I was given a 70 gladiator pickup with a buick 350, thm400 transmission and spicer trans and rears. Has anyone ever tried to put this combo into an early cj 7? I have a 78 cj 5 golden eagle, but I would like to build a 7 for some serious bogging and trail riding. I know that the buick is wider than a chevy 350, and I would like to know if I am wasting my time and money trying to make it fit. I am a professional welder by trade, so I can fabricate anything I may need, but I want to make something that is road legal. Thanks, burman
buick 350
- Thread starter burdman
- Start date
hummer-recovery-inc
New member
anything will " fit " , it's a matter of money. I replaced a blown up amc 304 with an amc 360. Everything costs way more. It would have been cheaper to get a sbc and trans than trying to get amc parts. Buick is the same boat. It costs a lot to get away from sbc. If you've got the bucks give it hell.
redrooster
New member
Did the gladiator come that way or has it been modified?
Either way, you can make the engine fit. Where you will have issues is with the exhaust manifolds clearing the frame rails. I don't know if you can get either block hugger or fenderwell headers for a buick engine. I guess you can get out the tape measure and see where you stand.
Buick 6 cylinders were used in Commandos and a few other Jeeps back then. Never heard of the 350 being used. The older Th400 that went with the buicks had a factory adapter ring to convert the transmission from a chevy pattern to the BOP (buick olds pontiac) pattern.
Other than having to look for odd exhaust manifolds for the engine conversion, I would be concerned over what your transfer case options would be. If you have the standard Dana20 then you would be ok.
Either way, you can make the engine fit. Where you will have issues is with the exhaust manifolds clearing the frame rails. I don't know if you can get either block hugger or fenderwell headers for a buick engine. I guess you can get out the tape measure and see where you stand.
Buick 6 cylinders were used in Commandos and a few other Jeeps back then. Never heard of the 350 being used. The older Th400 that went with the buicks had a factory adapter ring to convert the transmission from a chevy pattern to the BOP (buick olds pontiac) pattern.
Other than having to look for odd exhaust manifolds for the engine conversion, I would be concerned over what your transfer case options would be. If you have the standard Dana20 then you would be ok.
