'90 Isuzu Trooper + LX9

[Canyonero]

This is no longer hypothetical. I now own one 29k mile LX9 from a 2005 Chevy Uplander.

Now to fit it in my Trooper. Who's in?

[2.8-350TBI]

3500 swapped trooper lol.

Awesome sauce, I love how its gonna be longitudinal

So, whats in it for engine management?

[Canyonero]

Keeping it simple, I made a harness for my 3.4L to run it from a 1227727 (underhood version of '7730). But I never used it aside from one test run, I dumped the engine back to TBI for simplicity.

I'm going to modify that harness to run the 3500.

[Canyonero]

I have been working on this and mocking some things up. Most of that is happening over on planetisuzoo.com. If anyone would like to look that over and give feedback here, I'm listening! http://forum.planetisuzoo.com/viewtopic.php?t=47327

I have a set of Hedman headers coming for a 2.8L S10, which I'm sure will have to modified for the LX9 and Trooper chassis, but they're a starting point.

[Superdave]

Nice!


I saw you were having some plenum issues.. have you thought about using a Equinox 3400 plenum?

FWIW, my 3500 plenum fits just fine with all the RWD accessories in the Camaro

[Canyonero]

have you thought about using a Equinox 3400 plenum?

FWIW, my 3500 plenum fits just fine with all the RWD accessories in the Camaro

What's different about the equinox plenum? (edit: I googled it)

A big difference between our vehicles is the size of the engine bay. Yours was made to fit a 5.7L, mine a 1.9L. :P

Even if the inlet is higher, I'm going to have clearance issues. Either with the accessory drive, radiator and cooling fan, or the hood. All the engines used in the 1st Gen Troopers had the intake to the left side. I still think that is ultimately the best way to go. I have some ideas, but all of them involve welding aluminum which I'm not equipped to do myself. :/

[Canyonero]

FWIW, my 3500 plenum fits just fine with all the RWD accessories in the Camaro

I googled a picture of the Camaro 2.8. The MPFI engines had a different accessory layout than the TBI, if I had a Camaro set I'd be in good shape.

Did you just hog out the bolt holes for the brackets? Have any pics of the 3500 as RWD? Make or modify headers?

[Canyonero]

Worked on the engine some this evening. The LIM will need to be rotated, so no-go on the 3x00 timing cover. I'll need to use the RWD setup. Located an '88 Camaro at a yard in Portland where I should be able to get the bits I need.

[Fierobuffoon]

What's different about the equinox plenum? (edit: I googled it)
I have some ideas, but all of them involve welding aluminum which I'm not equipped to do myself. :/

ahem, do it like in the old days, make the manifold from steel, instead, and powdercoat it.. cheaper and can be made thinner, then get it powderchromed.. everyone will think its Aluminum

[Canyonero]

I haven't been concentrating all that hard on the manifold, I'm thinking that will actually be one of the easiest problems to solve.

What I think I'll send up doing is having the inlet from an Isuzu SOHC 3.2L welded onto either a 3400 or LX9 UIM. The throttle is nearly as big as the LX9's, has all the proper sensors and connections, and it will use the same throttle cable as a 2nd Gen Trooper which makes everything easier. Also, it has ISUZU cast into it, nice little touch. I have a '94 Trooper parts truck with all those bits.

[Fierobuffoon]

having extra parts and trucks is a big help!

[nonhog]

Still building this? Looks like fun.

[Canyonero]

Yes and no, I actually still need to move the LX9 from my old shop. It's been sitting on the stand for the last four years. :/

Main complication is the lower end. The cross-bolted mains and structural cast-aluminum oil pan make clearance a no-go. Motor mount bosses are a lot different as well. There may be a reason people tend to do a hybrid build on a RWD 3.4L...

This engine my become a donor for a RWD hybrid build, or go into a completely different vehicle (1970 Opel Kadett Rallye maybe).

I still have my 3.4L with TBI in the Trooper, but recently roasted my injectors and burned up a megasquirt board with that configuration (my fault). So I'm digging up the parts for another configuration I had planned years ago. I'm going to use the earlier style 2.8/3.1L Camaro MPFI intake manifold instead of the 3.4L manifold - fits the engine bay much better.