Why not stay Suzuki? The 2.7 liter engine with 185 hp motivates a Sidekick just fine and it is possible to use all Suzuki drivetrain with out any adapters or other BS. Of course there's the 4.3 blah blah blah but other than a vortec version it is actually down on power to the 2.7 and weighs a whole lot more. Especially if one detunes it by changin to a carburator.    

For a comparison of weight there is a certain Sidekick from an owner here on the board that is running 35 inch krawlers, Calmini armor, and a 1.6 16valve w/5speed whilst I am running 33 inch MTRs, Calmini armor, and a 2.7 V6 w/auto the difference in weight between the two vehicles is less than 75 pounds!

FWIW: Stick with Suzuki drivetrain it is worth it.

-Eric

A 2.7 V6 would definately be a cool swap, but I'd still have to deal with the issues of slip yokes and actually finding one around here. This is the land of the Chebbies

the 4.3 has the same bellhousing bolt pattern as SBC's the pre'87 use the early flywheels and the '87 later use the new style crank seal so the flywheel is different (not hard to find though) they are not that light of an engine.

As for the tranny. I think for weight wise the NV3500 from a s10 with the 4.3 would be the best bet. the sm465/420 are huge and really heavy!! They are meant for 1 ton trucks!

As for tcases if you use a 2wd tranny it will be really long. you can get adapters to mate the chev tranny to a toyota tcase and you can also get adapters to mate the chev bellhousing to a toyota tranny and tcase.

If you use chev tcase you have a few choices.
NP205=heavy and bad low range of 1.9:1
np203=even heavier and HUGE!
Dana 300 is prob a good bet.
np235 from a s series. drivers side drop though. Also they have skip yoke rear outputs.
np241/5 from 1 ton chevs have drivers drop and fixed yokes.

for weight comparison I had a toyota with 4.3/sm465/np205 and toyota axles and 37" tires and it was almost 5000 lbs!!! some of that was the heavy box I had on it so call it 4500 lbs.!

I figured by swapping to a nv3500 I could get 5th gear and mate it to a dana 300 this would have given lower low range (after changing diff gears) and saved me 250 lbs.

Damn... seems like anything involving an SBC swap is going to be HEAVY.

Another option I was thinking about is a Ford 5.0L from a Mustang mated to a Toyota Trans and Tcase. Just not sure how heavy an FI 5.0 is.

http://www.northwestoffroad.com/parts/engineswap.html

How about a 302 (5.0L) out of, let's say, a Bronco?  


Cwkick

Why not stay Suzuki? The 2.7 liter engine with 185 hp motivates a Sidekick just fine and it is possible to use all Suzuki drivetrain with out any adapters or other BS. Of course there's the 4.3 blah blah blah but other than a vortec version it is actually down on power to the 2.7 and weighs a whole lot more. Especially if one detunes it by changin to a carburator.    

For a comparison of weight there is a certain Sidekick from an owner here on the board that is running 35 inch krawlers, Calmini armor, and a 1.6 16valve w/5speed whilst I am running 33 inch MTRs, Calmini armor, and a 2.7 V6 w/auto the difference in weight between the two vehicles is less than 75 pounds!

FWIW: Stick with Suzuki drivetrain it is worth it.

-Eric

I'd second this!

Just anouther note, the 4.3 chev is only 250 lbs lighter than the 350. However as you noted earlier most anything you do with a domestic engine will result in dramatic weight changes.  It will also hurt you more in were the weight will sit on your vehicle rather than how much it is.  The dynamics change dramaitcally.
 With that said, the 4.6 L ford V-8 from a surplus Crown Vic (COP CAR) there usually cheep well mantianed, driven hard, and all alloy blocks, heads and such.


Just more food for thoughts.

Another option I was thinking about is a Ford 5.0L from a Mustang mated to a Toyota Trans and Tcase. Just not sure how heavy an FI 5.0 is.

http://www.northwestoffroad.com/parts/engineswap.html

i think i have an adaptor at the shop for a Ford C4 to a Yota case

stu

i think i have an adaptor at the shop for a Ford C4 to a Yota case

stu

Gimme! (as long as a 5.0 will bolt up to a C4 without an expensive adapter)

Just anouther note, the 4.3 chev is only 250 lbs lighter than the 350. However as you noted earlier most anything you do with a domestic engine will result in dramatic weight changes.  It will also hurt you more in were the weight will sit on your vehicle rather than how much it is.  The dynamics change dramaitcally.
 With that said, the 4.6 L ford V-8 from a surplus Crown Vic (COP CAR) there usually cheep well mantianed, driven hard, and all alloy blocks, heads and such.


Just more food for thoughts.

I like the 4.6 in my truck, but I don't know how it would do in this setup (a ton of abuse every time it's driven)

On the XL7 2.7L, what axle ratios did the automatic version and the manual version have? Also, how similar is the tcase to the older Trackick design? Will a 2.7L bolt up to the 5spd I have in my Tracker? That could be a deal breaker right there, since I have the trans already in the Tracker, and two spares sitting in parts trucks out back

Also, how much did you guys (ebewly and 95xl7 and others who've done the swap) payed for your engines and where did you get them from?

I wonder, does anyone know of using a Toyota 3.4L ? Maybe the whole Takoma setup, 3.4L, Trans, and t-case.... My friend has a 98 TRD, and it hauls, it would be insane in a kick...

FWIW

    It's all about power to weight and what you want to do with the unit.
    The thread started with a bigger engine going to a stock Suki tranny and sammy t/case.
    Any of the North American v-6/V-8 combo" is going to upset the balance of the unit in a major way and there is no way that the stock tranny-T/case will live.....
    The Suk V-6 is probly the best of the V-6 options as it is not as heavy and has good power but looking overe the ones in my shop it's a engine trans t/case shafts etc swap....
    The 2.0L Suk will mate to the stock tranny with a custom flywheel and not destroy the driveline. Good hd clutches are available. You're up to 127 to 135 hp right off the start.
    Add a mega squirt/turbo/ intercooler system like "Wildgoody's" and you're going to be into the 165-175 hp range at the minimum....less weight, better balnce, easier swap....I'd almost bet that this combo would out perform the 4.3 at very likely less cost

Zag
   

I looked at doing the 5.0 swap into mine awhile back....mainly because I have a 5.0/AOD out of a mustang sitting around.  The main problem I found was that the ford transfer case was on the wrong side, you can get an adapter to mate it to a toyota case or a chevy transmission, but those adapters are EXPENSIVE...from what I remember it was like 700-800 more or something, it would have been cheaper to just buy something that fit.  The only valid option I came up with as was recomended by someone here was to use the AOD and put a sammy case behind it and build driveshafts to fit it all.  Sounded interesting, but haven't explored it much since I started building other stuff and just needed to drive the sidekick.  But all in all, I think it would work...might be heavy...but it would be amusing as H|removethispart|@ll.  

I've given thought to an engine swap for more HP and ...

I figure it has to be an all AU engine to keep weight in check. The AU v8's are way to much money, and the v6 options are limited (suzuki v6, mazda v6?, ...)

I've also thought a diesel swap would make a nice change (e.g. VW tdi), but complex.

I thinkin now to just take the old 8v out, add a cam, bore it, probably port it, and hope to get near 100hp when done. It's getting by today, but just tired, so this winter I'll rebuild and toss in some upgrades.

I know its not a v6 but what about a toyota 22re? Parts are everywhere and with a header and cam are around 120-130 HP. Good solid engine too!