Welcome to part 7 of our 5.2 magnum swap, we are shooting to be out testing for Halloween. Although we keep finding parts we want to upgrade so Halloween is a soft goal with the real goal of building it right and building it strong.
Read The Rest
Part 1: It’s Finally Happening
Part 2: Out With the Old
Part 3: The Last of the Stock Components
Part 4: All About Brakes
Part 5: Pulling the 5.2 (time lapse)
Part 6: The Test Fit
Part 7: Cutting and (not) Fitting
Part 8: Broken and Upgraded Parts
Part 9: Leaky Plenum Gasket
Part 10: Side Projects and Summer Fun
Part 11: Setting the Motor
Part 12: Custom Exhaust & Driveline
Part 13: Cutting and Rebuilding
Part 14: Giant Radiator in a Little Jeep
Part 15: Custom Tube Bumper
Part 16: Driveshafts
Part 17: A Real Firewall
Part 18: Starting Final Assembly
Part 19: Extending The Engine Cage
Part 20: Still Assembling
Part 21: It Lives!
Part 22: Brakes and Wiring
Cutting and (not) Fitting
This week was a little slower, the fun of summer is out weighing the need to spend time in the shop. Thankfully this is the shop Jeep so we can work a little slower and enjoy summer a little more. This week we tacked in the frame plates and cut the firewall a little in preparation to finally set the motor. When we lowered it in the motor was hanging up on the oil pan bolt on the bottom and the engine cage on the top and sides. Out came the motor to drain the oil and remove the bolt. We dropped it back in and it still wouldn’t squeeze past the beam crossmember. For the 3rd time the motor will come out and now it is looking like we need to make a custom oil pan or rebuild the engine cage.
Frame Plates
We are excited to finally finish our frame plates. Over the years we have created a boxed frame from the front to where the radius arm mount. Then we used 1/4″ plate on just the bottom from the radius mounts to the rear link mounts. With trailing arms in the near future and the motor out, we added some plating to the inside of the frame rails. With the stock unibody and 10 gauge plate we now have a frame over 1/4″ thick from the front to the rear link mounts. We also took some time to complete the boxing of the radius arm mounts as the location of the crossmember may be moving.
What’s Next
This week we are researching radiators, electric fan combos, custom oil pans, and external oil filters. For fab work, we are finally going to get the motor to fit. We will be playing with modifying the oil pan or modifying the cage so we can measure for the transfer case and see what part of the Jeep needs to be cut out there.
Don’t forget to check back next Tuesday for updates.
Read The Rest
Part 1: It’s Finally Happening
Part 2: Out With the Old
Part 3: The Last of the Stock Components
Part 4: All About Brakes
Part 5: Pulling the 5.2 (time lapse)
Part 6: The Test Fit
Part 7: Cutting and (not) Fitting
Part 8: Broken and Upgraded Parts
Part 9: Leaky Plenum Gasket
Part 10: Side Projects and Summer Fun
Part 11: Setting the Motor
Part 12: Custom Exhaust & Driveline
Part 13: Cutting and Rebuilding
Part 14: Giant Radiator in a Little Jeep
Part 15: Custom Tube Bumper
Part 16: Driveshafts
Part 17: A Real Firewall
Part 18: Starting Final Assembly
Part 19: Extending The Engine Cage
Part 20: Still Assembling
Part 21: It Lives!
Part 22: Brakes and Wiring
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