LUVTruck.com

First let me say thanks for this forum. It is awesome. I just joined here, and will be spending way to much time on here.

I have 2 LUV's, a 1976 Stock 2x4 my Great uncle bought new, and I bout when I was 16, 563,000 Miles, all original except seat and paint.

And second a 1981 4x4 1.8l I bought 3 years ago. Lost some rings in 2 cylinders. Found a company called Car monkeys(carmonkeys.com) that have a complete engine 5 year warrenty for $989.

First, has anyone dealt with that company before.

Second, If I rebuild the motor, I can bore 1.00mm over(roughly 0.040) and port and polish the heads. Looking at around $1600 parts and machine shop that way. Has anyone done that work to the 1.8l and if so how noticeable was it.

I have the webber carb and headers for her either way I go. Also, for the 1.8l, what performance mods have y'all had good luck with, and companies to get them from.

Lastly, I am looking to put a 5 speed trans in it. Read some earlier about being able to do that, but needing to change the pinion or the rear end. What year and model truck do I want the trans out of, and the pinion or differential. If possible, can I have just the pinion changed, or the yolk at the back of the trans.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank yall very much. If anyone is in Texas, Dallas area, we need to do a Sunday cruise

Pistons are available for having to bore out the stock block. Look at pistons for 1.9 impaulse. As far as the rear end gears go, yes there are many out there, do a search as this comes up about one time a month.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

Anyone know of a reputable place I can get a remanufactured 1.8l engine. I pulled mine apart, the cylinder walls badly scratched from a piece of the piston on #3 coming off. Took out the rings. Thinking detonation. Also the valves in 2-3 & 4 have pieces missing and there is a crack between 3 & 2. Rebuild would not be likely. carmonkeys.com has a used with 146,xxx, but for the price and milage, probably a rebuild candidate. Only thing they can tell me is compression is within spec, and mileage. But nothing about vehicle, and wont tell me the compression #'s they got. $1000 for the motor. Hoping there is a better option

Try to find a 1.9 G200Z, direct bolt up, more HP & torque, will be newer since they were made through '87 & parts are more readily available even for a rebuilder core. Further upgrades are a 1.8 head for more compression, pre-'79 intakes for larger valves, re-ground cam
You don't need a new pinion or rear end or any such nonsense, you do need the slip yoke that matches the 5sp tranny, it's larger & has a different spline count than your stock one.

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'78 Chevy LUV,1.9,4sp,headers,31's,SAS Dana 30,Dana 20,SOA rear w/Aussie Locker, rough body, bought new 12/4/78.
'87 Trooper,2.3,5sp,headers,31's,ball joint flip & spacer,Aussie Locker rear,Superwinch hubs,brush guard w/5.5K winch,more to come.

I found a couple 1.9l's, that is what I'm gonna do, If my 1.8l head is reusable I will Use that, then my intake, carb and pacesetter header will bolt up no issue. Are the ujoints the same for the 5 speed and the 4 speed driveshaft, so all I have to do is get a slip yoke with the 5 speed and swap it on to the current driveshaft?

Im also gonna port & polish the heads and headers, so ill see what that does also. Gonna try and get a set of 33in mud tires under her, hoping the IFS can handle them, sense they don't spin to fast or hard

The u-joints are probably the same, but since the 4x4 5sp is longer than the 4sp you are going to have to shorten the rear shaft & lengthen the front, so just have the new shafts fabbed from the best matching parts of the old.
On second thought don't bother with a 5sp swap, with 33" tires you'll never use 5th gear, you'll never find enough HP. 4th gear with the 33" tires will produce a higher final drive than 5th gear with the stock tires. To mount the 33's you'll need a full suspension lift & at least 2" body lift plus some major front fender trimming.

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'78 Chevy LUV,1.9,4sp,headers,31's,SAS Dana 30,Dana 20,SOA rear w/Aussie Locker, rough body, bought new 12/4/78.
'87 Trooper,2.3,5sp,headers,31's,ball joint flip & spacer,Aussie Locker rear,Superwinch hubs,brush guard w/5.5K winch,more to come.