Re: Fwd: My AMC NEEDS SPEED

[farna@xxxxxxx]

I pretty much agree with everything Andrew Hay said. The one exception is the engine mounts. Since your car had a 195.6 (often called 196) the crossmember is bare -- there are no "risers" or "perches" welded to it for the engine mounts. This is a plus! I put a 4.0L in place of a 195.6 in a 63 Classic wagon (stroked to 4.6L -- see it at http://groups.msn.com/amcsforever2/farnasramblers.msnw -- and you can put pics of yours up there too). I used 6" long sections of 2"x3" steel tubing as perches for the engine mounts. They need to be at least 1/8" thick. I drilled them to bolt to the rubber mounts then lowered the engine in place. Once everything was aligned I went under the car and drilled up through the holes in the crossmember and tapped them for fine thread 3/8" bolts. Fine threads hold a bit better, especially when you only have 1/8" to hold in. I used lock washers and lock-tite just to be sure! This will work with a V-8 also. 

The 4.0L serpentine belt system is much shorter than a 258, so there is less of a clearance problem. If you get the 4.0L from a Cherokee or Comanche the fan will be a problem -- it's offset. I recommend an electric fan. You may have to run two small ones instead of one large for clearance. You might be able to run a pusher fan in front of the radiator if the fan is thin and you don't have AC. The 64-65 American is shorter in front than the 66-69. The only way to get AC in 64-65 was with the 195.6. The radiator brackets will switch side to side. That pushes the radiator forward an inch, which is needed for the 232 with the short water pump. That inch leaves no clearance for an AC condenser. The 4.0 should go in without that extra inch if you don't use an engine fan. If it does you can put a pusher fan in. If you use a thin puller fan you'll need that inch! 

The alternative to an electric fan is to use a Wrangler or Grand Cherokee water pump and fan. You can't use a 232/258 water pump, not even the serpentine belt one. The V belt pump turns the opposite direction, and the serpentine setup sticks 1/4" further out the front of the engine. 

The 4.0L puts out 177 hp 1987-90, 190 hp 1991+ (a difference in the intake ports). That's as much as a mid 70s 2V 360, with the 190 hp not far from a 4V model. My stroker 4.6L puts out around 245-250 hp and 300-320 ft-lbs of torque -- slightly better than a mid 70s 360 4V. If you get a rebuilder 4.0L it doesn't cost to much more to make it a 4.6L. Talk to me in e-mail!

Frank Swygert

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