LUVTruck.com

So- just a quick question about an engine swap.

I have a '79 4X4 with engine problems. May just be a bad head gasket- or at least I am hoping that's the case.

If it's not, I also have a spare engine. It is supposedly out of a '78 2WD, and it has the same engine stamp as the one in the truck (G180), but there are a couple of differences.

First and foremost, the engines have different valve covers. The "78" has a very narrow valve cover, as opposed to the one on the stock motor. Second, on the "78" both the intake and exhaust are on the same side. Third, the starter appears to be on the wrong side.

Now, it looks like the starter isue is solvable, I think- looks like I can just put the plate that carries the starter from the stock motor on the replacment engine- I have to swap the clutch over anyway. The head is a non-issue. The intake being on the opposite side of the block worries me.

Also, I am concerned about the engine bolting up to the '79 tranny. Anything I should know in advance if I do wind up having to try and put the spare motor in?

I'll post some pics as soon as I can lay hands on a camera.

Thanks in advance!
Merlyn

The 78 is a G180 OHC cast iron head motor

The other motor is a G180Z OHC motor with a cross flow alloy head.




I dont know how you will go with swapping the plate over on the rear of the motor and putting the starter on the other side.


If you still have the box out of the 2x4 chaces are you could swap that hosing onto the front of the 4x4 box.

Or you might have to get your hands on a diesel 4x4 box, it has the starter on the driver side.


Bob.

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Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.

78 and 79 had the same cross flow engines. That "intake and exhaust on the same side" eng. you have is from a 72-75 truck.

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OK, I'm over it. Where's the beer?

Guess I'll just have to hope the head is not warped/cracked on the 79 motor, and that just replacing the gasket does the trick :: chuckle ::

Merlyn

http://forums.luvtruck.com/viewtopic.php?t=2083

Outlines the year changes to these trucks. The most significant, is the engine design change to a crossflow head.

From what you've described, the extra engine you've got is of no use to repair your '79. It's an early model G180.

A lot of the guys here are very good mechanics, I'm not so much. With that in mind, in your situation, here's what I'd do...

Go buy a $10 bottle of 'liquid head gasket' at Autozoned. This stuff is a patch, but it might help you determine what is going on with your engine. Drain the coolant, and backflush with water. Put the liquid gasket in, fill the truck up with water and see what happens when you start it. You may want to loop the heater core water pipes together to keep this stuff out of the heater core. If it's leaking water (I had a freeze plug rot out on my '78 ) then this won't fix anything. If it's pouring white smoke out the tailpipe, this just might solve the problem temporarily.

I know I'll probably get flamed for this, but I'm a cheap kind of guy and if the problem exceeds my abilities, I like to know before I invest too much time or money.

If the truck was overheated due to a bad headgasket, you will want to check the block and head for warping once you take it apart. Heads do come up on eBay from time to time, and there might even be one available in the classifieds here on the site. If you've got the skill, there are plenty of folks here who will help you port match and rebuild your head.

Good luck, let us know how it goes...

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

The information that I have is that it never overheated, just started pouring coolant out through the exhaust. I took the head off over the weekend, and one of the head bolts was not torqued at all, and the rest didn't register as torqued correctly on my highly calibrated elbow ::grin:: I checked the old gasket, and it was blown through between water ports and combustion chambers on 2 cylinders. I've got a new head gasket sitting in the house, so the plan is to check the head visually for cracks and re-install with a new gasket this weekend. Hopefully the head is not warped, cause the rest of the truck budget is earmarked for registration and insurance. It'll be a month before I have enough spare change to get the head decked (Yes, I know decking a head is only $50-75 bucks. I'se POOR). Here's to hoping!

Anyone need a spare 72-75 180G engine? I have one cheap, supposedly it runs. Depending on what I find out this weekend, I might be willing to trade it for a head :: grin ::

Merlyn

i put isuzu 4zd1 2.3 w/carb in my proyect , the bellhousing of the gearbox is the same .... i`m happy!!!!!