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Thread: Vigilante?

  1. #1

    Default Vigilante?

    Has any one put in a 327 vigilante in a M715? and if so how did it work out? Thanks for any help on this.

  2. #2

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    I would imagine it would be similar to installing the amc 360 which is largely a bolt in fit. You will have to switch in a civillian radiator core support (also a bolt in,use a v-8 civ jeep truck one) so that you can accomodate the larger v-8 radiator. Then you will have to adapt the trans to the engine, Im not sure about the bell housing fit of the kaiser v-8
    68 M-715 MVPA #2710

  3. #3

    Default

    I'm sure it could be done. The only problem is the parts for the engine are becomming very hard to find. You might be able to do it all with Jeep parts.

  4. #4
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    I'm pretty sure the AMC 327 and AMC 360/304/390/401 don't have the same bolt pattern. I hear it's an excellent and very durable engine, but as mentioned before, parts are getting hard to find.

  5. #5

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    The 327 is a Buick V-8 it shares the same bellhousing as the Buick V6,225,231.

  6. #6
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by 4X4jeepfreak View Post
    The 327 is a Buick V-8 it shares the same bellhousing as the Buick V6,225,231.
    I think you are confusing the AMC 327 with the Buick 350 Jeep used in until 1971.

    http://www.allpar.com/mopar/amc-engines.html

    From Wikipedia:

    "The AMC 327 was similar to the 287, but displaced 327 in³ (5.4 L) due to the bore increase to 4.0". Unlike the 250, the 327 came with hydraulic valve lifters.

    This engine debuted in a special edition Rambler Rebel of which only 1500 were made. All had silver paint with a gold-anodized "spear" on each side. This was to be the first electronic fuel injected (EFI) production engine, but teething problems with the Bendix "Electrojector" unit meant that only a few engineering and press cars were built, estimated to be no more than six units. At least two pre-production Rebels with EFI, however, are known to have been built. One was sent to Daytona Beach, Florida for "Speed Week" (the forerunner of today's Daytona 500). It was the second fastest car on the beach, bested only by a 1957 Chevrolet Corvette with mechanical fuel injection, and only by a couple tenths of a second. The EFI 327 was rated at 288 horsepower (215 kW), and the production 4V carbureted model at 255 hp (190 kW). All the EFI cars were reportedly converted to 4V carb before being sold; none are known to have existed outside the engineering department at AMC. The main problem was that vacuum tube and early transistor electronics just could not keep up with the demands of "on the fly" engine controls. Ironically, Bendix licensed patents based on the 1957 the design (patent dated 1960) to Bosch, who perfected it as the basis for their D-Jetronic injections system, first used in 1967. From this one could derive that the 1957 Rebel (and EFI in general) was ten years ahead of its time.

    The 327 was not available in any other Rambler models in 1957 other than the Special Edition Rebel. The Nash Ambassador and Hudson Hornet "Special" models were dropped after 1956, replaced by standard wheelbase models with the 327 V8 instead of the 250 V8. When the big Nash and Hudson cars were dropped after 1957, they were replaced by the 1958 "Ambassador by Rambler" — a stretched Rebel (Rambler V8) with the 327 V8 instead of the 250. The 327 was exclusive to the Ambassador line and could not be ordered in a Rebel or Classic through 1964. For 1965 and 1966 the 287 and 327 were both available in the Classic or Ambassador.

    The 327 was also sold to Kaiser Motors from 1965 to 1967 for use in the early Wagoneers and the Gladiator pick-ups. Jeep called it the "Vigilante" V8. Kaiser-Jeep switched to Buick 350s in 1967 to power these vehicles. The GM engine was used up to 1970 when Jeeps once again were powered by AMC. That was the year American Motors acquired the Jeep Division of Kaiser.

    There was a low and high compression version of the 327 starting in 1960. Prior to 1960 all were high compression. All low compression models used a 2V carburetor and all high compression models received a 4V carb. "Low" compression was 8.7:1, high 9.7:1. Piston top design changed compression, the heads were identical."

  7. #7
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    Default

    The 327 was the same one in the Rambler Rebel. I worked with a fellow who had one for many years. It wasn't a particularly great or powerful engine, but it was pretty reliable. I think it was a 2 bbl.

    Parts for them are about as easy to get as the Tornado stuff, and just as expensive.

    Other than being different, it probably would be a rather expensive swap and a step backward.

    That said though, build it the way you want it and enjoy it!

  8. #8

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    I was under the impression that Kaiser used Buick engines up untill AMC took over in 1972.
    But I have been wrong befor and I will be wrong again

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by 4X4jeepfreak View Post
    I was under the impression that Kaiser used Buick engines up untill AMC took over in 1972.
    But I have been wrong befor and I will be wrong again
    Jeep used the Buick 350 from 68(?) until 71. I had a 1970 J4000 with the 350. Very sweet engine. But completely unrelated to the AMC 327

  10. #10
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    Correct. The Kaiser era 327 and 283 are uniquie to Kaiser.
    I found it interesting that the Kaiser 327 bore and stroke are almost identical to the Chevy version and that the year Kaiser stopped making theirs, Chevy started...

    They are scarce...I have seen the 27 in a Waggy in a junkyard years ago...so it will fit easy..

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