ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: zukipete on April 06, 2009, 02:41:57 PM
-
I just got a Mopar 318ci high output V8 and a 4 speed automatic. i want to put it in my 1991 samurai. The engine and tranny length in total is 5'9" (water pump to output shaft). I am wondering if anyone has done it and if anyone has any tips or advise or pictures they have would be GREATLY appreciated.
Zukipete
-
check out LIGHTNING CONVERSIONS
THEY EXTEND THE FRONT ABOUT 8 INCHES FOR A SMALL BLOCK CHEVY
http://www.suzukiconversion.com/
-
my advice:
DON'T!
This assumes that you want to drive it offroad. It'll be nose-heavy, you'll most likely break anything and everything in the drivetrain, it'll handle like a pig.
On the road, it'll be nose-heavy, you'll most likely break anything and everything in the drivetrain, it'll handle like a pig.
Oh wait, I repeated myself!
Seriously, you'll have to remount the radiator, stretch the engine compartment get beefier axles, springs and t-case. In the end, you'll have a Samurai body, a Samurai frame and everything else will be different/custom.
Seems kinda pointless to me. They are pretty able trucks with the smaller engines that we swap into them.
My 2 cents...
-
Or!
Going off of what Ack mentioned....If you love the samurai's style so much....why don't you buy a vehicle that's already got a big motor...and beefy axles. Then just put the samurai body on the other vehicle's frame.
Try an old Chevy Blazer or something. I saw a thread about that somewhere...but I can't remember where to find it now.
-
Here you go....
1985 Chevy blazer
with a heavily modified samurai body atop of it. Carbed 350 for power.
http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=710555&highlight=door+samurai
Amilla
-
I love my sammi, but that 1.3L engine is a bag of cr|removethispart|@p. i just got a mopar 318ci engine for the right price so i am putting it in. i already added add-a-leaf spring to my sammi and i have beefed up the suspension, x-fer case and frame. i want to put a full roll cage on her and i need an engine than can do the job. currently running 33x14.50x15 and a 5" lift (used to be 12.5" lift but had to drop it for sticker purposes). i have a full diesel mechanic shop at my disposal so tools isn't an issue. i will send pics as i build it
-
We'll be watching in the diy section for the build pics...
-
I won't...
It's been said over and over again...
The point of a Suzuki is the lack of weight and small size... Why completely ruin it? Do a little bigger Suzuki engine and leave it be...
-
Everyone has their own idea on what they want to build. :)
I do like small and light, but I will admit the guy who built a 427 Sammy for bogging had a pretty neat setup. The radiator was mounted to the back on the roll cage, sucker got up and moved!
-
Someone at the 2002 ZookiMelt brought a - i think - 464 pontiac powered Samurai on Dana axles. They took it out on the night run and seriously rolled it! I was so stuck in the trees they had to wait until morning to pull it out. The guy put a lot of work into and ended up with pretty big pile of crumpled steel.
If there is an interest, I'll post the recovery attempt on Youtube (it was in the '02 melt video...)
OOPS! Hijack! Sorry
-
To each their own, but I like to see these projects because you have to be REALLY creative to shoehorn a motor like that into something as small as a Sammy.
I do happen to believe in "the lighter the better"....
-
creative.....or clinically insane......
-
I just got a Mopar 318ci high output V8 and a 4 speed automatic. i want to put it in my 1991 samurai.
Why? What are your goals?
-
YOU BETTER YELL AT EVERYONE WHO PUT TOYOTA AXLES THEN.
maybe he just wants to do it
-
YOU BETTER YELL AT EVERYONE WHO PUT TOYOTA AXLES THEN.
maybe he just wants to do it
I do. I think it's silly to swap parts from another rig. If you had the money for such a swap...why not buy the vehicle that has these awesome parts and drive it instead.
I would much rather own a toyota pickup....or perhaps an old chevy blazer.
All I could afford was this Geo...so I'm perfectly happy making the best with what I have....however I am truly perplexed by those who cut up perfectly fine toyota's and blazers and what not just to steal the axles from them for their zuks.
Someone trade me a rusty old toyota pickup for my tracker!! Anyone? =)
-
I have access to an old 84 Toyota I'll trade you. :D
I prefer my little Suzuki to the Toys, I think it looks better and I prefer the small size even though it is a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to vertical climbs due to the shorter wheelbase. But if I was starting over again from scratch I would have put Toyota axles on it right away to run the 33" tires.
But we are a bit off track at this point. :) I'm just wondering what axles he wants to use to match the 318.
-
Yota axles are a little different story... That's just adding a little beef...
-
I have access to an old 84 Toyota I'll trade you. :D
Sure....I'll just drive the tracker all the way across the country from PA to Washington....super.
-
I am amazed at the negative response from the zuki community. i wasn't asking if i should do it i was letting you guys know what i was planning. trust me i know what happens when you put a huge engine in a tiny car. i know i have to beef up the suspension and i know what is gonna break on it. i am a full time Mechanic. At my shop i specialize in welding. i have made a lot of full and half sized roll cages for jeeps, drag cars, and logging trucks. putting a 318 in a sammi isn't an issue for me i know where braces need to be and i already cut down ford 9" axles to fit the sammi and put 4.11s in them. i know samurai's are supposed to be light and small but i figured why not? its that or i put the 318 in my '72 super beetle
zukipete
-
I am amazed at the negative response from the zuki community.
My response wasn't negative at all. I just asked what your build-goals were. I'm still curious, what are you trying to accomplish? What are your expectations for your rig, and what conditions will you be driving it in?
i wasn't asking if i should do it i was letting you guys know what i was planning.
O-rly?
I am wondering if anyone has done it and if anyone has any tips or advise
I asked questions, but others gave their tips and advice just as you requested.
trust me i know what happens when you put a huge engine in a tiny car.
I failed clairvoyance 101 - I had no way of knowing any of this.
i know samurai's are supposed to be light and small but i figured why not?
They just told you why not. Depending on your build goals (which are still a mystery to me), the "why nots" may or may not be an issue for you. Many people put in the Chevy 4.3L engine, and I've often wondered why people don't turn to the 318 more often (I saw it done about a decade ago). It's got VERY similar power curve, is just as reliable, they're plentiful & cheap, weighs much less, and has smaller dimensions. Many people enjoy their 4.3L swap, but these are people that need (or want) lots of power, and don't care if the rig is nose-heavy. There's a lot of rock crawlers on here, and I think they forget there's other types of wheeling out there where a heavy nose isn't a problem, but lack of power is.
-
Hey, zukipete
Don't listen to all the negativity, :-\ if nobody ever thought outside the box and came up with a new idea, then we'd all be driving identical cars, and they'd all be black, ala Henry Ford. Also, to all those who think this may not be a good idea, remember some Jeep CJ5s and 7s came from the factory with AMC v8s in 'em, so someone must have thought power may be good for off-roading (nooo REALLY??) They didn't sell alot due to the 70's gas crisis, not the weight. I say screw 'em all, build that 318 to the hilt, with dual quads and all, then show everybody what power to weight ratio really means. >:D
Then call it the Dodgezuki Ramurai!! :laugh:
-
Forced induction on a 318 is pretty sweet too
-
Do it i just wana see pics and then video when its done. I think it would be cool.
-
zukipete:
I am sorry if I came off a little negative on my posts...
You are certainly free to do whatever you wish and those who have MoPar experience will gladly contribute their wisdom.
As a person who has spent al his life working on bizarre projects of all sorts, I have a bit of experience about spending money stupidly. Heck, I am STILL doing it! It is from that background that I offered up my comments.
When I get some time, I'll begin building my amphibious truck and posting project reports. I once considered a Nissan 6-cyl Diesel backed with a MoPar 727 and a driver's side-drop divorced NP205. I opted out of the engine/tranny choice but I DO have the 145-pound NP205... Now, all I have to do is decide on a smaller engine tranny combo... A turboed 2.3 ford would surely piss off a lot of Turbo T-bird owners... ;D
-
I know i have to beef up the suspension and i know what is gonna break on it. i am a full time Mechanic. At my shop i specialize in welding. i have made a lot of full and half sized roll cages for jeeps, drag cars, and logging trucks. putting a 318 in a sammi isn't an issue for me i know where braces need to be and i already cut down ford 9" axles to fit the sammi and put 4.11s in them. i know samurai's are supposed to be light and small but i figured why not? its that or i put the 318 in my '72 super beetle
zukipete
I say go for it... but on the other hand the 318 in a Super Beetle would be pretty damn cool. :D
Are you currently running the 9" front and rear, or just in the back?
-
i say if you are going to do the 318 do it up good. stroke it, make it run alcohol, and have a big ole blower on top. make it one of those mud drag vehicles. thats my opinion though.
-
E85 pretty much is alcohol, and high octane... and government subsidized to be cheap cheap
-
sorry i was in a kinda bad mood when i checked my post that and i have had a few people tell me in person that i was a moron for even considering it. i am a very eccentric person. i do stupid crap with my vehicles just to do it. i don't have a computer of my own and i don't have a TV, im bored from 4pm till i sleep. i do have a shop, a samurai, a dodge 318, a lot of pot, and alcohol. so what else is there to do lol. i really like the name idea i might paint it on the tailgate cause i already made my sammi a pickup truck.
Dodgezuki Ramurai
-
No worries man. I think most people were just trying to make sure you were aware of the down sides before you took the leap. If you're doing it to do it, that's cool. If your purpose was rock crawling, you could loose some capability (nose heavy = tippy during decents).
I've seen a 318 stuffed into a Toyota Celica (Whatever the RWD generation was) and that was sweet. Might want to look up 4.3L builds - since they're similar in power & size, you can probably get a lot of ideas on what you'll need to do to shoe horn it in, get the gauges to play nice, and what drivetrain you'll need to upgrade to.
As I said, I like the 318 and don't know why it isn't used more often. Will be keeping an eye out for your build.
-
Zukipete you made me laugh out loud! Man, do your thing and have at it. It's all about the building and havin fun. I think a small block v8 is just the ticket in these things. If I could get my hands on an all aluminum small block chevy v8 I'd probably try it too. Especially since you got the axles and skills. Take a lot of pics, And try not to forget where you put that frickin wrench lol!
-
If I could get my hands on an all aluminum small block chevy v8 I'd probably try it too
Caddy Northstar: all aluminum, 300 hp right out of the box, and I think it can be used with the 700R4/advanced adapter/dana300 setup. Man that'd be sweet!
-
I've seen a 318 stuffed into a Toyota Celica (Whatever the RWD generation was) and that was sweet.
Lets not forget the Chevy Smallblock rule. That with enough time and effort you can fit a Chevy Small Block V8 into any vehicle.
Saw a nice S2000 conversion to a 350, and a couple Miatas. If you can drop a 350 in those, you can put a 318 in a Samurai. :D
-
I've seen a 318 stuffed into a Toyota Celica (Whatever the RWD generation was) and that was sweet.
Lets not forget the Chevy Smallblock rule. That with enough time and effort you can fit a Chevy Small Block V8 into any vehicle.
Saw a nice S2000 conversion to a 350, and a couple Miatas. If you can drop a 350 in those, you can put a 318 in a Samurai. :D
who the hell would do that to an S2000??? thats just wrong!