Re: [AMC-List] AMC-List Digest, Vol 8, Issue 35

["Keleigh Hardie" <keleigh3000@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've been driving a 4.0 Eagle for a couple of years now. Overall, it's 
worked very well. Here's what I can tell you, at least as far as using a 
87-90 Renix equipped Cherokee 4.0. If you're using a HO or later, I don't 
know about that...

Mostly, it bolts right in. All the mounting points are present, with two 
caveats. A) There's an extra rib in the left side of the block above the pan 
rail that interferes with the mounting bracket for the differential. You'll 
either have to grind a small relief in it (what I did) or modify the 
bracket. 2) There's a knock sensor in one of the bolt holes for the Eagle 
engine mount plate. You'll have to relocate the sensor (I tapped out one of 
the unsued Cherokee mounting points) and find a short, fat, oddball metric 
bolt to secure the mount plate to that hole.
The hardest time I had was relocating the CPS. If you use a Jeep trans or 
bellhousing, you won't have to do this. I kept the TorqueFlyte, and ended up 
using a kit from Hesco to move the CPS to the front pulley.
The rest is just details. My 4.0 was from an automatic, but I just stripped 
out all the wiring that didn't purtain to the EFI, and it runs fine. The 
exhaust manifold had to be modified, as the outlet points more or less 
directly at the front diff. I replaced the rest of the exhaust system with a 
high flow cat and larger tubing, the Eagle stuff is tiny.
The axles have been fine. The rear is getting a bit noisy, but there are 
180,000 reasons for that besides the engine swap. I've purchased a Cherokee 
rear axle, and will be able to tell you in a few months what's involved in 
that swap. I do know that the shock mounting stagger is opposite, so I'll 
have to change that. Basically, the AMC 15 is the same axle as the Dana 35, 
but the Dana has one piece axles, and is stronger.
Here's the breakdown on the transfer cases. The first number indicates 
whether it's single, or two range. All Eagles start with a one, as none had 
a two range case. Jeeps start with 2, as they have hi and low, and neutral 
(useful!) The second number indicates whether it's full time 4WD, or can be 
shifted into 2WD. A '1' is full time, the '2' is shiftable. Finally, an '8' 
at the end has an open differential, the '9' has a viscous coupling.
Eagles came with 119, 128, or 129. 219 and 229 can be found in various 
Jeeps. All are interchangable, except for the following:
1)You may have to change drive yokes, depending on what Jeep you get it out 
of.
B) If you install a 2xx in an Eagle, you're on your own for shifting in and 
out of low. The vacuum shifter for 2/4WD is the same, you'll have to 
fabricate something for low/neutral/high. I'm told that the linkage from an 
SJ (full size Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, or BIG Cherokee) fits well. I've got 
a 229 and will be trying this soon, I'll post here about my experience.
III) The rear ouput housing is rotated about thirty degrees difference 
between Jeep and Eagle. This will cause the floorpan on the Eagle to 
interfere with the speedo cable. You can redrill the Jeep rear housing 
(there's places in the casting for this) swap rear housings, or find an 
angle drive for you cable.

OK, I've typed enough for tonight. Feel free to write if you have any other 
questions. I'll answer as best I can, after  a week or so as I'm going back 
to Cali for my wife, my cats, my Matador, and the rest of my stuff...

Keleigh

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <amc-list-request@xxxxxxx>
To: <amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 3:35 PM
Subject: AMC-List Digest, Vol 8, Issue 35
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2006 08:26:27 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
> From: " Russell T. Neyhart" <rtneyhart@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [AMC-List] Drive line questions.
> To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Message-ID:
> <23689218.1158755188077.JavaMail.root@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Hello,
>
> I've a few questions concerning the running gear in my Eagle.  Has anyone 
> done or heard of a 4.0 swap in an Eagle?  How similar, or dissimilar, is 
> the NP119 transfer case from the NP129/NVG129?  Could the NP119 (or 
> possibly the 129) and the front & rear differentials handle a more 
> powerful 4.0?  Would a short header for a Cherokee/Wagoneer run into 
> clearance problems?  From my limited (thus far) research, I have found 
> that the NP119 and 129 share the viscous coupling design.
>
> I'd like to build up a 4.0 liter for use in my Eagle, but still have the 
> capability to switch between 2WD and 4WD, and not kill the rest of the 
> running gear.  I want to hop-up my Eagle, but keep within the spirit (pun 
> intended) of the car's design.
>
> Regards,
>
> Russell

_______________________________________________
AMC-List mailing list
AMC-List@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list

or go to http://www.amc-list.com