I was told that the 4.2L 258 in my AMC Gremlin was a ford motor, is this true?

 

No. The 258 motor was AMC's design. It's heritage lies in the 232 I-6 that Kaiser devolped for the Jeep line.

However AMC was always broke, so many parts from other manufacturers appear on their vehicles. My AMC-era Jeep has a Motorcraft distributor, a GM alternator, and steering column, and a Chrysler made intake manifold.

 

ohh ok, thanks for clearin that up for me

 

Pretty sure the Jeep 2.5 4 cylinder is the GM Iron Duke.........or used to be.

 

They also got the 225 Buick odd-fire V6 for some of the Jeeps from '67 to '74. It had originally been designed as something cheaper to replace the 215 aluminum V8 as a more economical engine in the mid-60's, but it was unpopular. Buick sold the dies and rights to Jeep in 1967. Then, in '74, Buick bought back the dies and started using the engines again for their better fuel economy. This engine was the basis for today's GM 231 V6, which is probably one of the better V6's in production by anybody.

 

One friend of mine has an '89 Jeep. It has the GMC 2.5-liter. Another friend bought a '91 or '92, and it has the Chrysler 2.5.

 

The AMC 258 can also be found in some '70s IHC trucks and Scouts and also a few had AMC 401s. The 258 6cyl or 4.2L was the basis for Chryslers 4.0L after they bought Jeep some parts interchange if I'm not mistaken (with machining anyway). I've got a Jeep pickup with a AMC 360 that has a Motorcraft 2bbl, GM powersteering=saginaw pump and box, Motorcraft starter with the Ford style solenoid on the inner fender and a Motorcraft ignition module.

 

Some how my message got eaten.

AMC debuted their own 2.5l 4-cyl in 1984. Before that they used the Pontiac version of the Iron Duke. After that they continued with that motor until the Chrylser buy-out of 1987, Chrysler continued producing the same motor until its replacement with the current 2.4l Power-Tech 4-cyl. Chrylser also adopted the AMC designed motor for its small cars (lebaron,shadow,duster) to replace their crap-tacular 2.0 and 2.2l 4-cyl.

They guy with the 89 2.5l, unless it was replaced it was the AMC design, it may have had some GM badged parts. After the buyout, Jeep wasn't allowed to dispose of anything, they used up parts in the factories until the Chrysler badged parts arrived.



******-Kaiser-Overland, ******, and AMC were always cash poor, so many different parts made apperances in Jeep models.

Someone mentioned the Buick Odd-Fire motors. There was an earlier V-6 Buick motor, IIRC was in the 225 c.i. range.(probably Dauntless). There was also the Buick version of the 327c.i. in the Full size Wagoneers.


Now, IH motors and AMC are not the same thing, and do not interchange. IH and AMC used similar displacements but the motors are different. The IH version of the 401, was descended out of their commercial truck line, and AMC's was devolped in their own ED. The 4.0l and 4.2l(258) motors are both descended from the early 232 I-6, which is the motor Kaiser had devolped for Jeep models, but later sold to IH in quite large numbers.

AMC/Jeep actually had the 4.0l on the drawing board in 1984, when they debuted the midsize Cherokee models. But the motor wasn't ready, and the Cherokee shipped with either a 2.5l Jeep 4-cyl., a 2.8l V-6 from Chevy, or a 2.1l Turbo Diesel from Renault.(Renault owned 49% of AMC at this point). The 4.0l MPI motor debuted in 1987 model Cherokees, and Comanches, in late 1986. The motor wasn't offered until 1990 model Wranglers, signalling the doom of the 258 4.2l. The Chrysler buy-out wasn't until fall of 1987. Chrysler had nothing to do with the devolpment of the 4.0l.

 

The 258 is an enlarged version of the 232 "Typhoon" engine that first appeared in the 1964 Rampler Classic Typhoon (a limited-edition 2-door hardtop). It had nearly the horsepower of AMC's small V8, and was a new design from the ground up. The 6-cylinder Kaisers were flathead Continentals; they had nothing in common with AMC's motors.

 

Jeff, your right. I was having a 'blond' moment. The 258 was a Typhoon-derivative. Who knows what I was attempting to say at that point.

 

Someone mentioned the Buick Odd-Fire motors. There was an earlier V-6 Buick motor, IIRC was in the 225 c.i. range.(probably Dauntless). There was also the Buick version of the 327c.i. in the Full size Wagoneers.


Actually the 327 used in the full size wagoneers and pickups from 65-mid 68 was the Rambler designed 327 that started life as the 250 in 55 or 56, they also made the 287 from this same engine. In the Ramblers you could get this as a 2 or 4b, although the 327 only came in the Ambassadors till 65. But in the Jeeps it only came as a 2b. Starting in mid 68 Jeep used the Buick 350

 

Well, if you think about it, some AMC products aught to be pretty darned good since they're somewhat Ford. The GM part of it will cause you the problems.

Cody

 

From what I remember the AMC products were reliable. They had 4x4 cars before they were cool, and the big AMC engines were power houses.

 

Well, this is the only AMC i have ever owned since i am only 19, but i can vouch for the powerhouse for this 258, it will roast the tires off and slam you back in your seat. Haven't felt power like that since i had a v8 dakota

 

You all got me to thinking, So I dug out my Jeep history books. Both the Buick 'Wildcat' 327, and Rambler's(later AMC) 327 made appearances in Jeep's power line-up.