Posted by Ken Dunnington on Thursday, February 01, 2007 at 18:37:38 :
In Reply to: if the 4.0s were enough posted by mannyc on Thursday, February 01, 2007 at 13:02:50 :
My 1973 1210(3/4 ton) IHC Travelall 4x4 that weighs in around 6000 lb, came from the factory with a 258(4.2L) in it. This was the base engine. Rated 135 HP/235 lb.ft. The 235 lb.ft is made very low in the rpm band. With 4.10 r/p and 31" tires(9.50-16.5, the stock tire size) I can lug the Travelall around corners in 3rd gear(T19 close-ratio 4-speed) at 10 mph, no problem, and this is at 5K+ feet altitude. This 258 is equipped with a 1 bbl Holley carburetor, a small diameter exhaust, and has ~8.0:1 static compression ratio.
There are plenty of Jeeps out there with 500 Cadillacs in them. This doesn't mean that SBC 350 is not enough engine for them, just that there are plenty of folks for whom "bigger is better" is wholeheartedly accepted.
The 258/242 are good engines and would be a good swap in PW/M37 to gain some power/torque/rpm yet keep the I6 nature of the beast under the hood. They are quiet engines and run very smoothly, like I6s should.
Also, the 242(4.0) can be very cheaply stroked to 4.6l using a 258 crankshaft. With the obvious fuel/ignition updates available due to it's being produced by Mopar up into the 21st century,a fairly modern I6 could be under the hood if desired(like what's in the PW that started this thread).
But I am biased because I like the 258 I have in my 6000 lb 4x4 and have been considering powering my M43 with one. I like I6s.
Hey, it's even a Mopar product in the end eh?
Ken
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