cruiser54

Geez. You need an air cleaner assembly. Yank those colored vacuum lines and do this: https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/fr...ss-91-a-38629/

It has a later model engine in it with the 90 fuel injection.

Oswalla

I was thinking that motor did'nt look like my 90'. The extra wire loom? by injector rail is not on mine. He has no TPS sensor on throttle body. Just wandering if he can even make it run right with that motor, sensors and computer wise ??

At the very least get a FSM off ebay or wherever if your serious about bringing her back to life. Search here about HO to Renix motor swap because it looks like you have a HO motor in your Renix.

cruiser54

What if they used the HO flexplate? It will never run......

SlothyJeep

Upon doing some further research I do not have a OH engine just a good old renux. When I bought it she would start up but struggle to run (basically choke to death) and the guy said the timing was off (distributor wasn't bolted down and the timing chain had beyond to much slack) so I fixed those things but can't start it up untill I get a new alternator. Now one of the interesting things is that you have to put fuel into the throttle body in order to get it to fire up and their is no pressure on the rail either (essentially bad fuel delivery). Once the new alternator is in place I can re run my belt and see if she'll fire up and idle (fingers crossed) the whole point of this post was to get some insight on what the engine bay is supposed to look like because this truck was literally put together over night with what they (the previous owner) had. I have a bunch of vaccum lines that are either disconnected, broken or missing. Aside from the breather box and winshiwind wiper reservoir im trying my hardest to figure this thing out. I know I gotta do an axel swap eventually but in the grand scheme of things I really want this thing running by November/December so I can test out my lifted 4x4 in the snow. It's a long shot to have her road ready and an even longer shot for snow ready but I know with enough help from one of the most tightnit communities it's doable. Thank you guys for your help so far and please continue to post tips, videos and pictures!

cruiser54

This might help.

Did you index your distributor per my Tip 13?

werewolf19

How is that done?

Mine is an '89 but I'd still like to know.

cruiser54

Just do this:

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/fr...ss-91-a-38629/

bad_idea

I have a 90 myself. LOVE it. Great jeep. Simple to work on. Get a Factory Service Manual. A digital copy can be had on Cruiser's site. I would suggest you trace every vacuum line and start deleting crap you don't need. I greatly simplified the vacuum lines on mine. Got rid of a bunch of unnecessary vacuum stuff. Probably won't fix your issues, but will remove variables.

RocketMouse

agreed there Pat... heck..sometimes even I think I'm nuts for putting the amount of time and money into a 20 y.o. jeep...
But it's just a strange obsession that we love these old XJ's.

Ralph77

X3. I have put way more money in my '00 then I thought I ever would. Bought as a bit of a fixer upper 5 years ago never thought I would be doing all the stuff to her that I have and am. Mostly factory options that she did not come with. All things considered repairs have been minimal. And just to be clear I blame you guys. Also Ebay and Craiglist. Started coming around looking for basic repair tips. Like what do you do when you bust your upper shock bolts. Then I start seeing all the stuff you guys are doing. All the options my Jeep did not come with. All the time thinking I want that. Then I start finding these options that I never really thought I would come across at reasonable prices. My Jeep is just a DD. Days of thrashing around out there are long over. I have owned a 4X4 of some sorts since I was 16. The goal is this to be the last 4X4 I buy in my lifetime. My simple little refresh has gotten out of control. LOL. And the real scary thing is I don't regret it one bit.

97XJ Journey

As has been said,,,get a FSM for your vehicle, take some time studying it and learning how to read vacuum and wiring diagrams. Take it one step at a time!!! The FSM can guide you through almost all checks that you will need to do,,,you just have to learn what steps to take.

Plug all open vacuum lines, this may help get the engine started, as you figure out where the go just hook them up. Again, take your time! The engine only needs three things,,,fuel, air, and spark. Of course they need to be delivered all at the correct time. Static time your engine,,,TDC #1 and check that the rotor points to #1 plug lead. If there is no or little pressure on the fuel rail then you will need to fix that first. Check all the fuel lines for leaks and also listen for the fuel pump running when you first turn on the ignition.

Diagnosing a vehicle over a forum can be trying,,,at best,,,sometimes. Please be as thorough and accurate with your questions and answers.
Example,,,
Question,,,How much fuel pressure is in the fuel rail?
Bad answer,,,Fuel comes out of the test port.
Good answer,,,I bought a fuel pressure test kit and there is 15 psi in the fuel rail.

Things like this can save you time and some expense and a lot of aggravation.