can you swap a 96 engine into a 97?
 

I have two jeeps, one's a 96 2wd 4 cyl cherokee and the other's a 97 4wd 6 cyl with a blown head gasket and ruined engine... I don't care about the 96 and in fact (without luck) have been trying to sell it. I don't have the funds right now to get the 97's engine fixed or replaced (water pump went out, engine over heated, head gasket blew, it sat for a while and rusted the cylinders). Would it be feasible to swap engines? And by feasible I mean without having to make new mounts or buy any new parts or anything? Obviously (as you can tell), I'm not super mechanical but I can manage.

Swapping the 4 cyl in place of the 6 isn't a simple project. Nothing fits from the motor mounts on back.

Does the '96 run? Rather than gut it, sell it and get a good used motor?

Sheez. Sorry man. No fun. Agreeing with Radi, these computer things, swapping anything can be a supper problem. The 4.0 in-line 6, IS a remarkably hardy engine. (I just passed 270K). U sure it's toast? U pulled the head? Any chance of a compression test? Sometimes things make no sense at all. Put a little ATF or oil in the plug holes, crank her a bit and see....or maybe not....:dunno:

yes, the 96 runs and yes I'm quite sure the 97's engine is toast. Pulled the head to replace the gasket and cried when I saw the inside. pistons are rusted solid to the cylinders. not a pretty sight.

I've actually been trying to sell the 96 for a year without any luck what so ever. it was kind of a last chance of hope thought that the engines could be swapped. but due to circumstances i'm probably just going to have to abandon the 97 completely. Sell it to someone who's got the time and money to drop in a new engine.


Anyway, thanks for confirming my suspicions.


http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...70880047_n.jpg

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...51275318_n.jpg

96 in front, 97 in back.
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...12877779_n.jpg

Soak those cylinders down with some PB blaster several times a day for a couple of weeks then turn it over. I bet you would be surprised at what will happen. You've got nothing to loose at this point. If it spins over awesome throw a gasket on an replace the head (If its cracked/warped) change the oil and run it changing the oil frequently for a time or 2 till the rust is gone. If it doesn't turn over then you are in the same position you are in now. Let us know the out come!!!

That's what I would do .... flood it with PB Blaster.

Tap the the pistons with a piece of wood and a dead blow hammers to ' assist '.

Get the thing to turn over and flood it with Blaster some more to help clean the crap out.

Damn thing might come back to life and go another 100K miles!

That'll buff out. I bet money it can be fixed without replacing the motor.

had a locked up 58 caddy sedan brought to my shop 5 years ago....same problem was sitting in a shed with no spark plugs in it. Before we pulled the engine to rework it I decided to fill the cylinders with kroil and let it sit for the weekend. Come monday I put my breaker bar on the crank pulley and after a few rocks back and forth she went all the way around, put plugs in it and it started right up. You couldn't see anyone in the shop or the front parking lot from all the smoke, anyway after a few hours of running it smooth out and I left the engine alone until we had all the other issues fixed with it.

Sooooo, clean out that water, run some 800 or 1000 grit paper over the reachable rust and fill that up with PB or kroil and let it sit. You will be just fine.

I have seen worst that have been saved. Like DFlintdtone said. Dump some trans fluid in there after getting out as much of the water that you can. That way when you get the money to fix her everything should be loosened up. You may need to work the pistons a little with a block of wood and a dead blow hammer like KD3NE mentioned. The other thing that you will have to check out is the lower end too. But I bet you can get her going again. Let us know what you decide to do.
Good Luck!

That's the magic word. I"ve used the stuff on generator motors that were locked up solid after sitting unused. It works.
http://www.kanolabs.com

Howdy Radi! Well, seeing the pic of the rust I might be a tad less optimistic then some. (rare for me!). Still, the "pitting" under all that might not be a killer. Gunk in the ring slots on the piston, and the ring "end gap" IS a killer.

For the price of some time and gaskets I/you just might be surprised!

A thought. I've used thick stuff, Marvel, or STP. You rotate a piston up a bit, then down, then wipe the "sludge" it left at the top of it's travel. There's a space around the circumference of the piston between the top compression ring and the top of the piston. That thick petroleum can stick junk from there to the cyl. wall so you can then wipe it.

I don't know any tricks for keeping emery dust/carborundum from getting down in there and killing it. I deleted a "Pillsbury" moment. :boxing: Or a "bead" of grease that could be scalloped out.

Hiya Don!
I agree that pulling the pistons would be a better plan, but to get it running, or at least stable until more money comes along...the Kroil may do the trick.
I've used it on stationary motors more rusted than that. Dump it in the cylinder and let it seep until the engine turns. Give it one turn by hand, wipe the cylinders down and repeat until they're clean. It's fairly amazing stuff.

Of course if the bearings have been marinading in antifreeze too, the cylinders may not be the only problem.

it'd be nice if there was someone in my area that could stop by and take a look and tell me one way or another for sure. I don't have the money to even try to see if I can get it back.

what's pb blaster/kroil

PB "blaster" is what you will find at wall mart. (comes in a spray can)(I liked liquid wrench) Kroil is another penetrating oil. Simply an oil designed to penetrate faster, is my .02. Diesel, kerosene, trans fluid, all will do things. I did see a post that PB is silicone based. Idk. Maybe someone else knows better.

These products do what the "un-informed" use wd-40 for. (WD-40 is the government's 40th try at a water displacement product...I hear) As good a lubricant as P.