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My 304 crapped the bed and now im looking into swapping either a 350 or a vortec v6. the 350 for the obvious reason of getting parts from anywhere and or the vortec for the fact that you can get more power out of them and they are lighter than the 350, not to mention if im lucky to get the engine complete with computer and everything than id also rather switch to fuel injected. just not sure which and where i can find engines as im in the military so im not in a place for a long time
amc 360 or 401....no chevy's
amc 360 or 401....no chevy's

x2. You're going to dump a lot of money into mounts, adapters, etc.

Buy a Wagoneer with a 360, pull it up next to the CJ and use it as a rolling parts store.
I third the AMC 360. There are plenty out there, lots of aftermarket, and it will be much easier installing it.

Also, I appreciate your service to our country, sir!
I think one of the benefits of a 350 vs a 360 is price and availability of parts. Sure a 350 swap will probably be more expensive at first but you'll save money in the long run.

BUT THAT WASN'T THE QUESTION.

To the OP, shop around for a little bit and wait to see if any deals pop up at you. Also look around and see how much the conversion is going to run you and see if its cheaper one way or the other.
I am not familiar with the Vortec V6. You can certainly get a 350 complete with harness for TBI, or buy the harness separate. They are on ebay quite frequently. I bought my 350 complete with the harness. IT came out of an 88 Chevy truck. The 350 block and engine parts are cheap, but you will spend a bit on the entire conversion. I'll have about $5000 in my swap once complete, you could do it for cheaper, but that's what I've spent.
i second the "look around for a good deal" approach to either one. i personally dont know much about the vortec. id say that if you know the cost of things like making mounts and such or if you have access to a buddy with a machine shop or something than either would be a viable option at a somewhat reasonable cost.

just personal preference here but id go with a 350 because of how many different ways you can go with it as far as power and such are concerned. like i said however, i dont have much knowledge with the v6.

has nothing to do with any real evidence but the amc 360 returns over 3 million results on yahoo while the 350 returns over 9 million...;)
For those people saying 360, I will say sure...IF you feel like you have to stay with an AMC powerplant.

But for availability and cost of parts, you just can't beat a 350.

Besides the motor mounts and maybe having to rework the tranny mounts (not sure, is this even needed?) How do you come up with a 360 swap being that much cheaper than a Chevy drivetrain swap?

There are a whole lot more beat up old Chevy/GMC trucks with 350's and 4WD Tranny/TC's in them than there are waggys.

Compare apples to apples, if you want to swap in a tired old 360 from a waggy for $400, then compare it to a tired old 350.

Besides which, unless you have a 304 Jeep, you will need to buy new motor mounts anyway to use a 360, right?
Get a 350, bore and stroke it to a 383, hi performance piston heads, new crank, cam and headers. All this with FI of course. That's what I would do.
Enjoy!
For those people saying 360, I will say sure...IF you feel like you have to stay with an AMC powerplant.

But for availability and cost of parts, you just can't beat a 350.

Besides the motor mounts and maybe having to rework the tranny mounts (not sure, is this even needed?) How do you come up with a 360 swap being that much cheaper than a Chevy drivetrain swap?

There are a whole lot more beat up old Chevy/GMC trucks with 350's and 4WD Tranny/TC's in them than there are waggys.

Compare apples to apples, if you want to swap in a tired old 360 from a waggy for $400, then compare it to a tired old 350.

Besides which, unless you have a 304 Jeep, you will need to buy new motor mounts anyway to use a 360, right?


Might do some pricing on engine and transmission adapters. While it sounds like you "just drop it in", engine swaps can be a bit more entailed IE exhaust, driveline lengths, engine/trans/t case compatibility, ETC.... This is especially true when swapping to FI. Don't get me wrong, swaps are doable, but from personal experience, protracted projects in the active military can lead to leaving a partially completed vehicle behind. Due to the fact the PO is PCS'ing from time to time and may have limited space and time due to work restraints, a 360 is a cheap and easy alternative. Just my .02.....
It would probably be quicker (and easier) to just replace the 304 with another 304 or 360. I just had to say that.

However, you're interested in GM engines and I'm a Chevy fan all the way. I actually have 2 rigs myself.. one with a Chevy 350 and one with an AMC 360. If my 360 blew up today, I'd replace it with a 350. I'm a V8 lover so V6s wouldn't even get considered. If I'm gonna dump the $$ into an engine conversion, it's gonna be a V8 with dual exhaust.

A good candidate would be the early 90s Chevy trucks/Blazers/Burbans with the TBI 350. Buy the whole rig, yank out what you need and sell the rest.


Keep in mind the cost of a conversion is expensive. Figure out how much you think it's gonna cost, double that and you'll be halfway there. :D
I agree with Beserk... If you can do apples to apples its a lot easier. I had the 151 4cyl so i was more like a cranapple and they are quite sour to me. So how did i end up... See signature......:tea:
My :2c:

Save yourself a lot of headaches and money: Replace the existing 304 with a reman or long block 304. In the end, it will be the most cost effective and time effective way to go (engine out...engine in). Resurface (or replace) the flywheel, install a new clutch. Then drive/wheel for another five-ten years.

By then you'll have found 'home' and will have the time/place/tools/buddies to take on an engine conversion/swap.

Selling a half finished, non-running CJ for pennies on the dollar because you just got ordered out of country, is not my idea of good economic sense.
you can get a long block 360 for about 900-1100$ and transfer everything except the harmonic and flywheel/flexplate. Have the compression bumped to 8.5 or 9 to 1 and put on a performer intake/cam or similar and have a nice jeep motor. I am a huge chevy fan myself but stayed AMC for nostalgia/funky look of that front timing cover/oil pump etc...
My :2c:

Save yourself a lot of headaches and money: Replace the existing 304 with a reman or long block 304. In the end, it will be the most cost effective and time effective way to go (engine out...engine in). Resurface (or replace) the flywheel, install a new clutch. Then drive/wheel for another five-ten years.
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Hehe you say that but you must not have had a oil pump slowly fail. if I where to do it all over again I would put a 5.3 lm7 out of gm truck.
350 + Mud tires = Tons o fun! Although I do ten to break more with the 350, so be easy on the throttle...... Do it! Do it!
Why would you want a V6 in the first place, sure there is nothing wrong with it but to go through all that trouble for a marginal powerplant doesn't make much sense. If was v8 shopping I would be looking at the LS series truck engines. A late model 327 would be plenty and the aftermarket has you covered with carbed solutions if fuel injection scares you.
Why would you want a V6 in the first place, sure there is nothing wrong with it but to go through all that trouble for a marginal powerplant doesn't make much sense. If was v8 shopping I would be looking at the LS series truck engines. A late model 327 would be plenty and the aftermarket has you covered with carbed solutions if fuel injection scares you.

The 4.3 vortec is a very nice, powerful motor that is pretty close to the stock 350. It doesn't lack much especially if it is a CPI verse a TBI. It is smaller and fits better than the V-8. Alot of guys I run with have them. Plus it is better on gas.

I like the 350 and mine is built and I have more access to a ton of different options with GM. I personally prefer the GM route, but for the OP, easiest and most cost effecient is going to be a 304 or 360.
CHEVY 350! i had a 304 hated it. cold starts suck, lack of power, running out of fuel on hill climbs, 2 bolt mains buy an old chevy truck prefferabley 92 and up with a 5-speed (nv4500) throw the dana 300 on the back you have an ultimate rig
Hehe you say that but you must not have had a oil pump slowly fail. if I where to do it all over again I would put a 5.3 lm7 out of gm truck.

Nope. But I've owned two Ford 5.0L that had their oil pans rust through. From the inside out.

If I had it to do over again, I'd of just rebuild the existing 258...Carb and all.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r320/HackFabrication/BatteryCables003.jpg
Might do some pricing on engine and transmission adapters. While it sounds like you "just drop it in", engine swaps can be a bit more entailed IE exhaust, driveline lengths, engine/trans/t case compatibility, ETC.... This is especially true when swapping to FI. Don't get me wrong, swaps are doable, but from personal experience, protracted projects in the active military can lead to leaving a partially completed vehicle behind. Due to the fact the PO is PCS'ing from time to time and may have limited space and time due to work restraints, a 360 is a cheap and easy alternative. Just my .02.....

I would agree about the cost of engine and tranny/Tcase adapters IF you feel you have to stay with the AMC tranny or TCase.

But if you are swapping to a 350, why wouldn't you use 350 running gear all the way back?

Sure, the D300 may be stronger than a chevy TCase, but chevys used some pretty decent tranny/tcases themselves, and the 700R4 can be a VERY capable tranny from what I have heard, not to mention the tons of TH350's and TH400's that are out there if you want to go with an auto. Don't have a clue what Chevy manuals are, but seeing how many Chevy trucks are set up for offroad use, I am quite sure they have some good ones to offer.

So, if you go chevy from front to back, what are your real added costs? A few hundred for motor mounts, maybe a new tranny skidplate/mount, possibly new drivelines, and possibly some exhaust work? Most of which are possible added costs for a 360 swap as well.

I don't know, since I have obviously never done a swap myself, but I can't think of any other issues if you keep the drivetrain all Chevy?
the 350 really fits quite nicely. its almost tiny in there. remember to do a little networking with people in your area and find out who does things like motor mounts and does them cheap. the more people you know the cheaper the swap will be(obviously to and extent but still).
I would agree about the cost of engine and tranny/Tcase adapters IF you feel you have to stay with the AMC tranny or TCase.

But if you are swapping to a 350, why wouldn't you use 350 running gear all the way back?

Sure, the D300 may be stronger than a chevy TCase, but chevys used some pretty decent tranny/tcases themselves, and the 700R4 can be a VERY capable tranny from what I have heard, not to mention the tons of TH350's and TH400's that are out there if you want to go with an auto. Don't have a clue what Chevy manuals are, but seeing how many Chevy trucks are set up for offroad use, I am quite sure they have some good ones to offer.

So, if you go chevy from front to back, what are your real added costs? A few hundred for motor mounts, maybe a new tranny skidplate/mount, possibly new drivelines, and possibly some exhaust work? Most of which are possible added costs for a 360 swap as well.

I don't know, since I have obviously never done a swap myself, but I can't think of any other issues if you keep the drivetrain all Chevy?

Again, the added costs are listed in my post. Think, 500.00 to 900.00 for a complete used Chevy drive train. 100.00(?) for aftermarket brackets and mounts. 300.00 in driveline mods. 300.00 in exhaust. Add another 200.00 plus for various miscellany. Don't forget you'll need a shifter for the auto. Again, a SBC swap is completely doable, but there isn't any money comparison to replacing the existing engine with any late model AMC V8 offering. Also, assuming that he is in billets, he will have to work on it in the parking lot or tow the rig to the post shop.
obviously, I'm a fan of the 350 from my previous posts but the main reason i wont go with any AMC is simply for the fact that, to my knowledge, they are no longer being built. which means as time goes on it will become increasingly more expensive to do upgrades or just replace parts in general as there will be less of them and less support for them. now maybe they will stay nearly as strong as they are now for the next 10 years. but perhaps in 5 years there may be significant signs of them lacking availability and therefore after market support. the 350 has been made for many years and is still in production today and will be for the foreseeable future. knowing that, baring some catastrophic problem with my jeep, I'm going to be keeping it for quite some time, i would just think more for the availability and support for the future and not just what fits the pocketbook the best right now. I guess if you are short on time or dont honestly see keeping it for the long term, then a drop in 304 or 360 might be the fastest route.

remember... networking and bartering will get you far when it comes to getting stuff done cheaper.