Re: Fwd: My AMC NEEDS SPEED

["Jim Blair" <carnuck@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

A: Different years of 4.0L (and different applications like TJ, YJ, XJ/MJ) 
have minor differences in external accessories. The '91 4.0L I measured this 
AM is 3" shorter than the one in my '87 Comanche. I think a custom built rad 
might fix the rest of it. Anyone near Seattle have an older Rambler that can 
be used for a test fit?


From: farna@xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Fwd: My AMC NEEDS SPEED
To: mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <ADVANCES62BsQwY6YHk000002f4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

On February 1, 2005 andrew hay wrote:

> i don't have numbers but i've looked at both quite a bit.  in a '64 -
> no problem.  '63 - still major surgery.
> ________________________________________________________________________
> Andrew Hay

I don't recall the exact length of the 195.6 and 4.0L either. The 4.0L is 
about 2" shorter than a 258 (fan and all, V-belt 258), but the engine bay of 
the 58-63 American is about 4" to short for the 232/258. There's no easy way 
to get more room either. The radiator can't be moved forward more than 
1/2"-3/4" because of the hood latch. you can move to the rear by notching 
the firewall under the heater in the 61-63, but the heater box has to go. If 
it's a summer time hot rod that might be fine (no heater or defrost). 
Otherwise it would take a cobbled heater, maybe from a 59 or so Chevy truck 
(box under passenger side of dash IIRC), or a custom hot rod unit ($300 or 
so for heat and defrost only). Not worth it in my opinion. The GM 2.8L-3.4L 
V-6 (Ford 2.9L) is a good fit, but the accessories are mounted to wide! 
You'd need custom mounts. Even a modern four is to wide without surgery to 
the left inner wheel panel of the 58-63 -- the intake stick to far over! The 
195.6 OHV is a nar!
 row engine, and the engine compartment of that car (50-55 Nash Rambler, 
58-63 American) was built around it! May as well cut the humps on both sides 
and put in a small V-8 with block hugger headers or stock manifolds. 

Changing plugs will be a bear though.