Hi,

I hoped some of you knowledgeable people may be able to tell me if there is anyone out there offering conversion kits for the Cherokee?

We have a 1996 UK cherokee limited edition fitted with the VM 2.5l turbo diesel engine. The problem is that it keep blowing cylinder head gaskets and the time has now come to either fit a complete new engine (reconditioned) or look at other options. I was thinking that maybe someone along the line has developed a conversion kit to implant a better diesel engine, maybe even the newer CRD engine into the old Cherokee?

Any tips? Or even a sure fire way to stop the gaskets blowing constantly would be good!! All work was carried out by the dealership to a very expensive standard (!) so I dont think the quality of work was the problem, just that the VM engine is not very good..

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

I don't think diesel cherokees were offered in the states so I don't know much about them. I would probably stick with that 2.5 if I were you though. Since your cherokee is already powered by one, just drop a reman 2.5 in it. I suppose if you wanted to go through the trouble of swapping a different engine you could always drop the old 4.0 I6 in there, haha.

 

We have not got the little diesels here in the states. No one that I can find on line has a remanufactured engine here either.
Where are you located? There is a website devoted to diesel conversions for Jeeps but the successful ones seem to be in CJs and YJs. The only ones in XJs are two wheel drives. They are using Nissan and Mercedes engine/transmission combos. You can look if you like http://jeep2diesel.org/ May or may not be what you are looking for.

 

Not alot of us know about them, but there is at least one other fellow on here that has the turbo deisel XJ. MAybe he will see this thread.

 

X2 on the rebuilt 2.5 deisel. A lot of us that live in the US covet that little motor, and we CAN'T get it!! You should be able to source a REMY over there somewhere. Good luck!!

 

The 2.8L CRD was installed in the Liberty in the US and also in the Egyptian military JK Wrangler. There are early talks from Mopar involving making that great little motor available as a crate motor package. There is an article in the July 2008 issue of Petersen's4wheel and off-roag magazine installing one in a TJ Wrangler.www.4wheeloffroad.com

 

JP magazine has an article about the diesels available overseas and that the magazine got a couple to drive here for a few days. They loved them. When will the factory give us that chance here in the good ol' USA ???

 

America is funny like that. There are a lot of vehicles over seas that would be huge in the US. I guess they don't want us to have the good stuff!!

 

I'd guess it is a common problem, I got this receipt in the paperwork with my 2.5TD Jeep (manufacturerd in 2000)

http://cv32.com/cherokeeforum/Gasket_Page1.gif
http://cv32.com/cherokeeforum/Gasket_Page2.gif

It would be nice to change the engine to a more powerfull and more efficient diesel but I think there would be a downward chain of replacements needed, all the way to the hubs.

If you take the cherokee as a whole, it is quite 'old' technology with leaf spring, floating axel, ball steering etc. I'd probably stick with the 'old' 2.5TD and perhaps put some more modern gaskets in it.
From what I can tell when it is said that the Cherokee will last 200k miles when properly maintained, that maintenance includes major components like gaskets or ball joints or spings every 60k miles and not just a few oil changes.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that it is probably not worth the effort of changing the engine, just come to terms with the Cherokees life cycle.

 

Speaking of cool cars we don't get here, how about some Utes from down under?

 

In the US XJ's got the VM 2.5l turbo diesel from 84 to 87 and there rare, I do know were on is that needs a rebuild and axles...

 

No they didn't... They got a Renault 2.1TD.. Nothing in common other than being a European Turbo Diesel...

There are still parts around for those diesels though. Winnebago put them into the Lesharo motorhomes in the same era... There is a place in Iowa that specializes in these diesel motors. When I was looking at buying a diesel XJ they were EXTREMELY helpful with questions I had...


I find it really funny our resident Euros want to get rid of their diesels, while us Westerners all want to put diesels in....