2.5l turbo diesel 5 speed in 96 right hand drive cherokee

[Char-Broil]

Came across a wrecked 96 cherokee with the 2.5l turbo diesel and 5 speed trans. It has a salvage title, 132k mi on it, and they are asking $1500. It looks like it was very well maintained, the engine is super clean, as is the interior. Not really thinking about rebuilding it, the damage to the body is pretty bad, but I am curious to see what anyone knows about the engine/trans to use as a swap into another XJ or possibly YJ.

Who makes the engine? It says Jeep on the valve cover but I am guessing it is actually made by another company. The trans looked like an AX-15, but I don't know for sure. Any info, specs, etc anyone can offer would be great! Thanks

 

[casm]

Who makes the engine? It says Jeep on the valve cover but I am guessing it is actually made by another company. The trans looked like an AX-15, but I don't know for sure. Any info, specs, etc anyone can offer would be great! Thanks

Not sure what the transmission is, but the engines were made by VM Motori / Detroit Diesel. Honestly, I'd avoid it - it was an export-only engine so getting parts for it is a nightmare in the US (Chrysler generally won't deliver export-model parts here, at least in my experience), and it never had a good reputation for being particularly durable or long-lived.

 

[Char-Broil]

Turns out it is the AX-15 trans. Seems like the people in other countries regard the engine as an "unrefined" diesel engine, and would prefer the 4.0. I found the hp/torque specs to be 113/221...some pretty impressive torque. Thanks for the input casm, I'd like to know if anyone has any actual experience with this engine, but i don't doubt that as you said, getting parts may be a problem. It wouldnt be a DD really, so as long as the parts are available to order online or whatever and as long as they arent super expensive, i would be ok with that. But if its a crappy engine, and if my $12-1500 would be better spent elsewhere then I will gladly save it.

 

[casm]

Seems like the people in other countries regard the engine as an "unrefined" diesel engine, and would prefer the 4.0.

I'm half-Irish, half-American. I remember when the XJ was first offered in Europe in RHD; at the time I was in college in the UK. The issue wasn't with it being lumpy (which it is), but rather with the fact that they tended to explode after about three years under moderate use.

I found the hp/torque specs to be 113/221...some pretty impressive torque.

Yeah, but it's a really wheezy engine. Good luck topping 75mph on a flat in fifth, and expect a lot less on hills.

Thanks for the input casm, I'd like to know if anyone has any actual experience with this engine,

I have. We loved the cars but hated the engine.

but i don't doubt that as you said, getting parts may be a problem. It wouldnt be a DD really, so as long as the parts are available to order online or whatever and as long as they arent super expensive, i would be ok with that. But if its a crappy engine, and if my $12-1500 would be better spent elsewhere then I will gladly save it.

Save your money and get the 4.0. In EU countries where road tax isn't based on cubic capacity (and as far as I know, that only means the UK), the 4.0 is valued higher than the 2.5TD because it's the more reliable engine.

 

[Char-Broil]

casm, thanks for the advice, I will stay away from it then. I have a 4.0 in my cherokee dd, I was thinking about building up a wrangler or another cherokee as a project, and am considering making it diesel. I was interested in this engine for that, but I will definately save my money now that i know it isn't a great find. Thanks again for your help.

 

[casm]

I was thinking about building up a wrangler or another cherokee as a project, and am considering making it diesel.

This is something I'd love to do myself, but it really looks like the only viable option in the US is a CRD transplant from a KJ - and that isn't going to be cheap, at least not from what I've been able to dig up on it.

Pity, really, because a diesel in an XJ would be a Good Thing. I'm also kinda curious as to the history behind that one you found - RHD plus diesel suggests a UK/Japan/Australia model.

 

[bajacalal]

Not sure what the transmission is, but the engines were made by VM Motori / Detroit Diesel. Honestly, I'd avoid it - it was an export-only engine so getting parts for it is a nightmare in the US (Chrysler generally won't deliver export-model parts here, at least in my experience), and it never had a good reputation for being particularly durable or long-lived.

Are you talking about the reliability older Peugeot diesel XJs or the VM motori ones as theyre different engines? Or both? I'm assuming this is going into another jeep equipped already with a 4.0 that you want to make run on diesel. It would be a cool project but probably a parts nightmare unless this engine was used in the US (in stationary machinery for example).

 

[casm]

Are you talking about the reliability older Peugeot diesel XJs or the VM motori ones as theyre different engines? Or both?

I'm talking strictly about the VM unit on (IIRC) '93-'01 export models, not the 2.1-litre Renault engine used from '85-'88 on the US models. Having said that, the Renault engine is far less than a paragon of reliability either. I've often wondered if the Peugeot 2.5-litre turbodiesel (as sold in US-spec 505s) wouldn't be a good candidate for a swap, though - they're relatively bulletproof provided they get regular servicing. Seen a fair few 505s with over half a million miles on the original engine.

I'm assuming this is going into another jeep equipped already with a 4.0 that you want to make run on diesel. It would be a cool project but probably a parts nightmare unless this engine was used in the US (in machinery for example).

AFAIK, this engine was never used in *any* US-spec vehicle.

 

[klafindo]

I would like to know detail about the specification, performances of Cherokee 2.5L diesel where sold in Indonesia but not many population. Please inform me directly to my email: [email protected], and also is it already used the quadra drive or quadra trac transfer case which is using in Grand Cherokee 4.7L V8 and Grand Cherokee 4.0L, because the 2.5L diesel sold since year 2000 in Indonesia. Does anyone could inform the website that fully detail inform about this car? I am interested to buy but not much information can get in Indonesia and also I plan to install the supercharger to its engine to get much more torque since low RPM.

Regards,

Abdi