V8 Swap in my '06 LJ Rubi?

UpTheCreek

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2011
Location
New Bern, NC
I've searched and searched, so I guess my next step is to get up with someone at the DMV. With past experiences with those folks, I'll probably get a different answer every time though! :confused:

Does anyone know if this is a "no-go" here in NC? I've read where it's okay as long as you retain all emissions and the engine is same year or newer than vehicle...in my case a 2006. I've also read that it's impossible because you can only swap if it's an engine that was offered in that model, in that particular year. Also read that you can go the Custom Title route and do anything you want. Then I've read that it's all in WHO YOU KNOW and getting the right referee at the DMV.

Does anyone here know someone with a newer model TJ or LJ that's done a V8 swap and has it legally registered? I absolutely can't even contemplate this project unless I know it'll pass the DMV.

Thanks for any thoughts!

Howard in New Bern
2006 LJ Rubicon
 
Talk to Alex at Carolina Truggies, he built the Kripple jeep that had a pro V8 swap and I know that rig was tagged here in NC.

I'm in the same boat as you, I've been talking to a few engine builders on V8 swaps as well.

Subscribed.
 
Alex is the way to go.... He has already done the r and d for it, not to mention he is easy to work with...
 
If you can do a swap, write the VIN to the computer in the vehicle, and everything works...I see no reason not to do it. Granted, my K30 is old and it's diesel, I never have nor have had any problems.

I'll eventually be doing a 5.3 in a '04 TJ Rubicon and using the GM ECM. I just have to keep the emissions stuff and the VIN so it can pass the OBD II inspection. The hard part will be getting the Jeep VIN to match the GM operating system in the computer. HP Tuners doesn't like the mismatch, but there are a few tricks that can be used.


What motor are you thinking about using?
 
I'm doing research now on how the cross platform laws work in NC. I seem to get lots of fuzzy answers! But so far I am getting a lot of the "same year or later" answer for a cross platform swap.

I do know you can swap MOPAR's because I have done a HEMI swap. There are companies that make MOPAR crossover harnesses to make the computers compatible with the Jeep. And they will inspect in NC.

Still searching the GM issue. I would like to hear a definitive answer!
 
You can go poking and prodding around and calling Raleigh if you want, but they're going to shut you down more often than not. The vast majority of people who make these laws don't think you can do this stuff "safely" or legally (for some reason) and they highly discourage it. I see no difference or problem with swapping a motor from here to there as long as the motor is the same year or newer than the vehicle in which it will reside. It doesn't seem any worse than using EFI Live or HP Tuners to disable certain codes in an ECM....

If the VIN matches, the OBD II functions and passes, and it has cats on it they probably won't know or care down at the inspector's level. It doesn't need to be re-registered, just do the swap in between inspections. That'd give you a full year if you needed it.

The guy that inspects mine even changed the engine size to 5.9 from 6.2 on the inspection sheet. Granted, mine is legal as can be, so no problems. It also helps that my truck is non-OBD and have a GVRW above the cutoff weight, so it wouldn't get an emissions inspection anyway, just a safety.

Craven County is pretty easy to get along with. If you need some specifics, I can give you a hand.
 
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I know you have to use the same year engine or new as the vehicle it's swapped into. Ie. You can't use a 2001 swap LS engine in a 2004 jeep. It has to be a 2004 or newer. It has to be your jeep year or newer. And you can definitely have the programmer setup the computer to read it's a 2006 LJ using the new engine. You just need the vin on both the new engine and your jeep computer. That way when they plug in the diagnostic it'll read that it's the jeep vin. It'll most likely cost more to have it programmed that way but it's do-able and any quality programmer can do that for you. AEV specializes in the hemi swaps. They work, they're just really expensive. Burnsville Offroad also has a bunch of info on Hemi swaps on their site. Burnsville Offroad You better pull out your gold card though! :D
 
Great thread and great answers, thanks fellas. I've done extensive research on getting a chevy engine/tranny complete pull out and understand the VIN programming as well. Probably look for an '06 or later 5.3 or 6.0 and either Advance Adapters or Novak.

Anyway, I'll get up with Alex and see what he says about the whole thing. Should've posted my question here a long time ago! Special thanks to Croatan Kid, great to have someone local to talk to also. Now all I need is a whole lot of MONEY!!!:rolleyes:
 
I just wanted to add that I'm not "stuck" on an ls series........a Hemi would do me just fine as well. I just want the 4.0 outta there, it's such a toad!
 
UpTheCreek said:
I just wanted to add that I'm not "stuck" on an ls series........a Hemi would do me just fine as well. I just want the 4.0 outta there, it's such a toad!
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Say what you want, but a stroked 4.0 is exceptionally stout. A low budget stroker is stronger than a cammed TBI 350...
 
But not an LS series with a cam :D
 
95yjjeep said:
AEV specializes in the hemi swaps. They work, they're just really expensive. Burnsville Offroad also has a bunch of info on Hemi swaps on their site. Burnsville Offroad You better pull out your gold card though! :D
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Part for part they aren't expensive, and Burnsville is no cheaper. These are professional companies, not fly by night business's that throw harnesses and parts together to get you by. In the price of all of these swaps the labor for the swap is $3200 the last time I installed one. $3200 out of $21,000 is very reasonable for a specialty shop or anyone for that matter that can cleanly get a big engine where it's not suppose to go.

On to the topic at hand.
The "rule" is the engine must come from the same manufacturer of the same year or newer. When you get the vehicle inspected they plug it in and the the only thing the computer pulls is the vin number from the computer, makes sure it doesn't have any codes and checks readiness. You simply can't get rid of the emissions portion of the computer though because the readiness codes will never go through and it will never pass, on a 2006 you can only have one portion that's "not ready" which means the computer didn't run a complete test on certain emissions program. These are areas like EGR, Evap, O2 and so on. We generally use that one readiness portion for evap by messing with the fuel gauge but the point is you have a little fudge room. When you inspect it you have to input engine displacement in one of the boxes but it doesn't ask you anymore questions after that. When we do the Hemi swaps the inspection machine doesn't know if its a 5.7 Mopar, 5.7 Chevy or 5.7 Toyota. 99% of the time the inspectors don't know the rules about the engine swaps because they aren't covered in the NC Inspection classes that they have to take.

The answer:
Will a cleanly, properly swapped LS swap pass - 95% yes
Will a hack LS swap pass - probably not
Will a Hemi pass - all day long

If you go Hemi run the 5.7VVT motor, out of all the Hemi's including the 5.7, 5.7VVT, 6.1 and 6.4VVT the 5.7VVT has the most usable power and is an absolute blast to drive around.
I've put a couple Hemi's in Jeeps but no LS's in a Jeep or buggy that has to pass inspection but it is completely doable and I wouldn't think you would have to re register it at the DMV.
At the end of the day if you get an inspector that's a dick he can find something to fail you for so going to the right place is key. If you have a LS powered LJ you'll make finds and I'm sure finding a place to inspect it won't be a problem.

If you have any questions feel free to call and I can go more I'm depth with some of this.

Alex
 
There definitely can be! I'm about 4,500 in my 6.0 and putting 320/360 to the tires in a 5900 lb truck. Little thing start to add up real quick with these motors.
 
CarolinaTruggies said:
<snip>

If you have any questions feel free to call and I can go more I'm depth with some of this.

Alex
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HUGE thanks, Alex. I've been hunting down an answer to all of this for months now, you're reply is just invaluable to me. Like I said, I'm not stuck on a Chevy motor, it's just what I've read and researched about on the internet dealing with swaps with a TJ. I just want a modern V8 and the 5.7 VVT sounds great to me. I have been looking at strokers as well, which would probably do me fine and definitely the most cost effective. But when it comes down to it, I want a V8.

Hopefully financing will allow this to be a winter project for me. Still have lots of questions regarding tranny choices and the best way to obtain a motor/tranny for the swap. I will definitely be in touch and make it a point to throw some business your way! Reading your reply was just like Christmas to me! My wife is wondering what I've been grinning about this evening....:D.

Howard
 
No problem. If you're looking to go 5.7VVT and want to see how one drives I can grab this one and let you see what it's like. Its on 42s and weighs probably 2k more than yours but you can get a feel for what its like.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1371648336.167814.jpg
 
Umm.....I'm thinking about swapping a Hemi in my Jeep too! Can I come test drive it? :D
 
Croatan_Kid said:
If you can do a swap, write the VIN to the computer in the vehicle, and everything works...I see no reason not to do it. Granted, my K30 is old and it's diesel, I never have nor have had any problems.

I'll eventually be doing a 5.3 in a '04 TJ Rubicon and using the GM ECM. I just have to keep the emissions stuff and the VIN so it can pass the OBD II inspection. The hard part will be getting the Jeep VIN to match the GM operating system in the computer. HP Tuners doesn't like the mismatch, but there are a few tricks that can be used.


What motor are you thinking about using?
Click to expand...

HP Tuners will not allow (non GM) Vin # changes, find someone with EFI Live and you can enter any VIN # you want to. i have a friend with a 2006 Mazda Miata running a stroked LS3 that had this issue with HP Tuners and he solved the problem with EFI Live.

As Alex stated before the only thing the computer is looking for when the inspector hooks up is to match the VIN # to the vehicle and verify there are not any codes. Mount the OBD2 port under the dash so that it looks original and most inspection stations wont even raise the hood anyway.
 
Actually, you CAN do it with HP Tuners. It's not something easy to do, but I wouldn't use EFI Live over HP because of it.
 
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