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So.. the last Jeep thread I had - is now my donor XJ (1996). Bought a '97+ Cherokee for $300 with a blown motor, body is nearly rust free, only a few patches of surface rust. There is a dent on the drivers door and the front fenders and bumper need replaced. I will be using the maroon fenders, front clip, and bumper I planned on using on the donor vehicle to update it to the '97+ originally.
So here is the plan: Swap in my motor and manual transmission from the donor that have 188k on them so that I can build up the engine that was in it - as long as it's worth rebuilding, of course. Possibly a stroker.
Here is the Jeep:
Replacement front end:
I want to get some motor mounts, might as well while I do the engine swap, am looking at Brown Dog Ultra-Flex Rubber. Thoughts?
Here is the rest of my shopping list:
Driver's Glass
Transmission mount? might hold off and get that next engine swap.
Headlights
Taillights
Paint, badging, etc
I don't need anything fancy for lighting but has anyone heard anything about these housings:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-FAST-SHIP-1997-2001-JEEP-CHEROKEE-XJ-DEPO-RED-SMOKE-REAR-TAIL-LIGHTS-NEW-/301876235776?&_trksid=p2056016.m2518.l4276http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-X-6-GLASS-LENS-BLACK-SEALED-BEAM-SQUARE-WHITE-LED-HEADLIGHT-FOR-TOYOTA-MODEL-/171447214005?&_trksid=p2056016.m2518.l4276
Here is the paint color I am going to use: Low Gloss Single Stage Wool Grey Metalc with their Low Gloss Single Stage Hot Rod Black on the bumpers, fenders, mirrors, etc.
The mail men are going to hate me in the next few weeks...
If anyone has converted an auto to a manual I'd love to hear from you! I will have the engine and trans that already go together so I'm not so much concerned with that, more so the pedal and other aspects with mounting.
Just ordered my Brown Dog Motor Mounts! - make sure to use Promo Code "CF2011" for 10% off! Now all I have left is the driver's side glass and possibly a transmission mount and it'll be on the road again. Then headlights, taillights, paint, lugnuts to get it looking a little better again and we are good to go for stage one.
Picked up fluids for this weekend: 6 quarts oil, 2 gals coolant, 1 quart power steering, 1 quart of transmission fluid, oil and air filters, 2 bottles of degreaser - all for under $75. And my door pin and bushing set came in the mail today, so now I can fix my sagging doors.
Harbor Freight has a pretty good sale this weekend and I'll be picking up a 3-ton low-profile floor jack and a 1000 lb engine stand. Figure I should get the engine stand since I'll have the engine on out for a while while I build it.
Got a guy coming on Friday to pick up my doors off of the '96.
When I was digging around in the Jeep I found the window glass among a bunch of other random stuff, but I don't know the reason why he took it apart.. So this leads to my questions - does anyone know if the 2 door's actuator is identical to the 4 door's? I know the window is bigger, therefor heavier. I don't want to get one and have the window be slow. I'll test it before buying a replacement - just looking over options.
EDIT: Found a very good explanation to the difference between the 2 door and 4 door window regulators, Basically the 2 door has a second bracket to help with the weight of the window, as long as the secondary bracket is solid there are a few different ways to fix it based on whether the primary bracket is broken or if the motor is dead.
Yep...and swapping to manual regulators are a direct swap....I did this to my 98 2 door...
The only problem is finding the door panels untouched and for a cheap price....
Some go for $200+ each....
Day One Engine Swap:
I got everything but the transfer case, crossmember, and motor mounts taken out.
Today I plan on getting an engine stand for when pull it out and an e12 socket to get the transmission off. Things should go smoother today as I know more what I need to do and I have less that needs to come out. More importantly here are some pictures:
The A/C lines did not want to cooperate...
Progress shot
Glamor shot
Switched the two around at the end of the night. Now the 99 is in the shop and the 96 is outside waiting to get pulled.
Not very happy my Brown Dog motor mounts aren't here yet. I ordered them on the 4th. Just called them and they said they wouldn't be here until around Wednesday......
I'll have to swap those in later as long as my current mounts aren't broken.
Day Two Engine Swap
A little behind schedule, day 2 I got the interior pulled in order to do some floor pan repairs and to make the alterations for the manual shifter etc. There were some other odds and ends, pulling the fuel line and power steering and transmission mounts. Ran into some set backs not having a chain big enough for the head bolts was a big issue towards getting then engine out - imagine that.
One of the distractions was the shop next door needing a hand lowering a semi's cranks shaft - way too heavy.
Day Three Engine Swap
Today went well enough, got the 1999's engine out and it was quite the learning experience. Here is my advise to any first time engine swappers
Don't unplug all of the wires - if you are pulling both the engine and the transmission there is a wiring harness just for them
Don't remove the engine, trans, and torque converter out as one - the internet is a liar and it is not a walk in the park.
Label all of the wires.
Baggie all of the nuts and bolts you can't put back in right away.
While I wait for my motor mounts to come in the mail I will be cleaning and sanding the engine bay, suspension, and underside of the vehicle and then painting them with Rustoleum Chassis Paint. Hopefully that will hold up well enough.
Worked on cleaning/painting the engine bay, separated the engine from the transmission, and got the engine on the stand it will be on for the next year or so..
Gonna be about a month 'til I can pull the 2nd engine because I have to clean/paint the engine bay, fix a few spots on the floor pans, undercoat the whole thing, then it should be about ready to accept the working engine.
Long story short my daily driver needs new head gaskets and I dont care to spend $1500 at a shop to have them do it on a car only worth a little more than that. If you know of a good "How To" for the 4.7 grand cherokee I'd appreciate it.
But I dont have the money to get the tools to do it myself. So I'm going to get this car running instead and sell that one as is.
In the next two weeks I will:
pull the manual parts from the 96
install them on the 99
finish cleaning the engine bay
install the floor pans
undercoat
pull the engine, trans, TC, etc
re-gasket the 96 engine
test the starter, alternator, and other accessories
Great progress....sucks about your dd though...
By any chance do you know if the slots for the master cylinder for the slave cylinder holes are on the fire wall?
I have a chance to pick up a 98 2 door auto with a blown trans that I could pick up cheap but I have an nv3550 I can swap in if the swap were that easy...
By any chance do you know if the slots for the master cylinder for the slave cylinder holes are on the fire wall?
Here is a picture of where the master cylinder is located on the firewall, Haven't had a chance to investigate further - I will once I pull the engine. You can see it in the upper right corner with the black cap.
Here is a picture of where the master cylinder is located on the firewall, Haven't had a chance to investigate further - I will once I pull the engine. You can see it in the upper right corner with the black cap.
Is this on the 96?
I meant on the 98...if the holes are already in location to mount the master cylinder...or do you have to drill holes into it ?
03-03-2016, 08:05 PM
2 door XJ - take 2
