LUVTruck.com

I know that the trucks are basically different between these to moels, but how hard is an engine swap to upgrade to the G180 crossflow engine and later 4-speed driveshaft ect... I dont have an older LUV but i have notice alot of people on ehre lately with them that want to get some upgrades done, i know nothign about the older engiens and dont have an older luv either but i was just wondering what people knew that they could input into this that would help those otheres out.. mabye after all is collected they could make this a stickey.... Anyway i know that there is a front break upgrade you can do that is fairly easy, but how hard would the other stuff be? nad is there somethign that is really just easy (as far as engien swaps go) that can be done on this era...

-dustin

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My LUV - R.I.P. 1979-2009, you will not be forgotten...

If it was me I'd seriously consider a later GM V6. Much lighter than the V8's, nicer fit in engine compartment, PLENTY of power, possibly good mileage, readily available new & aftermarket stock or performance parts, wide choice of transmission. Whatever it takes to install a V8 should be close to a match for V6 and anything from carbed to TBI t MPFI available. I've done some extreme swaps and as long as a guy has a MIG, a torch and good tools any mounts can be fabbed, crossmembers modified etc.

I have a '90 Blazer 4WD coming my way, and a '75 LUV. Sure going to look long and hard at a swap, for a smog exempt Blazer 4X on the LUV chassis/body that might get some decent mileage. With a MIG, torch and some tools just about anything is possible...

I haven't swapped a newer G180 for the older ones,but I do know the frame mounts for the engine on the older ones will have to be moved back I think about 3 inches for the newer engine to mount up.
The exhaust will have to be relocated to the driver's side.
You would do away with the hydraulic clutch setup and go with the cable,don't know if you would have to swap the pedal(s) out or not.
Probably need the driveline/yoke for the newer tranny also.
That's just right off the top of my head.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong,and add anything I have forgotten.

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"You can't please everyone,so you've got to please yourself"

If I can find a good 215 cu. in. Olds or Buick V8 I am going to do one on my next Luv. It is a all aluminum V8 from the '60s that GM made. They sold the engine to Rover. That was the basis of Rover engine till just lately. It had a dry weight of 350 lb. Not a big horse power engine. It is used in a lot of British MGB and other V8 swaps. I think a Rover V8 would be easier to find. Put a 4 speed or 5 speed transmission behind it and it would be a fun little ride.

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

I used to believe in the old BS "there's no replacement for displacement" garbage and take a truck/car into my shop and butcher the hell out of it just to stuff a V8 or V6 into something that was entirely not designed and was way too small for it. Then I started realizing that besides the huge amount of time, trouble, and expense involved in it being a great big PITA - all I ended up with was a nose heavy, poorly riding, crappy cornering, gas guzzling, loud as hell cop magnet. (With a bunch of unwanted traffic citations/court dates for my trouble.) And it didn't really impress anyone that was worth a damn or get me laid much more either..lol

Then I started looking around at what you can do with a 4-banger and/or a japanese overhead cam engine - and I was pleasantly surprised. I found out that if I built one right - guess what? It ran just as hard and fast, it got way better gas mileage, it cornered/rode better because it didn't weigh a ton in the nose, I didn't have to modify the frame or suspension at all, the cops tended to ignore me because it looked a lot closer to stock....and the time, effort and money involved was a hell of a lot less.

(Now before you Detroit steel purists out there get all fired up and start cussing me for blasphemy because I advocate wrenching on a japanese engine in a chevy badged truck - try to remember I'm a die-hard chevy fan with their slogan and bowtie logo tattooed on my back that's been building chevy hot-rods for over 30 years - and chevy built it that way in the first place.)

That being said - if I was gonna build up/modify a '72-'75 Luv to update/upgrade it - I'd use an Isuzu 2.3/2.6 built up hybrid, and I'd throw in a 5 speed/rear end combo and the disc brakes/master cylinder from a newer Pup. It would be fast as hell, ride and corner well, still get decent gas mileage - and with everything sitting in my shop with the truck that I needed - I'd take some time off - and then I'd have it all in, be done without being broke as hell afterwards, and I'd be happily driving the hell out of it in around a week or so.

With gas prices steadily climbing like hell and cops everywhere (rightly so) cracking down severely on street racing - unless you plan on just building a drag-racing-only truck that you aren't going to use for a daily driver - I would seriously re-think the whole "let's stuff a big block in this beeyotch" idea.

That's my $.02 worth....

(And what the hell do I know anyway? I'm so old I still look at pretty young girls - but I'll be damned if I can remember why...lol)

Give me a couple weeks and I will have a V-8,V-6 and a stock 4 cyl LUV all in one driveway. Come on down and drive all 3 and figure out the fun factor of each.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

Yeah Karl that sounds nice...but unfortunately I cant afford 3 Luvs, and the wife would kill me (in my sleep if she had to...lol) if I tried to have 3 different types of Luvs in my driveway - so I had to come up with a daily driver that had a little testicular fortitude, still got decent mileage, and that didn't take too long or cost me too much to put together instead. And that's also why I lightened mine up as much as possible, installed a newer 5 speed and rearend, and built up a little bigger easy-to-bolt-in Isuzu 4-banger.

And that was just my opinion...nothing more. If anyone wants to drop a V8, a V6, or even a rotary or a diesel engine or hell even an electric motor in their Luv - I say go for it if that's what you wanna do. It aint in my nature to discourage anybody from building their truck the way they want to.

I was just tossing my opinion out there into the mix. So far in my life I've owned 2 pre-'75 luvs and I left them both stock, didn't keep either of them that long, and sold them both that way.

I didn't mean to piss anyone off or offend anyone here - and if somehow I did - I apologize.

Not pissed at at all. I like my 4cyl but it lags, but again it is stock. I love my V-8 but it is not exactly streetable for a daily driver, but a ton (that is 2000 LBS) of fun on the street. Looks like I will really enjoy the V-6 as it will be with a overdrive and get reasonable mileage. I have yet to drive a 2.6 yet. I actually don't have much in my 4.3 swap but I will have a ton (2000 LBS) of time in it.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

Nothing wrong with a Japaneses engine. I just don't have a lot of luck with them. Now give me a German engine and we have a different ball game. The only Japanese car I have had any luck was a Acura Interga we bought from a friend at work. It was bought for my daughter, and it was very nice, good car. A pita to work on. You had to remove one of the drive axles to replace the alternator. The Hondas and Luv 4 cyls engine's did not like me. Her GEO storm ( aka Isuzu no less) I did ok with...Till she rolled it adjusting her heater... A cold skinny girl. Not like her old man.
I got a lot of help from here http://www.isuzuperformance.com/
You go for what you like. It is your truck. We will all try to help with what we can.

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

LOL this was just to get info for those out therre with these trucks, all im trying to do is make something that these owners can get info for good viable upgrades and even a how-to on getting this stuff done... so far so good i guess...

-Dustin

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My LUV - R.I.P. 1979-2009, you will not be forgotten...

I don't know if any of the front wheel drive Isuzu car engines can be used in a RWD setup. The Little Geo Strom was a peppy little engine. It was a automatic transmission car. 1.6 l I think and a 12 valve engine. I still have it sitting behind the barn. But the back window has been broken since she rolled it.

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

Yeah,I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one to get the original post.LOL

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"You can't please everyone,so you've got to please yourself"

Maybe you should explain it different, so others understand what you are looking for Only one person is getting it.

there is a sticky on G180 upgrades and another one on 5 speed transmission upgrades

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

Okay,the way I understood the original post was that Dustin had noticed that there have been quite a few newer members with the older LUVs looking for more power/upgrades.
The G180 upgrade thread deals mostly/exclusively with the newer crossflow head G180s.
I think he was asking what might be done with the older ones for upgrades,and/or what it would involve putting one of the newer ones into the older LUVs.

I could be wrong here,my wife is dislexic and my son is autistic so I have to read into things more than most.

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"You can't please everyone,so you've got to please yourself"

I am just old Shoot it and put it out of it's misery.

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

It's all good.

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"You can't please everyone,so you've got to please yourself"

Anything is possible.
Someone down here has one of the late 1.6L twin cam motors in his RWD I-mark. Non turbo and hauls arse.
Im sure all you would need to do would be to make up an adapter plate so the motor can be bolted in front of a (luv) manual transmission. Transplant all the wirring etc and massage the sump a bit. Once you get it apart and you can have a look you may be able to work out something with a flywheel.
You could probably even work the geo storm dash into the luv. Air con the whole lot. Did they have power steer??? Get a Trooper steering box and plumb that up too.

About the rear window, its all good, the motor is in the front.


I think you might need to get to work pulling it apart.

Bob.

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Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

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

yeah i dont have an older luv, like ripper was saying its just for others to get help on these engines or even what the best/easiest swap in would be, and i think i like taz man's idea best... but i kinda feel the same way he does when it comes to these trucks...

-Dustin

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My LUV - R.I.P. 1979-2009, you will not be forgotten...

I've got a '75 Luv with non-crossflow head. First got a Weber off a Ford Fiesta, but actually it's a Motorcraft. Not a good choice. Had a heck of a time getting a manifold adapter that would work, finally had to mix/match. Used the old style TransDapt adapter, but that's like a big rectangular funnel, no port dividers. Had to fab an aluminum plate to fit on top, Weber on top of that. Fabbed my own cable linkage. Ran stronger but far from great.

Just in the process of redoing it all. Ported the stock round exhaust manifold runners to better match square head ports. Ported and opened up carb mount section to match Weber throats, opened and smooth interior contours. Modified Weber mounting holes to fit LUV intake, just enough meat there, but had to reinforce with hi-strength epoxy in carb base. Removed various choke and electronic parts from carb, removed choke blades and shafts.

All that foolishness is to maintain the dual port, one port per carb throat intake, and take advantage of the stock dual plane manifold plenum design for better bottom end & torque, yet allow free breathing and more power on top end. Hopefully get some decent mileage too.

Eliminated every part of SMOG stuff, don't know how well that will turn out. Sometimes that works, sometimes not. Removed 4-port EGR manifold and jet tubes from head, removed air pump and all related SMOG, changing from solenoid controlled vacuum to straight manifold vacuum for distributor. Only a PCV valve, all that's required by law on '75 and older vehicles in Kalifornia.

Should be running this week, how well I don't know....?

If it doesn't work I'll set the body on my '90 Chevy Blazer 4X4 and call it good, but register it as '75 LUV.

Update on project: The carb I used is a Weber 32 DFTA10A, also referred to as Motorcraft model 740. It was used on '78-'83 Ford Fiesta and similar. I used the old Tomco rebuild kit # 5490B gotten off e-bay.

It was necessary to weld up a different throttle lever, and fab a new throttle cable 'L' mounting bracket. I had removed everything from carb that was smog or choke related. Gotta be careful because under some components [throttle kicker assy, electric choke assy] there's a bleed or vacuum orifice hole, sometimes needs to be sealed with a screw.

Idle shutoff solenoid must be wired to ignition hot, bowl vent solenoid doesn't need electrical connection. This carb uses a fuels supply and a return line like stock, There's a brass welch plug and plastic plug covering up the idle mixture needle, drill out and pry out carefully so you can adjust. Gotta be careful on throtte linkage on throttle shaft, if not re-assembled correctly the spring can jam it up.

As mentioned, ported stock manifold runners, and carved out carb plenum to match Weber throats, leaving 'dual plane' tube in place. Ported the stock phenolic carb insulator to match Weber throats. Got it all hooked up and ran terrible, everything wrong. Fiddled and got it at least driveable, but lousy idle, miss, and carb hissing real loud.

Took a piece of plastic fuel line and used it as a stethoscope to trace down source of hiss. Turns out carb base has some bleed ports that were not sealed by stock LUV phenolic spacer & gasket. Pulled carb and fabbed up an aluminum plate, about 3/16" thick, and cut gaskets, to place on top of stock phenolic insulator and under Weber base.

SUCCESS! Idles great, miss gone, no flat spot, quick acceleration. I'll find out tomorrow how it drives, but this carb was on it before with adapters and gave good power, mid-range and top end. Now expecting good bottom end, better mid-range and strong top end with much better mileage to boot.

Got a fuel pressure regulator but haven't installed yet. Pain in the but to adapt this carb, pretty tricky, but requires no aftermarket adapters, just a bunch of hand tools, time and congential insanity.