JKDinker

Hey Woody, did they get the sticker or did you have to go to the referee? Curious. Seen your jeep around town. Looks badass!

Woody99

They took it to the referee for me and obtained the sticker. It is nice knowing that I can take it to the dealer, and smog it when it comes time. They are also working on a deal where they swap in a used powertrain and the costs end up being pretty reasonable when you add up all the required parts.

maverick

My local shop is indicating they can perform a HEMI-conversion for much less... even under the $14k, BUT... I would feel much more comfortable with a company with a good-standing track record. I'd rather pay an additional $5k up front rather than nickle and diming an additional $3k fixing things that showed up later... something that wasn't properly engineered or something simply overlooked due to lack of experience.

Rottwheeler

Randy - To confirm, you had eveything you needed in the kit and did not have to purchase additional parts from Mopar or elsewhere (other than the engine and trans)? Thanks!

RedneckJeep

As a long time line tech, I'm callin total bullshit on the 12 hour thing. I don't give a rat's ass how many "techs" are workin on it. Yall been watchin too much Overhaulin. I don't care how good you are, somethin always always always ends up bitin you in the ass on these kinda projects. There are always fires to put out. Somebody thinks it's all smooth sailin ain't ever turned a wrench for very long. These specialty shops like what Camp owns have it down to as little trouble as possible....and I promise you even Camp will admit stuff still pops up and catches them by surprise. It just happens. Thing is, sounds like COP has alotted for all that with their time frame and price point. I think the safe thing to remember here is, you get what you pay for. Want a factory done job? Use Camp, SLC, Northridge, Burnsville and the like. Want a duct tape job? Use somebody else.

Littlejon

AEV has it down to 16 hours in a parking lot of MOAB durring EJS while they are answering spectator questions. They can and do get them done in 12 hours or less in the shop with 2 to 3 tech working on them at a time.

spinlock

Some of the factors that *may* contribute to this time are:

1. AEV developed one of the most popular swap kits so they know where many of the gotchas arise
2. They have performed more swaps than others so they really know to prevent or solve the gotchas
3. They prestage a vehicle they have already done part or the whole swap on.

Still 12 hours sounds like a NASCAR pit crew.

therza

I agree with everything N30EX said about the kit. The engine mounts are very easy to line up. Same for the trans mount. The photos in the instructions are great. As for purchasing additional parts, the kit manufacturer supplies a COMPLETE BOM inlcuding Mopar part numbers for everything you MAY (or may not) need. It all depends on the motor and trans and where you bought it. For example, if you get a complete used "drop out" that still have the trans bolted to the motor and the accessories on the front, you will need little to nothing from Mopar (Power steering pump, fluids, a sensor or two maybe). However, if you buy a new crate motor and crate transmission, then you will need to buy the front accessories - alternator, AC compressor, etc. And then you will need to buy the bolts for the front accesories. Depending on the oil pan you will need dust shields and such. Not a big deal, but this is where good planning up front cuts down on the number of trips to the dealer. As I said in other posts, it would be good to talk to the parts manager at your local dealership, tell him or her what you are doing and ask for a discount on all purchases for this project. It can save some $$. With good planning, you can get away with 2 or 3 trips for parts. And there will always be a gotcha or two. Mine were: 1. Needed more hose for the trans cooler 2. needed to change a sensor that did not mate with the wiring harness. 3. Dust shield for flywheel. (This was really a pain because the dealer could not find the correct part number for it. They finally pulled a 2009 Commander into the shop, lifted it and took a picture of the shield. Using that, they were finally able to figure out the part number and order one.)

The best approach is to use the kit manufacturer's instructions and BOM extensively and plan well. The first time you read the BOM and instructions, it seems complicated. But once you break it down and understand what it is telling you, it falls into place very quickly. Most important, take your time. If you have a deadline you have to meet, you will run into issues. I spread my install over a couple weeks. This allowed plenty of time to deal with the missing bolt or wrong sensor (that the dealer has to order in and it takes 3 days to get!)

In summary, there is no way the kit manufacturer can cost effectively provide EVERYTHING you will need. Every job is slightly different depending on the exact year and application of the motor and trans. And keep your old motor and trans nearby. I found myslef scavenging miscellaneous brackets and such off the old motor and trans.

Jeepnboy

I am not seeing the problem with the idea that a group of guys that do these conversions for a living could have this down to a 12 hour project.

Couple of examples.

#1 - The first time I did a clutch on my CJ it probably took me an entire weekend in the garage, between figuring out how to get the thrust washer out to extracting the broken bolts. Years later, I could drop my transmission in the camp ground in Moab, replace a fork in the tranny and be back wheeling in 3 hours. Let's just say, I had dropped that tranny a few times... I am not a fast wrench by any means, but when you have done a specific task so many times, it simply goes faster.

#2 - I have an old friend who I claim is the best mechanic I know, specifically on mopar products. The first night I met him, he arrived at the high school autoshop at 6:30pm in an dodge truck. He dropped the auto tranny, pulled it completely apart and rebuilt the entire thing and drove it home. Autoshop closed at 9pm. I still wonder how this was possible, but I watched him disbelief.

12 Hours with 2 or 3 experienced hands who do this job everyday, very reasonable in my opinion.

jeddi

For what it's worth I've spoken to the guy who runs the shop a few times (but never met him), he seems like a very nice guy.
I've also seen couple of his TJ's with Hemi for sale on CL.
Other local people who have worked with him, have mentioned good things about him to me.
J