I will be plenty happy with a programmed 5.3, but I would love to come see yours one of these days.
Hell, go 6.2. Go big or go home.
Mike
For Sale Teraflex CRD 60 rear axle for a JK
- Thread starter mesha
- Start date
- Location
- Grantsville, Utah
I know lots of people want as much horsepower as they can get, but I'm with Bart. I'd just be happy to have a V8, even if it made less hp than my Pentastar V6. Nearly any V8 would still have more torque.
rholbrook
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Kaysville, Ut
I agree with Mike but in the back of my head the devil keeps saying an Eco-boost would be a lot of fun in a JKU but it may not fit because of how wide it is.
- Location
- West Haven, UT
- Location
- Bountiful, land of rocks
This 1000% derails this thread but as I was driving my wife's 2015 Navigator last night I had the opportunity/need to utilize the power/boost/torque of the cute little 3.5L Eco. I couldn't help but start to think about how hard/easy it would be to wrap a vintage Ford body over the top of a wrecked EcoBoost. Keep all the electronics of the Ford/Lincoln but put a cooler older body on top. Rather than dealing with the electronic nightmare of a modern Ford (or any other vehicle), I'd just cut the body of the donor off and then try to fit the vintage body on top. That'd keep all the factory gauges, entertainment packages, head/tail lights etc. Obviously you'd have some modding to do with external lights and such
How swappable is the EcoBoost? They are an improved version of a Buick 3.8L Turbo in my mind. (3.8 is stock 245 hp or something vs 3.5L Eco above 320 hp)
The beauty of the 4.8, 5.3, 6.0 and 6.2L GM engines is how many have been swapped and the support that's available out there for them. Are you on your own with an EcoBoost swap? How many have pioneered this swap?
- Location
- West Haven, UT
Just FYI, if the EcoBoost is the path you want to pursue, you WILL be paving your own way into a JK. I'm not saying it can't be done but you will be on your own to integrate the electronics especially. Motor mounts are not groundbreaking as they are merely fabrication but the electronics is where it gets tricky. That being said, I'm not as impressed with the EcoBoost as most people are, it's still a small engine.
I guess I'm still old fashioned in the way I look at things and torque is what it's all about for an off-road vehicle unlike horsepower which is what is needed at the track. The 3.5 EcoBoost is technically smaller than either the 3.8 or the 3.6 even though it does put out superior HP numbers. It does this through technology and forced induction which I think have their place but for off-roading and getting into the back-country I don't think there is a viable replacement yet for good old displacement. Even the little 5.3 I feel is a better option due to its torque numbers even though it is only about 1.5 liters larger. In a lighter JK this would equate to a big improvement. In a heavy JK it would still be an improvement but not has dramatic as the torque just isn't enough. Granted anything larger is going to be better than the V6's in the JK in my opinion but cruising up grades at freeway speed in a heavy JK with the 5.3 may not be as much of an upgrade as expected. Off-road I think the 5.3 would work equally as well as its larger brothers. The 5.3 is what I was first contemplating about 4+ years ago but after driving a few and wheeling a bit more when I started looking again early in 2018 I started looking more at the 6.0 than the 5.3 as my JK had gained a few pounds over the years. When it came time to start purchasing the powertrain I couldn't find a 6.0 that didn't already have well over 200k miles and I was looking for something with a little less even though the engines will go several hundred thousand. I stumbled across my L94 6.2 liter LS crate motor and search was over. I still think I would have been happy with the 6.0 but the 6.2 makes me smile every time I drive it.
If you really want to see some cool EcoBoost swaps, there is a guy over on garagejournal who has done several and the workmanship is top shelf all the way. Here is a link to his EcoBoost swap thread.
www.garagejournal.com
Bottom line is I guess if you want something bad enough anything is possible.
Mike
I guess I'm still old fashioned in the way I look at things and torque is what it's all about for an off-road vehicle unlike horsepower which is what is needed at the track. The 3.5 EcoBoost is technically smaller than either the 3.8 or the 3.6 even though it does put out superior HP numbers. It does this through technology and forced induction which I think have their place but for off-roading and getting into the back-country I don't think there is a viable replacement yet for good old displacement. Even the little 5.3 I feel is a better option due to its torque numbers even though it is only about 1.5 liters larger. In a lighter JK this would equate to a big improvement. In a heavy JK it would still be an improvement but not has dramatic as the torque just isn't enough. Granted anything larger is going to be better than the V6's in the JK in my opinion but cruising up grades at freeway speed in a heavy JK with the 5.3 may not be as much of an upgrade as expected. Off-road I think the 5.3 would work equally as well as its larger brothers. The 5.3 is what I was first contemplating about 4+ years ago but after driving a few and wheeling a bit more when I started looking again early in 2018 I started looking more at the 6.0 than the 5.3 as my JK had gained a few pounds over the years. When it came time to start purchasing the powertrain I couldn't find a 6.0 that didn't already have well over 200k miles and I was looking for something with a little less even though the engines will go several hundred thousand. I stumbled across my L94 6.2 liter LS crate motor and search was over. I still think I would have been happy with the 6.0 but the 6.2 makes me smile every time I drive it.
If you really want to see some cool EcoBoost swaps, there is a guy over on garagejournal who has done several and the workmanship is top shelf all the way. Here is a link to his EcoBoost swap thread.
1966 F100 EcoBoost Engine Swap (EcoBoosted)
1966 F100 EcoBoost Engine Swap & 1966 427 Project I had a couple requests in another post to show my EcoBoost project so thought I would start another thread. I love the 65-66 Ford body style and have since my Dad pulled into the drive way back in October 1965 with a brand new Red/Red 1966...
www.garagejournal.com
Bottom line is I guess if you want something bad enough anything is possible.
Mike
Jinx
when in doubt, upgrade!
- Location
- So Jordan, Utah
rholbrook
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Kaysville, Ut
The reason an EB swap would be cool is that it is rare. There are so many LS and Hemi swaps in JKs that they are pretty much getting turn key now. If I was to do an engine swap, I would do an LS but I still think an EB would be really cool just because noone has one. The guy in SLC that does a lot of programing for LS motors says the Coyote out of the box is the best motor to get horse power out of because it is beefier from the factory. Not my words, his. It just isnt as main stream as the LS so it is much cheaper to do LS swaps. Anyway, I love your swap Mike. Can't wait to see it in person
Picked up an 07 Rubicon last weekend and starting the process over again with different goals in mind.
Did you buy an axle, and now are out looking for a rig to put it under?
That's AWESOME!
- Location
- West Haven, UT
Looks to be in pretty decent shape for an '07.
Looking forward to your build.
Mike
Looking forward to your build.
Mike
rholbrook
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Kaysville, Ut
You can get some descent HP in a 5.3 with a different CAM and even more with good heads and intake but at that point you might as well go with a 6.0 or 6.2
- Location
- West Haven, UT
Bingo. That was EXACTLY why I changed my mind from the 5.3 to the 6.0, then stumbled across my 6.2. I've built high HP engines for toys and race cars and they can be finicky and temperamental at best which is ok for a vehicle your constantly playing with tunes on and pushing the envelope. On a daily driver it is not ideal so therefore I wanted to keep a fairly stock engine with a pure tune, especially when traveling through the backcountry and many miles off the pavement.
Mike