So I'll be using my Ford to drag home a 1985 hmmwv. Serial number 13xx so it's one of the first units ever made. It has blown engine so I'm thinking about a motor swap and at first I was focusing solely on the 6bt 12v swap but looking into it there are some challenges to it, one being the shear grunt of the engine chaffing components downstream lol. Others being height and length. Yes the 4bt might fit easier but still too tall and I'd prefer a smoother engine experience than the 4 cyl.
My 5 cyl sprinter 2.7 would be the cats meow but so many electronics I couldn't even begin. It's really too bad that these modern engines can't be operated in a stripped down sense even with a new Ecu or something.

So I thought I'd ask you guys since there's some diesel experts here. What engines could you see as swap candidates for a hmmwv? I'd like it to have good wide powerband but not overly powerful. 250 diesel hp would be a great place to end up but even 210 would be fine if extra torqey.
Any good v6 engines out there that don't have computer integration baloney?

Some have used duramax engines for this application but I don't know anything about them. A compact v8 is of course what the engine bay was designed for, but I'm not opposed to a small body lift either if needed.

 

Have you owned/driven one before? As a prior service member you couldn't give me one of these. I don't care what motor is in it, the HMMWV is junk. If you haven't done one of the above I would strongly suggest you do before dumping money into it.

 

Well luckily I'm trying to repair one, not give you one lol. Seems most of my service buddies loved them but no I haven't driven one yet. But this one needs an engine regardless so thats what we are doing. Thanks for the advice.

 

The seats are like 60's lawn chairs, they suspension makes you feel like the frame is welded to the axles, and they're just terribly built. 50 years ago they would be a marvel, but compared to vehicles built after the 90's they're just nothing special. They're slow, they smell (unless you bought one new), they're uncomfortable, have no creature comforts, and feel like what you would get if you asked someone to build a vehicle with as little money as possible.

Steering wheel? Just use some rebar and cover it in thin plastic. CHECK!
Seats? Flat metal covered with half inch foam cushion. CHECK!
Wheels? 50 lugs and stupid rim size. CHECK!
Body shape? SQUARE! CHECK!
Suspension? Just throw some 2 inch thick leaf springs on it. CHECK!
Door seals to keep noise/dust/water/spiders out? Sorry, out of money. NO CHECK!
Sound deadener? Nah, skip it. NO CHECK!


They're like big Jeeps really. I honestly lost all appeal 15 minutes into driving my first one. Now a deuce and a half... I've thought about buying one on more than one occasion!

 

Well I managed to blag one of those when I was in Bosnia, drove from Tuzla up to a mountain and back again, driving back it was snowing and pretty slippery. 4 seats for the 4 of us and I liked it! Much more relaxed than the U.K. Land rovers, and easier to drive. I suppose comparing like with like back then gives it more of a chance...

 

How much more are you going to bash a guys ride that obviously he really wanted to get?

 

Those were not built for comfort,they had a purpose,just like the 6.0 built for purpose,you have a platform there to do anything you want as cool as you want.

 

This sounds like a good project for a 7.3 idi if you want simplicity, but don't mind a turd on power. The 7.3 powerstroke has more electronics, but more power. The 6.0 even more electronics, but even more power and you're already familiar with them.

If it were my rig, it'd be a toss-up between throwing a 1999.5-2003 7.3 or a 2005-2007 6.0 in it. It would come down to which donor motor and accessories i could find first that fit the desired condition and price.

 

Ya I think you're right. Theres no way I could swap new seats into it and gosh I sure do hate having surplus 37" tires for 100$ ea. And your point about the leaf springs that they don't have is totally valid. Oh and the slow smelly part is also a good point since I'm swapping engines and don't even know what one will go in.

You can't compare a humvee to any other car or truck. They are different. They have portal axles, 4 corner ifs (with coils) inboard disc brakes, torsen differentials, etc etc etc. stuff that was revolutionary 40 years ago, and has yet to be rivaled. I still scratch my head why OEMs don't put Torsen diffs in modern cars and trucks. I want one in my Ford. The one I installed in my Tacoma (truetrac) totally transformed the truck in 2wd. Suddenly I could back up hills in reverse and stab the gas leavingnwet parking lots and the truck would just make a slight sound of rubber grabbing pavement or gravel and gone. So a humvee with actual power will definitely out perform any vehicle other than some super modified truggy buggy things or rzr's and stuff. Now if your idea of the perfect vehicle is a pillow that softly but quickly floats you from location to location then perhaps this isn't the right vehicle to choose but I also have some of those and can choose them when I desire. This is a project rig and ya I'm extremely jacked up about it so pee in someone else's cheerios lol

ANyway..... back to the OT topic....

Yeah I don't really want to replace a turd with a turd, want to end up in the 225-275hp range if diesel and the 6.0 gets the boot for complexity alone but also because at least in my truck it has very little torque down low and it makes it very hard to drive off road. I'm always running out of torque at the wrong time and end up stalled on a hill. Granted I'll probably go with an automatic on the humvee but it seems like a naturally torqey motor would be better. I had a Ford with an idi 7.3 when I was much younger. It was a fine engine and got good economy. It's probably a good candidate actually. Was there an IDI turbo 7.3? Or what about a water meth system on an old idi?
There may not be room for side mounted turbos on V motors. You can't swap a chevy truck 6.5td in it without relocating the turbos over the top of the engine for example. The engine bay is a little cramped it looks like, although it extend s under the windshield pretty far into cabin.


I'm actually thinking about a non IC cummins now from pickups 89-93. They have the rotary pump which sounds like it has better drive ability and starting at the expense of ultimate power possibility but that's okay because a mild built 5.9 would be too much for the rest of the drive line anyway. I wish there was a way to use the sprinter 2.7. I really think that would be the ideal motor for these.

 

Here's an extremely slow one for you to consider.

 

I like Hummers,with that being said, I'd big block that sucker with a 502.

 

Check out this place you might find something you can shoehorn in.
Murphy's Surplus |

 

That's certainly a valid option and honestly probably the easier and less maintenance option but would it just feel weird to have a gas engine in there? I dunno! I'm of course drawn to diesels, and I've always wanted a 6bt and never have so this is weighing heavily on that side, but I just know from experience that a diesel will always have drawbacks and for a play vehicle that might sit a lot and definitely not taking long trips or towing I'm not sure a diesel is really smart.

Choices choices. Then again a 502 would not be the cheapest option. But I bet it would climb a sand dune like whoa. I don't know much about big blocks I've only had a few and they weren't modded.

 

They work out great, I have personally done one. Customer went supercharger after awhile and it got crazy but that's another story. The 502 was out of a wrecked truck and was freshened up a bit. Basic ignition and after market fuel injection made it rock.

 

Jeep did it in 2003-2006 - the wrangler rubicons of that year have a torsen LSD in the rear, with air lockers front and rear. So the rear is LSD when unlocked, fully locked when locked. I don't know if they used it after 06 or not.