Is 4 cylinder really that bad?

[vbjornsson]

If you guys remember, a while ago I posted a thread about swapping a 4 cylinder to a 6 cylinder and what I got from it is that I would also need to swap the transmission and change the motor mounts.

Well, I have found a really nice cherokee(2dr, manual, 1993 under 100k) but it has a 4 banger. Would it be a good buy or should I wait for a 6 cylinder?

Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[Fore Wheeler]

it all depends on what you want to do.

do you want to maintain hwy speed going against the wind?
do you want to regear deeper to make up for the lack of power?

A 4 will work, ask Kudzu and Kevin, they wheel a 4 and it works for them, however me with 38's it wouldn't.

personally, I'd wait for the 6 to come along, guys spend hundreds of dollars for cat back systems for that few hp, they buy the open air filters for the few hp, they will put tb spacers on all for the extra few hp. the hp and torque that you'll get from the factoy with the 6 will be so worth the extra money/time that'll cost you for the factory 6.

my 2 cents

 

[5-90]

The AMC I4 used in the XJ is really not a bad engine, and there are some performance parts available for it that are really helpful. It is useful to remember that this is NOT rpt NOT the GM/Pontiac "Iron Duke" 2.5, this is really a 2.46L engine, and is essentially the AMC 4.2I6 with the centre two cylinders removed. I'd certainly take it over the GM 2.8L V6-60 any day of the week!

If you don't plan on any heavy pulling or anything like that, thinking about sticking with the AMC I4 really isn't a bad idea (although I would at least change the cam and make sure it's TBI or MPFI.) As mentioned, there are those who actually 'wheel the I4 and do rather well, and it suits some drivers more than the I6 anyhow.

I prefer the 4.0, but I do a lot of hauling and other load work, and California is rotten with hills (something else to think about - flatland or hills?) plus I do a lot of long-distance driving in various areas. Still, I wouldn't turn down the 2.46, but I probably would modify it farily soon after acquistion...

5-90

 

[seanR]

FWIW, I got almost 300,000 mis on an '88

 

[rockwerks]

129,000 plus miles on my 2.5 MJ and still going strong, I ahve towed otehr XJ,s form CO to AZ and all over az behind this thing without a problem, adn I haul water with it on a weekly basis, 325 gallons at a time in the bed, about 2800 lbs, poor thing gets worked to death, and I love it!

 

[BillR]

No personal experience with a 2.5L XJ, but I had a TJ with the 4-banger. It went everywhere thie "big boys" did, just not as fast.
FWIW, I've ridden several times in Brian's (xjnation) MJ, and at 80mph it acts like it's not even working hard! Gutsy little motor!

 

[sternbal]

I've got an 86 with close to 180k on it, and I've been very happy with it. It gets driven daily, and does fine on the highway and off road, but I don't drive very fast. And I can still get 25 mpg out of it, even with 32's and a spare on top.

 

[Eagle]

Remember that there were three generations of the 4-cyl in the XJ:

Gen 1 (1984 - 1985) = carburetor

Gen 2 (1986 - 1990) = throttle body injection

Gen 3 (1991 - 2000) = multi-port injection

The 1993 will be multi-port injected and puts out MORE horsepower and torque than the '84 - '86 2.8L V-6. The 2.5L engine won't set any drag race records but aside from that it's a great engine, and should deliver great gas mileage if that's a concern for you.

 

[Kittrell]

The 2.5s came with a turbo charger option, if ya went to the dealer i'm sure they could get it for ya.......

 

[Eagle]

The 2.5s came with a turbo charger option, if ya went to the dealer i'm sure they could get it for ya.......

???????

Documentation, please. I've never heard of this, and I've been around XJs since they first came out.

Are you sure you're not thinking of the European-only turbo diesel?

 

[5-90]

Wasn't the US 2.1 Diesel a turbo as well, or are I mistaken again?

Also, since I seem to recall the four-cylinder Diesel being a 2.1 litre, was there a 2.5 litre Diesel used in Europe (and therefore a different mill,) or did they use the Renault Diesel there as well (I think it was a Renault, wasn't it?)

5-90

 

[Eagle]

The original diesel offered in the US market was a 2.1L Renault diesel. I didn't think it was turbocharged, but I've never seen one "up close and personal" so that's purely based on recollection.

I believe toward the end of the XJ run it was sold in Europe with an Italian diesel. That one was turbocharged IIRC.

 

[DARKFLY]

i personsaly dont see any thing wrong with a 4 banger if you dont go big( i pay for it in my toy for not regearing it yet). i would take a I-4 over any v-6 any day and a I-6 over a v-8.

 

[Kudzu]

As metioned I have a 4 banger and I have no problems...I have recently went to 34x10.50 and thus I regeared to 4:88 and boy I did not realize the power I was missing but when I was still running the 32 it had power and it got decent miliage...

BTW mine is an 86 AMC

 

[Ghost]

IT all depends.......

I personally love the 4 popper. Especially when people ask me what's in that "thing" that just did every thing their v-8 cj does. CJ's are kind king around here and I love to take mine right there with em. I had the carb and steer clear unless you put a weber on it. The 93 is the MPI the best 4 popper IMHO except for the newer ones ! Wasn't there a 4th generation 4 popper Eagle in 97? When the TJ came out?

 

[xjfanatc]

I guess I will throw my two cents as well. I have ran the 2.8 v6 and the 2.5 I4. I will have to say no matter what the tire sizes are the I4 beats the V6. I have the 87 I4 and although it is only a two wheel drive it is very gutsy and haven't had any trouble out of it. It is a little noisy but still a strong motor. I have 168000 miles on it and get 20-25 miles to a gallon. drove through the mountains fully loaded when moving and it held its own. I would prefer the 4.0 but would not turn away from another I4. BTW if anyone ever thinks of buying an XJ with the 2.8 my advise is no, or upon buying it remove the 2.8 and replace it with the 3.4. That is a very strong little motor and is pretty reliable. Just my 2 cents (more like 5 cents).

 

[CheapXJ]

go for the 4

if you decide it's not enough, it's not hard at all to swap in a 6

it takes approx 22-24 hours to do the swap, but think of it this way.

let's say you want to go taller, and need to regear, the 4-banger trucks are cheaper and come with 4.10 gears (some early ones had weird ratios, but after 87 IIRC they were all 4.10)

buy a wrecked/rolled/rusted XJ for around 800-1000.

you've just done a motor swap for around the cost of regearing, and since the startup cost was less to begin with, you're ahead of the game in terms of $$$.

I'd do it again

 

[Big Al 331]

I have a 93 2dr with the 4 and I enjoy taking it out and going about anywhere I want it to go. A buddy of mine has an 84 Dodge with a 6" lift and 35's and I go where he goes. IMO the 4 is a great little motor.

I am still undecided if I really want to change it out. Go with the I6 or even an 8. The 4 works for me for the time being, maybe for a long time (no $$$ for the swap).

 

[MudDawg]

When I bought my XJ the engine was in poor shape because of neglect by the previous owner(s)...I knew it would be a waste of time to swap in a 2.8. So I did a comprehensive rebuild including as much modification as possible without compromising reliability.

Performance testing indicates the motor makes around 160hp which is nearly double the stock rated HP for the 1bbl carbed '85 model. I am extremely pleased with the performance...(Hats off to the guys at HESCO for their patience with my innumerable questions and their excellent service.)

And like Ghost...I love it when i hear "you outpulled me with THAT???" The build wasn't cheap but I couldn't refuse the challenge, guess I like 4 cyls after dragracing bikes for 20 years.

Kudzu is right about the gearing...makes more difference than you can imagine...the short stroke makes for an engine that loves to rev...

 

[Ghost]

Just to set the record straight......

I was at the dealer today ordering the bracket I think I need and he did some searching for me. Teh Xj actuall had 4 different 4 popper engines. The 97 and up was differnt than the 91-96. And the new 4 popper in the TJ is yet another varient. So that means there are actually 5 versions of the 4 popper out there now. If something works why change it? aparently Chryo is pleased with tuning the 4 popper that AMC desighned.