A few years back we covered a frame up restoration of Rich’s CJ. The old Jeep was stripped and completely redone. See Rich’s 84 CJ-7 Restoration
After a few years the engine that Rich had built started showing some signs of being tired. AMC engines are known for some design weaknesses and the fact that they aren’t the most popular engine makes good rebuilders hard to find. After deciding to replace the engine with a fresh one he also decided to convert the Jeep to an automatic. The factory T-4 was just waiting to be broken by the torque and horsepower from the 360 and an automatic just makes driving a little more comfortable.
To see more about the engine replacement check out the full article…New High Performance AMC V8 for Rich’s 84 CJ-7
The TorqueFlite 727 was a popular automatic that originally appeared in 1956 and was used in various forms into the 1990s. Comparable in strength to the GM TH400 this transmission will easily hand the horsepower of a small block V8.
The TF727 was used in full size Jeeps (SJs and J series pickups) in the 80s and early 90s. It has the standard AMC bolt pattern on the engine side and it has the circular bolt pattern and 23 spline output on the transfer case side. The transfer case bolt pattern for the 727 is the same as Dana 300, and most of the New Process transfer cases used in 1980+ Jeeps.
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TorqueFlite 727 Ratios
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On a CJ, there is not sufficient clearance for the drive shaft with a stock suspension, but with a three to four inch lift and a dropped bump stop, the drive shaft will not hit the pan. The picture to the right shows the Dana 300 and 727 combination with a 6-8 degree angle on the drive shaft. This angle on the drive shaft gives keeps it clear of the pan.
Probably the hardest part of doing a TF727 swap is getting the correct kick down linkage. Most full size Jeeps used the AMC 360 during the 80s and early 90s and most CJs and YJs used the AMC 258. The linkage is different and the proper linkage and proper adjustment of the linkage is essential to transmission life. If an engine swap is also planned to a 360 or 401, this will not be an issue.
A solution to the kick-down problem is swap in a kick-down cable for the TF727 which is available from Lokar Performance.
