[Guest]

Hey guys what is your opinions on the AMC 360? Performance, gas, reliability. Is there an aftermarket fuel injection system with new intake available. Thanks for your responses.....

Hoot..

79' CJ-7,AMC 360, T400, Dana 300, D60 and D30 4.10, All Fiberblass.

 

[CJDave]

/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif Here is my personal opinion on the AMC V8 family, and it's compatability with speed/performance upgrades: First off, there is the problem (and I'm talking LONG TERM here) of availability; these motors HAVE to get scarce eventually; unlike say a sb Chevy. Then, there are some built-in deficiencies that can only be overcome by intense, internal modifications; like the oiling system which I swear was designed by a five-year old one day when he/she was staying with her daddy at work at the AMC desigh works; it is really pathetic. That, together with some shaky castings and all cast components, makes the AMC V8 engine family one of those groups which does not GIVE you anything, you have to get in there and force it to do well. There are, in my opinion, just too many drawbacks right out of the box to justify doing a build-up.
When we got our CJ7, it had a fresh 304 in it; a well put-up engine, with a good cam and good internal upgrades. Our 304 was bolted to a TH400, which; it turned out; had a bad case. By the time we rebuilt the TH400 with a replacement case, the reality of the situation was that we had spent the dough to build a tranny specifically to stay with an engine we really did not have that much confidence in. Over and over, I find myself questioning the wisdom of that move, as opposed to puling everything out and going with a GM and the TH400 to our Quadra-Trac transfer case. It was just that we hated to toss this 304 when it was so fresh. Now don't get me wrong, I KNOW the limitations of the sb Chevys, and I am not really a Chevy man per se. I sometimes get weary of trying to make an engine out of them as well, with their Mickey Mouse lifter setup, but if you know what to do, they WILL go long term(my 350 in the 3/4 ton GMC has 275,000 on it), and parts ARE everywhere, along with the modern FI systems for that ever-elusive fuel mileage so uncommon to Jeeps. /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

CJDave
I never believe any statistics unless my moonguys /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif made 'em up themselves.

 

[251]

the AMC engines are very solid engines, parts availabiloty is the only real drawback, the # 7, 8 bearing oil supply isnt hard to overcome, and Aluminum timing cover is a weakness, but they are dime a dozen in most salvage yards, Im glad everybody overlooks them for SB chevys!!!

Ive always heard AMC blocks have way more nickel content than most engines, supposedly this gives better cylinder wall wear qualities...( I cant verify, but its a common statement on all of the FSJ and AMC mailing lists)

check this site out for more info

http://www.froadin.com/

goto tech, then engines for a full pros/cons of AMC stuff

( sorry I cant make it clickable, the address bar always shows the main page??)

ozarkjeep
1977 CJ5 looking for a Hard top near NW Arkansas!

 

[Guest]

hello
i have a late 70s 360 in my 83 cj and it has maybee 100k in it is dogish
(i do have a high stall converter/(auto). My friend has a 302 bone stock from the 70 with a standard tranny and while crush me when it comes to power.
although one advantage of the 360 is it is a easier swap probablly than sb chevy(because of how expansive the mounts are) the kits are probably worth the money!
83 cj7

 

[251]

yeah thats a really fair comparison!!!

My 97 Tahoe with Vortec 350 is alot stronger than my inline 6 ford work truck too...

jeeze, Your 360 isnt healthy, lots of folks will tell you a well maintained ( read rings that actually seal) STOCK 360 will easlily outpower a stock Ford 302

Im not talking about a Grand wag against a 5.0 mustang either... jeeze, Ive had trucks with both...

the High stall converter with a HP robbing auto, and an engine in whpo knows what kind of condition, is your bane against the little Ford motor

I actually really like Ford 302s!!!



ozarkjeep
1977 CJ5 looking for a Hard top near NW Arkansas!

 

[Guest]

I am sorry i did not mean to down on ford or anything! I would not say my motor is is on its last leg but it does have 100k on her, ALLs i was saying is that ranger with a stadard tranny has a lot more power than my 360 with a high stall converter/auto tranny if anything I am against the 360 just for the availabilty of the motors, say versus a dime a dozen chevy 350 but thats just my 2 cents, dont get my wrong my jeeps still moves!

 

[251]

a Ranger with a 302? it ought to be fun...

seriously, ive had both ( both with autos, a 360/727, and a 302/c4)

the 360 was easily the stronger motor, both in half ton trucks, the 360 was 4x4, the 302 was not..



ozarkjeep
1977 CJ5 looking for a Hard top near NW Arkansas!

 

[Guest]

the ranger... can u say shoehorn... the motor went in sideways
he has a really well built rig, has early bronco axles also it is bullet proof

 

[13337]

Why a 302 Ford?
I still don't get why everyone wants to plug in a Ford 302, when a 351W will bolt in anywhere the 302 does, and there is NO substitute for cubic inches!
There are a multitude of cams available that will work with the fuel injection, and the 351W will accept 351C heads with just relocation of head pins and a couple of water passage holes moved. The 351C heads have canted valve angles, larger ports, larger valves and with a street boss intake to mate with the heads and the block and connect the injector hat to the entire setup.
It's no more money than an aftermarket intake, and about a 100 more horse power right out of the box. The only extra expense is the large injectors to feed the extra cubic inches.
The 351W has a strong bottom end, and with roller rockers, the top end oiling problem is moot.
Anyone got an answer to this question?

So many cats, so few recipes...

 

[Guest]

the 351 is that much better? Just food for thougt, do the heads on the 351 are wider than the 302?? I dont know?? I told my friend i was thinking of building another jeep and he said why dont u do it the way henry would have? his reply was to go with ford drivetrain and offered to bive my his 351, and I said the axles will not work unless i go with a early bronco axles (hard to find in my area) but it is still a option, one of my more talented friends made a chevy axle to fit a ford by changing the axletubes to the oppisite sides and wheeled it hard with no porblems.
You have me thing now on that 351!!