5.2l swap into 00xj, anybody try it?

[jeepster35]

so :: ive been thinking for awhile now about if you could swap a 5.2l out of a late year zj into a 00 xj. my motors starting to leak oil in a few spots, and instead of taking all that time into fixing all the leaks maybe I could swap a v8 and get a nice power upgrade instead. would you have to swap the trans and t-case as well, or could you keep the rest of the drivetrain the same. maybe the zj and xj have similar engine bays. could I keep the same steering setup since the v8 zj is similar or the same. it seems like it could be possible but then again I haven't had much luck on finding info. is it possible? any mods? or threads? im all ears guys


been curious about trying it, has anyone ever tried the swap? :helpme:

 

[VAhasnoWAVES]

ill try to be gentle...

if your concerned about the zj steering in a motor swap thread, your probably not ready to tackle the task. with that said, most will agree that youll be time and money ahead dropping in a 5.3. horsepower per dollar, its hard to beat, and is going to be similar in the amount of work.

 

[WAZZUXJ]

Really? You have a couple oil leaks and jump right to "well, I should just swap the motor." If you can't handle a couple oil leaks, you should not be looking at a motor swap.

A quick search found:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1059679

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1093650

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=938779

 

[Johnnie Walker]

I pretty simple emissions/inspection swap would be a I6 stroker,
Otherwise, GM V8 swap. Or, if you want a ZJ 5.2, BUY a ZJ with a 5.2.

 

[zachandandy]

Another thing to consider concerning emissions is many states require the donor engine be same model year or newer, which means no zj engine in a 00 xj. There's a lot of reasons why chevy swaps are so common.

 

[shelbyluvv]

There are also no "bolt in" motor mounts. You can adapt the ZJ mounts to work though. You will need to find a ZJ ECM without a SKIM or use a truck ECM. The harness will need to be modified to feed the two extra injectors as well. It can be done. I put a 5.2 in my 86 MJ.

 

[sidriptide]

simply put, dont do it. just because it's a "Jeep" engine doesnt mean it is a solid easy swap. just like all engines and vehicle models, there are fans of everything and many people that made something similar work "just fine" or even perfectly. i wont say this swap is beyond your abilities, some impressive stuff has been accomplished by people who just jump right in and figure things out. be realistic about your ability to trouble shoot simple systems, because once you undertake something like this you are going to create new problems that will frustrate you to no end.
if you insist on a swap get a good 4.0L and give it a driveway overhaul with all new gaskets and seals then slap it in.
or just go at it and give it a shot. be realistic about what you expect the end result to be. what you wont find on a Google search are the failures that seemed like a good idea at the time.
and as always........ post pics!!

 

[cal]

Thats a lot of work to gain 22 horsepower..

 

[GordoSmasho]

Thats a lot of work to gain 22 horsepower..

X2. Not worth the effort when a stroker yields more with less custom work.

 

[kastein]

If you are going to put this much work into it, go with a 5.9. No real reason to go 5.2... I have one sitting here that I was going to do that with (it was sold to me as a 5.9, I only found out the seller lied to me when I got it home, was too uninformed to check casting numbers before purchase at that point) and can't find the motivation to.

Fix your leaks. Or stroke it and fix your leaks like Gordo said.

That being said, if you feel the need to, get a 5.2/5.9 out of a truck with a mantrans or have a mantrans truck tune put on it, you'll have to splice a harness up if you want it to look nice, and you can use the bellhousing out of a 3.9L V6 Dakota to put a 5.2/5.9 in front of an AX15/NV3550 manual from a stock XJ. I suggest not putting a 5.9 in front of one though, you might not like what it does to the gears.

 

[Digger87xj]

I put a 5.9 in mine. No end to the fun BUT having a hard time with cooling. I have $950. In radiator and fans alone and it still runs hot to really f'n hot on hills.
By no means was it cheap, or easy and can't be done unless you have a welder and torch. You must be excellent with vehicle wiring as well.

 

[DeftwillP]

maybe the zj and xj have similar engine bays. could I keep the same steering setup since the v8 zj is similar or the same.

lol and they both say jeep on the front so it'll probably fit....don't listen to these guys

 

[Empty_Pockets]

They make a bolt in ls1 kit......way better platform than the 5.2 and the 5.9. More hp for less $$ and much better MPG. Swap a 5.3L in it.

 

[kastein]

Agreed... The only reason I would go 5.2/5.9 is "keep it in the family" which looks pretty lame when you can get a couple hundred hp gain out of a junkyard LM7/LR4 build.

 

[Empty_Pockets]

Agreed... The only reason I would go 5.2/5.9 is "keep it in the family" which looks pretty lame when you can get a couple hundred hp gain out of a junkyard LM7/LR4 build.

I never understood the keep it in the family thing, unless its a rare car that's worth money, but its not its a Cherokee and Jeep made billions of them. 5.3, ls6 cam, 243 casting heads, ls6 intake, GTO injectors and a converter will give you a low 12 second jeep that is reliable, drivable, and decent on fuel all with factory parts. You have to do the same work as you would a 5.2 might as well upgrade to a much better more responsive platform. Plus there are ls1 tuners everywhere.

 

[Talyn]

If you are going through the trouble of an engine swap there are much better engines to swap in. In stock for the 5.2l is a dog in both mileage and power. The 5.9L is a bit better, but still for its displacement its sad.

 

[Hoooper]

5.3, ls6 cam, 243 casting heads, ls6 intake, GTO injectors and a converter will give you a low 12 second jeep...

what? Maybe in stock height stripped out cherokee. Over on pirate there is a guy with a tuned/cammed 6.0L in a wrangler that was trying to get into the 13s on high lifted wrangler on 37s. Assuming the cherokee in question is like most of the others on this site, its not nearly as low or light as a stock cherokee and as such, with bolt ons and cam he might get into the 13s. I agree though that a gen III or IV platform is a waaaayyyyyyyy better choice than 5.2 or 5.9. Probably end up being cheaper as well since 5.3s and 4l60s are everywhere.

 

[Empty_Pockets]

Yeah a stock one, not on 37's. My 3700lb Camaro with a cam only 6.0 and m6 went 11.80@119 mph.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

My best 1/4 mile time at SacRaceway was 17.4 @ 76MPH.
This was a basically stock Renix XJ with 235/75 Bridgestone AT's in 4wd!
Double the power would shave at least a few seconds off.

 

[yossarian19]

Maybe I'm being too charitable but I'd swear the OP was just trolling...

In short, if serious, "no".
It's been done but it's not cheap or easy unless you have the 5.2, trans & transfer case all sitting in your garage already. Even then... LS swap = more power, economy, reliability, etc.