2.5 to 4.0 Swap
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 87,465
Likes: 4,220
From: Clayton MI
Is the output shaft the same between 2 and 4 wheel drive?
Champion
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 4,895
Likes: 35
From: Gilbert, Arizona
on the radiator move from inside to outside it took time but not too hard only thing was were the rad sits you need to enlarge the holes and move the holes out about 1/4" on both sides and get the fill spout with the top rad hose.
Sounds like a fun project you can always install a stroker engine later for more power.
http://jeep4.0performance.4mg.com/stroker.html
Sounds like a fun project you can always install a stroker engine later for more power.
http://jeep4.0performance.4mg.com/stroker.html
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 451
Likes: 64
From: Midwest
Seeing as you're doing a one-off project here that apparently nobody else has ever done, I'll throw this out for consideration.
On the K-member/oil pan issue, an option would be to cut the K-member out altogether and replace it with a tubular K-member. BMR makes kits for different makes, which proves that it will work, but you'd need to do a custom job for yours. A tubular K-member of sufficient size, even if you had to use two tubes welded in side by side, would be both smaller and stronger than the factory stamping, and it would make the oil pan/engine placement easier since you'd be able to put the K-member where it needed to be. You can go to the BMR site to see how they are designed, and see if making something similar would work for you.
So far as telling you to do a more common swap, I've always found "this is what I want to do" to be a sufficient reason to do something. On another board I frequent a fellow is stretching the front of a Datsun 240Z almost a foot, including the wheelbase, in order to fit the engine he wants into the car. His rendering makes it look more like a C3 Corvette than a 240z. Hope it works out for you.
On the K-member/oil pan issue, an option would be to cut the K-member out altogether and replace it with a tubular K-member. BMR makes kits for different makes, which proves that it will work, but you'd need to do a custom job for yours. A tubular K-member of sufficient size, even if you had to use two tubes welded in side by side, would be both smaller and stronger than the factory stamping, and it would make the oil pan/engine placement easier since you'd be able to put the K-member where it needed to be. You can go to the BMR site to see how they are designed, and see if making something similar would work for you.
So far as telling you to do a more common swap, I've always found "this is what I want to do" to be a sufficient reason to do something. On another board I frequent a fellow is stretching the front of a Datsun 240Z almost a foot, including the wheelbase, in order to fit the engine he wants into the car. His rendering makes it look more like a C3 Corvette than a 240z. Hope it works out for you.
Last edited by Vimes; Oct 31, 2020 at 01:47 PM.
Champion
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 4,895
Likes: 35
From: Gilbert, Arizona
What year is your truck the 2.5 was in use from 1998 to 2002 in 2000 they moved the rad outside the engine bay and many other changes that were improvements.
I will say this will not be an easy swap but a challenge for sure if your Dakota is a 98 beware that year had very poor brakes.
I will say this will not be an easy swap but a challenge for sure if your Dakota is a 98 beware that year had very poor brakes.
Legend
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 8,058
Likes: 183
From: Fort Worth, TX
What year is your truck the 2.5 was in use from 1998 to 2002 in 2000 they moved the rad outside the engine bay and many other changes that were improvements.
I will say this will not be an easy swap but a challenge for sure if your Dakota is a 98 beware that year had very poor brakes.
I will say this will not be an easy swap but a challenge for sure if your Dakota is a 98 beware that year had very poor brakes.
