Question for Hazel

I just got done reading the latest issue and am intrigued with Hazel's idea for what he'd do to a TJ.  Regarding the engine what modifications would you do to the intake/injection system to top off that stroker?  I've been seriously considering doing this swap for a long time and just didn't know how to feed the engine.  I'm torn between a cross of the no-lift TJ w/ a killer engine trans. combo or a sleeper grand cherokee.  Any help is appreciated  

For starters, if you're serious about dropping a Mopar engine in a TJ you've got to check out www.atomic4x4.com. The company does a lot of 5.2L and 5.9L injected swaps in these vehicles.

As far as the engine in that article, I'd start with a complete injected 5.9L out of a late '90s/early'00 Ram 1500, 2500, etc. The stock stroke on a Mopar 318 is 3.31-inches and the 360 is 3.58-inches. The 360 has larger main journals, so you can't just plunk a 360 crank in a 318. There are 4.0-inch stroker cranks available for the 318 block, however there's a wider selection of affordable 4.0-inch stroker cranks with the 360-sized journals and it really doesn't make sense to me to stroke the small bore 318 block since you'll never be able to punch it out to 4.0-inches without hitting water. Running the standard 360's 4.0-inch bore will net you 402 cubes and boring it 0.030-over nets 408-cubes.

I suggested adding the Mopar Performance Magnum R/T heads because they flow a ton better than the stock Magnum heads thanks to their improved ports and 2.02-inch valves that are just about perfect for a 4.0-inch cylinder bore. The heads will bolt right to the block and will work with the factory intake and exhaust.

I'd run shorty headers designed for the truck chassis. I'm not sure if they'd work or not in a TJ, but they look like they'd be close. The stock intake manifold will do, but the the stock injectors are only 22-24lb/hr depending on the year and chassis. For this engine's 400hp I'd really want at least 26lb/hr pieces - maybe 28lb/hr, so some Ford injectors would find their way onto the engine.

There are plenty of throttle body spacers out there, so I'd use the tallest one I could find to increase the plenum height of the manifold a bit and help with upper rpm hp. Or, there are a lot of aftermarket intakes for the Magnum injected engines including the single plenum one from Mopar Performance.

Finally, Bouchillon Performance, www.bouchillonperformance.com has a superb 58mm throttle body designed for the 5.9L stroker that flows 1,100 cfm and will support silly power.

I'm in way deep project vehicle backlog, so it's doubtful I'll ever get around to building my 402-cube TJ, so send photos if you really do go through with it.