Jeep Wrangler Engine Swap Hemi Engine - Jeep Transmission, Raditor, Power, Cost

Here are more parts included with the conversion kit. This is the kit that won Burnsville the Chrysler Design Excellence award (pictured on the right) at the 2007 SEMA show. Visible is a new aluminum radiator, a pair of engine mounts, a wiring harness, an engine computer, a transmission mount, a steering shaft relocator, and a variety of brackets and mounts. Not pictured is the K&N air filter.
Here are more parts included with the conversion kit. This is the kit that won Burnsville
Here you can see a JK prepped and almost ready to receive the new 7.0L Hemi. This station was manned by technician Chad Roy, who also has years of experience doing Hemi conversions.
Here you can see a JK prepped and almost ready to receive the new 7.0L Hemi. This station
The stock motor mounts are removed from the vehicle and the framerails are smoothed in preparation for the new mounts. Here you can see the driver-side framerail prepped for the new mount.
The stock motor mounts are removed from the vehicle and the framerails are smoothed in pre

The new mounts are designed and manufactured by Burnsville. A measurement is taken from the front of the frame to place the mount and then the mount is tack-welded in place in preparation for final welding.
The new mounts are designed and manufactured by Burnsville. A measurement is taken from th
Roy welded on the new mounts next. These new mounts are made from 3/16-inch-thick metal, compared to the 1/8-inch-thick stock mounts.
Roy welded on the new mounts next. These new mounts are made from 3/16-inch-thick metal, c
There are a number of underhood mods that have to be completed before the engine is installed. For instance, a steering-shaft relocator is installed to move the steering shaft over about an inch (shown) so the shaft clears the driver-side valve cover and exhaust manifold; the OEM battery box is modified to work with the new mount and still retain the factory look; the passenger-side firewall is modified to make room for the head; and the new transmission mount is welded to the factory crossmember.
There are a number of underhood mods that have to be completed before the engine is instal

Once everything is prepped, the new 7.0L Hemi and transmission was slid into the engine bay. Roy has done so many of these he makes it all look easy. In less than 10 minutes he had the engine in position and he was bolting in the motor and transmission mounts.
Once everything is prepped, the new 7.0L Hemi and transmission was slid into the engine ba
The next major item to be installed is the radiator assembly. What they use here is a custom-made two-row double-pass aluminum radiator that allows all of the surrounding factory components to be reused. The result is an assembly that is almost identical to the factory setup as far as fitment, but offers the improvement in cooling needed for the new Hemi.
The next major item to be installed is the radiator assembly. What they use here is a cust
The stock transmission cooler is converted to a power-steering cooler. They also add a large auxiliary transmission cooler to the rig.
The stock transmission cooler is converted to a power-steering cooler. They also add a lar

Next we moved to a station with a completed install. This particular vehicle had a Hemi paired with the six-speed manual transmission. Each install gets a custom-designed exhaust and of course new driveshafts are needed. This particular rig had an Atlas transfer case, but the standard conversion reuses the stock JK transfer case.
Next we moved to a station with a completed install. This particular vehicle had a Hemi pa
Here's the finished install. This is a 6.1L conversion, but its representative of any one of the Burnsville conversions. Notice how clean the install looks. Burnsville makes it a point to reuse as many OEM parts as possible and they designed the kit to retain an OEM look. Seeing this whenever you open your JK hood wouldn't be a bad thing.
Here's the finished install. This is a 6.1L conversion, but its representative of any one

Here's the reality of working on modern engines. Fitting the Hemi and transmission is only half the job. Without the proper programming the engine and transmission are just worthless underhood ornaments. McKeag reports that he spent well over $150,000 and a significant amount of time on programming the engine computer. The JK has an electronic infrastructure that is far beyond the previous-generation TJ, and it all has to be deciphered and modified so the new Hemi/transmission can operate correctly. McKeag says, "The install is transparent as far as the original vehicle equipment is concerned. Absolutely everything that worked with the 3.8L engine works with the Hemi." He's referring to things like the Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), and Hill Start Assist, as well as all the vehicle's other on-board electronics. "Any dealer can troubleshoot and fix anything on the vehicle using the StarSCAN," he notes. The StarSCAN is an electronic service tool produced by Chrysler that works with the new CAN communication protocol.

So What's It Like To Drive One?
The adrenalin hit us as soon as we started the engine. The rumble from the exhaust was deep and resonant and it hinted at what was to come. As we let the clutch out the power rolled on smooth and we pointed the rig toward the open road where we could mash the throttle. With boot-to-mat, the pull of the 7.0L was pin-you-to-your-seat incredible. The six-speed shifter had a short throw with a very solid feel, and it reminded us of some high-performance sports cars we've driven. But here's the thing: In just normal commuting the engine and trans is ultra civilized. We wouldn't hesitate to hand the keys to our wife. And with the stability control and roll mitigation systems working as intended, we wouldn't hesitate to buckle the kids in too.

So What Does It Cost?
We know what you're thinking. You're thinking that this conversion probably isn't cheap. You would be correct, but hey, you wanna play...well, you know the rest. Full turnkey conversions on a JK you provide have a base price ranging from between $20,500 for a 5.7L Hemi with an automatic transmission to $43,500 for the top-of-the-line 7.2L Hemi with the six-speed manual transmission. The 7.0L conversion with automatic transmission that we installed has a price tag of $35,500. Pricing on all engine/trans combinations is available on the Burnsville website. If Burnsville completes the install with a 5.7-, 6.1- or 6.3-liter engine, you get a 3-year/30,000-mile warranty. The 7.0- and 7.2-liter engines get a 1-year/12,000-mile warranty. All transmissions have a 3-year warranty. These warranties are impressive and they show that the Burnsville team has confidence in their conversions. For do-it-yourselfer's there is a basic install kit available for $3,500.

Let's Talk Power
The factory 3.8L V-6 used in the Wrangler produces 202 hp and 237 lb-ft of torque. The base 5.7L offered by Burnsville makes 340 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, which is a pretty dramatic improvement. But the improvement in horsepower and torque between the available Hemi displacements is even more dramatic. For instance, the 7.0L we installed makes a whopping 600 hp and 610 lb-ft of torque, while the 7.2L ups the ante even more with a stunning 710 hp and 715 lb-ft of torque.