Out with the Sprintex, In with the LS3... MoTech Swap

[rgeorge33]

I wanted to get a thread started for my project. It is mild compared to most of the Jeeps I usually see in this section. However, I think it will fit my needs quite well. I'm in Kansas City and don't do any rock crawling or anything major. It's my daily driver and it gets driven through fields occasionally to get to a decent place to go shoot!

It's a '14 that I put a Sprintex SC on this winter. Unfortunately, after a few months I really wasn't satisfied. The power was good, but drivability was pretty bad. Gary and the guys at Sprintex tried to get it right, but the diablosport tuner just isn't capable enough to fix all the issues. Additionally, I didn't feel like being a Guinea pig. The shifting was never really satisfactory. So I looked for proven solutions to increase power...

Now for the LS3... The Jeep is currently at MoTech in the capable hands of Robbie and his team. They are putting in a new LS3 and 6L80. It's getting all the usual stuff to go along with the LS3: HD driveshafts, radiator, exhaust, AeroForce gauge, and the cruise and tap shift module. Here are a few of the most recent pictures that show the progress so far. I'll be sure to add more as I get them.













And here's one from our trip down...

[JeepLab]

I wanted to get a thread started for my project. It is mild compared to most of the Jeeps I usually see in this section. However, I think it will fit my needs quite well. I'm in Kansas City and don't do any rock crawling or anything major. It's my daily driver and it gets driven through fields occasionally to get to a decent place to go shoot!

It's a '14 that I put a Sprintex SC on this winter. Unfortunately, after a few months I really wasn't satisfied. The power was good, but drivability was pretty bad. Gary and the guys at Sprintex tried to get it right, but the diablosport tuner just isn't capable enough to fix all the issues. Additionally, I didn't feel like being a Guinea pig. The shifting was never really satisfactory. So I looked for proven solutions to increase power...

Now for the LS3... The Jeep is currently at MoTech in the capable hands of Robbie and his team. They are putting in a new LS3 and 6L80. It's getting all the usual stuff to go along with the LS3: HD driveshafts, radiator, exhaust, AeroForce gauge, and the cruise and tap shift module. Here are a few of the most recent pictures that show the progress so far. I'll be sure to add more as I get them.













And here's one from our trip down...

WHOA! that is insane. You really did it fast.

[rgeorge33]

WHOA! that is insane. You really did it fast.

Yeah, it probably seems pretty fast, but this is my daily driver. I wasn't content being a Guinea pig while they tried to figure out the tune. It was especially frustrating during the cold winter months. I had a few codes and the shifting was never great... I'd rather spend the money, get it right, and enjoy my Jeep.

Unfortunately, I don't believe that any of the affordable power adders will work well with the stock transmission. Since none of the tuners have broken the code for the W5A580, we can't address the trans parameters. We're trying to fool an adaptive transmission that's calibrated for 1bar atmosphere readings to deal with a 2bar setup. I found it to be unpredictable and frustrating. The "lift-to-shift" condition is an absolute joke... No modern vehicle should be plagued by this.

At this point, I'm just looking forward to getting it back and driving with the stock GM tune. The stock maps for the LS3 and trans should be plenty to haul the jeep around, while doing so in a civilized manner. I'll certainly post up with my feedback and thoughts.

[WhiteRavenRR]

I hope it all goes well. I know I'm getting jealous. Just a tad...

[FLIPmeOVER]

is this engine in and functional?

[rgeorge33]

is this engine in and functional?

The engine is in, but not functional yet. The motor mounts are welded in and the engine is set. They'll attach the transfer case, install the exhaust, attach the harness to all the sensors, and finish up a few other things, then the body gets dropped. Robbie hopes to get it started later this week or next. It should be completely finished in the next couple weeks.

[FLIPmeOVER]

I cannot wait to hear this thing. Your gonna HAVE to race baumann.

[Yoinkers]

whats the weight of this powerplant vs. the hemi?

[boosted1]

What kind of power do you expect this to deliver?
What kind of fuel economy?
How about the braking?
i am not being critical I would just like to get some feedback as to why someone would do this much work and spend this much money for so little? I understand the frustration with the SC but add that to the price of this and WOW

[gbaumann]

What kind of power do you expect this to deliver?
What kind of fuel economy?
How about the braking?
i am not being critical I would just like to get some feedback as to why someone would do this much work and spend this much money for so little? I understand the frustration with the SC but add that to the price of this and WOW

Because when it comes to power mods we care about power and how it is implemented. We care less about price. And having a power mod that is "almost right" doesn't cut it. It's that simple.