Ok here's my scenario.
In college 250 miles away from my home town and anyone I know that has a shop. Broke a piston skirt but I think I may have caught it in time to not damage my cylinder. I will be removing the head this weekend to make sure but if I haven't, is there a way to replace the piston head or the whole rod assembly with the engine still in the jeep?
In other words, can I unbolt the oil pan and work from both the bottom and top to get it out and back in?

 

Yes, this is completely possible, I have done it. You have to take off the oil pan, lifting the frame of Cherokee makes this much easier,... Not lifting the whole Cherokee and then resting all the weight on the front axle, but lifting the Jeep body itself and letting the front axle droop down as far as possible for clearance to pull the oil pan out. Remove cylinder head, unbolt piston rod, and push piston/rod assembly out. You are going to have to find someone to push the old wrist pin out of the old piston/Pistons and press the new wrist pin/pins into the new piston/pistons.

 

ok awesome! yea it took me a while to get the pil pan off until i figured that out but I was thinking of buying the whole assembly so I wouldnt have to press in a new one

 

yes its possible, thats how i rebuilt mine, and thats how you rebuild engines in a semi.

 

Oh wow didnt know that

 

It's called an "in frame" rebuild.

 

did know that either, thanks!

 

Yup. Just threw a used piston/rod in the #6 hole in my 01 while it was still in the truck. Get some help to.get that head out of the engine bay....it's not light

 

It's a lot harder if it's still running.

 

Coming to a complete stop first helps.