Basically, I'm more concerned about externals...

1) will the timing belt cover from a 2.6 fit a 2.3? (it appears that the crank pulley has eaten a hole in the cover)
2) will the cranck and cam sprockets from a 2.6 fit a 2.3?
3) will the cool valve cover with the screww in oil filler from a 2.6 fit a 2.3?
4) harmonic balancer?
5) p/s pump?
6) anything else you can tink of- brackets accessories?

the reason I ask is because the u-pull it yard I go to has 2 2.6 troopers and I am planning a rebuild of my 86 troop with the 2.3. I'd love to take advanage of this, because this salvage yard has the absolute best prices. (I just got a pair of superwinch hubs for my '90 troop for... get this... $5.00 a piece and they threw in a 1989 Trooper/Trooper II owners manual for free. This place is sooo well priced you can get an engne for under $200.00 and a transmission for under $100.00)
Many many thanks,
Steve

Get an engine and put the 2.3 intake stuff on top of it. Much better approach.

If you are ambitious, pull the 2.6 and the associated wiring and go to town.

Michael

So am I to understnd that the intake manifold from the 2.3 will bolt onto the 2.6 head, or just put the carb and vac/emission onto the 2.6 manifold? I really like the crudimentary narture of the carburetor set up rather than having any performance gains through efi- I'll get a weber, a cam and exhaust if I want better performance.
I like to save time and money when I can, so if I can just buy the little pieces off the junkyard engine and put it on the (soon to be rebuilt) 2.3, I will. I can't see much gain in power/ performance if I use either engine with a carbureted intake.
thanks,
steve

Well, there is just not much that that is worth your time to swap from the 2.6 to the 2.3. Maybe the timing cover, if you need it. But other than that, don't bother.

As far as engines, you can't beat displacement and with the 2.3, you don't got much, but the 2.6 has more. There have been a few people who have bolted the 2.3 intake stuff onto the 2.6. The 2.6 will mate to your transmission, it will physically fit and the carb will run it (A Weber may run it better, but...). I know that Delta Cams (if they are still around) has a grind for a carbed 2.6.

The EFI route is probably not worth your money, unless you are looking for something to preoccupy your time.

Search a bit. I know that Jerry has advised people in the past regarding such swaps.

Good Luck,
Michael