I like your motor change procedure.  I am trying to squeeze my 2.7 in from the top, and have tight clearance issues.  Now that I see yours just sitting there it gives me more inspiration.  I scored the motor/tranny/ecm & wiring, but have found lots of broken parts, and being newer vintage, some parts are hard to find.  Getting the donor vehicle is going to be a major plus for you.  How does the pan and rear crossmember look?  As you start fastening it down, I would really enjoy some closeup photos. 
Your body removal tool is awesome.  Keep the photos coming.

Thanks!
The stock tracker tranny cross-member works perfect with the new tranny.  I got it all mocked up - minus engine mounts and dropped the body on to see how it fits and where it hits.  It hit the brake lines and the exhaust was very close to the fire wall. but it fits in there!  The problem is that the engine is too tall in the front.  With the hood sitting on it there was about a 2 inch gap.  I thought...hmmm cowl induction hood...nope I want it to be a sleeper.  So a 3 inch body lift is in the works.  I'm almost done; just two mounts left to do.  Since this engine will never leave the Tracker I cut off the body mounts and moved them up 3 inches (instead of using blocks) for more clearance on the sides of the frame.  I also lifted the gas tank up, and installed a 2" receiver at the rear.  I've got this whole week off so I'm hoping to have it running by the weekend.  Ambitious?  Maybe!

The stock tracker tranny cross-member works perfect with the new tranny.  I got it all mocked up - minus engine mounts and dropped the body on to see how it fits and where it hits.  It hit the brake lines and the exhaust was very close to the fire wall. but it fits in there!  The problem is that the engine is too tall in the front.  With the hood sitting on it there was about a 2 inch gap.  I thought...hmmm cowl induction hood...nope I want it to be a sleeper.  So a 3 inch body lift is in the works.  I'm almost done; just two mounts left to do.  Since this engine will never leave the Tracker I cut off the body mounts and moved them up 3 inches (instead of using blocks) for more clearance on the sides of the frame.  I also lifted the gas tank up, and installed a 2" receiver at the rear.  I've got this whole week off so I'm hoping to have it running by the weekend.  Ambitious?  Maybe!

What caused the motor to be too high?  Was it the front pulley and tie rod, or oil pan and back cross member?  Without the transmission on I was approximating where it would be sitting, and one of those looked to become an issue.  Dropping the motor in I still had the lift strap on so did not reinstall the hood to check for clearance.
Hope you had more time to work on yours than I did this last week.  I am still working full shifts, and have two Christmas gifts to complete before I get much work done on my Tracker.

Hmmm. Been looking at them on co-part for a few months thinking about picking one up to swap into the tracker.

Hmmm. Been looking at them on co-part for a few months thinking about picking one up to swap into the tracker.

I am still getting parts for my find.  I have passed up two complete cars for what I paid for my motor & transmission, and what I may have to pay for parts still needed.  Try to get the whole donor vehicle if possible.  Having everything at hand will make the switch easier.  Muskegtacker's frame off swap may be easier than my squeeze it in method.

Quote from: yellow2000S/R on January 01, 2010, 11:45:16 AM

Hmmm. Been looking at them on co-part for a few months thinking about picking one up to swap into the tracker.

I am still getting parts for my find.  I have passed up two complete cars for what I paid for my motor & transmission, and what I may have to pay for parts still needed.  Try to get the whole donor vehicle if possible.  Having everything at hand will make the switch easier.  Muskegtacker's frame off swap may be easier than my squeeze it in method.

Yah, I think it would be worth the extra time to pull to body off, if you can.  It's so tight everywhere.  I finished the motor mounts and have put the motor back in for the last time.  Here are some pics:




Painted the frame.






Tranny bolts right up!








Oil pan it close all around.


Alternator can't sit much lower.




I had to relocate the brake line manifold...the exhaust definitely hit it in the stock location.


It's still pretty close.


Cut up and used original exhaust from XL-7.  I had to move the Muffler back 12 inches cause it hit the cross-member.


To finish off the exhaust, I welded a chrome tip on.  Just happened to have it laying around from a project I had 10 years ago.

I've got the body back on now. It fits close everywhere.   The biggest problem I ran into was getting the XL-7 radiator into the Tracker.  It is quite wide and tall.  I was tempted to try using the Tracker rad, but decided it would be better to just make this one work while the body was off.  I'm going to have to trim the underside of the hood a little to clear the top of the rad.  I couldn't put it any lower cause the bottom of the rad was sitting on the top of the frame cross-member and I couldn't tip it because it would hit the steering box.

So now I've got to finish wiring, plumbing all hoses and lines and get a driveshaft cut.  Plus I need to get the fancy new gauge cluster installed in the dash!

Stay tuned!

Oh I forgot to mention:

I lifted the gas tank while I was at it:

Before:


After:


I even cut out the rear cross-member and welded in the 4000lb hitch that was on the XL-7:

That is TIGHT.  The motor mounts look good too.  I was wondering if it would drop any lower, but looks like the alternator will prevent that.  You sure have more room to position the motor with the body off.  I know my Tractor bucket will go to the center of my body, but would stand on its nose if I attempted to lift the whole body.  I will have to be more creative.
Disconnect steering, then body mounts, and brake lines?  Anything else I do not see?
You are putting an Auto in it.  Are you just removing the clutch pedal, or are you going to replace the brake pedal also?
The photo's are great.  I really appreciate the tips.

Great work man! After looking at all the photos, especially the side by side comparison of both chassis before the swap, it looks like it may be possible to just shorten the frame of the XL7 and drop your Tracker body on it. That way you'd have all the benifits of the V6, disc brakes, etc, etc, without having to swap and fab so much. I'm just guessing though, not having done either.

That is TIGHT.  The motor mounts look good too.  I was wondering if it would drop any lower, but looks like the alternator will prevent that.  You sure have more room to position the motor with the body off.  I know my Tractor bucket will go to the center of my body, but would stand on its nose if I attempted to lift the whole body.  I will have to be more creative.
Disconnect steering, then body mounts, and brake lines?  Anything else I do not see?
You are putting an Auto in it.  Are you just removing the clutch pedal, or are you going to replace the brake pedal also?
The photo's are great.  I really appreciate the tips.

Actually the center of gravity, at least for the tin top, is closer to the front of the top of the doors.  The body really isn't that heavy.  Not like you would think it is.  I bet your tractor could do it, maybe hang some counter weights on the back.

Steering, body mounts, brake lines are the major concerns, also wiring, at both the front and the back.  If you unclip as much as possible before lifting the body, you'll have enough slack to get under it when you lift it up a bit to finish disconnecting wires.  But safety first right!  Don't want to be between the body and the frame if the body fell (yikes!).

There is also the fuel tank filler, E-brake cables (disconnect inside the cab), and shifters.

I will be removing the clutch pedal, and hopefully installing the brake pedal out of the XL-7.  At a glance looks like it should bolt in the stock location and connect directly to the master cylinder.  I may have to cut out the cross tube for the clutch so that the brake pedal has full travel.

Great work man! After looking at all the photos, especially the side by side comparison of both chassis before the swap, it looks like it may be possible to just shorten the frame of the XL7 and drop your Tracker body on it. That way you'd have all the benifits of the V6, disc brakes, etc, etc, without having to swap and fab so much. I'm just guessing though, not having done either.

It would be possible.  Instead of doing what I have done, the work would be just as much, or even more...you would have to shorten rear brake and fuel lines, the XL-7 has an external fuel pump in the middle of the frame that would have to be moved.  The gas tank in the XL-7 is HUGE!  It may not fit under the tracker.  Not only would you have to shorten the frame in the middle you'd have to cut the back end off so that it would fit under the tracker.  The front would probably have to be shortened some too.  The frame is also approximately 3 inches wider, so you might have to relocate all of the body mounts.  The rack and pinion on the XL-7 has much smaller tie-rods than the Tracker, hence weaker.  You would have to adapt the steering shaft of the XL-7 to the Tracker as they use different sized shafts and connections.    The exhaust will have to be shortened...etc, etc, etc.

They are very similar in size and shape, but in the end I think it would be easier to stick with the tracker frame.  You know, it might be even easier if you could find a 2 door Vitara or whatever they are, with a V6, and then use the frame from the 2 door, the engine and tranny from a XL-7 and the body from a 1st gen Tracker...hmmmm, that's pretty messy though, and probably more expensive.   Doesn't hurt to dream though, right?

I think most of the items on the XL-7 should bolt onto the Tracker.  Or be fitted with a little "tweaking" I will probably attempt to swap the disc brakes over and anything else that I figure would be an upgrade.

Thanks for the comments guys!  Hope my ramblings inspire! 

Just a quick relapse:

Here's what the turbo setup looked like installed.  I don't think I have shown this before...

That is a pretty clean turbo install.  Nice work!

Thanks!

any updates on this build and how much wider did you go?
how much travel are you getting out of it?

any updates on this build and how much wider did you go?
how much travel are you getting out of it?

Each wheel is 1/2" wider than stock...not much.  The travel is still limited by the strut, so I'm using full compression at the bump-stops and full extension at full droop.  That is about 8 inches of travel at the wheels.

So now I've got to finish wiring, plumbing all hoses and lines and get a driveshaft cut.  Plus I need to get the fancy new gauge cluster installed in the dash!

Stay tuned!



[/quote]

Are you installing the whole cluster?  Waiting to see what you come up with.

Hoping that you could help me with what pins on the cluster go to the four screws on the speed-o.  I have install an electric speed-o in my 93 cluster, and will be running wires to the screws on back of speed-o.