[Amc-list] 2.5L Jeep in 58-63 American?? Also Ford 250 six in same

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

I'm afraid that means the Jeep 2.5L won't fit without cutting the left hump out in the engine bay of the 58-63 American (and 50-55 Nash Rambler) also. If it's sticks more than FIVE inches away from the valve cover it won't fit. As John Elle pointed out, early 70s 2000 and 2300 (2.0L and 2.3L) Ford fours will just barely clear, but later models with longer runner intakes won't. 

John also correctly stated that the built in intake severely limits performance potential of the 200 and 250 Ford six. While that's definitely true, the engines are at least as powerful and reliable as the 195.6, and much easier to find parts for. Rebuilding a 195.6 costs as much as rebuilding a late model AMC V-8 -- provided you can even find all the parts. Oversize pistons are getting scarce, and no more are being made -- except by shops like Egge machine who specialize in pistons and such for obsolete engines. Six pistons from them will be a little more than eight readily available AMC 360 pistons. The Ford 250 six is rated at 145 hp in 1971 with a 1V carb. The 195.6 is rated at 135 hp with a 2V. After 71 power ratings drop significantly, to 98 hp for the 250, but NOTHING change from 71 to 72 except the rating system. So to compare apples to apples you have to use the 71 and earlier figures. So you only gain 10 hp, but parts are readily available. That would make a big dif
 ference if you break down on a long trip! There are performance upgrades for the Ford engines -- see www.fordsix.com. Ultimately the Australian cross-flow head is the "best" upgrade, but there are ways to squeeze a little more power out using the stock head. Heck, I squeezed another 35 hp out of a 195.6 with no major mods, just a cam change! The 250 already has 10 more hp, getting another 35-40 is just as easy as a new mild cam, better exhaust system (using the stock manifold) and a better flowing air intake system and filter. Then it would be in the 175-180 hp range. That's nice territory for the small body American! 

It's kind of funny in a way -- no one complains much about swapping the 195.6 for a "foreign" engine, at least not in the small body American, but they do in everything else. The reason is simple though -- there are very good and available AMC alternatives in every other body style, even the torque tube 56-66 big cars. The newer AMC sixes and even V-8sfit in them with only a little effort, but it's a lot of work for the small body, and it can't be put back to original easily later. The 195.6 is as reliable as the Ford sixes as long as it's maintained (the only "quirks" are torquing the head every other year or 12-15K miles, and adjusting the solid lifters at the same time). It's just costly to rebuild and hard to find parts for, and a little low in power. Reliability isn't the issue! 

--------------
Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:56:29 -0700
From: "Jim Blair" <carnuck@xxxxxxxxxxx>


Would this also be true of the AMC 2.5L?

Jim Blair, Kirkland, WA '87 Comanche, '83 Jeep J10, '84 Jeep J10, '73 J4000 
(RIP)<br>


Frank wrote:
3. There is a good alternative engine -- a late model Ford 200
or 250 (the tall deck 200, made through the late 80s, not related to
the 300). 
Those sixes are short enough and narrow enough to all but drop
right in.
You'll need to fabricate engine mounts, but that's easier than
cutting a
car up to put in a late model AMC six. At least with the Ford
engine you
can go back original later if desired. This is one non-AMC swap
that
most would accept. The 195.6 was a great engine for its day, but
it's to
hard to find parts for and expensive to rebuild for a driver. If
you
really want to drive your early American a lot, this is about
the only
way to go without cutting under the hood. Even modern fours are
too wide
-- the intake sticks way out from the engine, requiring one of
the
"humps" to be cut out.

-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)


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