been documented to produce over 2,700 horse power. That is with built internal with 50 psi of boost. Beside the Australian making monstrous power,

8th paragraph down in the twin turbo LS400 page. I'm still looking for where his discovery of this number came from, but so far its just other forums quoting him. I'll keep you updated. Sounds like an Aussie build, which doesn't really surprise me. Shoot, look at what ARB and OME and the like have managed to do for the Cherokee! Not to mention some of the awesome rigs we see here from time to time.

But anyways...I'm probably not going to know exactly how good this'd work until I get to try it out. And don't worry about frame twisting, I fully intend to reinforce the frame. Truthfully if I see 500hp with this build I'll be surprised but it'd be nice. I'm expecting to see much less than that though, with most gains in the torque of the motor, trying to push the bulk of it towards lower RPMs.

With my previous XJ 'Gertrude,' I'd done little to it, but I was sticking to a strict 'roadmap' that would allow me to stay with a timeframe I could afford my build at. I had a 2.5" lift(OME) for 31x10.5s, some skids, and the engine replaced and transmission rebuilt. (the original engine was going to be stroked and dropped in place once I replaced the cracked head, but alas, my luck was poor and when I took it to the machinist I was informed it would be better to bring in a whole new motor...the old one hadn't tested sound enough to meet the parameters I wanted.) I had a snorkle and cowl hood(the latter was more for cooling the engine bay, I live in the armpit of hell) and would have been purchasing a couple new axles if I hadn't had the accident that totalled my Jeep.

With this one, the roadmap is essentially the same. I anticipate it taking 4 years to finish if my finances stay the way they are...but right now I'm considering using a different engine, which would drop the time considerably.

 

[BBeach]

Why would you think that? Tons of V-8 cars were unibody.

I just saw twin turbo this and 2700hp that...I know he's not but in the case he did im pretty sure itd rip something apart. Old Fox body mustangs are unibody and some of them are pushing lots of power.

 

[traitor5150]

Yeah but no mustangs are running 2700 hp without serious roll cages and some extensive chassis fab. I Had a Supercharged mustang in the 500 hp range and it got pretty twisty...

 

[BBeach]

Yeah but no mustangs are running 2700 hp without serious roll cages and some extensive chassis fab. I Had a Supercharged mustang in the 500 hp range and it got pretty twisty...

I agree 100%, ive got plenty of pictures of them twisting while popping wheelies at the dragstrip.