Newbie looking for engine

[ageorgakis]

Hi all, this is my first post on your forum so I apologize in advance if I'm out of topic.

I don't have a Vette or a GTO or a Camaro. I have a Jeep. It's a Wrangler TJ 2001 with a 4.0L I6 engine. And like many Jeep fans and offroad enthusiasts I want to upgrade my engine to an LSx. Living in Greece we do not see all that many V8s (let alone LSx) engines so I was hoping I could get your input on these babies.

I found a company (novak-adapt) which offers turnkey packages - radiator, engine, transmission, transfercase - specifically suited to Jeeps.

They propsed that I go for an L33 with a 4L60E transmission. For the same power output I was thinking of going with the LH6 or the LC9 because they are Gen IV engines (better mileage).

But then some other Jeep enthusiasts told me to look into the LS6 or the LS2 (with their preference on the LS6).

So the question is which engine would you go for on a trail rig? I need the power for towing, for crawling, for off-road competition (I take part in off-road endurance races), and of course for the shear pleasure of having 400HP under the hood!

Like I said, I'm a newb with no knowledge on these engines, so I'm hoping some of you could shed some light!

Thanks!

[devil6rr]

Wow finally a TJ wrangler LS swap!!

Having built a 00 TJ myself i always wanted to swap the engine over to something with real balls... mostly ive seen them be swaped with a Hemi motor, and even saw a V10 viper motor go in one but never a LS.. All i know is LS6 is a great motor all around. and anything V8 is gonna be an improvement over the I6 good luck...oh and dont forget

[ageorgakis]

Wow finally a TJ wrangler LS swap!!

Having built a 00 TJ myself i always wanted to swap the engine over to something with real balls... mostly ive seen them be swaped with a Hemi motor, and even saw a V10 viper motor go in one but never a LS.. All i know is LS6 is a great motor all around. and anything V8 is gonna be an improvement over the I6 good luck...oh and dont forget

I've seen a few hemi's myself but I haven't heard all that many good things about them in general. Just that they're all hype. On the other hand I've heard nothing but good things about LS engines. So which one should I go for???

[squirlnutz]

So the question is which engine would you go for on a trail rig? I need the power for towing, for crawling, for off-road competition (I take part in off-road endurance races), and of course for the shear pleasure of having 400HP under the hood
LS7...........bone stock, natural aspirated..........505hp
The long block is the same size externaly as any other LS
LS3/L92/L99 are 376ci 4.065 bore / 3.622 stroke Rated from GM at 400-430hp and 410-428lb-ft

[ageorgakis]

LOL you guys are giving me more and more options instead of helping me narrow down my choices!!! LOL
ok, let's not get too carried away! 500 horses would be suicide in a jeep. It's not a vette and won't turn or stop like one! Even 400 hp is overkill but I can live with that extra thrill. So my question should be: which small block engine from 350-420 hp would you recommend?

[Cutlass]

LQ9 Escalade engine if you don't mind the extra weight of an iron block. Otherwise LS6

[ageorgakis]

Since my jeep is lifted an iron block would affect my suspension setup so an aluminum block is the way to go. It seems the LS6 has most votes compared to the LS2... But why?

[PFM]

Well the US Border Patrol drives a off road called a MANX. It has a LS6 in the back of it and they say 0-100mph in the sand is no trouble for it. Makes me want one!

[ageorgakis]

I'm reading that the LS2 has a flatter and higher torque curve than the LS6 at lower RPM but evens out at high RPM. This makes it better for off road since you don't shift at 5000 RPM. Maybe the LS2 is the way to go???