Has anyone looked at swapping the drivetrain from an Isuzu Rodeo/Amigo?  I know on the first gen rodeo's the output for the front drive is on the correct side to work in a trackick.  The 2.8 liter v6 they use is just the 60 degree GM V6 which is pretty easy and inexpensive to get parts for and common in both front and rear drive vehicles with some minor differences in the heads between the front and rear drive versions.  Also the 2.8 can pretty easily be upgraded into a 3.1 with all the cars using the GM 3.1 like buicks etc, they're so common it's scary.  The other plus side is that the Rodeos should all have the 4 speed version of the automatic that's already in trackicks with the added benefit that 1st and 2nd gear in the rodeo version of the 4L30 are higher numerically.  (3.00:1 or so vs 2.40:1 for first gear I believe).  The downside is that to swap in the Auto you'd be forced to use the ECU and injection out of the rodeo as there's no such thing as a non electronically controled 4L30 tranny that I've been able to find in looking into this.  (no stanndalone computers either that I've been able to find, but if someone knows of one definitely let me know).  Should fit fairly well in a trackick engine bay being it's the narrow V6 unlike the 4.3.  Weight would obviously be more than the alloy block in the trackicks, I'd guess 150-200 lbs but realistically I doubt that's going to be a show stopper.

Anybody else looked at this?  Seems like there's plenty of rodeos out there bound to be some wrecked ones.  Worst case the big 4 cyl in the Amigos and base Rodeos could be an option as well.  

Anyway lemme know what you guys think, seems like these would be much easier and cheaper to swap in than the Vitara and XL 7 engines as well as cheaper to maintain.  

You want torque? Go with the 3.8 (229) or the 4.3 (262) V6. There are way more options available for the 3.8's and 4.3's then there are for the 2.8's. Im running the 229......

I was considering something like that, but dont have access to a garage and I dont want to work in the snow too much.  If you change trannies, you have to make sure the tranny / tcase is not longer than what you have in the kick, because the driveshaft is already too short, you wont have a very nice shaft angle.  I would be interested in a custom bellhousing to mate a large 4 or small 6 into my truck though, prefer to keep my 5spd, unless I can get a whole drivetrain and drop it in complete.  But at the same time, I dont want to increase the weight too much

Would the zuki tranny be capable of handling the extra torque from the V6?

I have looked at taking a 3.0 out of an ranger and droping it in but of course weight was the stoper.  the engine made like 150+ Hp and i almost wet myself when i saw around 170+ foot pounds of torque in the lower RPMs.  I liked it.    lata atu

The beauty of swapping the rodeo drivetrain is that you would just use that as a whole unit.  The only thing you'd have to mess with is getting your driveshafts modified which is reasonably inexpensive.  Might not hurt to rotate the rear axle up in the front a little too (ala Mike Hagen) to take the angle out of the rear U-joint, but that's a good idea anyway with a lift.  The front one using the stock IFS isn't an issue period other than maybe needing to lengthen it of course.  You'd also obviously have to deal with grafting the EFI from the Isuzu into the Trackick's wiring harness but that's pretty standard fare for any engine swap.  

I know in the case of the 4L30 vs the 3L30 it's only an inch longer, not sure about the size of the rodeo's t-case but I doubt it's a whole lot bigger than ours is since the rodeo's not exactly all that big.  Look at the Amigo for that matter it's pretty close to us in terms of wheelbase.  There are 5 speed Rodeos out there using the 2.8 I'm pretty sure.  I'll try to see if I can find one in a junkyard to measure next time I make a run through the junkyard part of town.  (I figure I'd rather have one longer day when I expose my speakers to being ripped off by the hordes of illegal immigrants that frequent the junkyards here in Phoenix rather than make 10 separate trips to expose them to the risk).

I wouldn't be opposed to the 4.3, but I think the 90 degree GM engine would probably be too wide to fit comfortably in the engine bay and still allow you to access stuff to work on it.  Then again if it fits in the sammy it could be done.  I know I saw a picture a couple years ago of someone who put the buick GN turbo engine in a tracker down in australia to drag race the tracker.  Not exactly what I'd think of doing but it looked kinda interesting.

I have heard that supposedly you can swap the aluminum heads and stuff off some of the newer car versions with the 60 degree GM v6 and save weight as well as have a better designed combustion chamber for a little more power.  The 60 degree also weighs less than the 4.3 does overall and at least with the Isuzu tranny's your outputs from the T-case are already in the right spot whereas a 4.3 from an S-10 is on the drivers side for the front output.

Anything is possible, and sounds doable.

what about the axles?  SAS or IFS?  Stock stuff might not like the added weight, I know GVs don't, and the GV 2.5L is much lighter, gotta have at least a a few pounds in the 2.8.

What would interest me would be the axles.  D44 in the rear is almost dead on for the GV, and the front axles look bigger.  I wonder if an entire Izzy front axle could be fabbed in, using Kick A-arms.  If the Izzy a single or dual control arm?

I agree, GV and XL7 motors are still a little pricy, considering they are just now 6 years old. But, they are a sweet motor, and a lot more modern.  Suzuki
s motorcycle racing tech went into it.  Multi cam, timing chain, MPFI, yeah baby.  They make a 2.5L motor for Pike's Peak that's over 900HP.  

Nice low end grunt, and they take the revs.  As soon as some cams are available (currently under the works), and a port job and the motors should really fly.  In another few years when more turn up for salvage, I think they will be the motor to swap in.  Heck, all the Kick underdrive options will work with this on a Sammy.  On a Kick, driveshafts might need to be lengthed or shortened, but otherwise will slip in.

They make a 2.5L motor for Pike's Peak that's over 900HP.

I beleive that is a Twin Engine output, like two engines combined output.

Yeah I'm thinking a SAS would alleviate the weight problem, worst case get some custom springs made, they shouldn't be too much really.  

The rodeos/amigos are a dual control arm setup with torsion bars first gen and leaf in the back.  THey went coil in the 2nd gen in the back but I think the fronts are still torsion bars.  The CV axles definitely look pretty stout though from the pics I've seen.  Maybe the outer cups from ours could be made to fit with a little work, not any different than the Nissan Maxima type deal really when you think about it.

Good to know the motorcycle guys helped on the new V6, my friend has a Hyabusa and that thing screams.  Kinda surprises me given Suzuki's motorcycle involvment how weak the stock engine is in terms of output.  The bottom end seems pretty well built though even on the 1.6 if you have the newer ones with the floated piston pins and the fully counterweighted crank.  The casting for the block is really nice too, but the head is just nasty by comparison, you can see where they didn't quite have the foam blocks for the investment casting lined up very good on mine and the seams are very obvious.

I beleive that is a Twin Engine output, like two engines combined output.

You are correct.

I beleive that is a Twin Engine output, like two engines combined output.

one engine 995hp!

http://www.supercars.net/garages/EBoNix3000/63v2.html

I started researching this. First off, you dont want to use the Isuzu trans/T-case. The trans is computer controlled and trying to make it work could be a nightmare. Also, the T-case is huge, I think its a full size GM one, not positive about that though. What I did find in my research is that the 4L30 is basically a 3L30 (tracker 3-speed) with an overdrive attached and electronic shifting. Both transmissions have removable bellhousings, and from what I can tell, you can mount the Isuzu bellhousing with the GM 60* pattern to your existing Tracker 3-speed automatic transmission. I have been unable to confirm this. I had my hands on the Isuzu bellhousing at the bone yard but the guy wanted $300 for it. If this is the case it would be an easy swap and would open up some good possabilities...

so youre saying, a 2.8 or 3.1 engine might go in with a new bellhousing?

so youre saying, a 2.8 or 3.1 engine might go in with a new bellhousing?

yes, it might. I am trying to confirm this but havent gotten my hands on an Isuzu bellhousing yet. I looked at one and the bolt pattern looked  the same but I wont know until I get one. I hope so. The tail housing also looks to be interchangable which is good news for the Isuzu guys, that would allow them to use OTT's doublers.

I also thought the bell housing on the auto was
removable, just looking at it, I have clean areas
where I think trans fluid is leaking between the
bell and the trans body.