1996 cherokee question
 

Hello!! I just purchased my first jeep! A 1996 Cherokee, 4.0 H.O. , automatic..a nice ride. I'm happy with it! However, the engine is seized which is why i got it so cheap. After pulling the pan down, i realizied the #3 piston had hydrolocked and exploded, scoring the cylinder wall. I was wondering if the 4.0L from an 1989 Wagonier (Not the full size Wagonier, the Cherokee based one) would work? Are they basically the same? Will it bolt right up to my 96 without too much trouble? I cant wait to get this beast on the road! Thank You for your time and answers!

The 1989 motor is a Renix era, and the 1996 is a newer system.

You should be able to swap EVERYTHING from the bad block onto the 89 block.

There are some good guys here that know every detail on making this happen. Be patient.

It would be best to stick with the same year, there are a few differences and improvements between an 89 4.0 and a 96 4.0.

Update on the Cherokee. I got it to run, by cutting off the connecting rod for the #3 cylinder so its the same size as the cap, filed down the cap and bearing so it would fit tight around the crankshaft (to block off the oil flow to that cylinder), unplugged the #3 fuel injector & after a little cranking, she runs and drives!! I wanted to see what all was bad before i spent $$ on another engine. Transmission shifts fine, transfer case works which was surprising seeing as the poor thing didn't get a whole lot of maintenance (both the engine and transmission oil was black like tar)...no odd noises coming from anyhere...other than the engine shaking a bit (a little off balance i think!!). So i picked up another 96 4.0. with 98K on it. So i'm getting excited and close to driving it. Thank You for all your time and answers, you were a big help! BTW, i'm a member of the 300K mile club!