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Option for engine swap 2000 XJ

Skeeter

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Pennsylvania
Hey yall I'm new to this forum so I may not be in the right place to ask this question but I got a 2000 XJ 4.0L 4x4 with 300k miles and instead of doing a rebuild I'm wanting to drop a new motor in but I dont want to put in another 4.0L (even though it's a great motor) it has the AW4 trans, not sure about T-case. I would like to stay away from the LS swaps due to costing an arm and a leg.
So what other choices do I have with minor frame/body fab?

Any and all info would help.
 
I’ve always wanted to do a diesel swap... but haven’t yet, is that even on your radar?


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Yeah that was on my radar for a while going back and forth with the 4BT cummins or the OM617 Mercedes but both seemed to be out of my ballpark at about $14k when I'm looking more towards $10k or less depending on the donor.

At the moment I've been looking into the Chevy 350, 305, or the 4.7 Chrysler/GM, or the ford 5.0 but I just dont know where to find adapters and or what all needs to be pulled from a donor or bought.
 
How about a 5.2 or 5.9 magnum swap. Easy to find and both were available in Jeeps. I've seen some threads of plopping them in an XJ so its definitely do able
 
How about a 4.7 stroker? It's not a 4.0 anymore :p and you get a lot more power and torque without having to change a ton of things out, like a V8 swap. I just grabbed some good stroker #'s and you are looking at around 290hp @ 5100rpm, 340lbft @ 3700rpm, That is about the same as 5.9L Grand Cherokee numbers which are 245 hp @ 4,000 rpm 345 lb-ft @ 3,200 rpm and it is a new engine as well. Just something to think about. The stroker is a bolt in. Of course if you can find a cheap wrecked 5.9 and have good fab skills, that could be a fun project. Don't underestimate the hidden cost for a complete engine swap though. All the little things tend to add up quickly!
 
I can only comment on the 5.9 as I had one in my Grand Cherokee. Absolute beast. Anyone who's owned one or driven one can confirm. Would definitely be cool and one of a kind. Simple enough to drop the whole drivetrain in and around me they're found for a grand or less for everything
 
LS truck motor.
 
Just about any swap is going to cost a good amount. Issue with all the swaps is cooling challenges. TDI conversion is a good diesel option if you haven't looked into. I'd vote against a 4.7 swap. Yes, I have one in my WJ and love it but it's a love hate relationship with that thing. Was just rebuilt and not even 10k it either threw a rockers arm or dropped a valve seat. Still trying to get that figured out. 350 is going to be the best V8 option.
 
Hey yall I'm new to this forum so I may not be in the right place to ask this question but I got a 2000 XJ 4.0L 4x4 with 300k miles and instead of doing a rebuild I'm wanting to drop a new motor in but I dont want to put in another 4.0L (even though it's a great motor) it has the AW4 trans, not sure about T-case. I would like to stay away from the LS swaps due to costing an arm and a leg.
So what other choices do I have with minor frame/body fab?

Any and all info would help.

Check out the sloppy mechanics group on Facebook. Its the home of low budget LS swaps. Truck motors can be cheap, often in a donor vehicle so you've got all the parts.
 
Yeah LS swap is about as cheap and easy as it gets. Pretty much any other swap is going to involve a lot more custom, or harder to find parts, or leave you with something that is a serious downgrade from the 4.0.
 
LS Swap will be in the $10k range for it to be reliable or a DD, plus or minus a couple thousand depending on your emissions laws and what your Jeep already has (ei: i needed to long arm mine to fit the cats for the swap, you may not have to in your state...just an example of cost variations).

I know you said no LS swap but then you said your budget was $10k to $14k.......LS swap would be the easiest and most economical.
 
5.2 or 5.9 in my opinion is easiest and cheapest

Fuel pump requires no change and fittings are identical
Stock gauges are retained and computer will talk to them as long as it is the same bus “CCD”

Wiring is 95% the same. When I custom built my own harness using the 5.9 and my 4.0 harness, most of the colors matched.

If anyone is serious about the swap, I am more than willing to provide help
 
Transmission options are 44re or 46re for auto. Manuals would be either nv3500 or ax15. The np231 transfer case will bolt right up to any of these. No adapter required

Downside is by today’s standards, power output is low
5.2 230 hp 295 ft/lbs ish
5.9 245 hp 335 ft/lbs.
both will burn gas too. I get about 13-14 mpg in mine.
 
easiest bet by far is an LS swap-- why shy away from it? ls-1's are pretty cheap, and part are plentiful. Hell, do a vortec. If you put a 350 in, you're going to do just about the same amount of work, for something not as powerful.

I did a 350 swap... got the block practically for free, and regretted it. depending on what 350 you get, it won't be all that much more powerful than what you have.. And if you go for a modern 350 (a zz6-- which I ended up swapping in- -400hp), it'll cost you just about as much as a new ls-1.

As for 5.2/5.9 -- believe it or not, it's a royal PITA to swap. Chevy is far simpler, mostly because the adapters are far more readily available for a chevy. And I had a 1998 grand Cherokee with a 5.9. Yeah, it was a great motor at the time, but still, only had around 220 hp/300ish tq. it was good for the time, can't touch a modern small block.

My heartfelt advice -- stroke it. You'll get a bunch more power, won't have to deal with the headache of swapping.

But if you insist on swapping -- take a look at novack (https://www.novak-adapt.com/ ) and check out their "research" tab. They are the best resource for XJ motor swaps, and sell every adapter you'll need for the swap.\



Edit-- by the way, here's what novack says about 5.2/5.9 swaps -- (setting aside the fact that they are dramatically underpowered compared to a modern zz6/ls motor):

Jeep Engine Swap Comparison
We get asked occasionally what our opinions are of the Mopar V8 swaps into Jeeps. Some individuals think they must be easier since Jeep is now a Chrysler company. The swaps are not as intuitive as this would suggest, and on a whole, it is usually going to be easier and more economical to install a GM V8.
318 and 360 swaps into Jeeps are not as well documented as Chevy and Ford V8 swaps, the interest and momentum is rising and a body of knowledge is deepening on the subject. These good engines and worthy of consideration if you have one of these engines on hand. The installer should keep in mind that these engines, while affordable, do generally cost more to install and to work on than the Small Block Chevy and Ford counterparts. For those who understand and are comfortable with these good motors, this is usually not a significant setback.
 
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HP per dollar... an LS is your cheapest bet.

Yeah, I don't understand this notion that an LS swap is prohibitively expensive. if you're going with a 8 cylinder, and Ls is the way to go. you can get one from a junk yard from a couple of grand. Heck, a brand new, turn key LS-3 direct from GM (https://www.chevrolet.com/performance/crate-engines/ls3) (430hp/425 lb ft tq) is $9-10kk

If for whatever reason you don't want to do an LS, a brand new 350 zz6, turnkey (complete with EFI, oil pan, distro, heck, even the spark plugs and wires) direct from GM, 420hp/405 lp ft tq, (https://www.chevrolet.com/performance/crate-engines/small-block-zz6-efi-turn-key) is around $7k (current price on jegs). If that seems high.. keep in mind you're not buying a single accessory -- not even the starter motor -- and it has a warranty on it. I ended up doing a zz6 motor, because I had already done circa 1988 350 swap, and wanted to get the zz6 shot block and use some of my current accessories. Otherwise, I would have done an LS in a heartbeat.

If you go the 350/zz6 route, feel free to IM me. You may be better off getting the short block, as the intake they use for the EFI is kind of on the tall side, and may not clear the Cherokee's hood. like I said, I went with the short block, used an edlebrock shorty intake, and used a holly terminator efi (though the EFI gm gives you on the zz6 is pretty sweet, sequential port injection, terminator is TBI, but, it works perfectly fine.. obviously you'd want EFI for offroading)
 
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Why in the world would you go through that much money and trouble just to install some stupid antique boat anchor like a 305? Or even a 350! Move away from the antiques. If you want that old crap just put another 4.0 or stroker in. Cheap/easy/bolt in. If you want an antique go buy something classic.

If you want something different than a 4.0 then do something DIFFERENT...like an LS, a modern diesel, etc. A modern engine, not something designed 60+ years ago!

Personally I think the 4.0 is perfect in an XJ, plenty of power, plenty reliable, reasonable mileage - and it bolts right in! If you need more than that build a stroker and/or add 5lbs of turbo boost. It will still be reliable and could burn the tires.
 
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