2000-matt

I have a 2000 Cherokee sport 4.0 that just blew up, it has the coil packs. Can I put a 99 motor and head with a distributor in the 2000, I've heard it will bolt right up except that there are no bolt holes on head for coil pack. My biggest question is about the distributor, obviously I want to continue to use the coil packs and have heard that u can pull the distributor once on tdc and replace with the cam positin sensor from my 2000? What about the coil packs/electric plug? Not to excited about possibly having to mess with wiring harness? Anything else I should be concerned about other than coil packs. I am confident that I can do it if it is possible and am trying to keep cost to a minimum. I just don't want to waste a bunch of time if it will not work. Any pic's or threads bout the distributor to coil pack swap would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Snipes

Im in sim situation except I have found a 91 HO 4.0 for my swap.

extrashaky

You're making it too complicated. The '99 and '00 long blocks are almost identical mechanically. The only difference is the size of the exhaust ports, which doesn't make enough of a difference in performance to matter. The 2000's ignition system doesn't really care which engine it's controlling.

Use the '99 long block without the distributor. The oil pump drive from the 2000 (with the camshaft sensor on top) will drop right in where the distributor sits in the '99 motor. Keep the '00 wiring and computer to run it. The long block doesn't care how it gets its spark or fuel as long as it gets it.

You can use either intake manifold, since they are the same in '99 and '00. Use the 2000 exhaust manifolds with the 2000 gasket, but check for exhaust leaks when you're done. The exhaust ports on the 0630 are larger than on the 0331, so you may need to buy or make an adapter plate. You can buy one at the link below for $120, or you can spend that money on a Dremel and a sheet of thin steel instead and make it yourself using the manifold gasket as a template. Then you have an adapter plate AND a Dremel. But many people don't even need the plate.

https://jeepexhaustadapter.com/

You can use the 2000 coil rail by taking a strip of metal and bending it to make a bracket to hold it to the head. I can't search pics right now (stupid work computer internet restrictions), but if you search for 0331 to 0630 head swap posts you'll find pics of the brackets people have made. It's stupid simple once you actually see it.

Alternately, you can search this board for "Viper coil" for information on how to adapt a Dodge minivan coil for use in place of the coil rail. You basically mount a three-coil pack for a Dodge or Chrysler 6 cylinder motor somewhere in the engine bay, connect it to the harness where the coil rail would have connected and run plug wires from the coil to your head. The coil rail is just a three coil pack stretch out the length of the engine, so the end result of the conversion behaves exactly the same. Don't be fooled into thinking there's any performance benefit. It's not really any easier than making brackets to hold the coil rail in place, but for some people it's easier to conceptualize for some reason.

Good luck!

cpttuna

you can also use a dodge viper coil(6pack)

extrashaky

Which is just a minivan coil.

cruiser54

Why?

BlueRidgeMark

'Cause it's from a VIPER, n00b! It's more pooowerrrefulllll!

cruiser54

Makes sense. NOT!!!!!!!!

extrashaky

It helps in troubleshooting, duh. With the VIPER coil you can just ignore trouble codes and pull your plug wires off and stare at them instead.

Seriously, though, I could see why someone might do this instead of a bracket to hold the coil rail on an older head swap. I wouldn't, because I don't like the idea of introducing so many new points of potential failure. But I could see why someone else might opt for this solution in that particular situation.

But I have to laugh at these folks who do it just because they don't like the coil rail.

Cassey Lyrics

99 regular distributor put in place of a 01 ho?

Samheadz

​​​​​​​I have a 1997 jeep XJ and I replaced the 97 motor with a 2000 model motor and the distributor wiring harness from the 2000 model is different than 1997 model XJ is there an adapter that can be purchased for this? Has anybody experienced this problem and if you did what was your solution.

Matt_the_Butcher

First, I'd be weary about putting a 2000 motor in because of the 0331 head unless you use the 0630 in your 97. I think my wife's 2000 is 1 of the good ones that hasn't had the head crack but I do keep up on it. Aside from the 0331 issue, your exhaust is going to be different. If that motor is CA emissions, that's another issue. Use the 97 wiring harness and your 97 distributor and put it in place of the 2000 oil pump. There's a lot of write ups on replacing a distributor if you're not sure how. A lot of people are down on 97s because it's an oddball year. They're awesome if you understand them and that a lot of parts can be used from earlier years as well as later years if you dumb them down.

cruiser54

Have yo tried bolting the 97 exhaust manifold to the 2000 head yet?

Matt_the_Butcher

It's more work, but I think I'd swap the 0630 head from the 97 onto the 2000 block and reuse the 97 header and intake. A lot of people like the 99+ horseshoe intake but from my experience it tends to heat soak/vapor lock in summer more than the stock set up intake from 96-98.

cg627

I have the opposite stuff going on . I assumed a 98 would be able to operate in a 2000 however it won’t start an is backfiring out of the intake ! What should I do ?